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Density Altitude Calculations
updated: 1 Mar 2015
copyright 1998 - 2015 Richard Shelquist
(from http://wahiduddin.net/calc/density_altitude.htm )
So, the basic idea of calculating density altitude is to calculate the actual
density of the air, and then find the altitude at which that same air density
occurs in the International Standard Atmosphere.
In the following paragraphs, we'll go step by step through the process of calculating the actual density
of the air, and then determining the corresponding density altitude.
And finally, at the end of this article, we'll compare the accurate density altitude calculations with the
results of a greatly simplified density altitude equation which ignores the effects due to water vapor in
the air.
As odd as it may seem, an aircraft altimeter does not actually know anything about
altitude, it only measures pressure. For pilots, it is very important to understand
that an aircraft altimeter only measures air pressure (not true altitude). This point is
especially important to understand with the ever-increasing use of GPS. An aircraft
flying at a specific pressure altitude (as indicated by an altimeter set to 29.92 in-Hg)
may note some significantly different altitude displayed on a GPS (which measures
actual distance above mean sea level). In some cases this altitude difference is
small... but in other cases it could be enough to cause a mid-air collision if a pilot
was flying on a GPS mean-sea-level (MSL) altitude rather than the assigned
pressure altitude.
Density altitude is yet another sort of altitude, based solely on air density.
Density altitude is neither "pressure altitude" nor "mean sea-level altitude",
it is simply the altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere model at
which the air has a certain value of density... hence the name density
altitude.
Therefore, it's crucial to always verify what is meant by "altitude".
Now... on to Density Altitude.....
It is important to note that water vapor in the air causes a decrease in air density.
Therefore, on a humid day, a wing has less lift and a normally aspirated engine has
less power. The fact that humid air is less dense may seem counter-intuitive, so
you'll find a full explanation in the Moist Air is Less Dense section later in this
article.
In general, if you really want to be precise and consistent in matters involving air density, it will be
best to focus attention on the actual air density, not this arcane concept of density altitude. Density
altitude has long been a convenient yardstick for pilots to compare the performance of aircraft at
various altitudes, but it is in fact the air density which is the fundamentally important quantity, and
density altitude is simply one way to express the air density.
Actually, it would be far more meaningful, useful and precise if the aviation community would simply
use the actual air density in kg/m3, and if the data in aircraft pilot's handbooks were also expressed in
actual air density.
Hopefully, someday all of the aircraft performance tables/charts and weather reporting systems will
simply use the actual air density and thereby avoid the entire concept of density altitude... but, for
now, we're stuck with "density altitude".
Note: If you're just hunting for a simple calculation for density altitude without the
effects of moisture, you will find a Simpler Methods of Calculation section near the
end of this article. But, for those who want to understand the effects of moisture on
density altitude, please read on.
Units:
The 1976 International Standard Atmosphere (which is used as the basis for these Density Altitude
calculations) is mostly described in metric SI units, and I have chosen to use those same units (in
general) throughout this article. See ref 8 and ref 9 for conversion factors to your favorite units.
(1)
P*V = n*Rg*T
where: P = pressure
V = volume
n = number of moles
Rg = universal gas constant
T = temperature
Density is simply the mass of the molecules of the ideal gas in a certain volume,
which may be mathematically expressed as:
(2)
D=m/V
where: D = density
m = mass
V = volume
Note that:
m=n*M
where: m = mass
n = number of moles
M = molar mass
And define a specific gas constant for the gas under consideration:
R = Rg / M
where R = specific gas constant
Rg = universal gas constant
M = molar mass
Then, by combining the previous equations, the expression for the density becomes:
(3)
where: D = density, kg/m3
P = pressure, Pascals ( multiply mb by 100 to get Pascals)
R = specific gas constant , J/(kg*degK) = 287.05 for dry air
T = temperature, deg K = deg C + 273.15
As an example, using the ISA standard sea level conditions of P = 101325 Pa and T
= 15 deg C,
the air density at sea level, may be calculated as:
D = (101325) / (287.05 * (15 + 273.15)) = 1.2250 kg/m3
This example has been derived for the dry air of the standard conditions. However, for real-world
situations, it is necessary to understand how the density is affected by the moisture in the air.
