Relative humidity question (cooling the air in a room)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the relative humidity (RH) in a room after cooling it from an initial temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and 30% RH to a final temperature of 25 degrees Celsius using an air conditioner set to 15 degrees Celsius. Participants explore the implications of condensation and the use of psychrometric charts in determining the final RH.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether there is truly no condensation occurring on the air conditioner's evaporator during the cooling process.
  • Another participant provides calculations regarding equilibrium vapor pressures at different temperatures and suggests that the RH can be calculated based on the partial pressure of water vapor at 25 degrees Celsius.
  • A further contribution mentions the use of a psychrometric chart to determine the final humidity, noting that the answer may vary based on elevation and includes a specific estimate of around 40% RH at sea level without removing water from the air.
  • It is noted that the temperature of the air coming from the AC may not reflect the temperature of the evaporator coils, which could lead to condensation if the coils are significantly cooler.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether condensation occurs during the cooling process, and there is no consensus on the final RH value, as calculations and estimates vary among contributions.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the importance of elevation in determining RH and the potential impact of the air conditioner's evaporator temperature on condensation, which may affect the calculations. The discussion includes assumptions about the absence of water removal from the air.

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Hello everyone,
I have a question about calculating Relative humidity.
If I have a surrounding with 30 degrees Celsius and RH of 30%.
I am cooling the surrounding with an air conditioner that works at 15 degrees celsius.
At the end of the process, the room reaches 25 degrees celsius.
In this situation, there is no condensation in the process.
How can I calculate what is the RH at the end of the process?
Thank you very much
 
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Welcome!
Are you sure there is no condensation on the evaporator of the machine?
 
The equilibrium vapor pressure of water at 30 C is 4250 Pa, and, for 30% RH, that means that the partial pressure is 1275 Pa. At 15 C, the equilibrium vapor pressure is 1700 Pa, so no water will condense. At 25 C, the equilibrium vapor pressure is 2340 Pa. So, with a partial pressure of 1275 Pa, what will the RH be at 25 C?
 
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What you need is known as a "psycrometric chart." The answer will vary somewhat based on your elevation, but there are charts for many different elevations and some correction factors for stuff inbetween. Long story short, without removing any water from the air (looks about 8g H2O/kg dry air), at sea level your final humidity is around 40%.

Note: Although the cool air coming from the AC might be at 15 degrees, as Lnewqban points out, the temperature of your AC evaporator could be much less, and if the coils are less than about 10 degrees, you will be getting some condensation out of the air.
 
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