Why humidify your mission critical facility?

Today's high tech environment requires meticulous control of humidity to eliminate static electricity, ensure quality manufacturing processes, preserve precious documents and works of art, and provide comfort while adhering to Indoor Air Quality standards. The specific reasons to humidify are as numerous as the applications, but the purpose is common across the board: to eliminate problems that can damage products, ruin buildings, or jeopardize health.

Ultrasonic Humidification

When RH reaches levels below 35%, static electricity may develop on surfaces and materials. Static electricity is not only annoying; it can wreak havoc on computers by burning microchips, and wiping out memory cards. Elimination of static electricity also greatly reduces the risk of solvent fires in the printing industry - commercial presses develop extraordinary amounts of electricity at the roller and ignite solvents in the ink wells. And if you ever wiped your finger across your television screen you know that static electricity attracts dust, a real problem in the plastics and films manufacturing process where dust can ruin a product or in the healthcare industry where dust can kill.

Indoor Air Quality affects man and machine and both operate best at optimum environmental conditions and IAQ and IEC standards are forcing manufacturers and building owners to adjust their management of air quality control. If a building's main HVAC system does not have the capacity to maintain RH levels within a comfort zone of 50% to 60%, then proper humidification can help reduce adverse effects of occupant discomfort, bacteria growth, viruses, fungi, mites, allergic reactions, respiratory infections, chemical interactions and ozone production.

STULZ E2 Control and monitoring

• Engineered for single or multiple humidifier systems
• Utilizes STULZ E² Microprocessor Controller for integrated operation of up to 16 humidifiers per zone
• Ultra-Series control boxes enclose up to eight power supplies each, providing power and control distribution
• Proportional analog output from microprocessor converted to Pulse Width Modulation at humidifiers
• Monitors and communicates various system functions and alarms including water quality via integrated control and/or optional BMS

See How Ultrasonic Works

A piezoelectric transducer immersed in a water bed, converts a high frequency, electronic signal into a high frequency mechanical oscillation.  As the oscillation speed is increased to a level where the water particles can no longer follow the oscillating surface, a momentary vacuum and strong compression occur, leading to the explosive formation of air bubbles (cavitation).  At cavitation, broken capillary waves are generated, and tiny (1 micron diameter) droplets break the surface tension of the water and are quickly dissipated into the air, taking vapor form and absorbed into the air stream.

The principle of ultrasonic humidification is based on the superimposition of two effects:

1. Cavitation bubble implosion

The change in amplitude of the oscillator gives rise to powerful water hammers that release tiny cavitation bubbles. The implosion of the bubbles on the surface emits tiny water aerosols into the ambient air.

2. Capillary wave theory

The ultrasonic oscillators generate regularly formed Rayleigh surface waves in the water tank. Minute water aerosols are also emitted into the ambient air on the crests of these waves.

By superimposing these two effects, the use of ultrasonic humidifiers enables a homogeneous aerosol mist to be produced with minimal energy consumption.

***Fig 1: The humidifier is switched on. The oscillator amplitude is positive. ***

***Fig 2: The oscillator amplitude is negative. The inertia of the water creates a vacuum. ***

***Fig 3: After aprox. 10 amplitudes, the ultrasonic humidifier reaches 100% of its output. ***