Neglecting the small errors due to non-ideal gas compressibility and vapor pressure measurements
not made over liquid water (see ref 14), the density of a mixture of dry air molecules and
(4a)
(4b)
where: D = density, kg/m3
Pd = pressure of dry air (partial pressure), Pascals
Pv= pressure of water vapor (partial pressure), Pascals
P = Pd + Pv = total air pressure, Pascals ( multiply mb by 100 to
get Pascals)
Rd = gas constant for dry air, J/(kg*degK) = 287.05 = R/Md
Rv = gas constant for water vapor, J/(kg*degK) = 461.495 = R/Mv
R = universal gas constant = 8314.32 (in 1976 Standard
Atmosphere)
Md = molecular weight of dry air = 28.964 gm/mol
Mv = molecular weight of water vapor = 18.016 gm/mol
T = temperature, deg K = deg C + 273.15
To use equation 4a or 4b to determine the density of the air, one must know the actual air pressure
(which is also called absolute pressure, total air pressure, or station pressure), the water vapor
pressure, and the temperature.
It is possible to obtain a rough approximation of the absolute pressure by adjusting an altimeter to
read zero altitude and reading the value in the Kollsman window as the actual air pressure. Near the
end of this page I'll discuss how to use the altimeter reading to accurately determine the actual
pressure. Alternatively, there are many little electronic gadgets that can measure the actual air
pressure and the vapor pressure directly, and quite accurately.
The water vapor pressure can easily be determined from the dew point or from the relative humidity,
and the ambient temperature can be measured in a well ventilated place out of the direct sunlight.
In the following section, we'll learn to calculate the water vapor pressure.
Vapor Pressure:
In order to calculate water vapor pressure, we need to first calculate the saturation
vapor pressure. There are many algorithms for determining the saturation vapor
pressure, but for simplicity we'll just look at two algorithms:
A very accurate, albeit quite odd looking, formula for determining the
saturation vapor pressure is a polynomial developed by Herman Wobus
(see ref 2 ) :
(5)
Es = eso / p8
where: Es = saturation pressure of water vapor, mb
eso=6.1078
p = (c0+T*(c1+T*(c2+T*(c3+T*(c4+T*(c5+T*(c6+T*(c7+T*(c8+T*(c9))))))))))
T = temperature, deg C
c0 = 0.99999683
c1 = -0.90826951*10-2
c2 = 0.78736169*10-4
c3 = -0.61117958*10-6
c4 = 0.43884187*10-8
c5 = -0.29883885*10-10
c6 = 0.21874425*10-12
c7 = -0.17892321*10-14
c8 = 0.11112018*10-16
c9 = -0.30994571*10-19
For situations where simplicity is desirable and slightly less accuracy is acceptable, the following
equation offers good results, especially at the higher ambient air temperatures where the saturation
pressure becomes significant for the density altitude calculations.
(6)
where: Es = saturation pressure of water vapor, mb
Tc = temperature, deg C
c0 = 6.1078
c1 = 7.5
c2 = 237.3
See ref 2 and ref 11 for additional vapor pressure formulas.
Here's a calculator that compares the saturation vapor pressure for any given temperature, showing
the results from using equations 5 and 6 given above:
Air Temperature:
degrees C
Reset
mb
mb
by Richard Shelquist
The Smithsonian reference tables (see ref 1) give the following values of saturated vapor pressure
values at specified temperatures. Entering these known temperatures into the calculator will allow you
to evaluate the accuracy of the calculated results.
Deg C
Es, mb
30
20
10
0
-10
-30
42.430
23.373
12.272
6.1078
2.8627
0.5088
Armed with the value of the saturation vapor pressure, the next step is to determine the actual value
of vapor pressure.
When calculating the vapor pressure, it is often more accurate to use the dew point temperature
rather than the relative humidity. Although relative humidity can be used to determine the vapor
pressure, the value of relative humidity is strongly affected by the ambient temperature, and is
therefore constantly changing during the day as the air is heated and cooled.
In contrast, the value of the dew point is much more stable and is often nearly constant for a given air
mass regardless of the normal daily temperature changes. Therefore, using the dew point as the
measure of humidity allows for more stable and therefore potentially more accurate results.
