Psychrometry Persons who want to control temperature and humidity of the air in the air conditioning system should

have an understanding of psychrometry. They make use of psychrometric charts to determine various parameters of the air at any condition. For example, by knowing two parameters, you can look up the chart to find the other values. The values found in a typical psychrometric chart are:

Dry Bulb Temperature The dry-bulb temperature of air is measured by a thermometer which is freely exposed to the air but is shielded from radiation and moisture

Wet Bulb Temperature The Wet-bulb Temperature of air is measured by a thermometer whose bulb is covered by a muslin sleeve which is kept moist with distilled and clean water, freely exposed to the air and free from radiation Dewpoint Temperature Dew point temperature is the temperature at which moist air becomes saturated (100% relative humidity) with water vapour when cooled at constant pressure, i.e. temperature at which condensation of moisture begins when the moist air is cooled. Relative Humidity Humidity ratio or relative humidity is the ratio of the actual mass of water vapor in the air to the mass of water vapor that would saturate the air at the same temperature Enthalpy The enthalpy of moist air is defined as the sum of its internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume. Specific enthalpy h (kJ/kg) of moist air is defined as the total enthalpy of the dry air and water vapour mixture per kg of moist air. Moisture Content Specific humidity or moisture content of air is the ratio of the mass of water to the mass of dry air in a given volume of moist air Psychrometric processes, i.e. any changes in the condition of the atmosphere, can be represented by

the movement of the state point on the psychrometric chart. Common processes include:

Sensible cooling / sensible heating - When an air-vapor mixture is heated or cooled, without the addition or removal of moisture, the resulting "process" may be plotted as a horizontal line on the chart: Humidification / dehumidification Humidification can be made by spraying water or steam to air.If humidification made by water, air will move through wetbulb temperature line and dry bulb temperature will decrease.If humidifaction made with steam air will move through drybulb temp line and there will be no significant change in drybulb temprature Cooling and dehumidification / heating and humidification Evaporative cooling / chemical dehydration http://www.iklimnet.com/expert_hvac/psychrometry.html Psychrometry is the science of studying the thermodynamic properties of moist air and the use of these properties to analyze conditions and processes involving moist air. Moist air is a mixture of dry air and water vapour. In atmospheric air, water vapour content varies from 0 to 3% by mass. Thermodynamic Properties of Air Dry Bulb Temperature Wet Bulb Temperature Humidity Ratio/Moisture Content Humidity ratio w (kg/kg) of a given moist air sample is defined as the ratio of the mass of water vapour (mw) to the mass of dry air (ma) contained in the sample.

(1)

When the dry air and water vapour occupy the same volume and temperature, by applying the characteristic equation of state for perfect gas, Eqn. (1) becomes:

(2) where Pw = partial pressure of water vapour in moist air Pat = atmospheric pressure of moist air Relative Humidity Relative humidity ( ) is defined as the ratio of the mole fraction of the water vapour (xw) in a given moist air sample to the mole fraction of water vapour in an air sample of saturated moist air (xws) at the same temperature and pressure.

(3) By definition, the mole fraction of the water vapour (xw) is the ratio of the number of mole of water vapour in a given moist air sample to the total number of dry air and water vapour.

(4) When the dry air and water vapour occupy the same volume and temperature, by applying the characteristic equation of state for perfect gas, Eqn. (3) becomes:

(5) where Pw = partial pressure of water vapour in moist air Pws = partial pressure of water vapour in saturated moist air Relative humidity is usually expressed as percentage (%).

Degree of Saturation/Percentage Saturation Degree of saturation (m ) is the ratio of the humidity ratio of moist air (w) to the humidity ratio of saturated moist air (ws) at the same temperature and pressure.

(6) From Eqn. (2), Eqn. (6) becomes

(7) The difference between relative humidity and degree of saturation m is usually less than 2%. Percentage saturation is degree of saturation when expressed in percentage. Specific Volume/Moist Volume Specific volume v (m3/kg) is defined as the total volume V (m3) of the dry air and water vapour mixture per kg of dry air.

