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A device for calibrating electrical humidity sensors

Hedlin, C. P.

Publishers version / Version de l'diteur:

Materials Research and Standards, 6, 1, pp. 25-29, 1966-03-01

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Authorized Reprint from the Copyrighted

Materials Researclz & Standards, Vol. 6, N o . 1

Published by the
American Society for Testing and Materials

A Device for Calibrating Electrical Humidity Sensors

By C. P. HEDklN

This device can calibrate Dunmore-type humidity sensors to

within about 0.5 per cent relative humidity.

W H E R E A high degree of accuracy is

not required, humidity sensors of the electrical-resistance type may be used for a considerable time
without recalibration. Where it is necessary to
know within well-defined limits the accuracv of the
instrument, or where the sensor may inadvertently
be subjected to harmful conditions, constant recalibration is necessary.
There are a number of humidity generators in
North America [I-SI1 with which highly precise
calibration might be done, but the cost, the time delay, the inconvenience of sending sensors to a central
agency, and the need for iinmediate and frequent
checks often make this procedure unsuitable. Consequently, there is a need for precise, relatively inexpensive calibrating devices that can be maintained
by sensor users.
1 The italic numbers in brackets refer to the list of references
a t the end of this paper.

January

1966

A number of devices of this kind have been developed. One type mixes dry and humidified air in
the proportions required to give the desired humidity
[4].A second type uses salts covering a wide range
of humidities [5]. There still appears to be a need
for equipment of this type providing flexibility in
selection of both temperature and relative humidity
over a wide range and a reasonably high level of accuracy.
I n the two-nressure device described here. a streant
of air is saturated a t atmospheric pressure and then
expanded to obtain the required humidity. The
CHARLES P. HEDLIN received a B.Sc. degree from the University of
Saskatchewan and has obtained advanced degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Toronto. Since 1960 he has
been employed by the National Research Council of Canada a t the
Prairie Regional Station of the Division of Building Research a t Saskatoan, Sask., where his primary interests have been in precise measurement of humidity and in the sorption properties of building materials.

25

IVIercury
Manometer
( A ~ 2 )

Manometer
( AP,)

Electrical Leads
- T h r e e Sensors

Vacuum
Pump

Water Bath

Fig. 1-Two-pressure

ecluilibrium temperatures before arid after exparision

are equal. A number of the principles and techniques used in this system were discussed by Weaver
and Riley [6, 71 and by Weaver [8]. They measured the water vapor content of an unknowri gas by
comparing it with that of a standard gas. This was
done by adjusting the pressure of one or both gases
until they produced the same resistance in an electrical sensor.
Weaver [8] presented ari equation to relate the
relative humidity to the total pressures before and
after expansion, pa and p,. This equation includes a
correction for the effect of air pressure on the solubility of water vapor i11 air
C = p,
1 - 0.00O17pc
. . . . . . . . . . (1)
S pa 1 -0.00017pa

where C and S are the co~icentratioiisof water vapor

a t pressures p, and p, (saturation), respectively.
For saturation a t a total pressure of 1 atmos this
equation predicts that the maximum error in relative humidity will be approxin~ately0.07 per cent a t
a calibration chamber pressure of atmos if the correction is neglected. This effect is small enough to
be disregarded in the present case.

Equipment
The saturator consisted of two copper tanks (Fig.

humidity calibrator.

