This document and the information disclosed herein are proprietary data of WALTER MEIER LTD.
Neither this document nor the information contained herein shall be reproduced used, or disclosed to
others without the written authorization of WALTER MEIER LTD., except to the extent required for
installation or maintenance of recipient’s equipment. All re ferences to the NORTEC name should be
taken as referring to WALTER MEIER LT D.
LIABILITY NOTICE
NORTEC does not accept any liability for installations of humidity equipment installed by unqualified
personnel or the use of parts/components/equipment that are not authorized or approved by
NORTEC.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright 2008, WALTER MEIER LTD. All rights reserved.
SPECIFICATION LABEL LOCATION
The Specification Label for your NH Series humidifier is located on the bottom of the unit. You will
find it attached to the skirt that separates the electrical and plumbing comp ar tments on the electrical
compartment side.
RECORD OF REVISIONS
For each revision, put the revised pages in your manual and disca rd the superseded pages. W rite the
revision number and revision date, date put in manual, and the incorporator’s initials in the applicable
columns on the Record of Revisions.
The NHTC humidifier is controlled by Nortec’s Patented Auto adaptive Water Management
Control System. This system allows the humidifiers to adapt to basically any potable
incoming water and changes that occur to the water supply. This eliminates the need to
readjust drain timers, changes complete cylinders or time consuming adjustment of
electrode spacing’s. The system also adjusts the drain rate of the humidifier to reduce the
amount of drain water exiting the humidifier as water conditions change. This reduces
energy loss due to excessive draining of hot water and extends cylinder life since less water
and minerals enter the humidifier.
The following is a brief description of how the Auto-Adaptive water Management System
works.
The electrode steam system produces pure uncontaminated steam with variable output
through electronic power control of the electrodes. Water borne minerals remain in the
cylinder and are periodically flushed out through the automatic cylinder drain. On NHTC and
NHPC models the drain automatically empties the steam cylinder if it is not operated for
three days. Solid mineral scale sinks to the bottom of the cylinder which, when filled with
residue, is easily removed and replaced.
A. PROPORTIONAL + INTEGRAL AUTO-ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE
NHTC/ NHPC
(1) NORTEC’s patented P+I Auto-Adaptive control system allows the unit to operate at
an optimal low water level using the same fixed electrode spacing regardless of the
incoming water conditions. Boiling of the water allows the minerals in the water to
remain behind in the cylinder. This raises the contained water conductivity to a
value higher than the incoming water. The P+I Auto-Adaptive control system
monitors and adjusts the contained water conductivity as these changes occur.
(2) The humidifiers are designed to produce full steam output at the lowest possible
electrode coverage to obtain maximum cylinder life.
(3) The units operate between A and D of the main steam output demand.
Accordingly, the current flow between the electrodes in the cylinder is maintained
between these pre-established limits programmed into the P+I Auto-Adaptive
control system.
(4) As the water boils away and the electrode coverage is reduced, the steam output is
also reduced slightly. A pre-determined design parameter of every NORTEC
cylinder is the known time (To) (time optimum) that it takes to boil down from A to
D of output (also referenced to as amp trigger points) at a pre-designed contained
water conductivity. (See Figure 2.)
(5) Whenever the conductivity in the cylinder water is lower than the designed
conductivity, the (Ta) (time actual) to boil down from A to D will be longer than the
To. (See Figure 3.)
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2008-10-01
(6) As the water is boiled away, the minerals left behind increase the conductivity of
the water in the cylinder. As soon as the conductivity is greater than design, the Ta
to boil from A to D will be shorter than To and a drain cycle is initiated.
(7) The fill valve always opens during timer drains, adding cold water to mix with the
hot water from the cylinder during automatic drain cycles. This tempering process
is required to meet plumbing codes.
(8) As can be seen from a typical sequence depicted in Figure 4, the P+I Auto-
Adaptive system allows the unit to be self-regulating. It drains only when necessary
and only the amount of water to maintain optimum operating conditions.