(8) where ma = mass of dry air, kg Specific Enthalpy The enthalpy of moist air is defined as the sum of its internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume. Specific enthalpy h (kJ/kg) of moist air is defined as the total enthalpy of the dry air and water vapour mixture per kg of moist air.

(9) where ha = specific enthalpy of dry air, kJ/kg hw = specific enthalpy of water vapour, kJ/kg w = moisture content, kg/kg Dew Point Temperature Dew point temperature is the temperature at which moist air becomes saturated (100% relative humidity) with water vapour when cooled at constant pressure, i.e. temperature at which condensation of moisture begins when the moist air is cooled. Psychrometric Charts A psychrometric chart graphically represents the thermodynamic properties of moist air as shown. ---Psychrometrics or psychrometry or Hygrometry are terms used to describe the field of engineering concerned with the determination of physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures. The term derives from the Greek psuchron [1] () meaning "cold" and metron () meaning "means of measurement". Common applications Although the principles of psychrometry apply to any physical system consisting of gas-vapor mixtures, the most common system of interest is the mixture of water vapor and air, because of its application in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning and meteorology. In human terms, our comfort is in large part a consequence of not just the temperature of the surrounding air, but (because we cool ourselves via perspiration) the extent to which that air is saturated with water vapor.

Many substances are hygroscopic, meaning they attract water, usually in proportion to the relative humidity or above a critical relative humidity. Such substances include cotton, paper and other cellulose and wood products, printing, sugar, and many chemicals and fertilizers, and these industries are concerned with relative humidity control in production and storage of such materials. In industrial drying applications, such as drying paper, manufacturers usually try to achieve an optimum between low relative humidity, which increases the drying rate, and energy usage, which decreases as exhaust relative humidity increases. In many industrial applications it is important to avoid condensation that would ruin product or cause corrosion. Molds and fungi can be controlled by keeping relative humidity low. Wood destroying fungi generally do not grow at relative humidities below 75%. Silverfish (lepisma saccharina) cannot survive in relative humidities less than 75%. You can find a printable psychometric chart here Psychrometric properties Dry-bulb temperature Main article: Dry-bulb temperature Common thermometers measure what is known as the dry-bulb temperature. Electronic temperature measurement, via thermocouples, thermistors, and resistance temperature devices (RTDs), for example, have been widely used too since they became available. Wet-bulb temperature Main article: Wet-bulb temperature The thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature is a thermodynamic property of a mixture of air and water vapor. The value indicated by a simple wet-bulb thermometer often provides an adequate approximation of the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature. A wet-bulb thermometer is an instrument which may be used to infer the amount of moisture in the air. If a moist cloth wick is placed over a thermometer bulb, the evaporation of moisture from the wick will lower the thermometer reading (temperature). If the air surrounding a wet-bulb thermometer is dry, evaporation from the moist wick will be more rapid than if the air is moist. When the air is saturated, no water will evaporate from the wick and the temperature of the wet-bulb thermometer will be the same as the reading on the dry-bulb thermometer. However, if the air is not saturated, water will evaporate from the wick causing the temperature reading to be lower. The accuracy of a simple wet-bulb thermometer depends on how fast air passes over the bulb and how well the thermometer is shielded from the radiant temperature of its surroundings. Speeds up to 5,000 ft/min (~60 mph) are best but it may be dangerous to move a thermometer at that speed. Errors up to 15% can occur if the air movement is too slow or if there is too much radiant heat present (from sunlight, for example). A wet bulb temperature taken with air moving at about 12 m/s is referred to as a screen temperature, whereas a temperature taken with air moving about 3.5 m/s or more is referred to as sling temperature. A psychrometer is a device that includes both a dry-bulb and a wet-bulb thermometer. A sling psychrometer requires manual operation to create the airflow over the bulbs, but a powered psychrometer includes a fan for this function. Knowing both the dry-bulb temperature (DBT) and wet-bulb temperature (WBT), one can determine the relative humidity (RH) from the psychrometric chart appropriate to the air pressure. Relative humidity Main article: Relative humidity The ratio of the vapor pressure of moisture in the sample to the saturation pressure at the dry bulb temperature of the sample.

