“Development of Spray type Humidifier for Agriculture
Application”
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of phase-1
Report on Mini Project
Submitted by:
Aadit Malik
Bhavesh Ghugare
Riyaz Ahmad
Siddharth Mayekar
Under the guidance of
Prof. Paramjit Thakur
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Saraswati College of Engineering, Kharghar.
University of Mumbai
2022-23
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Mini Project entitled “Development of Spray type Humidifier for
Agriculture Application” is a bonafide work of
Aadit Malik
Bhavesh Ghugare
Riyaz Ahmad
Siddharth Mayekar
Prof. Paramjit Thakur Prof. Nilesh Chanewar
Project Guide (Mini Project Co-Ordinator)
Prof. D. D. Baviskar/ Prof. Sunil Jankar Dr. Manjusha Deshmukh
(Head of Department) (Principal)
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MINI PROJECT APPROVAL FOR T. E.
This project report entitled “Development of Spray type Humidifier for Agriculture Application”
by
Aadit Malik
Bhavesh Ghugare
Riyaz Ahmad
Siddharth Mayekar
Examiner
1.
2.
Date:
Place:
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DECLARATION
I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where other’s
ideas or world have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I
also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not
misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/ date/ fact/ source in my submission. I understand
that any violation of above will be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and can also evoke
penal action from the sources which have thus not been properly cited or from who proper
permission has not been taken when needed.
1. Aadit Malik
2. Bhavesh Ghugare
3. Riyaz Ahmad
4. Siddharth Mayekar
(Signature)
Date:
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We hereby take this opportunity to present our project named “Development of Spray type
Humidifier for Agriculture Application”. We are grateful to those who helped us in our project.
We are very much thankful to our guide Prof. Paramjit Thakur and the Head of Department Prof.
D. D. Baviskar and Prof. Sunil Jankar. We could not have completed this work without his timely
intervention and meticulous guidance. We are out of words in expressing our thanks for his
guidance and encouragement. We would also like to tender our sincere thanks to the staff members
for their co-operation. We would also like to express our deep regards and gratitude to our friends
who have helped us all the time in one way of other. Really it is difficult to repay the debt of all
the people who have directly or indirectly helped us in completion of the project.
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MISSION AND VISION OF COLLEGE
o MISSION:
“To educate Students to become quality techno-crafts for taking up challenges in
all facts of life.”
o VISION:
“To develop a core of eminency in Engineering Education and Research.”
MISSION & VISION OF MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
o MISSION:
“To create professionally competent engineers with analytical and research skill for
promoting an environment of continuous learning.”
o VISION:
“To emerge as a centre of excellence in academics and research in field of
Mechanical Engineering.”
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ABSTRACT
Settlers of the 1920s and 1930s in the Southwest slept in screened in porches, roofs, or other
outside facilities and hung wet sheets to gain some relief from the summer heat. The Arizona
Republic reports that guests at the Ford Hotel in Phoenix slept on the balcony while young men
peddled to power overhead fans. There were cases of pneumonia during the summer as some
wrapped themselves in wet sheets and slept in front of an electric fan.
The 1986 edition of Dr. John Watt's Evaporative Air Conditioning Handbook identifies the origins
for modern American evaporative cooling as either from the East Coast or Southwest. In the early
1900s, air washers were invented in the East and air coolers were developed in Southwest (Arizona
and California). The air washers passed air through water spray, which cleaned and cooled the air
in textile mills and factories in New England and the Southern coastline. The Southwestern air
coolers included indirect coolers, where air passed over a water-cooled coil, and direct coolers
where air was cooled by direct contact with water.
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INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................9
2. LITERATURE ANALYSIS ..................................................................................... 10-13
2.1. LITERATURE SURVEY .......................................................................................... 10
2.2. RESEARCH GAP...................................................................................................... 12
2.3. PROBLEM DEFINITION ......................................................................................... 12
2.4. OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 13
3. METHODOLOGY .........................................................................................................15
3.1. DESIGN ..................................................................................................................... 14
3.2. FABRICATION ........................................................................................................ 15
3.3.TESTING .................................................................................................................... 15
3.4. RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 15
3.5. CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 15
4. PROCUREMNT OF COMPONENTS .................................................................... 16-22
4.1. COMPONENTS ........................................................................................................16
4.2. FLOWCHART ........................................................................................................... 22
4.3. ADVANTAGES ........................................................................................................ 22
4.4. DISADVANTAGES .................................................................................................. 23
4.5.APPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................ 23
4.6.CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………25
5. REFRENCES .................................................................................................................. 26
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CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
The main difference between an evaporative air-cooling system and AC is that a cooler uses the
hot air in the room and water in order to produce cool air leading to less energy consumption as it
only has two major components which need powering; a water pump and a fan. A constant supply
of water is needed in order to keep the pads wet and cool the air.
