Modeling and simulation of dew point temperature generated by a bubble aerator

Abstract

The dew point temperature can be generated by saturating air with water vapor through several methods, one of which is by creating small-sized air bubbles passed through water in an enclosed space known as a saturator. In practical terms, the dew point temperature produced by this system can be determined by measuring it using a dew point meter. However, the prediction of the dew point temperature generated through theoretical approaches has not been presented before. Thus, in this study, a simulation has been conducted to determine the dew point temperature. The result is then compared to the experimental data. The experiment follows the single pressure humidity generator principle, where a saturator containing a bubble aerator is immersed in a stirred liquid bath. The bath temperature is set to 25 °C, and the gas flow rate is adjusted from 0.1 lpm to 0.4 lpm. The dew point temperature is measured using a 373 LHX chilled mirror dew point meter. On the other hand, the simulation is performed using the Monte Carlo method, and the physical model involves a heat balance between convection and the change in bubble energy. The convection heat transfer coefficient is determined by the behavior of bubble dynamics, which is related to the bubble size and bubble velocity. The dew point temperature obtained from the simulation is assumed to be the same as the bubble temperature. As a result, the simulation data align well with the experimental data.