Dew point temperature Main article: Dew point temperature The saturation temperature of the moisture present in the sample of air, it can also be defined as the temperature at which the vapour changes into liquid (condensation). Usually the level at which water vapor changes into liquid marks the base of the cloud in the atmosphere hence called condensation level.So the temperature value that allow this process (Condensation) to take place is called the 'dew point temperature'.A simplified definition is the temperature at which the water wapour turns into "dew"(Chamunoda Zambuko 2012). Humidity Main article: Humidity Specific Humidity Specific humidity is the proportion of the mass of water vapor per unit mass of the moist air sample (dry air plus the water vapor); it is closely related to humidity ratio and always lower in value. Absolute humidity The mass of water vapor per unit volume of air containing the water vapor. This quantity is also known as the water vapor density.[3] Specific enthalpy Analogous to the specific enthalpy of a pure substance. In psychrometrics, the term quantifies the total energy of both the dry air and water vapor per pound of dry air. Specific volume Analogous to the specific volume of a pure substance. In psychrometrics, the term quantifies the total volume of both the dry air and water vapor per pound of dry air. Psychrometric ratio The psychrometric ratio is the ratio of the heat transfer coefficient to the product of mass transfer coefficient and humid heat at a wetted surface. It may be evaluated with the following equation: [4][5]

where:

= Psychrometric ratio, dimensionless = convective heat transfer coefficient, W m K = convective mass transfer coefficient, kg m s -1 -1 = humid heat, J kg K
-2 -1 -2 -1

The psychrometric ratio is an important property in the area of psychrometrics, as it relates the absolute humidity and saturation humidity to the difference between the dry bulb temperature and the adiabatic saturation temperature. Mixtures of air and water vapor are the most common systems encountered in psychrometry. The psychrometric ratio of air-water vapor mixtures is approximately unity, which implies that the difference between the adiabatic saturation temperature and wet

bulb temperature of air-water vapor mixtures is small. This property of air-water vapor systems simplifies drying and cooling calculations often performed using psychrometic relationships. Humid heat Humid heat is the constant-pressure specific heat of moist air, per unit mass of dry air. [6] Pressure Many psychrometric properties are dependent on the atmospheric pressure at the location of the sample. Psychrometric charts Terminology A psychrometric chart is a graph of the thermodynamic parameters of moist air at a constant pressure, often equated to an elevation relative to sea level. The ASHRAE-style psychrometric chart, shown here, was pioneered by Willis Carrier in 1904.[7] It depicts these parameters and is thus a graphical equation of state. The parameters are:

