Definition
An adiabatic humidification method that adds moisture by evaporating water into air without heating; the latent heat comes from the air itself, so the air humidifies while cooling (typical 2–10°C drop).
Detailed Explanation
Evaporative humidification feeds water onto wetted media (cellulose pads, ceramic) or as small droplets (high-pressure misting, ultrasonic atomisation) into the airstream so it vaporises directly inside the air. No external electric or gas heat is added; the latent heat (≈ 2,260 kJ/kg) is drawn from the air. Result: air humidifies + cools (about 2.5°C per 1 g/kg added). Unit energy is typically 0.05–0.15 kWh/kg (pump + fan + controls only), one-sixth to one-fifteenth of a steam system's 0.75 kWh/kg.
Why It Matters
Evaporative humidification is the dominant choice for high-capacity, cost-sensitive sites that want adiabatic cooling as a side benefit: textile weaving halls (Bursa, Denizli), printing and packaging plants, wood manufacturing, agriculture/greenhouses, free-cooling data centres. At 1,000 kg/h a switch from steam to evaporative drives six-figure euro annual savings plus 4–7°C summer cooling.
Practical Example
A weaving plant in Bursa: 35,000 m³/h AHU, target 60% ± 3% RH. Steam option: 220 kg/h × 0.75 kWh/kg = 165 kW + 80 kW chiller for cooling. Evaporative option (Neptronic SKH atomisation): same 220 kg/h at 25 kW (pump + fan), adiabatic 5°C cooling → 0 kW chiller. Annual (4,000 h) electrical gap ≈ 880 MWh ≈ €132,000 saved. Maintenance: nozzles + filters + RO membrane ≈ €6,000/year. Net 5-year TCO advantage above €600,000.
Engineering Note
Three critical design parameters: (1) Water quality — RO pre-treatment is standard (TDS < 50 mg/L); mains water clogs nozzles and emits mineral aerosol. (2) Hygiene — direct water-air contact requires UV + continuous circulation + drain/purge for Legionella control. (3) Temperature effect — adiabatic cooling adds heating load in winter; facilities with tight indoor temperature targets must plan a reheat coil.
NKT Application Link
As Neptronic's Turkish distributor, NKT offers evaporative humidification on two main lines: (1) Neptronic SKV evaporative humidifier (cellulose pad, in-AHU); (2) Neptronic SKH high-pressure atomisation (in-duct + in-room, 50–2,000 kg/h). Water treatment (RO + UV + tank recirculation) and hygienic design are part of the NKT engineering package.