(7a)
Pv = Es
Pv = RH * Es
P = Pd + Pv
Pd = P - Pv
degrees C
mb
Dew Point
degrees C
Reset
Air Density
kg/m3
by Richard Shelquist
Since density is weight divided by volume, we need to consider the weight of each
of the molecules in the air. Nitrogen has an atomic weight of 14, so an N2 molecule
has a weight of 28. For oxygen, the atomic weight is 16, so an O2 molecule has a
weight of 32.
Now along comes a water molecule, H2O. Hydrogen has an atomic weight of 1. So
the molecule H20 has a weight of 18. Note that the water molecule is lighter in
weight than either a nitrogen molecule (with a weight of 28) or an oxygen molecule
(with a weight of 32).
Therefore, when a given volume of air, which always contains only a certain number
of molecules, has some water molecules in it, it will weigh less than the same
volume of air without any water molecules. That is, moist air is less dense than dry
air.
The lift of an aircraft wing may be described mathematically (see ref 8) as:
L = c1 * d * v2/2 * a
where:
L = lift
c1 = lift coefficient
d = air density
v = velocity
a = wing area
From the lift equation, we see that the lift of a wing is directly proportional to the air density. So if a
certain wing can lift, for example, 3000 pounds at sea level standard conditions where the density is
1.2250 kg/m3, then how much can the wing lift on a warm summer day in Denver when the air
temperature is 95 deg (35 deg C), the actual pressure is 24.45 in-Hg (828 mb) and the dew point is
67 deg F (19.4 deg C)? The answer is about 2268 pounds.
Example 2)
The engine manufacturer Rotax (see ref 6 ) advises that their carburetor main jet diameter should be
adjusted according to the air density. Specifically, if the engine is jetted properly at air density d1,
then for operation at air density d2 the new jet diameter j2 is given mathematically as:
j2 = j1 * (d2/d1) (1/4)
where: j2 = diameter of new jet
j1 = diameter of jet that was proper at density d1
d1 = density at which the original jet j1 was correct
d2 = the new air density
That is, Rotax says that the correct jet diameter should be sized according to the fourth root of the
ratio of the air densities. (Note: according to Poiseuille's Law, the volumetric flow rate through a
circular cross section is proportional to the fourth power of the diameter.)
For example, if the correct jet at sea level standard conditions is a number 160 and the jet number is
a measure of the jet diameter, then what jet should be used for operations on the warm summer day
in Denver described in example 1 above? The ideal answer is a jet number 149, and in practice the
closest available jet size is then selected.
Example 3)
In the same service bulletin mentioned above, Rotax says that their engine horsepower will decrease
in proportion to the air density.
hp2 = hp1 * (d2/d1)
where: hp2 = the new horsepower at density d2
hp1 = the old horsepower at density d1
If a Rotax engine was rated at 38 horsepower at sea level standard conditions, what is the available
horsepower according to that formula when the engine is operated at a temperature of 30 deg C, a
pressure of 925 mb and a dew point of 25 deg C? The answer is approximately 32 horsepower. (See
also details on the SAE method of correcting horsepower. this is directly below)
Sometimes you may want to know how much power you are really making on that specific day due to
the temperature, humidity and pressure on that day; in that case, you should look at the uncorrected
power readings.
But when you want to see how much more power you have solely due to the new headers, or the new
cam, then you will find that the corrected power is more useful, since it removes the effects of the
temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure and just shows you how much more (or less) power
you have than in your previous tests.
There is no "right" answer... it's simply a matter of how you want to use the information.
If you want to know whether you are going to burn up the tranny with too much power on a cool,
humid day, then go to the dyno and look at uncorrected power to see how exactly much power you
have under these conditions.
But if you want to compare the effects due to modifications, or you want to compare several different
cars at different times, then the corrected readings of the "standard" dyno will be more useful.
How's it calculated?
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) created the SAE J1349 JUN90 standard method for
correcting horsepower and torque readings so that they will seem as if the readings had all been
taken at the same "standard" test cell where the air pressure, humidity and air temperature are held
constant. Furthermore, the SAE J1349 JUN90 standard includes an assumed mechanical efficiency
of 85% in order to provide an estimate of the true engine horsepower (without accessories).
