The right humidity probe for your applications

Define the Right Humidity Probe for Your Applications

Humidity and temperature measurements affect us every day, even if this does not always happen consciously – we inform ourselves daily about the weather, and who does not know the temperature in the office on a cold day?

Humidity and temperature measurement are essential in a wide range of applications across various industries and fields. Plus, they are becoming even more critical as we continue to experience the long-term increase in average temperatures caused by global warming, and the impact this is having on the environment, climate and human well-being.

Due to the wide range of applications in which humidity can affect our lives, we have developed a broad portfolio of specialist humidity and temperature probes.

In this blog, we cover some insights into measurements and monitoring of humidity and temperature and look at how Process Sensing Technologies can help you monitor and control your environment.

1. Human Comfort and Health – Rotronic HC2A-S

Maintaining a pleasant indoor climate is particularly important for human health and is an essential factor when it comes to productivity. High air quality is a prerequisite for health and comfort, as even the ability to concentrate depends on the state of the air in the room. A temperature of 20 to 22 °C and a relative humidity between 40 and 60 %rh are considered optimal.

With our humidity and temperature probe HC2A-S, you can reveal whether there is a need for additional actions like a (HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning)) system to control indoor climate.

The respective CO2 values are also a key factor when discussing the ideal indoor climate. Therefore, you can also monitor humidity, temperature, and CO2 with our CO2 Display. In normal circumstances, 25 to 35 cubic meters of fresh air are needed per person per hour in an enclosed room. This ensures that the carbon dioxide (CO2) content remains below 1,000 ppm (ppm = parts per million [value of the proportion of carbon dioxide in the air]) and that the volatile substances exuded by humans are extracted to a sufficient degree. Nowadays, many buildings are airtight and basic ventilation is no longer guaranteed, meaning indoor air quality suffers, resulting in unwanted effects such as mildew. An airtight building, therefore, needs an efficient ventilation concept.

2. HVAC and Indoor Monitoring Rotronic HCD-S-MOD

HVAC is a system used in buildings, warehouse storage and vehicles to control the indoor climate, regulate the temperature, improve air quality and ensure the comfort of occupants, passengers and products.

Next to HC2A-S, we offer digital solutions such as RMS-HCD-S or HCD-S-MOD Modbus, which allow direct integration into your existing systems for easy monitoring of the humidity and temperature. Building management systems can then accurately control to ideal conditions.

3. Weather Monitoring and Daily Forecasts – Rotronic HC2A-S3

Meteorologists have come a long way in predicting weather. In the early 1920s, manually calculating a six-hour forecast took six weeks using data from just two European points. Today, satellites, remote sensing data, and supercomputers enable us to predict weather for various periods, from short-term forecasts to long-term climate projections. These complex models require millions of data points, including temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind velocity, which are discretized to simulate the atmosphere's behavior.

Meteorological events such as thunderstorms or stratus clouds are parameterized to reduce uncertainties. Forecasts begin with current weather conditions and the accuracy of this data is crucial. Meteorologists process data from thousands of weather stations worldwide, as well as satellite and remote sensing data, to provide a reliable basis for forecasting.

To make accurate weather forecasts, it is necessary to operate a combination of outdoor climate stations and various other data sources and instruments, such as satellites, weather balloons and even drones.

Climate stations distributed over the earth’s surface record meteorological data such as humidity, temperature, air pressure, wind speed and direction, precipitation and sunshine.

With the HC2A-S3, Rotronic offers a perfectly suitable probe for meteorological applications where a precise measurement is crucial and, in addition, with ventilated RS-12T and RS-24T and unventilated AC-Series weather shields we offer complete solutions for climate stations.

4. Outdoor Monitoring in Harsh Conditions – Rotronic HC2A-S3A

It is common for outdoor stations to be exposed to all weather extremes, high wind speeds, high humidity areas, ocean access and, most recently, polluted air.

For example, agriculture and farming often use outdoor stations to predict exactly when to water and when to fertilize. As a result, there are many fungicidal pesticides in the air, which can damage the humidity sensor.

