The Science of Drying (Air Flow)

11/11/2015 (Permalink)

Air movers being used to increase the rate of evaporation at a water loss in Scranton, Pa.

Air movement is one of the elements which affects the rate of evaporation. The more air volume and energy, the better evaporation will become. For example, if the vapor pressure in the ambient air temperature is lower than the vapor pressure of a wet material, evaporation will likely be the result.

While rapid air movement can be very helpful in the drying process, it is only one factor in efficient drying. If water is converted from a liquid state to a vapor state too quickly, the water vapor can reduce the rate of drying, increase fungi and mold growth, and damage permeable materials such as hydroscopic materials. Therefore humidity reduction (dehumidification) plays an equal role in the drying process - the lower the relative, the faster the evaporation.

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