Description

The hygrometer consists of two identical Celsius then^lometers, one culled the dry bulb
therrnomet~ and the other, the Wet bulb thermometer. The we bulb thermometer has a
thin, single layer ~ muslin
cotton {starch freer tied around the bulb by a fe strands of cotton wick. The extra length
of the stranc of wick is Immersed in a bottle of distilled water. Bol the thermometers are
enclosed in a speoia ventilated, wooden box celled the Stevenson screen described later.
Both, the Mason's hygrometer an the Stevenson's screen are shown in ~ sketch undo
~ S~'S~ RV;O.~^n
Principle
Because of capillary action, the muslin always remains damp - water is drawn upwards,
from to bottle through the strands of wick. If the atmosphere is dry, rapid evaporation
takes place from the musli Since evaporation causes cooling, the wet Mu thermometer
only show a much lower reading than to dry bulb thermometers If the atmosphere is hump
evaporation from the muslin wil be slow,. and let cooing of the wet bulb will take place.
The reading ~ the Net bulb thermometer will then be not Much Owl than that ~ the dry
bulb thermometer. ;
In other. words, . the difference between readings . of . the wet bulb and the dry b
thermometers Called the depression of the wet bu gives an indication of Me relative
humidity of the. The greater the difference, the lower the relet. humidit,v and vice versa.
To find relative humidity and dew point
Meteorological tables, entered with dry b reading on one axis and the depression of the
bulb on the .other axis, give. the relative humidity or. dew point of the air. Separate tables
are provided relative h^J~nidity and Or dew point. ~3eparale tab are provided for. use
with the hygrorne^!er and with whirling psychrometer.
Preca~orrs when using a hygrorr^leter
hi) The. Stevenson's. screen should be. on windward side, in open air, away from artifi
sources of heat theaters or. blowers). ~ artificially heated draughts of air (fr
accommodation. funnel, hold ventilak sky fights, etc.. . .. ...
ii~ It should be about 1.5 m above the deck for convenience of Ike observer... ..
(iii~uniight.falling on tire S~evepson's screer permitted but not direcffy on the
thermom.ete
iv)lt should be far a^Nvay.from. metal buikhea et^C.,.which Vvill cause heat radiations

that r effect the readies. .

Ivy The muslin .shou^!d be clean - free of dust
. .salt. partic. Ies carried by. spray. H not^r the ~ bulb thermometer will give. a higiier fir
a ~~ idol'.
{vista any case, Ihe muslin and strands of wi roust.. be changed once a: week This
because solid particles are left behind by tl
evaporating waler. These. particles subsequ~ tly prevent free evaporation and the we'
bul reading will be higher than the correct reading That is why distilled water is used.
Even they t be distilled water available is rarely as pure E we would. like it to be....
An entry should be made in the .weath logbook every time the mus in is changed.
vii~The muslin should be arty Just damp. Tc much water on it, or too little, will cause the
w bulb reading to show higher than correct. Th can easily be rectified by adjusting the
numb of strands of wick leading into the water bottle viii^1The water bottle should be
washed and ti
distilled water in it renewed once a week ix~ Whenever digitized water has been added hanged, or the muslin has been renewed, the Stevenson's screen has been shifted to tl
windward side, at least.half an hour mu elapse before reading the wet . bu therrnometer^j
so as to allay sufficient time f evaporation.
.lx~ The dry bulb should be clean and dear. drops of condensed water. Exit Reading of a
wet bulb thermometer inside Stevenson's screen, when the wind speed less than seven
knots, . are not accur^E
..enough, as described ^I^Eter in this chap under Advantages of a whirling psych^l
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Wet bulb reading higher than dry bulb
Th;s can happen only under Uhe follow circumstances:
~i) InsuffFtdent evaporation taking place from wet bulb due to due!, salt or other
impurities the muslin. or due to no water on the muslin.
Fit Insufhclent time interval avowed aver shifting Stevenson screen to windward, addition
distilled water, renewal of wick or water, etc.
iii)Difference in the sensitivity of thermometers whereby one of them is sloe recording
sudden changes of temperature.
~~v}~awlty or broken thermometers.