The cooler is also known as Evaporative air cooler, Swamp cooler, Desert cooler or Water Air
cooler.
Evaporative air cooling is the natural process of cooling, similar to wind flowing across a lake.
Evaporative air cooler delivers 100% fresh filtered cool air at much lower cost than a refrigerated
air conditioner. Thus, it is the most viable & economic option for cooling large & open areas.
Moreover, there is no need to shut doors & windows. In fact, when doors & windows are left open,
it works more efficiently.
Yaglou (1937) concluded that “Artificial humidification, about which so much is heard on
connection with winter air conditioning, was shown in the first part of this paper to be relatively
unimportant from the standpoint of comfort and, so far is known, not essential from the standpoint
of health. While a relative humidity of between 40 and 60 percent would probably be more normal
and perhaps more healthful than between 20 and 30 percent, it is practically impossible to maintain
this high range in cold weather because excessive condensation and freezing on the windows and
sometimes inside the exposed walls”.
Indoor air humidity, in terms of perceived dry air (dryness) and potentially associated health effects
is an important parameter (relative (RH) or absolute (AH)) both in the aircraft and office
environment. A long-standing dispute continues about the health relevance of RH and the cause(s)
of perceived “dry air”, a very common and abundant complaint about perceived indoor air quality
(IAQ) in office-like environments. Further to this, causation of perceived sensory reactions in eyes
and upper airways, among top-two reported symptoms in offices, continue to be a puzzle, despite
several identified risk factors that influence the development of eye symptoms have been identified
(Wolkoff, 2017); the risks of symptoms in the upper airways remain largely unexplained.
Furthermore, there is an increasing recognition of the impact of humidity, e.g., on virus survival
and transmission and sleep quality, regarding derivation of a safe limit for indoor air humidity
(Derby et al., 2016).
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Thus, there is a need for a balanced and integrated analysis of the impact of indoor air humidity
on associated health effects as opposed to the well-known problems associated with moisture-
damaged buildings (World Health Organization, 2009). As pointed out the relationship between
health, indoor air humidity and pollution is complex and remains a challenge (Davis et al., 2016a;
Derby et al., 2016). Thus, the focus of this overview is effects in the public domain of perceived
IAQ, sensory irritation in eyes and airways, work performance, infection by virus, sleep quality,
and the voice.
Absolute and relative humidity definition:
Humidity is usually measured by a hygrometer and reported as relative − % water vapor in the
room air relative to the total amount of vapor in the same room air may contain at given
temperature; absolute humidity amounts the water in grams per kg of air (g/kg) at a defined
pressure. Thus, indoor AH appears to correlate better with outdoor AH than outdoor and indoor
RH in some regions, but not in others, in part depending on season, building style, and ventilation
(Nguyen et al., 2014; Zhang and Yoshino, 2010).
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CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE SURVEY
2.1. LITERATURE SURVEY:
[1] Angelon-Gaetz et al. (2016) found that; Modest, but not significant, increase in
respiratory (asthma-like) symptoms over 5 days, both at low (<30%) and high RH (>50%)
in comparison to referent teachers (30–50% RH). No effects of RH on cold/allergy
symptoms.
[2] Azuma et al., 2015, Azuma et al., 2017 found that; Both studies showed strong
correlation between perceived air dryness and report of eye irritation. General symptoms
were also associated with perceived humidity in the summer season.
[3] Bakke et al., 2007, Bakke et al., 2008 found that; Stuffy or dry air was significantly
associated with low RH (15–35% RH). Otherwise, no significant exposure differences
between complaint and control buildings and no significant difference in objective signs.
PTF stability (NBUT/SBUT) was improved at higher RH and perception of air dryness was
reduced.
[4] Brasche et al. (2005) found that; No clear conclusion about RH and reported eye
symptoms or PTF stability. Indication that high RH might be protective, and particles
associated with epithelial damage of the PTF.
[5] Hashiguchi et al. (2008) found that; Humidification from 33 to 44% RH, on average,
resulted in decrease of thermal discomfort and perceived air dryness among the staff, but
not among the patients.
