School of Engineering of Bilbao | Degree in Mining and Energy Engineering

THERMAL INSTALLATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES

Antonio Serra
Environmental Engineer, Ph.D.

[Link]@[Link]

Office 1C22 - Department of Machines and Thermal Engines

Tutoring
Monday 8 - 9 / 11.00 -11.30
Friday 10-11:30

HUMID AIR PROBLEMS

PROBLEM 1: COOLING OF HUMID AIR AT CONSTANT PRESSURE

Asampleof1kgofhumidairinitialyat21°C,1atm,and70%humidity.
relativecoolsto4.5°Cwhilemaintainingconstantpressure.
Determine:

a) the initial specific humidity,

b) the dew point temperature, in °C,
c) the amount of water that condenses, in kg.

Considerations and hypotheses:

1. A sample of 1 kg of humid air is taken as a closed system. The pressure of
system remains constant at 1 atm.
2. The present gaseous phase can be treated as a mixture of ideal gases. Each
component of the mixture behaves like an ideal gas that exists alone and occupies
the entire volume of the gas phase at the temperature of the mixture.
3. When water is present in liquid phase, water vapor exists as steam.
saturated at the system temperature. The present liquid is saturated liquid at the
system temperature.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 2: COOLING OF HUMID AIR AT CONSTANT VOLUME

Amixtureofairandwatervaporiscontainedinaclosedandrigidcontainer.
from 35 m3 of volume at 1.5 bar, 120°C and 0 = 10%. The mixture is cooled to volume
constantuntilitstemperaturedropsto22°C.
Determine:

a) the initial state's dew point temperature, in °C,

b) the temperature at which condensation begins, in °C,
c) the amount of condensed water, in kg.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 3: APPLICATION OF MASS AND ENERGY BALANCES TO A
Duct for humid air

In a duct, humid air at 10°C enters with an 80% relative humidity and a
flow rate of 150 m3/min. The mixture is heated as it circulates through the duct and exits at
30°C. No humidity is removed or added to the air, and the pressure of the mixture
remainsapproximatelyconstantat1bar.

Insteadystate,determine:
a) the heat exchanged per unit of time, in kJ/min,
b) the relative humidity at the outlet.

Changesinkineticandpotentialenergyareignored.

Considerationsandhypotheses:
1. The control volume shown in the attached figure operates in status
stationary.
2. The variations of kinetic and potential energy between the input and the output are
theydespiseandWvc=0.
[Link].
ideal.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 4: CALCULATION OF HEAT TRANSFER IN THE
COOLING OF HUMID AIR AT CONSTANT VOLUME

Amixtureofairandwatervaporoccupiesaclosedandrigidcontainerof35m3.
atavolumeof1.5bar,120°Cand 10%.
Themixturecoolsdowntoatemperatureof22°C.
Determinetheheatreleasedintheprocess,inkJ.

Considerationsandhypotheses:

1. The content of the container is considered as a closed system. Its volume

remainsconstant.
2. The gaseous phase is considered a mixture of ideal gases. Each of its
componentsbehaveslikeanidealgasthatexistsaloneandoccupiestheentire
volumeofthegaseousphaseatthetemperatureofthemixture.
3. When the liquid phase of water is present, water vapor exists as
saturated vapor and the liquid as saturated liquid, both at the temperature of
system.
[Link],andthereisnovariationinthe
kineticandpotentialenergies.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 5 :

Aroomof5mX5mX3containsairat25°Cand100kPa,atahumidity
relativeof75percent.
Determine:

a) the partial pressure of dry air,

b) specific humidity
c) the enthalpy per unit mass of dry air
d) the masses of dry air and water vapor in the room

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 6:

In cold weather, condensation is noticeable on the interior surfaces of the

windows due to the low temperatures of the air close to the surface of the
[Link],whichhasairat20°Cand75
relativehumiditypercentage.
What will be the temperature of the window at which the air humidity will start to
condenseontheinnersurfacesofthewindows?

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 7: PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

SolvePROBLEM3usingthepsychrometricdiagram.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 8

TypicalairconditionsinBilbaoare:

Summer(A1) T= 30ºC HR= 50% P= 1atm

Winter(B1)… T= 8ºC HR = 80%P= 1atm

Itisrequested:

a) Numerically and graphically determine the properties of humid air in

bothcases
b) The atmospheric air A1 cools down to the temperature of 23ºC (A2). Determine
graphicallythepropertiesofA2
c) The atmospheric air B1 is heated to a temperature of 22ºC (B2). Determine
graphicallythepropertiesofB2

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 9: ELEMENTARY PROCESSES

9.1Aflowof1000mismixed./h3 ofairat25ºCand55%relativehumiditywith

aflowof6000m3/hofairat8ºCand75%relativehumidity.
Determine the properties of the mixture

9.2It is desired to dehumidify a flow of 2000 m3/h of air at 25 ºC and 60%

relativehumidity,[Link]
the equipment output delivers saturated air at 10 ºC. Assuming that the water
condensediscollectedatthesametemperatureastheair,determine:
Amount of condensed water
Required cooling capacity

9.3Anevaporativecoolerreceivesanairflowof8500m3/hat38ºCand10%.
relativehumidity.Theairexitsat21ºC,determine:
Liquid replacement water flow
Properties of the air at the outlet of the equipment
Note: Assume transformation to constant Wet Temperature

9.4Calculate the exit conditions of an airflow of 2000 m.3/h, whose

conditions are 20 ºC and 50% relative humidity, to which 8 kg/h is added
watervaporat100ºC.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 10: DRYERS

Considerawooddryingfacility.
Airistakenat23ºCand60%relativehumidity.