(9) Relying on the proportional (P) feedback only to decide how much to drain is like
guessing what is happening based on a ‘snapshot’ only. By taking into
consideration a series of “snapshots”: (one from each of the past ten cycles for
example), the control system has more data on which to base its decision to drain.
The integral (I) part of the P+I Auto-Adaptive system provides this added feedback.
(10) The proportional (P) and integral (I) factors have been weighted as to the relative
influence each will have when the NHTC/NHPC calculates a drain. The
preprogrammed weighing was derived through extensive field and laboratory tests.
When supply water conductivity is extremely high (requiring substantially more
drains), the NHTC/NHPC will see the pattern developing in cycles stored in
memory. It will then initiate additional drains to adjust the contained water
conductivity.
(11) If low conductive water conditions occur, the P+I control will reduce the drains
necessary to maintain optimum operating conditions within the cylinder. If extreme
water conditions are encountered, the NHTC/NHPC can be reprogrammed with
factory instructions to compensate.
(12) NORTEC’s P+I Auto-Adaptive control system has been designed to benefit users
who demand very tight control of the relative humidity. It maintains steam output
above the B level, even during auto drains. (See Figure 4.)
(13) The P+I Auto-Adaptive control system allows the humidifier to maintain tighter
humidity control without the problem of rh depression during drain cycles that occur
with other humidifiers. This results in more consistent space rh levels, even with a
simple on/off control system.
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2008-10-01
Figure 2. Optimum Boiling Time
Figure 3. Conductivity
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2008-10-01
B. NH CAPACITY ADJUSTMENT
(1) Each NORTEC NH Series humidifier is rated at its maximum output capacity. By
means of the alphanumeric display and keypad on the NHTC/NHPC, the
humidifiers can be adjusted to obtain an output between 20% and 100% of its rated
capacity.
C. DRAIN CYCL E AND CYLINDER LIFE
(1) Water Type Used (Potable or Softened)
(a) The electrode steam product line is one of the most efficient humidifier
systems since it uses the minerals in the water to conduct electricity. If no
minerals are present no current can pass from one electrode to another, thus
no steam production can occur.
(b) Although the electrode steam humidifier is ideal for potable water, it should
not be used with pure reverse osmosis or deionized water since the
conductivity is too low.
(2) Water Conditions vs Cylinder Life
(a) The NH Series is designed to adapt to most potable or softened water
supplies. Since the output of all NH Series humidifiers is pure, clean steam,
minerals originally in the incoming water are left behind in the steam cylinder.
Many of these minerals will be removed during short flush cycles within the
cylinder. Therefore, the water chemistry, the unit running time, and output
capacity setting ultimately determines the cylinder life. (See Figure .)
(3) Output vs Cylinder Life
(a) As minerals build-up on the electrodes in the cylinder of the NORTEC NH
Series humidifier, the patented P+I Auto-Adaptive control system
automatically raises the water level slightly in the cylinder. This exposes fresh
electrode surface to the water and maintains peak output and efficiency from
the humidifier. Once the
(b) electrode surface is completely encrusted by the minerals, the user is alerted
to change the cylinder. Other humidifiers’ performance degrades gradually as
the minerals build-up. The NH Series maintains maximum efficiency then the
cylinder is replaced. (See Figure .)
(4) Water Conditions vs Drain Rate
(a) The P+I Auto-Adaptive control system automatically adjusts the drain rate to
maintain the design water conductivity required for proper operation. This
ensures regular flushing of minerals which become concentrated in the water,
and minimizing wastage of hot water. The humidifier automatically adjusts it’s
drain rate with changes in incoming water conductivity through the Autoadaptive water management system.
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2008-10-01
0. Store previous cycle’s drain decision in integral (l) memory.
1. Fill to A trigger (use all places below 1-10).
2. Boil to C trigger without timing to allow previous fill water to mix thoroughly during boiling.
3. Boil from C to D while monitoring time (T actual).
4. Decide how long (how much) to drain, then fill to B.
5. Drain according to the P+I calculated drain time, fill on to control outlet temperature.
6. At D, stop draining and postpone remaining drain, fill to B.
7. Continue remaining drain.
8. With drain finished, fill to A.
9. Boil to D, timing from C to D.
10. Decide how long to drain (in this case zero) based on present and past cycles.
Figure 4. Typical Auto-Adaptive Operation
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It is important to note that the drain rate shown includes the make-up water,
mixed with the drain water, which tempers the drain water to 140°F (60°C) or
less.
