Relative humidity is the measurement of water vapor present in the air. In this article, we will discuss different Examples.
Relative humidity(RH or ɸ) indicates the amount of water vapor in the air in comparison to the amount of water vapor the air can possibly hold at that particular temperature. A relative humidity of 50% means the air holds only half of water vapor it can actually hold.
Relative Humidity Examples are listed below:
- Weather Forecasting
- Animal Husbandry
- Moisture around products
- Air Conditioners
- Characteristics of pharmaceutical products
- Building Materials
- Agriculture and crop quality
- Plant growth
- Cooling Tower
- Cold Storage
It is responsible for safety and durability of machineries, cars, houses etc. and it affects greatly the health, comfort and security of human being.
Weather Forecasting
Measurement of relative humidity helps in weather forecasting. Prediction for rain, fog or moist occurring in atmosphere can be done with the help of humidity monitoring.
Accurate and reliable prediction is of great importance in all fields concerning global climate changes like the hydrological phase and ablation of glaciers.
A highly humid condition indicates more moisture content in the air, which means more possibilities for cloud formation, and if the temperature goes down rain falling also occurs. The weather is forecasted based on present weather patterns including wind and humidity and depending on long-term weather statistics.
Animal Husbandry
The animal raising conditions in livestock stations and poultry houses play vital roles in both animal health and production. Relative Humidity has adverse effects on animal welfare including poor growth and development.
The high humid condition may cause stress on the animal respiratory system and many infectious diseases. Correct monitoring and controlling could result in significant improvement in animal husbandry.
Moisture around products
Controlling humidity around the final output is important as extreme humid conditions affect the product, therefore continuous monitoring is essential in food production industries. If we consider the chocolate industry, the relative humidity in storage should be maintained at a predetermined level.
If the humid level rises above the required level and remains at that level for a long time, moisture starts forming on the surface of the chocolate leading to dissolving of sugar.
After the evaporation of moisture, sugar starts forming crystals which gives a white, dusty, grainy appearance on the chocolate surface. This phenomenon is known as sugar blooming .
Characteristics of pharmaceutical products
Pharmaceutical products are generally highly sensitive to moisture content so improper humid condition becomes a great threat for pharmaceutical companies also.
Controlling accurate humid levels is essential and medicines in the form of pills, and dry powders should be kept in a controlled condition. Moisture content more than the required level alters the properties of the medicines to such an extent that medicines become useless.
Air Conditioners
Relative humidity plays a crucial role in maintaining the efficiency of HVAC systems used in residential houses and commercial buildings.
A highly humid condition inside a home, force the air conditioner to work overtime to maintain a comfortable atmosphere. It leads to less efficiency of the air conditioner and require frequent maintenance, at the same time we may face a hike in energy bills.
Another negative impact of it is that it cancels out the cooling effect of the AC, even though the continuous running of air conditioning system we cannot derive the expected result. In simple words in spite paying more to cool your home wont cool it that effectively.
In low humid conditions, an occupant might experience aggravate allergies, eye irritations, stuffy nose, and chances of more spread of viral infections.
Building Materials
Relative Humidity has harsh impact on building materials also which may lead to high amount of monetary loss. A highly humid situation decreases the compressive strength of concrete affecting its durability. Moisture content enhances microbial growth like mold, bacteria, dust mites, fungi mildew, etc.
In case of concrete flooring, if the concrete is not sufficiently dry before floor laying it may cause the floor to swell, blister and crack. In that case only option left behind is complete replacement of the floor which is quite expensive and time consuming.
Excessive humid weather causes dampness inside the home and creates a unpleasant musty odor .
Agriculture and crop quality
Relative humidity is the most difficult factor to control in a greenhouse for the perfect growth of crops and plants. Highly humid condition results problems like foliar and root diseases, loss of quality, loss in yields etc. Requirement of more pesticides for disease control gives the plant a weak and stretched growth.
The too low situation results in a slow rate of plant growth and crops need a much longer period to get the saleable size; dropping off lower leaves, and low quality are also associated with low humidity.
Both the low and high humid conditions, the lower grade of quality reduce the selling price of crops and increases production costs and hinders greatly the overall profit.
Cooling Tower
To know the exact efficiency of the cooling tower, monitoring of relative humidity of atmosphere is necessary.
Relative humidity in air does affect the rate of evaporation from the tower. In refineries, regular monitoring is done to know the cooling efficiency of the tower.
If temperature increases it will lead to a decrease in relative humidity, thus the air will become drier whereas when temperature decreases, the air will become wet means it will increase.
Cold Storage
Maintaining an accurate humid condition inside cold storage is vital because food products are hygroscopic in nature and their properties and texture vary with the humidity of air in the circumstances, not only with the temperature change. Accurate humid condition is necessary from economic point of view.
Fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products(like paneer, cheeses), and other foodstuffs are stored at low temperature to enable their logistics within the cold chain and a correct humid control in cold storage is necessary.
Right humid atmosphere ensures that the product quality is maintained, the fresh look of the vegetables and fruits increases the price, profitability is high due to maintained product weight, longer storage and greater self-life reduces waste.
I am Sangeeta Das. I have completed my Masters in Mechanical Engineering with specialization in I.C Engine and Automobiles. I have around ten years of experience encompassing industry and academia. My area of interest includes I.C. Engines, Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics. You can reach me at