The equation for the dyno correction factor given in SAE J1349 JUN90 (for normally aspirated
gasoline engines), converted to use pressure in mb, is:
In August 2004 the SAE released J1349 Revised AUG2004 which specifies that the preferred
method of determining the friction power used by the motor accessories is actual measurement, and
that the assumption of 85% mechanical efficiency (as formerly used in SAE J1349 Revision JUN90)
should only be used when actual friction data are not available.
The equation for computing brake horsepower (for normally aspirated gasoline engines), assuming
85% mechanical efficiency, was very slightly revised (and is presented here converted to use
pressure in mb) as:
Section 5.1 of the SAE J1349 AUG2004 revision also makes it clear that this correction factor is not
intended to provide accurate corrections over an extremely wide range, but rather that the intended
range of air temperatures is 15 to 35 deg C, and the intended range of dry air pressures is 900 to
1050 mb.
Note: SAE J607 is an older standard which did not attempt to include any of the engine's internal
friction losses. Consequently, J607 gives higher values, which fail to include the friction losses. SAE
J1349 is a newer standard which does specify various ways to include the engine's internal losses,
and therefore presents a more accurate indication of engine power.
where: hp = horsepower, hp
t = torque, ft-lbs
rpm = engine speed, revolutions per minute
This is a great formula. Basically it says that if you can keep the same amount of torque, then the
more rpm you can turn, the more horsepower you get!
That's why Formula One, CART and IRL engines all turn incredible rpm. The faster the engine turns,
the more power it can make (when it's properly tuned to operate at that speed).
Consider for example: a normally aspirated internal combustion engine typically produces about 1 to
1.5 ft-lbs of torque per cubic inch when it is properly tuned to operate at any specific rpm. With a 2
liter (about 122 cubic inches) engine, producing 1.5 ft-lbs of torque per cubic inch, you would expect
to get about 180 hp at 5200 rpm... but you will get a whopping 415 hp if you can get it to run at 12,000
rpm.
The 3.5 liter IRL engine is reported to produce about 650 hp at 10,700 rpm. That would be about 1.5
ft-lbs per cubic inch at peak rpm.
The Ferrari 3.0 liter Formula One engine is rumored to produce about 860 hp at 18,500 rpm. That
would be about 1.33 ft-lbs per cubic inch at peak rpm.
The 5.86 liter NASCAR Cup engine is reported to produce around 850 hp at 9000 rpm, which is about
1.39 ft-lbs per cubic inch at peak rpm.
Frankly, it seems that these ridiculous rpm values are one of the reasons that CART, IRL and F1
racing are so poorly received here in the USA. People want to see and hear race cars that they can
identify with, cars that have something in common with the spectator's own cars, not these silly little
motors that sound like angry bees. And if NASCAR fails to specify some reasonable rpm limits, they
too may be doomed to the same fate.
And at the other end of the rpm spectrum, one model of the 360 cubic inch four cylinder Lycoming IO360 aircraft engine produces 180 hp at 2700 rpm, which is 0.97 ft-lbs per cubic inch.
In general, production automobile engines that have a broad torque band will produce about 0.9 to
1.1 ft-lbs per cubic inch. Highly tuned production engines, such as the Honda S2000 or the Ferrari
F50 are in the range of 1.1 to 1.3 ft-lbs per cubic inch. Highly tuned race engines such as NASCAR,
IRL and Formula One are often in the range of 1.3 to 1.5 ft-lbs per cubic inch.
References:
NASCAR vs F1 engine comparisons:
Piston Engine Technology, EPI Inc
Engine Technology:
Race Engine Techcnology - magazine and on-line
Conversion Factors:
To convert to other units, try the DigitalDutch or NIST web sites.
So far, we've been discussing real physical attributes which can be precisely measured, with air
density being the weight per unit volume of an air mass. The air density, as shown in the previous
examples, affects the lift of a wing, the fuel required by an engine, and the power produced by an
engine. When precision is required, air density is a much better measure than
density altitude.
Air density is a physical quality which can be accurately measured and verified. On the other hand,
density altitude is a rather conceptual quantity which depends upon a hypothetical "standard
atmosphere" which may or may not accurately correspond to the actual physical conditions at any
given location. Nonetheless, density altitude has a long heritage and remains a common (although
rather hypothetical) representation of air density.
In the ISA, the lowest region is the troposphere which extends from sea level up to 11 km (about
36,000 ft), and the model which will be developed here is only valid in the troposphere.
