Humidification Load Calculation | 8
Products such as vegetable, cut flowers, fruit and many grocery items cannot be brought back
to original quality once they have lost their moisture. By installing an efficient humidification
system this costly loss of products can be avoided. Many food processors humidify their plant
and storage areas and are able to store fruits and vegetables for months without any loss of
product quality or weigh.
For any product that requires a certain percentage of moisture to maintain its quality, loss of
that moisture reduces its valve. Some products can be brought back to their original condition
by returning the moisture to them. However, among those that cannot reabsorb moisture to
regain their lost quality are fruit and vegetable products, paintings and art objects.
Deterioration caused by loss of moisture is also a problem for treasures such as antiques, rare
books, and works of art, all of which are susceptible to damage caused by moisture loss. It
causes antiques, paintings, paper and book bindings to crack, warp and deteriorate.
Fortunately, most libraries and museums are well aware of the need for controlled humidity to
protect their collections. They know that proper humidity control is a very inexpensive preventive
measure that will avoid costly and often impossible restorations.
A specific moisture content in materials is essential to the quality of products produced by a
wide range of manufacturers of hygroscopic or fibrous materials. Wood, paper and textiles are
examples of materials particularly affected by changes in content. If these materials have a
correct moisture content when they arrive at a plant, and if they are used immediately, they will
respond properly to the manufacturing process. But problems can be anticipated if the
materials are stored in a dry atmosphere.
Paper provides a good example of the effects of dry air and the lack of moisture stability. When
it is stored under dry atmospheric conditions, moisture from the outer layers and edges of the
stacks escapes into the air. The moisture loss is much more rapid from the outer edges than
from the center of the stacks. The result is not only curled stock, but also uneven moisture
content, which creates printing and processing problems.
If moisture stability in the surrounding atmosphere is the answer to a manufacturing operation,
then complete humidification of the plant and storage areas is an absolute necessity.
Humidification is the best and least expensive way of maintaining moisture stability. If the air
surrounding the material is maintained at a proper and constant relative humidity level, so that
no moisture is emitted or absorbed by the materials, then the products will remain stable in
both moisture content and dimension.
Ideally, humidification equipment should be installed in raw material storage areas,
manufacturing facilities, and finished goods’ storage rooms, for full control of the product
moisture content.
Health and Comfort
During the heating season, inside air dries to the point where the humidity is substantially lower
or comparable to that of the Sahara Desert. The effect on people is to dry out nasal and throat
membranes. For employees this means more susceptibility to colds and virus infections. The
subsequent increased absenteeism proves costly for any employers. Another aspect of comfort
Hygroscopic Regain – is defined as the amount of water a completely dry material will
absorb from the air. . Any hygroscopic product that is purchased and sold by weight
must have a carefully controlled environment.