First,itgoesthroughadehumidificationchamber;obtainingthe
saturatedairoutletat3ºCandeliminatingthecondensedwater.

Itisthenheatedtoatemperatureof40ºC.

Finally, the air flow is passed through the drying chamber (in which it is
findthewoodtodry).
Theairexitsthisat30ºCand90%relativehumidity.
Ifitisdesiredtoextract50kg/hofwaterfromwetwood.

Determine:
a) Required atmospheric air flow
b) Water flow removed in dehumidification
c) Required cooling power for dehumidification
Heating power

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 11: AIR CONDITIONING UNITS

Inacoolingunit,aflowof1500mismixed.3/hat25ºCand50%of
relativehumidity(state1)withanoutdoorairflowof500m/
3 ha33ºCy60

%relativehumidity(state2).
The mixture of both flows is cooled below its dew point temperature.
obtainingairat9.8ºCand90%[Link],itisheated
uptoatemperatureof15.6ºC.
Theairthuspreparedispropeledtothespacestobeairconditioned.
Itisrequested:

a) Properties of the air pushed into the room

b) Water flow released in the dehumidification
c) Required cooling power
d) Required heating power

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 11: AIR CONDITIONING UNITS

4 5

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 12: DEHUMIDIFIER

Inadehumidifierthatoperatesinastationarymode,humidairat30°Centers.
and 50% relative humidity, with a flow of 280 m3/min. The humid air passes
sobre un serpentín refrigerador y parte del vapor de agua se condensa. El
condensed saturated water from the dehumidifier at 10°C. The saturated humid air
[Link].
ofenergybyheattransfertotheenvironmentandthepressureremainsconstantat
1,013 bar. Determine
the mass flow rate of dry air, in kg/min,
b) the amount of water that condenses, in kg per kg of dry air passing through the
controlvolume
c) the necessary cooling capacity, in tons.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 13: HUMIDIFIER WITH STEAM SPRAYER

Inasteaminjectionhumidifier,humidairentersatatemperature
of 22 °C and a wet bulb temperature of 9 °C. The mass flow rate of air
thedryoutputis90kg/min.Thewatervaporisinjectedsaturatedat110°Candatarateof
52 kg/h. There is no heat exchange with the environment, and the pressure is constant.
equalto1barthroughouttheprocess.

Determineontheoutput

thespecifichumidityand
thetemperature,in°C.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 14: EVAPORATIVE COOLING

In an evaporative cooler, air enters at 38 °C and 10% relative humidity, with a

flowrateof8500m3/h,andexitsat21°C.
The water is added to the fabric soaked in a liquid state at 21°C evaporating.
[Link]
andthepressureremainsconstantandequalto1atmthroughouttheprocess.
Determine

a) the mass flow rate of makeup water, in kg/h,

b) the relative humidity of the humid air at the outlet of the cooler.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 15: ADIABATIC MIXTURE OF HUMID CURRENTS

Aflowof142m3/minofhumidairat5°Candwithaspecifichumidityof0.002
kg(vapor)/kg(dryair)ismixedwith425m3/minofanotherstreamat24°Cand50%
ofrelativehumidity.Thepressureremainsconstantintheprocessandequalto1atm.
Determine

a) the specific humidity

b) the temperature, in °C, of the resulting mixture.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 16: COOLING TOWER OF A THERMAL POWER PLANT

Fromthecondenserofathermalpowerplant,4.5x10^7kg/hofwaterat38°Cflowstowardsthe
[Link].
at a temperature of 30°C and with the same initial flow rate thanks to the water from
contributionaddedat20°[Link]
inthetowerat25°Cand35%relativehumidity,andexitsitat35°Cand90%humidity
[Link],inkg/h.
The tower operates in a stationary state. Heat exchanges can be disregarded.
with the environment and the variations in kinetic and potential energies. The pressure
remainsconstantat1atmosphere.

HUMID AIR
PROBLEM 16: COOLING TOWER OF A THERMAL POWER PLANT

HUMID AIR
School of Engineering of Bilbao | Degree in Mining and Energy Technology Engineering

THERMAL INSTALLATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES

Antonio Serra
Environmental Engineer, Ph.D.

[Link]@[Link]

Office 1C22 - Department of Machines and Thermal Engines

Tutoring
Monday 8 - 9 / 11.00 -11.30
Friday 10-11:30

HUMID AIR PROBLEMS

Work conquers all and pressing poverty urges in hard matters.