A dry room is a sealed airtight room that maintains controlled low humidity levels. It is insulated and protected from external influences and designed for accurate, consistent low dew point and temperature control.
Some applications benefit from using a dry room, others require it.
Lithium Battery Dry Rooms
One such application that requires specially designed dry rooms is the test and manufacture of lithium batteries. Due to its chemical sensitivity to moisture, it requires ultra-low humidity during manufacture.
When lithium metal and water mix, the reaction is exothermic (generates heat) and transforms into hydroxide and hydrogen gas which can lead to burning or even explosion.
On top of the safety concerns, ultra-low dew point air supply is necessary to maximise product yield, product quality, energy efficiency, product life and storage capacity.
Lithium battery manufacture is a technically complex process. For example, processing the lithium electrodes requires very low humidity levels – typically below 1% relative humidity (RH) and -35° C or -40° C dew point along with needing to be a low particulate environment.
You can find more specific details about our Ultra-Dry Rooms on our website. Ultra Dry rooms are used in applications such as Lithium Battery and Supercapacitor manufacturer.
Another industry that benefits from a specialised dry room is the cannabis industry.
Cannabis Drying Rooms
Dehumidification technology offers great benefits during cannabis cultivation. It aids in simultaneously improving grow quality, increasing dry weight mass, and stimulates the manufacture of compounds. During the after harvest drying stage, a dry room is just as advantageous.
Many believe drying is just a room with a dehumidifier. However, there are a few things to consider. During the drying or curing process, adequate airflow consistency and dehumidification is key. It is important to have adequate HVAC, know your latent loads, and have a system that can reintroduce humidity back into the space – this is vital - if you don’t, it can be damaging.
Aged Meat Dry Rooms
Unlike cannabis drying and lithium battery manufacture that require a solely dry environment, aging meat needs both a dry and a very cold environment.
Storing meat should be set at 4° C or below with the humidity set around 60% at all times. This dual requirement provides challenges in combating the moisture created by refrigeration units.
To optimally dry meat, a continued balance between water evaporation on the meat’s surface and extraction of water from the deeper layers is required.
The most efficient solution is the use of a high-quality desiccant dehumidifier as it maintains a consistent humidity level within the drying room and works perfectly with refrigeration systems.
It guarantees a closed drying space which preserves the meat’s special flavour. And unlike the traditional salt method used to absorb moisture while ageing meat, a dehumidifier increases the yield to market. Drying times are dramatically reduced so less mould forms on the meat meaning less meat needs to be cut away.
It is important to note that applications that require precise humidity levels and low dew point control requires specialist dry room builders with a high level of expertise on the subject. Experience and technical knowhow of heat load and moisture load calculation is needed.
If you would like to know more about dry rooms or have a question regarding your specific industry or application, please get in touch. The team behind Humiscope has been in the industry of providing indoor climate control solutions for over 30 years and we are always happy to have a chat.