Dry-bulb temperature (DBT) is that of an air sample, as determined by an ordinary thermometer. It is typically plotted as the abscissa (horizontal axis) of the graph. The SI units for temperature are kelvins or degrees Celsius; other units are degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Rankine. Wet-bulb temperature (WBT) is that of an air sample after it has passed through a constant-pressure, ideal, adiabatic saturation process, that is, after the air has passed over a large surface of liquid water in an insulated channel. In practice this is the reading of a thermometer whose sensing bulb is covered with a wet sock evaporating into a rapid stream of the sample air (see Hygrometer). When the air sample is saturated with water, the WBT will read the same as the DBT. The slope of the line of constant WBT reflects the heat of vaporization of the water required to saturate the air of a given relative humidity. Dew point temperature (DPT) is the temperature at which a moist air sample at the same pressure would reach water vapor saturation. At this point further removal of heat would result in water vapor condensing into liquid water fog or, if below freezing point, solid hoarfrost. The dew point temperature is measured easily and provides useful information, but is normally not considered an independent property of the air sample as it duplicates information available via other humidity properties and the saturation curve. Relative humidity (RH) is the ratio of the mole fraction of water vapor to the mole fraction of saturated moist air at the same temperature and pressure. RH is dimensionless, and is usually expressed as a percentage. Lines of constant RH reflect the physics of air and water: they are determined via experimental measurement. The concept that air "holds" moisture, or that moisture dissolves in dry air and saturates the solution at some proportion, is erroneous (albeit widespread); see relative humidity for further details. Humidity ratio is the proportion of mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air at the given conditions (DBT, WBT, DPT, RH, etc.). Also known as moisture content or mixing ratio. It is typically plotted as the ordinate (vertical axis) of the graph. For a given DBT there will be a particular humidity ratio for which the air sample is at 100% relative humidity: the relationship reflects the physics of water and air and must be determined by measurement. The dimensionless humidity ratio is typically expressed as grams of water per kilogram of dry air, or grains of water per pound of air (7000 grains equal 1 pound). Specific enthalpy, symbolized by h, is the sum of the internal (heat) energy of the moist air in question, including the heat of the air and water vapor within. Also called heat content per unit mass. In the approximation of ideal gases, lines of constant enthalpy are parallel to lines of constant WBT. Enthalpy is given in (SI) joules per kilogram of air, or BTU per pound of dry air. Specific volume is the volume of the mixture (dry air plus the water vapor) containing one unit of mass of dry air. The SI units are cubic meters per kilogram of dry air; other units are cubic feet per pound of dry air. The inverse of specific volume is usually confused as the density of the mixture (see "Applying the Psychrometric Relationships" CIBSE, August 2009). However, to obtain the actual mixture density one must multiply the inverse of the specific volume by unity plus the humidity ratio value at the point of interest (see ASHRAE Fundamentals 1989 6.6, equation 9).

The psychrometric chart allows all the parameters of some moist air to be determined from any three independent parameters, one of which must be the pressure. Changes in state, such as when two air streams mix, can be modeled easily and somewhat graphically using the correct psychrometric chart for the location's air pressure or elevation relative to sea level. For locations at not more than 2000 ft (600 m) of altitude it is common practice to use the sea-level psychrometric chart. In the -t chart, the dry bulb temperature (t) appears as the abscissa (horizontal axis) and the humidity ratio () appear as the ordinate (vertical axis). A chart is valid for a given air pressure (or elevation above sea level). From any two independent ones of the six parameters dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature, relative humidity, humidity ratio, specific enthalpy, and specific

volume, all the others can be determined. There are parameters. Locating parameters on chart

possible combinations of independent and derived

* Dry bulb temperature: These lines are drawn straight, not always parallel to each other, and slightly inclined from the vertical position. This is the taxis, the abscissa (horizontal) axis. Each line represents a constant temperature. * Dew point temperature: From the state point follow the horizontal line of constant humidity ratio to the intercept of 100% RH, also known as the saturation curve. The dew point temperature is equal to the fully saturated dry bulb or wet bulb temperatures. * Wet bulb temperature: These lines are oblique lines that differ slightly from the enthalpy lines. They are identically straight but are not exactly parallel to each other. These intersect the saturation curve at DBT point. * Relative humidity: These hyperbolic lines are shown in intervals of 10%. The saturation curve is at 100% RH, while dry air is at 0% RH. * Humidity ratio: These are the horizontal lines on the chart. Humidity ratio is usually expressed as mass of moisture per mass of dry air (pounds or kilograms of moisture per pound or kilogram of dry air, respectively). The range is from 0 for dry air up to 0.03 (lbmw/lbma) on the right hand -axis, the ordinate or vertical axis of the chart. * Specific enthalpy: These are oblique lines drawn diagonally downward from left to right across the chart that are parallel to each other. These are not parallel to wet bulb temperature lines. * Specific volume: These are a family of equally spaced straight lines that are nearly parallel. The region above the saturation curve is a two-phase region that represents a mixture of saturated moist air and liquid water, in thermal equilibrium. The protractor on the upper left of the chart has two scales. The inner scale represents sensible-total heat ratio (SHF). The outer scale gives the ratio of enthalpy difference to humidity difference. This is used to establish the slope of a condition line between two processes. The horizontal component of the condition line is the change in sensible heat while the vertical component is the change in latent heat. How to read the chart: fundamental examples Psychrometric charts are available in SI (metric) and IP (U.S./English) units. They are also available in low and high temperature ranges and for different pressures.

