12-8 PSYCHROMETRY, EVAPORATIVE COOLING, AND SOLIDS DRYING
In the past, psychrometric charts have been used to perform quite
precise calculations. To do this, additive corrections are often required
for enthalpy of added water or ice, and for variations in barometric pres-
sure from the standard level (101,325 Pa, 14.696 lbf/in2, 760 mmHg,
29.921 inHg). It is preferable to use formulas, which give an accurate fig-
ure at any set of conditions. Psychrometric charts and tables can be used
as a rough cross-check that the result has been calculated correctly. Table
12-4 gives values of saturation humidity, specific volume, enthalpy, and
entropy of saturated moist air at selected conditions. Below the freezing
point, these become virtually identical to the values for dry air, as satura-
tion humidity is very low. For pressure corrections, an altitude increase of
approximately 900 ft gives a pressure decrease of 1 inHg (0.034 bar). For
a recorded wet-bulb temperature of 50F (10C), this gives an increase
in humidity of 1.9 gr/lb (0.00027 kg/kg) and the enthalpy increases by
0.29 Btu/lb (0.68 kJ/kg). This correction increases roughly proportion-
ately for further changes in pressure, but climbs sharply as wet-bulb tem-
perature is increased; when Twb reaches 100F (38C), Y = 11.2 gr/lb
(0.0016 kg/kg) and H = 1.77 Btu/lb (4.12 kJ/kg). Equivalent, more
detailed tables in SI units can be found in the ASHRAE Handbook.
Examples Illustrating Use of Psychrometric Charts In these
examples the following nomenclature is used:
t = dry-bulb temperatures, F
tw = wet-bulb temperature, F
td = dewpoint temperature, F
H = moisture content, lb water/lb dry air
H = moisture added to or rejected from the airstream,
lb water/lb dry air
h = enthalpy at saturation, Btu/lb dry air
D = enthalpy deviation, Btu/lb dry air
h = h + D = true enthalpy, Btu/lb dry air
hw = enthalpy of water added to or rejected from system, Btu/lb
dry air
FIG. 12-2a Grosvenor psychrometric chart (medium temperature) for the air-water system at standard atmospheric pressure, 29.92 inHg,
U.S. Customary units. (Courtesy Carrier Corporation.)
qa = heat added to system, Btu/lb dry air
qr = heat removed from system, Btu/lb dry air
Subscripts 1, 2, 3, etc., indicate entering and subsequent states.
Example 1: Determination of Moist Air Properties Find the prop-
erties of moist air when the dry-bulb temperature is 80F and the wet-bulb tem-
perature is 67F.
Solution: Read directly from Fig. 12-2a (Fig. 12-6a shows the solution dia-
grammatically).
Moisture content H = 78 gr/lb dry air
= 0.011 lb water/lb dry air
Enthalpy at saturation h = 31.6 Btu/lb dry air
Enthalpy deviation D = 0.1 Btu/lb dry air
True enthalpy h = 31.5 Btu/lb dry air
Specific volume v = 13.8 ft3/lb dry air
Relative humidity = 51 percent
Dew point td = 60.3F
Example 2: Air Heating Air is heated by a steam coil from 30F dry-bulb
temperature and 80 percent relative humidity to 75F dry-bulb temperature. Find
the relative humidity, wet-bulb temperature, and dew point of the heated air.
Determine the quantity of heat added per pound of dry air.
Solution: Reading directly from the psychrometric chart (Fig. 12-2a),
Relative humidity = 15 percent
Wet-bulb temperature = 51.5F
Dew point = 25.2F
The enthalpy of the inlet air is obtained from Fig. 12-2a as h1 = h1 + D1 =
10.1 + 0.06 = 10.16 Btu/lb dry air; at the exit, h2 = h2 + D2 = 21.1 0.1 = 21 Btu/lb
dry air. The heat added equals the enthalpy difference, or
qa = h = h2 h1 = 21 10.16 = 10.84 Btu/lb dry air