MICRO PROJECT REPORT
MEM{ MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MEASUREMENTS}
TOPIC: SLING PSYCHROMETER
GROUP MEMBERS:
SAQUIB SURA : 17154
TANVI TAMHANE : 17145
ABDURRAHMAAN KAZI : 17160
UNDER THE GUIDANCE:-
PROF: MOHD. IBRAHIM
{LECTURER OF MEM}
Humidity Measurement
Humidity is the amount of
water vapour present in air.
Water vapour, the gaseous
state of water, is generally
invisible to the human eye.
Humidity indicates the
likelihood for precipitation,
dew, or fog to be present. The
amount of water vapour needed to achieve saturation
increases as the temperature increases. As the
temperature of a parcel of air decreases it will
eventually reach the saturation point without adding or
losing water mass. The amount of water vapour
contained within a parcel of air can vary significantly.
For example, a parcel of air near saturation may contain
28 grams of water per cubic metre of air at 30 °C, but
only 8 grams of water per cubic metre of air at 8 °C.
Three primary measurements of humidity are widely
employed: absolute, relative and specific. Absolute
humidity describes the water content of air and is
expressed in either grams per cubic metre or grams per
kilogram. Relative humidity, expressed as a
percentage, indicates a present state of absolute
humidity relative to a maximum humidity given the
same temperature. Specific humidity is the ratio of
water vapor mass to total moist air parcel mass.
Humidity plays an important role for surface life. For
animal life dependent on perspiration (sweating) to
regulate internal body temperature, high humidity
impairs heat exchange efficiency by reducing the rate of
moisture evaporation from skin surfaces. This effect can
be calculated using a heat index table, also known as a
humidex.
Types of Humidity:-
Absolute humidity:-
Absolute humidity is the total
mass of water vapor present in
a given volume or mass of air.
It does not take temperature
into consideration. Absolute
humidity in the atmosphere
ranges from near zero to
roughly 30 grams per cubic metre when the air is
saturated at 30 °C (86 °F).
Absolute humidity is the mass of the water vapor,
divided by the volume of the air and water vapor
mixture, which can be expressed as:
The absolute humidity changes as air temperature or
pressure changes, if the volume is not fixed. This makes
it unsuitable for chemical engineering calculations, e.g.
in drying, where temperature can vary considerably. As
a result, absolute humidity in chemical engineering may
refer to mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air,
also known as the humidity ratio or mass mixing ratio
(see "specific humidity" below), which is better suited
for heat and mass balance calculations. Mass of water
per unit volume as in the equation above is also defined
as volumetric humidity. Because of the potential
confusion, British Standard BS 1339 suggests avoiding
the term "absolute humidity". Units should always be
carefully checked. Many humidity charts are given in
g/kg or kg/kg, but any mass units may be used.
The field concerned with the study of physical and
thermodynamic properties of gas–vapor mixtures is
named psychrometrics.
Relative humidity:-
The relative
humidity or of an
air-water mixture
is defined as the
ratio of the partial
pressure of water vapor in the mixture to the
equilibrium vapor pressure of water over a flat surface
of pure water at a given temperature:
Relative humidity is normally expressed as a
percentage; a higher percentage means that the air-
water mixture is more humid.
Relative humidity is an important metric used in
weather forecasts and reports, as it is an indicator of the
likelihood of precipitation, dew, or fog. In hot summer
weather, a rise in relative humidity increases the
apparent temperature to humans (and other animals) by
hindering the evaporation of perspiration from the skin.
For example, according to the Heat Index, a relative
humidity of 75% at air temperature of 80.0 °F (26.7 °C)
would feel like 83.6 °F ±1.3 °F (28.7 °C ±0.7 °C).
Specific humidity:-
Specific humidity (or
moisture content) is
the ratio of the mass
of water vapor to the
total mass of the
moist air parcel.
Specific humidity is
approximately equal to the mixing ratio, which is
defined as the ratio of the mass of water vapor in an air
parcel to the mass of dry air for the same parcel. As
temperature decreases, the amount of water vapor
needed to reach saturation also decreases. As the
temperature of a parcel of air becomes lower it will
eventually reach the point of saturation without adding
or losing water mass.
SLING PSYCHROMETER
Sling Psychrometer is used to measure both the dry
bulb and wet bulb temperatures at time. These
temperatures are a measure of humidity content in air.
Description of Sling Psychrometer
The main parts of the instrument are
The instrument frame which holds the thermometers.