I ) , 2 in. in diameter and 10 in. high, partially filled

with 6-mm glass beads and water, or with chipped
ice as required. These were connected in series.
I11 each of them air entered through a +-in. brass tube,
which extended through the chamber wall and horizontally across the chamber about in. above the
bottom. A series of +-in. holes was drilled in the
under side of this tube to provide for passage of air
into the chamber.
The pressure of the air was reduced after leaving
the saturator by passing it through a needle valve.
To avoid condensation from the resultant cooling,
the air was heated before expansion. A 3-in. length
of +-in. tube was wound externally with asbestoscovered Chrome1 C electrical heating wire and enclosed in a +-in. diameter outer tube. This assembly was covered with asphalt-base insulating tape.
About 5 w of electrical power was sufficient for heating. If the air was not heated, sudden increases in
the humidity in the calibration chamber occurred,
probably due to re-evaporation of the condensate in
the tubing on the low-pressure side of the valve.
A coil of +-in. copper tubing approximately 30 in.
long was inserted between the needle valve and the
calibration chamber to act as a heat exchanger to
bring the air temperature back to the required value.
This was attached to the needle valve and the calibration chamber by short lengths of rubber tubing.

Materials Research & Standards

The calibration chamber was of brass, 3 in. in diameter and 33 in. deep. i\/Iounting sockets were provided for three sensors on the under side of the removable lid of the chamber. The necessarv wires
were introduced into the chamber throughla tube
connected to the lid and sealed with epoxy resin. The
lid was fastened to the chamber with bolts. silicone
rubber gaskets providing a tight seal. Connections
were located on the chamber for pressure measurement, air entry, and air exit. The saturator and calibration chamber, with connecting tubing, were submerged in a water bath provided with a thermostat.
Later equiplnent was modified in three ways. The
saturator was made of brass tanks. 6 in. insteacl of 10
in. high; the line connecting the saturator to the
calibration chalnber was made of stainless steel and
was attached rigidly to the latter; and the calibration chamber was attached to the saturator bv a
clamp, which permitted movement and adjustment.
These changes resulted in a more compact unit. This
unit was used to obtain the 10 F results shown in Fig. 2.
The relative humidity was taken as the ratio of total
pressures in the calibration chamber and saturator

where:
p, = baron~etricpressure - Apl,
p, = barometric pressure - Apl - Ap2,
Apl = the pressure drop from the atmosphere to
the outlet of the saturator (measured
with a U-tube manometer filled with oil
having a specific gravity equal to unity
a t 60 F),
, , and
Ap:! = the pressure drop from the saturator to the
calibration chamber (measured with a
U-tube mercurv manometer coated internally with antistatic fluid to improve
its accuracy by decreasing the adhesion
between the mercury and the glass).
Accurate measurement of the pressures is important. An error of 1 mm Hg in Ap, will result in an
error in relative humidity of approximately 0.13 per
cent. An error of 1 mm Hg in Apl will result in an
error in relative humidity that can be written

RH - RH,

100
( 1 ( ps + 13

- Legend
-

- w = Q u ~ e s c e n t H e ~ g h tof W a t e r A b o v e Air I n l e t
w ~ t h P a c k ~ n g w h e n P a c k ~ n g w a s Used
- b = Depth o f 6 mm Beads ( ~ n

(In)

80.6

--

O F

-.

A and B - I s t a n d 2 n d
-

A
-

0
-

0
o

b w

o
o

o
o

6 0 0 1
- . O O l / , I
O

2
-

0
o

R e l a t i v e Humidity
Fig, 2-Results

January 7 966

obtained with the two-pressure system compared with calibration curves (solid lines) obtained with the atmosphere producer.
(The relative humidities a t 10 F a r e adjusted to make them correspond to supercooled water rather than to ice.)

