Department of Chemical Engineering: (An Autonomous Institution Affiliated To JNTUK, AP)
Department of Chemical Engineering: (An Autonomous Institution Affiliated To JNTUK, AP)
Department of Chemical Engineering: (An Autonomous Institution Affiliated To JNTUK, AP)
1. Objectives
Understand the basic concepts of Relative and percentage saturation or dew point
2. Topic Learning Outcomes: After the completion of the class the students will able to:
a. Calculate Relative saturation and percentage saturation or dew point
b. Rephrase the definitions of Relative saturation, Percentage saturation and Dew point
3. Teaching Methodology
a. Chalk & Talk/Presentation mode
4. Applications
Drying, condensation, distillation, air conditioning, air separation, humidification and
dehumidification
5. Evocation
Humidity and Saturation: When a gas or a gaseous mixture remains in contact with a liquid
surface, it will acquire vapor from the liquid until the partial pressure of the vapor in the gas
mixture equals the vapor pressure of the liquid at its existing temperature. When the vapor
concentration reaches this equilibrium value the gas is said to be satureated with the vapor. It is
not possible for the gas to contain a greater stable concentration of vapor. The vapor content of a
saturated gas is determined entirely by the vapor pressure of the liquid and may be predicted
directly from vapor pressure data. Thus for ideal gases
pv
Vv = V ----- (1)
P
When Vv = pure component volume of vapor
pv = partial pressure of vapor = vapor pressure of liquid at existing temperature.
V = total volume
P = total pressure
From equation 1 the percentage composition by volume of a vapor saturated gas may be
calculated. When the ideal gas law is applicable, the composition by volume of a vapor saturated
gas is independent of the nature of the gas but is dependent on the nature and temperatures of the
liquid and on the total pressure. The composition by weight varies with the nature of both the
gas and the liquid, the temperature and the total pressure.
Partial Saturation: If a gas contains a vapor in such proportion that its partial pressure is less
than the vapor pressure of the liquid at the existing temperature, the mixture is but partially
saturated.
The relative saturation of such a mixture may be defined as the percentage ratio of
the partial pressure of the vapor to the vapor pressure of the liquid at the existing temperature.
The relative saturation is therefore a function of both the composition of the mixture and its
temperature as well as of the nature of the vapor.
From its definition it follows that the relative saturation also represents the following ratios:
(a)The ratio of the percentage of vapor by volume to the percentage by volume that would be
present were the gas saturated at the existing temperature and total pressure.
(b)The ratio of the weight of vapor per unit volume of mixture to the weight per unit volume
Where nv = moles of vapor per mole of vapor free gas actually present
ns = moles of vapor per mole of vapor free gas at saturation
From Daltons law
nv pv ns ps
= and =
1 p pv 1 p ps
nv p p ps
or = v
ns ps p pv
p ps
Hence yp= yr
p pv
8. Readings:
1. Hougen, Olaf A., and Kenneth M. Watson. "Chemical Process Principles-Part 1: Material
and Energy Blances." (1948)
2. Himmelblau, David Mautner, and James B. Riggs. Basic principles and calculations in
chemical engineering. FT Press, 2012
3. Bhatt, B. I., and S. M. Vora. Stoichiometry:(si units). Tata McGraw-Hill Pub. Co., 1996
4. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/relhum.html
9. Questions:
Remember:
1. Dene saturation, partial saturation, relative saturation and percentage saturation.
Apply:
1. The partial pressure of ethyl acetate in a hydrogen-ethyl acetate mixture at 400C and 1 atm
total pressure is 75 mm Hg. Calculate
i. The humidity of the mixture.
ii. The percentage humidity.