In order to ensure optimal relative air humidity, companies can
choose from a wide range of humidification systems and technologies.
The range extends from rotary humidification systems, steam air
humidification systems, ultrasonic humidification systems, air
washers in A/C systems and on to humidification systems with
compressed air and high-pressure nozzles.
In terms of achieving as high a degree of health protection as
possible the necessary cleaning and maintenance outlay for
humidification systems takes on a special significance. The
generally open storage reservoir means that rotary humidification
systems, ultrasonic humidification systems and air washers in A/C
systems must be subject to particularly critical assessment. Regular
and thorough cleaning are absolutely essential if hygienic problems
and hazards for employees are to be avoided.
On top of this the operating costs for the different humidification
systems are also influenced by the necessary maintenance and repair
costs: therefore, the service life of ultrasonic humidification
systems, for example is generally limited, if they are not operated
using deionised water. After a maximum of 2000-3000 operating hours
ceramic oscillators generally exhibit a significant drop in
performance or indeed they may suffer a complete breakdown.
Attributable to the operating principle it is also the fact that the
performance and service life of humidification systems with steam
are restricted: minerals and floating particles are deposited during
the course of time on the base of the steam generating cylinder or
on the electrodes or heater elements and thus significantly reduce
the output of the humidification systems. For humidification systems
in ventilation/air-conditioning systems (air washers) – in
particular with regard to older systems – the addition of biocides
into the humidification water is not only questionable in terms of
health, but simultaneously also associated with significant
additional expense.
When compared with all other humidification systems, steam air
humidification - in terms of power and cost - is the least
favourable. Electrically heated humidification systems with steam
exhibit approximately ten times the level of power consumption
compared with cold humidification systems, which exerts a
significantly negative effect on the cost-to-benefit relation. In
addition to this steam air humidifiers also exhibit an unwanted
additional room heating characteristic caused by "vaporisation".
In terms of power consumption, maintenance outlay and humidification
performance, humidification systems with nozzles are far superior to
the previously mentioned humidification systems. If correctly
designed and equipped with appropriate water treatment systems,
nozzle humidification systems will operate extremely hygienically
and maintenance free. Widely available are humidification systems
with compressed-air nozzles, in which water is atomized using
compressed air. Despite the proven technology these humidification
systems are not entirely free of disadvantages: in particular, in
low-noise production premises the hissing noise of the compressed
air as it escapes is disruptive. In addition to this the relatively
high compressed air consumption and maintenance of the required
compressor incurs expenses.
During the course of the past few years more and more companies have
converted their air humidification systems to state-of-the-art
humidification systems with high-pressure nozzles. Among the
pioneers of this technology, for example is DRAABE Humidification
who manufacture different humidification systems for different
industrial applications: in these humidification systems water is
vaporized to a micro-fine degree using a high-pressure pump and
special titanium nozzles and practically free of noise. In
comparison to humidification systems operated by compressed-air, the
by far greater humidification output of the atomizer only incurs a
fraction of the power costs.
For more information about DRAABE Humidification Systems please
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