27

If p, = 760 nlnl Hg, e = Ap?(*0.00017), or k0.13

I)cr cent of the rluantity (100 - RH). The same inaccuracy ~villoccur if there is an error of 1 mnl Hg
in measuring the barometric pressure.
A vacuum pump was connected to the calibratioil
c.hamber, and the rate of air flow and relative humidity were regulated by the needle valve and a second
valve located betureen the calibration chamber ancl
thc vacuum pump.
Results i d Discussion
This system was usccl to calibrate Duninore-type
k~uiniclity sensors. Sensors were calibrated before
nricl after use in a two-temperature unit [ I ] , and the
results obtained with the es~erimentaldevice were
wmpared with the calibriition data. I t was assumed
that the operation of the sensors was riot affected by
their being placed in a vacuum.
I t was important to hnow the conditions required
for substantial saturation of the air and to know also
whether water droplets n.oulc1 be entrained in the air
Icaving the saturator. Tests were carried out to
cictermine the effects of ~vatcrlevel and of the rxeserice of packing material. I n the first series of tests,
at 80.6 F, only thcl srcond section of the saturator was
used; the other sccation was left dry. Water depth
(above the air inlet) was varied from approximately
to 4 in., and the clt.pth of 6-inm glass beads was twice
that of the water in most cases (the water depth was
measured with Leads in place). I n a second series,
again using only the second section, no beads were
used. Finally, both sections were used with and
without beads. The rate of air flow ranged from
0.03 to 0.1 ft3/min. If the air flow rate was much in
excess of the higher value, surging occurred ancl made
accurate measurement of the pressure impossible.
The results are shown in Fig. 2. I t appears that
with a water depth less than $ in. the air did not become snturatecl. For all other conditions, however,
the results agreed, within about per cent RH, with
the calibration data obtained with the two-temperature unit of Handegord and Till [I 1. For approximately 35 observations with three sensors the average deviation was less than 0.2 per cent RH. This
suggests that within practical limits saturation occurred without droplet carry-over.
Experiments were done a t 32 F using the same
sensors as above. The experimental values of sensor
conductance ancl relative humidity are plotted on
logarithmic coordinates [9] in Fig. 2.
Less extensive tests mere carried out with other
Dunmore-type serlsors a t relative humidities down to
approximately 10 per cent. Accuracy was similar
to that reported above.
111 later work a +in. depth of water and beads has
been used in the first section, and roughly in. of
nrnter and 6 or 7 in. of beads in the second section.
The decision to use these quantities was somewhat
arbitrary, but was based on the need for a substantial reserve of water and the principle of using the first
section for the bulk of the saturating and the second
for a small amount of heat and moisture exchange
that might be required.

28

To obtain the results a t 10 F, sho~~rn

in Fig. 2,
cne or both of the saturator chambers were filled to n
depth of about 4 in. with chipped ice. Screens were
placed across the chambers, just above the air inlets,
to support the ice. I t was found necessary to dry
the incoming air to prevent plugging of the passage.
The temperature in the calibration chamber was
measuretl with a thermocouple. Temperature was
affected by the variation in air pressure that accompanied the establishment of a new relative humidity.
Recause of this, and possibly because of sorption on
the walls of the calibration chamber ancl tubing,
roughly half an hour usually elapsed before equilibrium was fully re-established in the sensor.
In soine of the tests, a thermocouple was inserted
into the upper portion of the second section of the
saturator. Generally the temperature there agreed
closely with that of the bath and the calibration
chamber. To ensure accurate results, calibrated
tl~ermocouples,or suitable wells to receive a mercury
thermometer, should be incorporated near the outlet
of the saturator and in the calibration chamber. If
such wells are used, it is important that they be designed so that the measured temperature will not be
affected by thermal conduction along the well or the
t c>mperature sensor.
A short series of tests was carried out to assess the
effect of the moisture content of the air entering the
saturator on the humidity in the calibration chamher. The inconling air was alternately dried by
passing it through a desiccant and saturated a t a
temperature above that of the two-pressure system
saturator. Each condition was allowecl to esist for
about half an hour before reverting to the other.
The results, as indicated by a Duninore-type sensor
in the calibration chamber, did not appear to be
significantly affected by the treatment of the incoming air.
In previous tests the temperature control of the
bath was very close; variation probably did not esceed a few hundredths of a degree Fahrenheit. To
determine the approximate effect of wide variation,
the control was arranged so that the bath temperature
fluctuated approximately $ F above and below the
null point. The coriductance of the Dunmore-type
sensor varied about the correct value by about 2 pa
(corresponding roughly to *$ per cent RH). I t
appeared that the calibration chamber and sensor
responded to the changes in bath temperature more
slowly than did the saturator. This result suggests
that the ideal bath temperature should not fluctuate
by more than about *0.10 F, or that an arrangement
for damping the variations should be incorporated.