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[6] Lindgren et al. (2007) found that; Significantly lower concentration of respirable
particles at elevated RH from 6 to 1 μg/m3; similar observation for mold and bacteria. Cabin
air quality significantly improved at elevated RH by being perceived less dry and fresher.
[7] Lukcso et al. (2016) found that; Low RH was significantly associated with lower
respiratory and sick-building syndrome-type symptoms, thus suggesting that low RH may
exacerbate upper and lower airway symptoms.
[8] Nordström et al. (1994) found that; Significant decrease of perceived air dryness and
airway symptoms. Weekly sensation of air dryness was 24% in humidified units contrary
to 73% in the non-humidified units. Perceived IAQ was unchanged in control unit.
[9] Norbäck et al. found that; The perception of air dryness was reduced significantly
(p = 0.04) from 73 to 36% in the humidification unit by increase of RH from 35 to 43%,
while only slightly reduced in the control group (90–81%). Perception of dustiness and
stuffy air remained unchanged
[10] Nordström et al. (1994) found that; No changes in the PTF stability (SBUT), nasal
patency (rhinometry), and inflammatory markers in nasal lavage fluid. Cannot be excluded
that outdoor RH may have influenced, also, although exposed subjects and controls were
investigated on the same days.
[11] Reinikainen et al. (1997) found that; Humidification caused a decrease of the
perceived IAQ, strongest among women.
[12] Reinikainen and Jaakkola (2003) found that; Eye dryness was alleviated, but not
significant. Humidification decreased nasal dryness. High temperature increased nasal
congestion significantly (especially for AH). Odor perception increased at elevated RH;
slightly stronger for AH. “Stuffiness seemed to be associated with humidification”.
Humidification alleviated nasal congestion.
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[13] Sato et al. (2003) found that; 33% versus 18% reported eye symptoms in ultra-dry and
normal RH, respectively, but not significantly. Skin complaints were significantly higher
at ultra-low RH.
[14] Singh and Jaiswal (2013) found that; Conclusion: Little (scanty evidence) benefit from
use of dehumidification by use of mechanical devices on the clinical status of asthma
patients’ sensitive to house dust mites.
[15] Wiik (2011) found that; Deteriorated productivity in offices at dry conditions based
on calculating the “indoor productivity index” from questionnaire data.
[16] Wright et al. (2009) found that; Carpets were steam-cleaned, new bedding and
mattress before activation of the mechanical heat-recovery-ventilation. The addition of
mechanical-heat-recovery-ventilation to house dust mite eradication strategies did not
reduce mite allergen levels, but did improve evening peak expiratory flow.
[17] Reinikainen and Jaakkola (2001) found that; High temperature conditions increased
dryness symptoms and sick-building syndrome symptoms during non-humidified
conditions. Increase of RH from about 25–35% resulted in fewer sick-building syndrome
symptom complaints. Synthesis of studies: high temperature conditions increased sick-
building syndrome symptoms in 4 out of 7 studies; high temperature resulted in an increase
of perceived dryness. Humidification reportedly decreased sick-building syndrome
symptoms or dryness in 5 out of 11 studies and in 3 studies an increase. Present study
showed lower sick-building syndrome symptoms than in non-humidified conditions and
alleviation of perceived dryness during humidification. Dryness increased more acutely
under non-humidified conditions.
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2.2. RESEARCH GAP:
Most RH coolers are unable to lower the air temperature as much as refrigerated air
conditioning can. An evaporative air cooler in a closed room, without any connection or
opening to the outside, cannot lower the room temperature at all by the physical law of
conservation of energy. It might even add to the room temperature by its electrical
components.
2.3. PROBLEM DEFINITION:
By forcing water, by means of a high-pressure pump, through our specially designed
misting nozzles, we create a fog made by ultra-fine water droplets with an average size of
less than 10 microns. These tiny water droplets quickly absorb the energy (heat) present in
the environment and evaporate, becoming water vapor (gas). The energy (heat) used to
change the water to gas is eliminated from the environment, hence the air is cooled.
Evaporative cooling is responsible for the chill you feel when a breeze strikes your skin.
The air evaporates the water on your skin, with your body heat providing the energy
Important aspect of misting systems are highly limited costs if compared to traditional
industrial air conditioning. Installation is easy and fast since systems are supplied in
modular kit, with polyamide tubing and quick couplings. Or misting systems are designed
to operate at low running cost and requires minimum maintenance requirements.