The following equations describe temperature, pressure and density of the air in the
ISA troposphere:
(9)
(10)
(11)
where:
One way to determine the altitude at which a certain density occurs is to rewrite the equations and
solve for the variable H, which is the geopotential altitude.
So, it is now necessary to rewrite equations 9, 10, and 11 in a manner which expresses altitude H as
a function of density D. After a bit of gnashing of teeth and general turmoil using algebraic
substitutions of those three equations, the exact solution for H as a function of D, may be written as:
(12)
Using the numerical values of the ISA constants, that expression may be evaluated as:
Now that H is known as a function of D, it is easy to solve for the Density Altitude of any specified air
density.
It is interesting to note that equations 9, 10 and 11 could also be evaluated to find H as a function of P
as follows:
Now that we can determine the altitude for a given density, it may be useful to consider some of the
definitions of altitude.
(13)
where E = 6356.766 km, the radius of the earth (for 1976 ISA)
H = geopotential altitude, km
Z = geometric altitude, km
kg/m3
Geopotential altitude H
Geometric altitude Z
m
by Richard Shelquist
Here's a calculator that uses the actual pressure, air temperature and dew point to
calculate the air density as well as the corresponding density altitude:
degrees C
mb
Dew Point
degrees C
Reset
Air Density
kg/m3
Geopotential altitude H
Geometric altitude Z
m
by Richard Shelquist
There are two steps in this scheme: first calculate the virtual temperature and then
use that temperature in the corresponding altitude equation.
The equation for virtual temperature may be derived by manipulation of the density equation that was
presented earlier as equation 4a:
Recalling that P = Pd + Pv, which means that Pd = P - Pv, the equation may be rewritten as
Finally, a new temperature Tv, the virtual temperature, is defined such that
By evaluating the numerical values of the constants, setting Pv = E, noting that Rd = R*1000/Md and
that Rv=R*1000/Mv, then the virtual temperature may be expressed as:
(14)
where Tv = virtual temperature, deg K
T = ambient temperature, deg K
c1 = ( 1 - (Mv / Md ) ) = 0.37800
E = vapor pressure, mb
P = actual (station) pressure, mb
where Md is molecular weight of dry air = 28.9644
Mv is molecular weight of water = 18.016
(Note that for convenience, the units in Equation 14 are not purely SI units, but rather are US
customary units for the vapor pressure and station pressure.)
The following calculator uses equation 6 to find the vapor pressure, then calculates
the virtual temperature using equation 14:
degrees C
mb
Dew Point
degrees C
Reset
Virtual Temperature
degrees C
by Richard Shelquist
The virtual temperature Tv may used in the following formula to calculate the density altitude. This
formula is simply a rearrangement of equations 9, 10 and 11:
(15)
Using the numerical values of the ISA constants, equation 15 may be rewritten using the virtual
temperature as:
(16)
By numerically evaluating the constants and converting to customary units of altitude and pressure,
the equation may be written as:
Pa = [ASk1 - ( k2 * H ) ]1/k1
where Pa = actual (station) pressure, mb
AS = altimeter setting, mb
H = geopotential station elevation, m
k1 = 0.190263
k2 = 8.417286*10-5
When converted to English units, this is the relationship between station pressure and altimeter
setting that is used by the National Weather Service ASOS weather stations (see ref 10 ) as:
Pa = [AS0.1903 - (1.313 x 10-5) x H]5.255
where Pa = actual (station) pressure, inches Hg
AS = altimeter setting, inches Hg
H = station elevation, feet
(Note: several other equations for converting actual pressure to altimeter setting are given in ref 12.)
Using these equations, the altimeter setting may be readily converted to actual pressure, then by
using the actual pressure along with the temperature and dew point, the local air density may be
calculated, and finally the density may be used to determine the corresponding density altitude.
Given the values of the altimeter setting (the value in the Kollsman window) and the altimeter reading
(the geometric altitude), the following calculator will convert the altitude to geopotential altitude, and
solve equation 16 for the actual pressure at that altitude.
hPa (mb)
Altimeter Reading
meters
Reset
Geopotential Altitude
meters
Actual Pressure
hPa (mb)
by Richard Shelquist
If you really want to know the actual density altitude, it will need to be calculated in the general
manner that has been described above. However, there are simple approximations which have been
developed over the years.