Summary and Conclusions

The two-pressure system described here is suitable
for routine calibration of Dunmore-type humidity
.sensors. Air is saturated a t atmospheric pressure
and expanded to a lower pressure in the calibration
chamber. The humidity in the calibration chamber
is regulated by adjusting the pressure there. Series
of tests using calibrated Dunmore sensors were carried out at 80.6, 32.0, and 10.0 F. At 80.6 F , the
Materials Research & Standards

average deviation froill the calibration curve was

less than 0.2 per cent RH, and a t the lower temperatures it was less ihan 0.3 per cent R H .
The two-pressure vacuum principle has several
characteristics which reconlmend it as a calibrating
device. It performs satisfactorily over the complete
range of temperatures and humidities for which
Dunmore sensors are suitable. I t is simple to construct and, if reasonable care is taken, gives reliable
results. Despite the vacuum ill the calibration
chamber, very little difficulty with leakage was encountered.
It is probable that the temperatures in the calibration chamber and the saturator will be equal. T o
ensure accurate results, it is desirable to deterilline
whether this is actually the case. This car1 be done
by introclucing calibrated thernlocouples or a therinopile into suitable wells in the chambers.
The author wishes to express his appreciation to

G. 0. Halldegord for his suggestions regarding the

developilleilt and testing of this apparatus, and to
D. G. Cole for constructirig the equipment.
This paper is a contribution from the Division of
Building Research, National Research Council of
Canada, and is published with the approval of the
Director of the Division.

lanuary 7 966

[ I ] G 0. Hsndegord and C. E. Till, "New Humidity Standard," Transactions, Am. Soc. Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air Conditioning Engrs., Vol. 66, 1960, pp. 288-308.
[I]A. Wexler and It. D. U:l~liels, Jr., "Pressure-Humidity
Apparatus," Journal o j Research, Nat. Bureau Standards,
Vol. 48, No. 4, Apr~l,1951, pp. 269-274.
[S] E . J. Amdur and R. W. White, "Two-Pressure Relative
Humidity Standards," Humidity and Moisture, Measurement and Control i n Science and Industrzy, Vol. 3, Reinhold
Publishing Corp., New York, 1965, pp. 445-454.
141 V. Vaisala, "Mixing Hygrostat for Calibration of Hygroscopic Hygrometers," Ibid., pp. 473-477.
[5] R. G. Wylie, "The Properties of Water-Salt Solutio~lsin
Relation to Humidity," ibid., pp. 507-517.
[6] E. R. Weaver and R. Riley, "Measurement of \I-ater in
Gases by Electrical Conduction in a Film of Hygroscopic
Material and the Use of Pressure Changes in Calibration,"
Jor~rnaloj Research, Nat. Bureau Standards, Vol. 40, No.
3, March, 1948, pp. 169-214.
[7] E. R. Weaver and R. Riley, "Measurement of Water in
Gases by Electrical Conduction in a Film of Hygroscopic
illaterial-Use
of Pressure Changes in Calibration,"
Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 20, No. 3, March, 1945, pp
216-229.
[8] E. R. Weaver, "Electrical Measurement of Water Vapor
With a Hygroscopic Film," ilnalytzcal Chemistry, Vol. 23,
No. 8, August, 1951, pp. 1076-1080.
[ g ] C. P. Hedlin, "A Resistance-Humidity Relationship for
Sensors of the Ihnrnore Type," H ~ i n ~ i d i tand
y h[oisture,
Measureme?~tand Control zn Science and Industry, Vol. 1,
Reinhold Publishing Corp. New York, 1965, pp. 273-279.