Typically, all growers have the problem of low humidity and high temperatures. Serious
problems occur when the humidity in the greenhouse environment drops below 30% RH.
Plants will suffer and typically slow or halt the growing process. In fact, many greenhouses
in arid conditions close down for the summer months until ambient temperatures will
reduce to an acceptable level.
2.4. OBJECTIVES:
a) Greenhouse humification for growing mushroom which are hard to grow naturally.
b) Greenhouse cooling to lower the temperature
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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
3.1. DESIGN:
Simple components will be used including a drum, flexible pipes, nozzles and a fan to obtain
optimum RH for agricultural purposes. The drum will be of plastic material as it light in weight
and easy to carry so it can be placed anywhere. The drum size can vary as per requirement. Flexible
pipes will run throughout the drum carrying water to the nozzles. The nozzles will in turn spray
the water in the drum in the form of mist. The fan will help push all the mist out of the drum from
the holes provided on the drum changing the humidity of an area.
3.2. FABRICATION:
An industrial fan will be placed on the lid of the drum in intake format. The fan will be connected
to a 12V power supply. Inside the drum flexible pipes will be arranged such that they do not collide
with each other. The pipes will be connected to 4-6 nozzles depending on the drum size and
requirement.
3.3. TESTING:
As our main purpose in the obtain optimum RH required in the Agricultural field the test the same
from our cooler. As we may know different crops require RH levels and in order to attain the
perfect RH, we use instruments such as psychrometer & hygrometer to measure the RH output
from the cooler.
3.4. RESULTS:
From the testing part we find the optimum RH from our cooler is useful for mushroom farming.
3.5. CONCLUSION:
From our test we conclude that different crops require different RH and it can be obtained by
adjusting the amount of mist produced from the nozzles. The fan speed also plays an important
role to maintain the required RH and can be controlled as the requirement of the crop.
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CHAPTER 4
PROCUREMENT OF COMPONENTS
4.1. COMPONENTS:
• Mist Nozzles:
In order to create a cooling mist, the size of the mist nozzle opening which is coined
as the orifice is balanced by the system's water pressure and flow rate (amount of
water). In general, nozzles have a tendency to squirt less water at lower pressures
compared to high pressures. As a matter of fact, at lower water pressures mist
nozzles will not make the grade to toil. When the pressure of the water at the nozzle
increases, there will be an augmentation in the flow rate through the nozzle. So, the
higher the water pressure, the slighter the nozzle opening is needed.
Larger misting should be used with low and medium pressure systems and smaller
nozzles should be used with high pressure misting systems. Sending fine mist will
turn out to be a problem if you select a nozzle of smaller size; this is because the
pump won't be able to send a sufficient amount of water through the nozzle and
vice versa. It is not a matter of "more is better", but it is all about a sense of balance.
The amount of water used by your misting system also depends on the number of
nozzles. Number of nozzles required is determined by several factors such as the
water pressure, flow rate at the spigot, size of the pipes that are delivering the water
to misting nozzles.
.012" / .3 mm -used for most of the systems, it works at its best for medium pressure
misting systems. It provides minimal moisture, and complete evaporation,
suggested for both open and enclosed areas.
.008" / .2 mm -perfect for systems using less water capacity with small droplet size,
minimal moisture, and complete evaporation. Works its best for High pressure
misting systems.
.006" / .15 mm –It provides similar results to the .008" nozzle.
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• Water Pump:
A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries,[1]
by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic
energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method
they use to move the fluid: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps.
Pumps operate by some mechanism (typically reciprocating or rotary), and
consume energy to perform mechanical work moving the fluid. Pumps operate via
many energy sources, including manual operation, electricity, engines, or wind
power, and come in many sizes, from microscopic for use in medical applications,
to large industrial pumps.
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• Misting Fan:
A misting fan is similar to a humidifier. A fan blows a fine mist of water into the
air. If the air is not too humid, the water evaporates, absorbing heat from the air,
allowing the misting fan to also work as an air cooler. A misting fan may be used
outdoors, especially in a dry climate. It may also be used indoors.
Small portable battery-powered misting fans, consisting of an electric fan and a
hand-operated water spray pump, are sold as novelty items. Their effectiveness in
everyday use is unclear.
• Drum:
We will be using a 200-liter capacity drum, an image of which is attached.
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• DIGITAL HYGROMETER- We are using a Digital Hygrometer to
measure the temperature and relative Humidity in a 10-10 foot
polyhouse.
