Moisture, whether in liquid or gaseous form, is one of several process variables that industry professionals must measure, monitor, and control. In industrial applications, moisture levels—i.e., humidity—can significantly impact the lifespan of the process equipment, the quality of the end product, and the overall performance of the process operation. Mitigating these potential consequences of moisture in industrial processes necessitates understanding its fundamentals.
The following blog post provides an overview of moisture, outlining its unique properties and why measuring its levels in industrial processes is important.
Fundamentals of Moisture
Like with temperature, pressure, and fluid flow, project managers and equipment operators must account for moisture when planning and performing a process operation. However, unlike these other variables, moisture offers the following challenges:
- In dynamic processes, it is more difficult to accurately and consistently measure.
- It serves as a contaminant that often results in more severe damage to process equipment, end products, and industrial processes.
These two qualities underline the importance of acquiring a comprehensive understanding of moisture to control its presence in industrial processes more effectively.
Why Measure Moisture?
Moisture exists naturally in industrial gases and the surrounding environment. Within controlled industrial settings, industry professionals generally consider this moisture as an undesirable contaminant as it significantly impacts the quality and consistency of a process. If left unchecked, excess moisture causes condensation, corrosion, and contamination, which may result in:
- Penetration of the vast majority of surfaces, resulting in corrosion and/or loss of integrity
- Interference with test results, potentially rendering them useless
- Reduction in product quality
- Damage to process tubing
- Formation of ice in process equipment (at low temperatures)
- Premature failure and wear of process equipment
- Unexpected reactions between process substances such as chemicals or gases
With these consequences in mind, industry professionals often implement protocols that accurately measure moisture levels to control or eliminate moisture as needed. Measuring and managing moisture allows them to:
- Minimize the amount of damage experienced by process equipment
- Increase the quality and consistency of end products
- Reduce energy usage and related costs
- Lower overall operational costs
Altogether, the above advantages of measuring moisture levels in process operations allow companies to better meet contractual obligations, often resulting in greater customer satisfaction, enhanced brand reputation, and higher profits.
Contact Servoflo for Your Moisture Measurement Needs
At Servoflo, we understand how critical moisture levels are to the success of a project. Our broad selection of humidity sensors and other sensing tools facilitates the accurate measurement of moisture in processes regardless of the industry or application. For design engineers or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), we offer a variety of durable, reliable, and versatile elements suitable for use in moisture or humidity measurement instrumentation, including:
To learn more about our sensor offerings, contact us today. If you need assistance choosing one for your next equipment build, request a quote. One of our knowledgeable team members will be glad to assist you with any concerns that you may have.