NOTE
The electrode steam process provides optimum efficiency because all resistance to
current passage is converted to usable energy. Unlike cal-rod or infrared humidifiers
which convert some of their capacities into unusable heat.
Figure 5. Capacity Setting & Cylinder Life
Figure 6. Output vs Service Life
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2008-10-01
3. PRE-INSTALLATION EQUIPMENT VERIFICATION
A. GENERAL
(1) Ensure the available voltage and phase correspond with humidifier voltage and
phase as indicated on the humidifier’s specification label.
(2) Ensure that the external fuse disconnect is sufficient size to handle the rated
amperage as indicated on the humidifier’s specifications label. Refer to local building
codes.
(3) Report any discrepancy immediately to the site engineer.
(4) Location and mounting is described in Chapter 10-10.
(5) For typical installation see Figures 6 & 7.
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2008-10-01
Figure 6. Typical NHRS Installation (Sheet 1 of 2)
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Figure 7. Typical NHRS Installation (Sheet 2 of 2)
10-10
HUMIDITY,
STEAM ABSORPTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION
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2008-10-01
HUMIDITY, STEAM ABSORPTION AND DISTRIBUTION
1.HUMIDITY
A.ESTIMATING THE HUMIDIFICATION LOAD
Note: The humidification load can easily be calculated by using Nortec’s Humidification Engineering
and Load-sizing Program (HELP). The softward can be downloaded at www.humidity.com
(1) Relative humidity is the percentage of moisture in the volume of air at a given
temperature, compared to the maximum amount of moisture that the volume of air can
hold at the same temperature and atmospheric pressure. As air becomes warmer, it
can absorb more moisture per unit volume. Therefore a quantity of air containing a
specific amount of moisture will have different values of relative humidity as the
temperature changes.
(2) It is this process that causes dry air in building. As cold incoming air is heated, its
relative humidity value drops. Therefore moisture must be added to attain an
acceptable level of humidity within the building. Determining how much moisture must
be added is the object of this brochure. Table 2 simplifies the calculations which are
described here in detail.
B.LOAD CALCULATION SUMMARY
(1) In order to determine the humidification load three basic values need to be known:
(a) The design conditions of the humidified space, i.e., the temperature and humidity
required.
(b) The conditions of the incoming air, i.e., the temperature and humidity available.
(c) Incoming air volume and secondary conditions that can affect the humidification
load.
(2) Data and calculations required to estimate humidification load are described in
Tables 1, 2 and 3.
C.TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY REQUIRED
(1) The design temperature and humidity of a space depends mostly upon the job being
performed. Once the design temperature and humidity have been established, the
required moisture can be found in gr/ft
worst case (highest temperature, highest humidity).
(2) Formula 1
For example:
The press room of a printing plant should be kept at 76 - 80
Therefore, the worst case is 80
From Table 3 the required moisture is 11.04 gr/ft
D.TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY AVAILABLE
(1) The outdoor conditions tell us the moisture available in the incoming air. Approximate
values can be obtained from Table 4 and combined with Table 3 to find moisture
available. Once again we must take the worst case (here, it is lowest temperature,
lowest humidity). As can be seen, the contribution of moisture from the outside air is
almost zero.
Chart shows what the residual indoor RH would be at 70°F under varying outdoor conditions if a proper humidification
system were not installed in the building. Studies indicate that the recommended RH should be between 40% and 60%
for optimum benefits to the occupants.
Outdoor temperature
Table 2. Load Calculation Summary Sheet
Determine the moisture required in the space (Table 3)
Grains from Table 3 at space temp. ______ x Indoor RH
Determine the moisture level of incoming air (Table 4)
Grains from Table 4 at space temp. ______ x Outdoor RH
Therefore: moisture to be added: (moisture) M - A - B ______ gr/ft3 →M ______ gr/ft
Determine the volume of air to be humidified. Choose the largest
value.
