NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

MODULE 6 HUMIDIFICATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

LECTURE NO. 9
EXAMPLE PROBLRMS ON DEHUMIDIFICATION Example Problem 6.4: Moist warm air is to be cooled and dehumidified to a wetbulb temperature of 30C using water of 25C in a dehumidification column. The air enters the tower with a dry-bulb temperature of 85C and wet-bulb temperature of 45C at 4800 kg/m2h rate. The overall gas phase mass transfer coefficient is estimated to be 2150 kg/ m3h. The flow rate of water is 1.4 times the minimum. Calculate height of the tower.

Solution 6.4:

Gs=4507.04 kg/m2.h Y2/ 0.027 / H2 98 kJ / kg

Ls=8439.27 kg/h.m2 TL2=25C

Dehumidification tower

Gs=4507.04 kg/m2.h TG1=85C Y1/ 0.065 H1/ 210 kJ / kg Given, TG1=85C; TW1=45C

Ls=8439.27 kg/h.m2 TL1=39.29C

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 1 of 4

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

From psychrometric chart, Y1/ 0.065 kg moisture/kg dry air and H1/ 210 kJ/kg dry air. or, Y/=0.047 and

H1/ (1.005 1.88 0.047) 85 2500 0.047kJ/kg

=210.4 kJ/kg Wet-bulb temperature of outlet air is 30C. Y2/ 0.027 kg moisture/kg dry air and
/ H2 98 kJ/kg.

We have, inlet water temperature, TL2=25C Locate top point Q(TL2, H 2/ ) (lower terminal of operating line) at Q(25, 98) on TLH/ plane. The enthalpy of feed moist air at the bottom point P (upper terminal) of the dehumidification tower is 210 kJ/kg. But the temperature of the exit water is unknown.

Calculation of minimum water rate: The equilibrium line is convexed downward. The pinch point is obtained by drawing the horizontal line through H1/ 210 kJ/kg to meet equilibrium line at P/. Points Q and P/ are joined. Line QP/ is the operating line for minimum water flow rate. The water temperature at P/ is TL1,max=45C (TW1).
Gs G1 (1 Y1/ )

Gs

4800 (1 0.065)

= 4507.04 kg/h.m2 Now, the minimum water rate Ls,min can be obtained from the following enthalpy balance equation:
/ Gs ( H1/ H 2 ) Ls ,min (TL1,max TL 2 )CwL

4507.04(210-98)=Ls,min(45-25)4.187 Ls,min=6028.05 kg/h.m2

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD Page 2 of 4

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

Actual water flow rate=1.4Gs,min=1.46028.05 kg/h.m2=8439.27 kg/h.m2 Outlet temperature of water TL1 is obtained from Equationas follows: 4507.04(210-98)=8439.27(TL1-25)4.187 TL1=39.29C Moisture removed from air=water condensed per hour

Gs(Y1/ Y2/ )
=4507.04(0.065-0.027) kg/h.m2. =171.27 kg/h.m2.

240 220 200 180 160

P(TL1,H1)

'

P (TL1, max,H1)

'

Equilibrium line Operating line

'

140 120 100 80 60 22.5 Tas 25.0 27.5

0 '

Q (TL2,H2)

30.0

32.5

35.0

37.5

40.0

42.5
0

45.0

TL2=25 C

TG, TL

TL1=39.29 C

TL 25 27.7 30

H/ 98 117 136.9

H */

1/[H/- H */ ] 0.043 0.031 0.026

Page 3 of 4

75 85 98

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

32.5 35 37.5 39.29

155.4 176 195.3 210

110 130 145 156

0.022 0.022 0.020 0.019

0.05

0.04

0.03 1 [ H / H */ ] 0.02

0.01

0.00 25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32
0

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

TL ( C)

H toG

Gs 4507.04 m 2.096 m / 2150 KY a

N toG

dH / / ( H / H*/ ) (210 98) 0.026 2.912 H2

H1/

Height of dehumidification tower, Z=HtoGNtoG=2.0962.912 m=6.104 m. The Psychrometric chart can be obtained from the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychrometrics

Joint initiative of IITs and IISc Funded by MHRD

Page 4 of 4