“Relative Humidity Distribution in Lab Spaces: Monitoring Changes When Upgrading the Humidification System”
During the coldest part of the year, the sixth floor of the Stephen Chan house—the Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University—had an environment with extremely low relative humidity. The HVAC system for the floor is equipped with a humidifier, but the environment was not being adequately humidified.
In order to investigate the problem of low RH, a monitoring strategy was put in place in the sixth floor of the Conservation Center during the cold winter months. The steam canister is replaced yearly due to mineral buildup, so the monitoring occurred before and after replacement to look at the role that a fresh canister plays in affecting the RH of the environment. Analysis of the logged data with the additional reference of collected outdoor weather data attempted to comment on the effectiveness of the humidification system with a fresh canister in place and to identify any still existing problems. Potential sources of the incorrect RH were then provided, and solutions were suggested for improvement and future monitoring strategies.
Vapor image courtesy of Bill Wadman.