1. Natural ventilation: Volume x number of air changes.
Assume our printing plant is located in Denver, Colorado. From Table 4, the worst
case is -10
From Table 3:
0.29 gr/ft
°F with 37% rh
3
x 37% rh - 0.11 gr/ft
3
Combining this result with that of Moisture Required (A) we see that we will need
5.19 - 0.11 = 5.08 grains of moisture for every cubic foot of outside air brought in.
E.INCOMING AIR VOLUME
(1) The following outlines the steps necessary to determine the amount of outside air being
brought into the humidified space and the corresponding amount of moisture required.
There are three basic means by which outside air is introduced into the humidified
space. These are:
(a) Through natural ventilation, for example, opening and closing doors and windows,
and by infiltration through cracks and openings in the building construction.
(b) Through mechanical ventilation, for example, the introduction of make-up air, or
the exhausting of stale air by the building HVAC system.
(c) Through the economizer section of the HVAC system - if this feature is included in
the system.
(2) For maximum accuracy, all three should be estimated and the largest chosen.
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2008-10-01
Table 4. Design Outdoor Conditions
JANUARY
Relative Humidity
(% RH)
State City °C
AlabamaBirmingham
ArizonaFlagstaff
ArkansasLittle R o ck-1558067689585555935
CaliforniaEureka
ColoradoDenver
ConnecticutNew Haven-1807565699577647435
DelawareWilmington-1807762709580526935
District of
Scranton
Rhode IslandProvidence-1807360679379577334
South CarolinaCharleston
Columbia
South DakotaHuron
Rapid City
TennesseeKnoxville
Memphis
TexasAmarillo
Corpus Christi
Dallas
El Paso
Houston
San Antonio
UtahSalt Lake City-23-108071729556272335
VermontBurlington-23-108169789076546732
VirginiaRichmond-9158460689581577235
WashingtonSeattle
Walla Walla
West VirginiaCharleston
Parkersburg
WisconsinGreen Bay
Milwaukee
WyomingCheyenne-26-155948559573364035
Province City
AlbertaCalgary
Edmonton
Grande Prairie
Lethbridge
Medicine Hat
British ColumbiaEstevan Point
Fort Nelson
Penticton
Prince George
Prince Rupert
Vancouver
Dry
Bulb
-15
-18
-18
-23
-21
-18
-21
-18
-12
-18
-18
-23
-23
-21
12
-18
-18
-18
-21
-9
-12
-29
-29
-18
-18
-23
-7
-12
-12
-7
-7
-9
-21
-18
-23
-26
-26
-34
-34
-42
-36
-34
-8
-40
-18
-38
-12
-9
°F
-10
10
-10
-10
10
15
10
-20
-20
-10
20
10
10
20
20
15
-10
-15
-15
-29
-29
-43
-32
-30
17
-40
-37
11
15
7:30
A.M.
5
0
0
-5
0
-5
0
0
0
-5
0
0
0
-5
0
0
-5
0
0
79
72
73
75
79
72
81
82
82
82
81
83
79
83
87
72
74
77
80
87
81
79
71
83
82
71
88
81
63
85
82
86
80
79
82
75
76
1:30
P.M.
71
75
80
66
73
84
79
81
82
87
87
68
79
62
63
72
61
73
59
57
70
72
71
72
81
82
49
65
67
67
55
57
72
69
65
67
51
66
62
45
66
60
80
74
64
66
68
70
7:30
P.M.
JULY
Relative Humidity
(% RH)
81
75
77
79
78
75
80
88
86
84
79
78
76
69
86
78
78
80
77
88
83
86
71
83
85
77
93
79
60
90
88
86
50
88
80
85
81
1:30
P.M.
34
42
38
30
31
32
32
44
53
54
41
72
51
55
52
53
58
50
56
55
52
52
52
52
68
63
51
52
52
50
64
56
52
42
55
55
43
58
50
37
58
49
63
33
53
52
58
58
7:30
P.M.