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Working:
The fan and the 12 V Dc motor are connected to the Ac supply. The fan is installed on the top of
the container.4-6 Nozzles are attached of the side of the containers. Water is sprayed through the
nozzles in the mist pattern. The fan pushes the air in the downward direction also cooling the air.
There are holes present in the container near the bottom through which the cooled air is vented out
and which results in lowering the temperature of the certain polyhouse or a small closed system.
On top of that the amount of moisture content in the air is also increased up to 90-95%.
4.2. FLOWCHART:
4.3. ADVANTAGES:
a) Agricultural application.
b) Optimal indoor air quality.
c) Optimal air humidity.
d) Energy efficient climate control.
e) A comfortable work environment.
f) Environment friendly
g) Energy investment deduction
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4.4. DISADVANTAGES:
a) Higher pressure required to run the system.
b) Does not work effictively in open areas
c) Does not work well in areas subjected to air moments.
4.5. APPLICATIONS:
a) Greenhouses
b) Commercial Kitchens
c) Restaurents
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WORKING MODEL
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PRACTICAL APPLICATION-
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CONCLUSION-
1) A humidifier can help improve indoor air quality by adding
enough moisture to prevent this cooling effect.
2) Setting up a portable model is as easy as filling the reservoir
and plugging the device in.
3) If your dryness issues are limited to one room, a portable
model may be sufficient. If you have dry air throughout your
home, you’ll benefit more from a whole-house model. A whole-
house humidifier can help improve indoor air quality in all your
rooms because it’s installed inside the HVAC system and adds
moisture to all air passing through.
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REFERENCES
[1] Mäkinen, T.M., Juvonen, R., Jokelainen, J., Harju, T.H., Peitso, A., Bloigu, A., Silvennionen-
Kassinen, S., Leinonen, M., Hassi, J., 2009. Cold temperature and low humidity are associated
with increased occurrence of respiratory tract infections. Respir. Med. 103, 456–462.
[2] Reinikainen, L.M., Aunela-Tapola, L., Jaakkola, J.J.K., 1997. Humidification and perceived
indoor air quality in the office environment. Occup. Environ. Med. 54, 322–327.
[3] Sato, M., Fukayo, S., Yano, E., 2003. Adverse environmental health effects of ultra-low
relative humidity indoor air. J. Occup. Health 45, 133–136.
[4] Shaman, J., Kohn, M., 2009. Absolute humidity modulates influenza survival, transmission,
and seasonality. PNAS 106, 3243–3248
[5] Sivasankar, M., Erickson, E., Schneider, S., Hawes, A., 2008. Phonatory effects of airway
dehydration: preliminary evidence of impaired compensation to oral breathing in individuals with
a history of vocal fatigue. J. Speech Lang. Hear. Res. 51, 1494–1506.
[6] Sundell, J., Lindvall, T., 1993. Indoor air humidity and the sensation of dryness as risk
indicators of SBS. Indoor Air 3, 382–390.
[7] Takahashi, Y., Igaki, M., Sakamoto, I., Suzuki, A., Takahashi, G., Dogru, M., Tsubota, K.,
2010. Comparison of effects of periocular region dry and wet water on visual acuity and near
reflex. Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi 114, 444–453.
[8] Tanner, K., Fujiki, R.B., Dromey, C., Merrill, R.M., Robb, W., Kendall, K.A., Hopkin, J.A.,
Chanell, R.W., Sivasankar, M.P., 2016. Laryngeal desiccation challenge and nebulized isotonic
saline in healthy male singers and nonsingers: effects on acoustic, aerodynamic, and self-perceived
effort and dryness measures. J. Voice 30, 670–676.
[9] Tian, Y., Sul, K., Qian, J., Mondal, S., Ferro, A.R., 2014. A comparative study of
walkinginduced
dust resuspension using a consistent test mechanism. Indoor Air 24, 592–603.
[10] Tuomainen, M., Tuomainen, A., Liesivuori, J., Pasanen, A.-L., 2003. The 3-year follow-up
study in a block of flats – experience in the use of the finnish indoor climate classification. Indoor
Air 13, 136–147.
[11] Ud-Dean, S.M.M., 2010. Structural explanation for the effect of humidity on persistence of
airborne virus: seasonality of influenza. J. Theoret. Biol. 264, 822–829.
[12] Sunwoo, Y., Chou, C., Takeshita, J., Murakami, M., 2006a. Physiological and subjective
responses to low relative humidity. J. Physiol. Anthropol. 25, 7–14.
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