For example, a particularly convenient form of density altitude approximation is obtained by simply
ignoring the actual moisture content in the air. Here is such an equation which has been used by the
National Weather Service (see ref 13) to calculate the approximate density altitude without any need
to know the humidity, dew point or vapor pressure:
17)
where: DA = density altitude, feet
Pa = actual pressure (station pressure), inches Hg
Tr = temperature, deg R (deg F + 459.67)
This simplified equation (17) is, basically, just equation (12) rewritten in US customary units with no
pressure contribution due to water vapor pressure.
The following calculator can be used to compare the results of the accurate calculations (in geometric
altitude, as described earlier on this web page) with the results from the preceding simplified
equation:
Comparison of
Actual versus Simplified
Density Altitude
Air Temperature
degrees F
inches-Hg
Dew Point
degrees F
Reset
Air Density
kg/m3
feet
feet
by Richard Shelquist
The results for dry air (very low dew point) are nearly identical, while the greatest
errors in the simplified equation are when there is a lot of water vapor in the air, i.e.
high temperature accompanied by a high dew point.
To explore the effects of water vapor, consider, for example, a hypothetical ambient temperature of
95 deg F, with a dew point of 95 deg, at an altitude of 5050 feet and an altimeter setting of 29.45 , the
actual air pressure would be 24.445 in-Hg and the actual Density Altitude would be 9753 feet, while
the simplified equation gives a result of 8933 feet.... an error of 820 feet. The actual air density in this
case would be reduced by about 3%, compared to dry air.
Or, for a hypothetical 95 deg F foggy day at sea level, with a dew point of 95 deg F and an altimeter
setting of 29.92, the actual density altitude is 2988 ft, while the simplified equation gives a result of
2294 ft... an error of 694 ft. Similar to the previous example, the actual air density in this would be
reduced by about 3%, compared to dry air.
Those examples are quite extreme, but in actual practice it is quite common to see errors on the
order of 200 to 400 ft along the sea coast and in the sweltering mid-west, which may be
inconsequential, or may be significant, depending upon your specific situation.
So, if you don't mind some error when the air has a lot of water vapor, then the simplified equation,
which is much easier to calculate, may suit your needs.
But if you really want the utmost accuracy in determining the density altitude, then you'll have to deal
with the gory details of vapor pressure and compute the "real" density altitude.
Based on the reported observations from a variety of US airports, it appears that the ASOS and
AWOS-3 automated weather observation systems (which report weather conditions including density
altitude at many airports in the US) use a simplified equation which gives essentially the same results
as equation 17 above. That is, it appears that the current ASOS/AWOS density altitude does not
account for effects of moisture in the air.
You can compare the actual Density Altitude with the ASOS/AWOS-3 reported values using the
calculator at: Density Altitude Calculator - with selectable units.
However, before you get too distressed by such seemingly "sloppy" ASOS/AWOS calculations, keep
in mind that the International Standard Atmosphere is merely a conceptual model which may or may
not accurately represent the conditions at any given location on any given day. That is, "density
altitude" and "standard atmosphere" are theoretical concepts which are based upon a number of
assumptions about the atmosphere, and may or may not accurately depict the actual physical
conditions at any actual location, no matter how accurate the calculations may be.
Actually, it would be far more meaningful, useful and precise if ASOS/AWOS reported the actual air
density in kg/m3, and if the performance data in pilot's handbooks was also expressed in terms of
actual air density in kg/m3. But that's not what is currently done. Currently, data in terms of "altitude"
and "density altitude" are generally what we're given. That's a pity.
Hopefully, someday all of the aircraft performance tables/charts and weather reporting systems will
be expressed in terms of the actual air density and thereby avoid this arcane concept of density
altitude... but, for now, we're stuck with "density altitude".
If we really want to be precise and consistent, we should be using the actual air density, not this
theoretical quantity called density altitude.
enjoy....
Richard Shelquist
Longmont, Colorado
References:
1. List, R.J. (editor), 1958, Smithsonian Meteorological Tables, Smithsonian Institute, Washington,
D.C.
2. Thermodynamic subroutines by Schlatter and Baker .... lots of Fortran algorithms and excellent
references