82
65
68
64
63
68
60
73
72
60
58
60
59
36
48
62
64
63
82
68
49
40
66
59
42
68
47
30
66
45
47
22
67
65
64
64
°C
35
35
35
34
34
35
35
34
35
35
35
35
35
32
32
35
35
35
35
--
35
35
35
35
35
35
38
35
38
38
35
38
29
35
35
35
35
35
31
30
29
33
36
31
34
29
23
27
27
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2008-10-01
Table 4. Design Outdoor Conditions (cont)
JANUARY
Relative Humidity
(% RH)
ProvinceCity °C
ManitobaBrandon
Churchill
The Pas
Winnipeg
New BrunswickCampbellton
Fredericton
Moncton
Saint John
NewfoundlandCorner Brook
Gander
Goose Bay
St. John’s
N.W.T.Frobisher
Resolute
Yellowknife
Nova ScotiaHalifax
Sydney
Yarmouth
OntarioThunder Bay
Hamilton
Kaspuskasing
Kingston
Kitchener
London
North Bay
Ottawa
Peterborough
Sioux Lookout
Sudbury
Timmins
Toronto
Windsor
Sault St. Marie
P.E.I.Charlottetown-21-686845729
QuebecKnob Lake
Mont Joli
Montreal
Port Harrison
Quebec City
Sept-Iles
Sherbrooke
Trois Rivieres
SaskatchewanPrince Albert
Regina
Saskatoon
Swift Current
Yukon TerritoryDawson
Whitehorse
Dry
Bulb
-34
-40
-37
-34
-28
-27
-24
-24
-23
-21
-32
-17
-43
-45
-45
-18
-17
-15
-33
-18
-34
-24
-19
-18
-29
-27
-25
-36
-29
-36
-19
-16
-29
-40
-24
-27
-39
-28
-33
-28
-28
-41
-37
-37
-34
-49
-43
°F
-29
-40
-35
-29
-18
-16
-12
-12
-10
-26
-45
-49
-49
-27
-30
-11
-20
-17
-13
-33
-20
-33
-20
-40
-11
-16
-39
-19
-27
-18
-18
-41
-34
-34
-29
-56
-45
7:30
A.M.
-5
1
0
1
5
0
-3
0
-3
-3
1:30
P.M.
73
76
77
78
77
72
82
82
84
76
85
77
71
82
83
84
83
80
75
79
84
80
77
77
78
81
79
82
79
75
76
81
77
81
76
79
76
80
7:30
P.M.
Dry
Bulb
°F
90
79
85
90
87
89
88
81
84
85
86
79
63
54
78
83
84
76
86
91
87
85
88
90
87
90
90
65
89
90
90
92
88
55
62
88
86
80
87
88
88
92
90
93
57
78
7:30
A.M.
JULY
Relative Humidity
(% RH)
1:30
P.M.
50
57
54
50
54
47
52
62
47
45
42
60
67
81
50
50
56
70
52
52
52
69
58
53
46
50
53
69
44
45
56
51
48
70
71
58
60
47
58
58
60
40
7:30
P.M.
°C
32
26
29
32
31
32
31
27
29
29
30
26
17
12
26
28
29
24
30
33
31
29
31
32
31
32
32
18
32
32
32
31
29
13
17
31
30
27
31
31
31
33
32
34
14
26
10-10
Page 18
2008-10-01
(3) Using the natural ventilation method requires knowing the volume of the humidified
space and the type of construction. A tightly constructed building will have a least one
air change per hour. A loosely constructed building will have at least one and one half
changes per hour, and this same building with a large a amount of incoming or exiting
traffic will have at least two air changes per hour.
