The duct humidifier can be installed in an air heating circuit or an exhaust hood for ventilation. It is used to control humidity in spacious rooms. The device is highly efficient and easy to use.
The principle of operation and types of duct humidifiers
If the usual appliances for household use are installed separately, then this humidifier in the ventilation system is mounted inside the duct. When air enters the device, it is saturated with moisture. Then, along the ventilation duct, it goes into the room. When combined with indoor air, the average humidity level rises.
There are several types of duct humidifiers that differ in their internal structure. For installation, choose the model that is most suitable for the structure of a particular ventilation system.
Adiabatic humidifiers
These devices generate a humid mist with small droplets, which is then evaporated in the supply air stream. The water spray can be produced by various devices, for example, an atomizer; the most popular option is an ultrasound emitter. Install this device directly into the supply air duct.
When a duct ultrasonic humidifier is in operation, a halo of suspended fine moisture particles is formed around the atomizing device. The flow moves them along the air duct, the liquid evaporates and saturates the atmosphere along the way. Once inside the room, this air mixes with the circulating air inside. During the operation of the equipment, there is no accumulation of condensed moisture on the walls of the channel.
The body of the device is made of anti-corrosion steel. In addition to the membrane atomizer, there is also a water tank and an electronic control module inside. The device is mounted in the air duct on flanges.
In order for a device working with ultrasound waves to last longer, it is advisable to fill it with water with minimal mineralization. If this is not possible, before filling the tank, the liquid is filtered through a reverse osmosis device. This will minimize the clogging of the internal pathways.
Steam devices
The ventilation steam humidifier serves the air ducts. It distributes dry steam from the main steam supply unit to them. From the latter, the supply pipes go to the filtering device. Steam masses are supplied through them. Having overcome the valve, they are directed into the supply pipe and from it move to the manifold distribution devices installed in the inflow path. As a result, the air masses, enriched with steam, are directed to the service room or production area.
Some steam units are equipped with additional functional systems, such as the drip trap option. At the same time, the liquid enters the manifold, so that it can be used again later. This function helps to reduce water consumption for air humidification. There are steam humidifiers with collectors covered with a special insulating compound. This treatment reduces the amount of condensate that occurs when steam is passed through the device.
Honeycomb humidifiers
The operation of this type of technique is based on the evaporation of liquid from the surface of a cassette saturated with it from a material with pronounced absorbent properties. These devices are some of the simplest devices for humidifying the air. They are also called evaporative.
The cases are made of stainless steel. A shallow container for liquid is mounted inside. The latter enters the apparatus from the main channel. The water from the tank is pumped by a pump, directing it through a special comb into the block, which ensures the wetting of the cassette material. The liquid that could not be adsorbed is sent back. When a stream of air passes through the cassette, water from the surface turns into a vapor state. In this way, an increase in humidity is achieved.
The amount of liquid in the container is monitored by a special sensor. It can be magnetic or float. Many humidifiers of this type have a waste water drainage function. This is necessary to control the salt content. Used cassettes are to be updated as the resource is used up.
Since the hygroscopic material is cooled by the evaporation of water, this unit can be used as a conditioning device in hot weather. This method is also good in that it excludes oversaturation of air masses with moisture.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantage of the device is its significant efficiency. If stationary humidifiers of the usual type work in city apartments, then this device, due to its high performance, can be used to service spacious commercial, household or industrial premises. The device is easy to install in the ventilation duct and carry out its maintenance. Due to the simple design, breakdowns are rare (this is most true for cellular devices).
The downside is that some devices generate a fairly high level of noise during operation. This limits their scope. When purchasing a humidifier, you need to find out how noisy this or that model is. It is also advisable to clarify the requirements for the quality of the water poured into the device - sometimes, to achieve compliance with them, the liquid must be pre-filtered.
Duct climate technology is used to maintain certain humidity indicators in different types of premises. Fans serve greenhouses, food storage rooms, warehouses. They are installed in various kinds of production facilities. The device can be used in a private house.
Popular manufacturers
The Russian consumer has the opportunity to choose a device of any of the basic types for production or other needs. Examples of models:
- Cyclone HCUC and HCU are cell surface models for rectangular ventilation ducts. Easy to install, can be used in type-setting ventilation. At the same time, they consume little power, which is especially true for the HCUC model (60 W).
- Ultrasonic device UltraSonic from the manufacturer AquaAir. Recently, devices have begun to be assembled, including at Russian factories. Prior to this, production was carried out in China and Italy.
- Steam units from Carel - firms from Italy. They are often installed in grocery warehouses, in rooms where fruit and vegetable products are stored.
More often the devices on sale are designed for a rectangular ventilation duct. Devices for round passages are rare.
Duct ventilation devices are easy to install and have high efficiency. This allows them to be used for servicing large premises.