One mercury in glass thermometer whose sensing bulb
is bare to directly contact the air and to measure the
temperature which is called as the dry-bulb temperature.
One mercury in glass thermometer whose sensing bulb
is covered with a cotton or muslin wick made wet with
pure water. This sensing bulb covered with the cotton
wick moistened is made to contact the air and the
temperature indicated by this thermometer is called as
the wet bulb-thermometer.
The instrument frame carrying the thermometer is
covered by a glass casing.
A swivel handle is attached to frame-glass casing –
thermometer arrangement to ensure that the air at the
wet bulb always in immediate contact with the wet
wick.
When a thermometer bulb is directly exposed to an air-
water vapour mixture, the temperature indicated by the
thermometer is the dry-bulb temperature.
When a thermometer bulb is covered by a constantly
wet wick and if the bulb covered by the wet wick is
exposed to air water vapour mixture, the temperature
indicated by the thermometer is the wet bulb
temperature.
Operation of Sling Psychrometer.
In order to measure the dry bulb and wet bulb
temperature, the Psychrometer frame – glass covering –
thermometer arrangement is rotated at 5 m/s to 10 m/s
to get the necessary air motion.
Note: An important condition is that correct/accurate
measurement of wet bulb temperature is obtained only
if air moves with velocity around the wet wick. In order
to get this air velocity, the Psychrometer is being
rotated.
The thermometer whose bulb is bare contacts the air
indicates the dry bulb temperature.
At the same time, the thermometer whose bulb is
covered with the wet wick comes in contact with the air
and when this pass on the wet wick present on the bulb
of the thermometer, the moisture present in the wick
starts evaporating and a cooling effect is produced at
bulb. Now the temperature indicated by the
thermometer is the wet bulb thermometer which will
naturally be lesser than the dry bulb temperature.
Note: If the Psychrometer is rotated for a short period,
then the wet bulb temperature recorded will not be
proper.
Note: If the Psychrometer is rotated for a longer period,
the wick will get dried soon and the wet bulb
temperature will not be at its minimum value.
Application of Sling Psychrometer
1. It is used for checking humidity level in air-
conditioned rooms and installations.
2. It is used to set and check hair hygrometer.
3. It is used in the measurement range of 0 to 100%
RH.
4. It is used for measuring wet bulb temperature
between 0’C to 180’C.
Limitation of Sling Psychrometer
1. The measured medium is disturbed due to the act of
measurement. The evaporation process at the wet bulb
will add moisture to the air.
2. It cannot be used in automation requirement
situations.
3. It cannot be used for continuous recording purpose.
4. If the wick is covered with dirt, the wick will
become stiff and its water absorbing capacity will
reduce, however, a stiff/dirty wick will resume
normalcy when boiled in hot water
Hygrometer
A hygrometer (/haɪˈɡrɒmɪtər/) is an instrument used to
measure the amount of humidity and water vapor in the
atmosphere, in soil, or in confined spaces. Humidity
measurement instruments usually rely on measurements
of some other quantity such as temperature, pressure,
mass, a mechanical or electrical change in a substance
as moisture is absorbed. By calibration and calculation,
these measured quantities can lead to a measurement of
humidity. Modern electronic devices use temperature of
condensation (called the dew point), or changes in
electrical capacitance or resistance to measure humidity
differences. The first crude hygrometer was invented by
the Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci in
1480 and a more modern version was created by Swiss
polymath Johann Heinrich Lambert in 1755.
The maximum amount of water vapour that can be held
in a given volume of air (saturation) varies greatly by
temperature; cold air can hold less mass of water per
unit volume than hot air. Temperature can change
humidity. Most instruments respond to (or are
calibrated to read) relative humidity (RH), which is the
amount of water relative to the maximum at a particular
temperature expressed as per cent.
How Hygrometers Work
Thermo-HygrometerHygrometers work in different
ways depending on the application or purpose for
testing moisture content in the air. The simplest type of
hygrometer uses human hair, which causes strands to
expand or contract to move a needle. The most common
type of hygrometer, which is called a psychrometer,
uses two thermometers: one with a wet bulb and one
with a dry bulb. Temperatures drop as moisture
evaporates from the wet bulb, and the relative humidity
is determined by comparing the temperature differences
between the two thermometers. Both hair and wet/dry
hygrometers measure relative humidity reasonably
accurately in a closed-room environment.