(a) Formula 3
Assume our print shop has a floor area of 100'
large amount of traffic. This requires
100' x 100' x 20' x 2 = 400,000 ft
Using our example, the moisture required is
400,000 x 5.08
_______________
7000 grains/lb
(4) Using make-up air:
(a) Formula 4
Assume our print shop has a 15,000 CFM HVAC system and uses 10%
make-up air during winter. The amount of outside make-up air entering the
HVAC system will, therefore, be 10% of 15,000 CFM = 1,500 CFM. The
moisture required will be
1,500 x 5.08 x 60 min/hr
_________________________
7,000 grains/lb
(Refer to Figure 1.)
= 290 lbs/hr
= 65 lbs/hr
3
x 100' with a 20' ceiling with a
/hr.
Figure 1. Schematic of a Typical Print Shop HVAC System
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2008-10-01
(5) Using an exhaust air fan:
(a) Formula 5
Assume the print shop has a 1,000 CFM fan to exhaust a drying room. The
moisture required to humidify the drying room only is
1,000 x 5.08 x 60 min/hr
_________________________
7,000 grains/lb
= 44 lbs/hr
(Refer to Figure 1.)
(6) Using an economizer cycle:
(a) Care should be taken in sizing humidification load when an economizer cycle is
incorporated into a building HVAC system. The purpose of an economizer cycle is
to provide building cooling using outside air, rather then the building refrigeration
system when outside air conditions permit.
(b) The economizer cycle senses and compares outdoor air temperature and return
air temperature during the cooling season.
(c) W hen the HVAC system calls for cooling and the outdoor air temperature is low
enough – typically 55°F or lower – the outside air and exhaust air dampers are
positioned to provide the required supply air temperature to maintain cooling, and
the recirculated air damper is positioned to maintain the required supply air
volume. When the outdoor air temperature is higher than the supply air
temperature required to maintain cooling but is lower than the return air
temperature, the make-up air and exhaust air dampers are 100% open. The
recirculation air damper closes, and the building refrigeration system provides the
portion of cooling load that cannot be provided by outside air intake.
(d) From this it can be seen that it is possible to introduce 100% outside air into a
building during the cooling season.
(e) Formula 6
For example, if out print shop were using 100% outdoor air at 55°F and
40% rh, then the moisture required is
5.19 - (4.89 x 40% rh) = 3.23 gr/ft
3
Therefore, on a 15,000 CFM system, the humidification load will be
15,000 x 3.23 x 60 min/hr
__________________________
7,000 grains/lb
= 415 lbs/hr
(f)In the above examples, the largest humidification load was due to the economizer
cycle at 415 lbs/hr.
(7) Using cooling or refrigeration loads:
(a) As air is cooled, it loses it’s ability to hold moisture. If it is cooled enough, some of
the moisture will condense out. This is known as cooling load. Cooling load
calculations can be important for process applications or refrigeration applications
to product dehydration.
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2008-10-01
(b) Formula 7
Assume that during the summer the HVAC system is in the cooling mode. The
air leaving the cooling coil is at 55°F and 90% rh. In order to maintain the
desired 47% rh in the space, moisture must be added using the following
formula:
Desired space 80°F 47% rh= 5.19 gr/ft
3
(Formula 1)
55°F 90% = 4.89 x 0.90= 4.40 gr/ft
__________________________________
3
Grains to add= 0.79 gr/ft3
15,000 x 0.79 x 60 min/hr
_________________________
7,000 grains/lb
= 101.57 lbs/hr
(8) In considering Process and Environment, in Tables 5 through 7 you will find conditions
and processes that may affect your calculation and should be addressed.
(a) Table 5 shows the outdoor temperature at which the rh would cause condensation
on the windows to the outside. Should your outdoor conditions make this a
possibility, an outdoor setback sensor may be a solution.
(b) Table 6 describes the moisture gain of various material and if your process or
environment includes a great amount of these materials that are constantly
introduced to the area, its affects must be considered.
(c) Table 7 identifies many recommended indoor conditions for various locations and
processes, these can be of use when deciding what conditions would be most
beneficial in your application.
(d) In Figure 2, you will find the ASHRAE physchrometric chart describing the
enthalpy of dry air and the effects to and from rh in the air.
Table 5. Inside Relative Humidities At Which Moisture Will Condense On Windows