Determining relative humidity: The percent relative humidity can be located at the intersection of the vertical dry bulb and diagonally down sloping wet bulb temperature lines. Metric (SI): Using a dry bulb of 25 C and a wet bulb of 20 C, read the relative humidity at approximately 63.5%. English/U.S (IP): Using a dry bulb of 77 F and a wet bulb of 68 F, read the relative humidity at approximately 63.5%. In this example the humidity ratio is 0.0126 kg water per kg dry air.

Determining the effect of temperature change on relative humidity: For air of a fixed water composition or moisture ratio, find the starting relative humidity from the intersection of the wet and dry bulb temperature lines. Using the conditions from the previous example, the relative humidity at a different dry bulb temperatures can be found along the horizontal humidity ratio line of 0.0126, either in kg water per kg dry air or pounds water per pound dry air. A common variation of this problem is determining the final humidity of air leaving an air conditioner evaporator coil then heated to a higher temperature. Assume that the temperature leaving the coil is 10C (50F) and is heated to room temperature (not mixed with room air), which is found by following the horizontal humidity ratio from the dew point or saturation line to the room dry bulb temperature line and reading the relative humidity. In typical practice the conditioned air is mixed with room air that is being infiltrated with outside air.

Determining the amount of water to be removed in lowering relative humidity: This is the difference in humidity ratio between the initial and final conditions times the weight of dry air.

The Mollier h-x diagram], developed by Richard Mollier in 1923,[11] is an alternative psychrometric chart, preferred by many users in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Russia.[12] The underlying psychrometric parameter data for the psychrometric chart and the Mollier diagram are identical. At first glance there is little resemblance between the charts, but if the a chart is rotated by ninety degrees and looked at in a mirror the resemblance becomes apparent. The Mollier diagram coordinates are enthalpy h and humidity ratio x. The enthalpy coordinate is skewed and the lines of constant enthalpy are parallel and evenly spaced. The ASHRAE psychrometric charts since 1961 use similar plotting coordinates. Some psychrometric charts use dry-bulb temperature and humidity ratio coordinates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychrometrics Chart sources http://www.uigi.com/UIGI_SI.PDF

http://www4.uwsp.edu/papersci/biasca/currentpages/

Humidity Ratio = mass of water vapor / mass of dry air Also called Absolute Humidity or Moisture Content it is plotted as horizontal lines on the Psychrometric Chart.

Relative Humidity

Saturation = maximum water vapor content in the air Pv = vapor pressure of water = partial pressure at saturation PH20 = actual partial pressure of water vapor Relative Humidity = PH2O / Pv x 100% Low RH = dry air High RH = damp air Givens: 100 lb of dry air at 20oF and 75% relative humidity This air contains about 0.16 lb water vapor Actions: Heat this air to 70oF Results: Actual water vapor content is still 0.16 lb Saturation water vapor content is about 1.58 lb Relative humidity drops to about 10% (very dry air) Relative humidity chart lines

The Psychrometric Chart plots curves of constant relative humidity. Low relative humidity is at the bottom of the chart, increasing upwards to the 100% RH (saturation) curve.

Dry Bulb Temperature

The dry bulb temperature can be measured with any common thermometer. Constant dry bulb temperatures appear as vertical lines on the Psychrometric Chart.

Wet Bulb Temperature

Lines of constant wet bulb temperature run diagonally from the upper left to the lower right on the Psychrometric Chart.

Enthalpy of Humid Air

Energy/Mass of Dry Air = Btu/lb Dry Air or kJ/kg Dry Air Hair = Hsat air + Hdev