Definition
An adiabatic humidification method that forces water at 60–100 bar through specialised stainless-steel nozzles, atomising it into 5–30 μm droplets; dominant in textile, printing, woodworking, greenhouse and data-centre free-cooling applications.
Detailed Explanation
High-pressure misting systems have four main components: (1) high-pressure pump (60–100 bar, plunger or CAT pump), (2) water-treatment kit (filter + RO + UV), (3) stainless-steel nozzle line (AISI 316L, anti-drip nozzles, 0.15–0.40 mm orifice), (4) electronic control panel (zone control, RH/temperature sensors, modulation valve). Droplet size is 5–30 μm, averaging 15 μm. Typical per-nozzle capacity 1–6 kg/h; system scale 50–2,000+ kg/h.
Why It Matters
Droplet size is the success parameter of high-pressure misting. 5–30 μm droplets fully evaporate within seconds (at 20°C/50% RH, a 15 μm droplet ≈ 0.3 s); wetting, duct hygiene and sensor error are zeroed. Above 50 μm, droplets fall under gravity and wet surfaces — the problem with low-pressure (5–15 bar) systems. The high-pressure + anti-drip nozzle combination is now standard practice.
Practical Example
A spinning mill in Adana: hall volume 12,000 m³, 4 shifts at 7,000 h/year. Summer outdoor 38°C/30% RH, target 28°C/60% RH. Design: Neptronic SKH-1200 high-pressure misting (250-nozzle array, 1,200 kg/h) + RO+UV water treatment + zone-control PLC. Installed power 18 kW (pump). For comparison, the equivalent steam system would draw 900 kW + 250 kW chiller. Over 24 months post-commissioning: RH within ±4%, temperature within ±2°C, yarn break rate down 42%, annual electricity saving ≈ €215,000.
Engineering Note
Design rules: (1) Nozzle placement 1.5–3.0 m high, vertical parallel lines, 1.0–2.0 m spacing. (2) Forced airflow is required — droplets fall before evaporating in still air; the nozzle array is coordinated with a circulation fan or AHU outlet. (3) Multi-zone control — large halls run 3–8 zones with separate RH setpoints. (4) Water-pressure monitoring — when pressure drops (clogged filter, worn pump) the droplet size grows; PLC alarms with bypass. (5) Anti-drip nozzles — prevent residual drip after shutdown.
NKT Application Link
NKT supplies the Neptronic SKH family as the authorised Turkish distributor; not a single device but the full system (pump + nozzle array + RO+UV + PLC + on-site installation) is delivered turn-key. Post-commissioning, nozzle quality control (laser droplet sizing), zone PID tuning and seasonal performance validation are part of the NKT engineering package.