To help deal with this issue, Rotronic has developed the HC2A-S3A, a high-end meteorological/outdoor probe where the respective sensing element is protected by an additional coating, which leads to extended long-term stability when exposed to sea salt, fungicides and pesticides. The sensing element has an extra special glue and coated cathodes for protecting the sensing element itself so that the HC2A-S3A can also endure high-humidity conditions. With the additional calibration and adjustment point at 90 %rh, you can measure very accurately, even in the harshest outdoor environments.

5. Indoor Monitoring Green House, Indoor Farming - Rotronic HC2A-S

Humidity levels in greenhouses are key factors for good plant growth or to avoid plant diseases. High humidity can promote the growth of harmful fungi and other microorganisms or inhibit the nutrient uptake of plants. Ideally, the relative humidity is between 50 – 85 %rh.

Indoor farming is becoming increasingly important due to the continuous growth of the world’s population. This method of food production offers several advantages in addressing the rising food demand of the expanding population. Some benefits are space and resource efficiency, independence from weather conditions, increased water efficiency, better protection against pests and diseases, and less use of pesticides. With our HC2A-S probe, you can monitor the humidity and temperature levels, increase efficiency, and use fewer resources such as water.

6. Processing Food, Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics Industries - Rotronic HC2A-SM

The food industry relies on accurate humidity and temperature measurements to ensure excellent quality and safety during production, storage and transportation. Typically, the cosmetic industries have the same demands as food production.

The process often begins with preparing the raw materials, where ingredients like flour and sugar can vary in humidity content. Monitoring and managing humidity and temperature levels are paramount, especially in automated food production processes that rely on standardized recipes. Rotronic offers HC2A-SM, a probe made of stainless steel that possesses the property of creating antibacterial surfaces. Stainless steel is classified as unproblematic and, therefore, it is especially suitable for food, cosmetic and pharma applications.

7. Warehouse-Monitoring and Control for Food, Pharmaceutical and Seed Storage – Rotronic HC2A-S probe

There are warehouses all around the world. These warehouses are sometimes transit zones for the storage of produced goods.

Humidity and temperature measurements are crucial for sensitive products, their packaging and storage for the following reasons:

Even the quality and shelf life of packaged goods can only be ensured within certain boundaries. So, precise measurement data is required to maintain freshness and safety. Controlled humidity and temperature values can prevent the proliferation of mold and bacterial growth. With the Rotronic HC2A-S probe, we ensure compliance with the strict regulations of food, pharma and cosmetic products. So, you can minimize your product losses and maximize product quality and compliance by enabling accurate control of humidity and temperature.

8. Decontamination and Sterilization in Medical and Health Care and Packaging – Rotronic HC2A-S(M)-HH

Bio-decontamination and sterilization processes reduce or eliminate the presence of microorganisms in a particular environment or surface using hydrogen peroxide. This process is typically undertaken in incubators, isolators, laboratories, and medical diagnostic devices, as well as for clean packaging materials. We will outline how our HC2A-S(M)-HH can provide a stable solution to measure the effectiveness of the respective decontamination process.

In bio-decontamination, hydrogen peroxide can be used in various forms, such as vapor, liquid, or gas, depending on the type of microorganisms being targeted. One of the advantages is its ability to kill a wide range of microorganisms quickly and effectively, including bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, and biohazardous materials, such as blood, bodily fluids and other organic matter that may be contaminated with pathogens. It breaks down into water and oxygen, producing free radicals that fatally damage the cell membranes, DNA and other cell components of all microorganisms.

Rotronic, part of Process Sensing Technology, is a Swiss company renowned for its specialization in the development and manufacturing of humidity measurement devices. Since its establishment in 1965, Rotronic has consistently delivered high-quality measurement technology, particularly in the realm of Relative Humidity (RH) monitoring and related parameters.

Our dedication to precision extends to the very heart of our operations at the Rotronic Bassersdorf headquarters. Here, we meticulously construct, calibrate, and fine-tune our sensors and probes, ensuring their integrity and accuracy. Rotronic Humidity and Temperature probes are well-regarded for their unwavering quality and durability, making them the choice of discerning professionals who rely on these instruments over extended periods of use.