Hygrometer readings below 0^9C

When the dry bulb reading is below 06C, the filn water on the wet bulb freezes into a thin
layer of called frost. Once this has formed, the reading of wet bulb thermometer will be
below the reading of dry bulb thermometer because evaporation tsl place from ice as
freely as from water. N the mu dries up, distilled water should be dropped on it a alter this
has frozen, rend loss may be taken
In rare cases, drops of water may be seen on wet bulb even though the temperature of the
dry t is well below ARC. Such drops of water are said to super-cooled and great error in
reading will result such a case the wet bulb should be touched by snow crystal, the back
of a pencil or other cold oh, and freezing will start. The reading should be tal only after
about fifteen minutes or so, alter freezing the drops on the wet bulb is oomplete~
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3. The Stevenson screen
This is a wooden box specially constructed house a hygrometer 11 was invented by Thor
Stevenson If ether of Robart Louis Stevenson
It is a wooden cupboard with a hinged door. door, the back and the two sides, are all
fitted
Louvers or slats which let air circulate freely witl letting in direct solar radiation or
reradiated heat f ship's structure The louvers also keep out rain i spray. There are various
types of Stevenst screens The type found on ships is the portable ty _~
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thermometer it will get very hot and the reading shown by it will be the temperature of
the instrument itself, not that of the . atmosphere. Inside the screen, the thermometer will
show the temperature of the atmosphere because of the shade and the free circulation of
air.
During the night, if the thermometer was out in the open, its bulb would radiate out its
heat very quickly, much
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quicker then the air and would thus show a for than-truo reading of atmospheric
temperature. thermometer will then show the temperature of instrument itself, not that of
the atmosphere.
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VVhile using the screen, the heat radiated by t mrrr^l~ry is partial~y.reta~ned inside the
screen and reading shown by the thermometer will be closer the true reading than when in
the open: .

^, .. . .. . . ..

^. Positioning of Stevenson screen .

. This has already been described earlier in tt chapter under 'Preczubons when using a
hygro~net^E
4.. The whirling psychrometer
This' is a very. eflia'ent type of hygrometer. .Hen its basic principle is the same as that
describe earlier in this chapter, under ~Hygromotcr'.
Descniption and use
It consists of a light wooden frame, pivoted revolve smoothly aroynd a handle. The frame
has t identical Celsius thermo,,m,eters mounted on it. One them has a single layer of thin
muslin tied firr around its bulb, with string, and. is called the wet hi thermometer,
When required, the frame IS held horizonPI at using a dropper, one drop of distilled water
is made fall on the muslin to make it damp,
..
The frame is then whirled in open air for at le. two minutes before reading off the wet and
dry be temperatures, By. entering rncteorologicsl tables w the dry bulb reading on one
axis and the depressi of the wet bulb on the other axis, the dew point ar or the relative
humidity is obtained,
Different tables are used for the vhirli psychrometer and for the, hygrometer in t
Stevenson's screen because of their different rates
ALIT

..

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Precautions when using a whirling psychrometer
fit The muslin should be clef and free~st or deposit 1~ behind by water duly evaporation.
If not, the dirt deposit will not allow try evaporation and the Yost by reading will be
higher than to correct reading. To ensu this, the muslin shot: Id 1 changed at least once a
wee
^. . ^.
Oil Only one drop ~ wet should be dropped on to muslin and this should so; into it. If it
does not read soak, it means that the musl needs changing.
iii~ Never touch the muslin wi finger if touched, body o present on the finger would ~
transferred to the muslin al make it water-resistant.

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fiv) When the muslin does not soak water rear officers have been known to coax the
water in rubbing the muslin with a wet finger, instead renewing the musOn. This is wrong
and only mal the muslin more and more water-resistarn and rest in erroneous readings.
~v) . Always swing Ihe instrument in the open air the windward side d the ship, away
from do sunlight.
(via Whils swinging the instrument care should taken to ensure that it does not strike
against obstruction, resulting in broken thermometers. whirling psychrometer is the most
frequency dame instrument on a ship's budge, and that too, carelessness.
~vii) The instrument should be swung for at least minutes. The readings of the
thermometers shoulc made soon thereafter, while out in the open air, a! a torch if
necessary. If was brought under the ch room light for reading, the reading would have alto
by then.
Advantages of a whirling psychrometer (1) Very simple Basement. (ii) Very quick
readings.
(iii) Very accurate. It has been observed that the of evaporation, and hence the depression
of the bulb, depends on the speed of air flowing past bulb i.e., the greater the wind speed,
the more depression of the wet bulb and vice versa.
The rate of evaporation reaches a maximum about seven knots wind speed and any furtl
increase of Laos ~r~ ,^P e_n n,t_m ~ it, ,o_~
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apprecabte change i.e., amen the wind speed p the bulb is seven knots or more, the
reading of wet bulb can be relied upon
In the case of hygrometer inside a Steven sheen, the airflow depends entirely on the direct
and force of the wind outside the screen. If such w is less than seven knots, the wet bulb
reading can be relied upon.
In the case of the whirling psychrometer, a spa of one rotation per second equab to a wind
flow more than seven knots past the bulb. Since
average person would rotate it at about 2 rotations more per second, the reading of the
wet b ~~ Rio_ ^I.~!''~,,^q