Why Low Dewpoint Dehumidifiers are Essential for Industrial Applications
November 27, 2024
When we meet with clients to discuss their application, or to help find a solution to an issue they’re having, something we always mention is ‘dew point’ and its significance.
Understanding dew points and how they are affected by relative humidity (RH) is important for any industrial project, so today we’re going to discuss it in detail, and explain why a low dewpoint dehumidifier is worth investing in regardless of your application.
What is Dew Point?
Humidity and dew point are terms sometimes used interchangeably. They are similar and can be addressed in similar ways but have crucial differences that are important to understand.
When air is ‘humid’ it contains a lot of moisture. This is why coastal locations are more humid, as the warm temperatures cause more seawater to evaporate and make the air thick with moisture. If you’ve heard the term ‘dry heat’ when referring to desert locations or very cold places, this is because the RH is much lower.
When humid air is cooled, droplets of water will form on cold surfaces like dew on the ground or this also creates the clouds we see in the sky. The ‘dew point’ refers to the temperature that this happens. If you know the dew point of your application, you’ll know how to avoid condensation and dampness.
The Danger of Condensation in Industrial Applications
So why is the dew point important? Well, condensation can be catastrophic in some industries. Take lithium battery production, for instance.
In this application, lithium is processed in cleanrooms. These are sealed rooms with ‘controlled environments’, meaning that the temperature, humidity, and dew point are controlled and closely monitored.
This is because raw lithium is incredibly sensitive to moisture. If it is exposed to too much, it reacts and becomes a mix of lithium hydroxide and hydrogen, ruining the material and making it useless for batteries. This is an expensive and time-consuming issue, making it vital to control humidity levels so you can avoid the dew point. Lithum requires a room between -40 oC to -60oC dewpoint meaning not even ice can be made in this environment but it’s the only way to make modern batteries.
That is an extreme example, but a high dew point can cause issues in any industrial application. Foam drying is the process of, as you can imagine, drying foam at the end of the production cycle. Without optimal humidity control the drying takes a long time, and a high dew point only increases this.
Dewpoint control is also the very thing that will prevent ice in coldstore distribution centres that are held at -28oC. Imagine being able to leave your freezer door open all night and it still ice free in the morning.
Sometimes dew point can only be an inconvenience, such as making cleaning more difficult at the end of the work day. No matter what issues it may cause, there is a simple solution.
The Importance of Low Dew Point Dehumidifiers
When a company is having issues with humidity in their application, one solution we see them try is air conditioning. These systems cool the air and therefore reduce the RH.
However, it doesn’t remove all humidity, and in many applications need high temperatures that contradict the cooling airflow. When conditions are mixed like this, humidity isn’t reduced enough, meaning you’re wasting a lot of energy for poor humidity reduction.
A dehumidification system reduces the RH much more efficiently. It is specifically designed with humidity reduction in mind, so energy is not wasted cooling air that doesn’t need it. Advanced systems like the ones we provide are the best of both worlds and allow you to accurately monitor the environmental conditions at all times.
However, not all dehumidifiers are the same. Firstly, there are two different types.
Desiccant Dehumidifiers use a desiccant rotor that allows air to pass over a silica gel material, trapping it. The desiccant rotor is then heated, with the hot air being dispelled outside of the building with all the moisture.
Condensing Dehumidifiers cool a coil so that moisture condenses to it – something you’re trying to avoid in your application. This collects all the moisture in one place, so that the air’s RH is lowered.
We specialise in desiccant dehumidifiers and have spent decades refining our designs to make them as efficient as possible. Unlike other dehumidifier engineers, we focused a lot on an application’s dew point, ensuring that it is kept as low as possible for our clients.
How Desiccant Dehumidifiers can Lower Dew Point
If your application requires heating/cooling or drying, desiccant dehumidifiers are the best solution. The desiccant rotor and its silica gel acts like a sponge, absorbing the moisture as it moves and then drying it. This guarantees that the air that passes through the system is completely humidity free.
The issue with condensing dehumidifiers is that they have limitations a desiccant just doesn’t. You can only cool the air to a certain point before you start making ice instead of water. This environment is where desiccant performs best. A desiccant rotor can remove moisture in any air stream no matter how cold. Desiccant rotors are used throughout the world to prevent ice on coils and in rooms that are at -35oC. If the air going through the coil has better that a -35oC dewpoint then no frost or ice can be made. Only deisccant can achieve this and has been for years.
After working with a lot of condensing dehumidifiers we’ve also observed that these machines are only effective at certain times of the year. In warmer months, they can work as the moisture will attach to the cold coil more easily. When the air is colder, the system is less effective and they stop working all together in winter.
When controlling humidity is your goal, consistency is key. A desiccant dehumidification system guarantees efficiency at all times of the year and will be more successful in any application.
Why Choose DEHUM?
We understand the importance of dew points and are always keen to explain why controlling condensation is just as vital as RH.
Many of our clients work with us because they had a humidity-related issue they were unable to solve. When this is the case, we conduct a thorough assessment of the application to understand the process and production, see what systems they are using and have in place, why they aren’t doing their job.
Often, we see that by not having a low dew point in industrial application it is causing ruined batches of products or a low-quality output. We care about helping you and our clients to maximise their potential and soar past their competitors. With the right humidity control systems in place, this can become a reality, no matter how competitive your industry is.
Our systems are always bespoke to your business. Even if you don’t have a specific issue, and just want to improve your yield or use less energy, we design desiccant dehumidifiers that will help you reach your goals, without asking for an unreasonable investment.
