Influence of humidity on hot-wire measurements

Abstract

When applying hot-wire anemometry to velocity measurements in air, it is standard practice to neglect the effect of humidity. In this paper the influence of the thermodynamic and transport properties of humid air on hot-wire measurements is examined on the basis of the correlations for Nusselt number proposed previously by other researchers. Experimental results at controlled levels of relative humidity between 30% and 90% at , and are reproduced satisfactorily by the theoretical approaches of two of these equations. A corrective term is defined to expand formulae designed for dry air to work in a humid environment. The error in velocity by omitting the influence of humidity is estimated in terms of temperature and relative humidity.