Compliance with pre-defined climatic values is a decisive factor when it comes to ensuring product quality. However, it is essential for us humans too. In building automation in particular, failure to comply with specified measuring values can have a decisive impact on our health and well-being. It can also have a negative effect on product quality if, for example, a drying process is not properly monitored or carried out.
Inappropriate environmental conditions can therefore have an enormous impact on the quality of products. The humidity transmitters from Testo offer reliability in monitoring, which not only saves time, but also money.
Optimum calibration concept for humidity transmitters due to the adjustability of the entire signal chain, including analog adjustment
High-precision testo humidity sensor with long-term stability
P2A software for parametrization, adjustment and analysis saves time and money during commissioning and maintenance of humidity transmitters
Measuring humidity in the high humidity range is one of the most difficult measuring tasks to undertake. Unstable measuring values, delayed signal response and sometimes even sensor corrosion are not uncommon if a special solution is not applied.
For these applications, Testo has developed a special, heated humidity sensor with the testo 6614. This creates a microclimate inside the filter that is 5 Kelvin above the process conditions. The significantly lower relative humidity in the microclimate greatly improves the sensor response as well as noticeably reducing the likelihood of corrosion.
Parallel to the heated humidity sensor, the testo 6614 also has an additional temperature probe. This measures the actual process temperature; on this basis the correct process humidity is calculated in the microprocessor of the measurement transmitter, and displayed.
The Testo humidity sensor has been in use for more than 20 years now and continuously improved, and from the very beginning, the focus has been on the two accuracy parameters - measurement uncertainty and long-term stability: A moisture-sensitive polymer serves as the dielectric between two capacitor electrodes.
The special feature, though, lies in the perfect way the individual layers are designed. This is evident particularly in the top electrode, which has to perform two tasks that, at first glance, appear contradictory: it must be completely permeable to the water vapor that is to be led to the polymer dielectric, but at the same time it must be impervious, smooth and repellent to condensate, oil and dirt in order to protect the sensor.
The special feature, though, lies in the perfect way the individual layers are designed. This is evident particularly in the top electrode, which has to perform two tasks that, at first glance, appear contradictory: it must be completely permeable to the water vapor that is to be led to the polymer dielectric, but at the same time it must be impervious, smooth and repellent to condensate, oil and dirt in order to protect the sensor.
These roles have, after some considerable research, been optimally combined in the Testo humidity sensor. This structure, and the high stability in Testo’s production and calibration, make it possible to guarantee a measurement uncertainty of +/- 2 %RH for Testo humidity transmitters, or optionally even +/-1 %RH.
The more accurate the humidity measurement, the lower the operating costs of the air conditioning system. In accordance with international standards (ASHRAE Fundamentals, DIN 1946, etc.), air conditioning systems are required to deliver air humidity levels of between 30 and 65 %RH. Higher humidity levels must be brought into the target range via dehumidification, and lower humidity levels via humidification.
If a humidity transmitter with a total measurement error of +/- 2 %RH (measurement uncertainty including long-term drift) is used for humidity measurement, the operating costs are noticeably lower than if a typical climate transmitter with a total measurement error of +/- 6 %RH (uncertainty including long-term drift) is used.
This comparison stands out even more starkly in favor of the high-quality humidity transmitter if the %RH target range to be achieved is more narrowly defined, e.g. for cleanroom applications.
Product selection
1 Top electrode
Allows moisture to penetrate to the dielectric layer
Repels condensate and impurities
2 Carrier
Ceramic substrate for mechanical protection
3 Connectors
Special anti-corrosion design
4 Bottom electrode
5 Dielectric layer
Polymer, dielectric constant continually changes with the relative humidity
Fast and effective measurement of humidity values
Easy handling of the humidity transmitters
Precise measurements
Calculation and output of relative and absolute humidity and dewpoint values
Self-monitoring and an early warning function ensure high system availability
Additional instrumention from Testo