Psychrometry and Air

conditioning
BITS Pilani Sachin Belgamwar
Pilani Campus
 Psychrometry
BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus
 Psychrometry

Atmospheric air is not completely dry but a mixture of dry air and water
vapor.

In atmospheric air, the content water vapor varies from 0 to 3% by mass.

The processes of air-conditioning and food refrigeration often involve

removing water from the air (dehumidifying), and adding water to the
air (humidifying).

The properties of the moist air are called psychrometric properties.

The subject which deals with the behavior of moist air is known as
psychrometry.

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Definitions

(1) Dry bulb temperature t

Dry bulb temperature is the temperature of the air, as measured by an
ordinary thermometer.
The temperature of water vapor is the same as that of the dry air in moist
air.
Such a thermometer is called a dry-bulb thermometer in psychrometry,
because its bulb is dry.

(2) Wet bulb temperature tWB:

Wet bulb temperature is thermodynamic adiabatic temperature in an
adiabatic saturation process, and measured by a wet bulb thermometer.
The wet bulb temperature will be discussed in the next paragrap

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(3) Humidity ratio (Moisture Content) w:

The humidity ratio is the mass kg of water vapor interspersed in each kg of dry air.

It should be noted that the mass of water refers only to the moisture in actual
vapor state, and not to any moisture in the liquid state, such as dew, frost, fog or
rain.

The humidity ratio, like other several properties to be studied- enthalpy and
specific volume-is based on 1kg of dry air.

(4) Dew point temperature tDP:

When the unsaturated moist air is cooled at constant vapor pressure or at constant
humidity ratio, to a temperature, the moist air becomes saturated and the
condensation of moisture starts, this temperature is called dew point temperature
of the moist air.
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(5) Relative humidity :
Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the mass of water vapor in a given
moist air (mv) to the mass of water vapor (mvs) in the same volume of
saturated air at the same temperature.
Relative humidity is usually expressed in percentage (%).
From the ideal gas relations, relative humidity can be expressed as

(6)Degree of Saturation :
Degree of saturation is defined as the ratio of the humidity ratio of moist air w
to the humidity ratio of saturated moist air wsat at the same temperature and
atmosheric pressure.

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(7) Specific Enthalpy:

Specific enthalpy of moist air h (kJ/kgdry) is defined as the total enthalpy

of the dry air and water vapor mixture per kg of dry air.

Enthalpy values are always based on some datum plane.

Usually the zero value of the dry air is chosen as air at 0, and the zero
value of the water vapor is the saturated liquid water at 0.

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 Adiabatic saturation process and wet
bulb temperature
An unsturated air, which has dry bulb temperature t1, humidity ratio w1 and enthalpy
h1, flows through a duct containing water

The water can provide enough surface area so that the air leaves the duct in
equilibrium with the water, with respect to both the temperature and the vapor
pressure.

In order to perpetuate the process, it is necessary to provide makeup water (w2-w1)

to compensate for the amount of water evaporated into the air.

The temperature of the makeup water is the same as that in the sump.

If the device is adiabatic, then the process is called adiabatic saturation process.

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 Thermodynamic wet bulb
temperature
In an adiabatic saturation process, the temperature of the water in the
sump is called the thermodynamic wet bulb temperature tWB of the air , or
simply the wet bulb temperature of the air.

An adiabatic saturation process is a constant wet bulb temperature

process, the wet bulb temperatures of air at the inlet and the outlet are
same, and they are equal to tWB.

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 Measurement of wet bulb
temperature
A simple wet bulb thermometer used to measure the wet bulb temperature is based
on the principle of the adiabatic saturation process.
It is an ordinary thermometer being wrapt with a cloth sleeve of wool or flannel,
around its bulb.
The cloth sleeve should be clean and free of oil and thoroughly wet with clean fresh
water.
The water in the cloth sleeve evaporates as the air flows at a high velocity
(2.5m/sec).
The evaporation, which takes the heat from the thermometer bulb, lowers the
temperature of the bulb.
The thermometer indicates approximately the wet bulb temperature tWB.

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 The difference between the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures is called
the wet-bulb depression.

If the air is saturated, evaporation cannot take place, and the wet-bulb
temperature is the same as the dry-bulb temperature; and the wet-bulb
depression equals zero.

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Psychrometric Chart
A psychrometric chart graphically represents the thermodynamic properties of
moist air.
It is very useful in presenting the air conditioning processes.

The psychrometric chart is bounded by two perpendicular axes and a curved

line:

1) The horizontal axis (abscissa) represents the dry bulb temperature line
t , in ;

2) The vertical ordinate axis represents the humidity ratio line w , in kg w/kg
dry.air

3) The curved line shows the saturated air, it is corresponding to the

relative humidity =100% .

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BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
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BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
An air-water vapor
mixture at 100kPa, 35
0C and 70% relative

humidity.
Calculate
a) The humidity ratio
b) dew point
temperature
c) density of air
d) density of vapor
e) degree of
saturation
f) enthalpy of moist
air.

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Psychrometric processes

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Sensible cooling:

During this process, the moisture content of air remains

constant but its temperature decreases as it flows over a
cooling coil. For moisture content to remain constant, the
surface of the cooling coil should be dry and its surface
temperature should be greater than the dew point
temperature of air. If the cooling coil is 100% effective,
then the exit temperature of air will be equal to the coil
temperature. However, in practice, the exit air
temperature will be higher than the cooling coil
temperature. Figure shows the sensible cooling process
O-A on a psychrometric chart.

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2 1

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Sensible heating

During this process, the moisture content of air remains

constant and its temperature increases as it flows over a
heating coil.

1 2

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Humidification or
Dehumidification

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Heating and humidification

During winter it is essential to heat and humidify the room

air for comfort. This is normally done by first sensibly
heating the air and then adding water vapour to the air
stream through steam nozzles

1 2

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total heat = Sensible heat load +Latent heat load
= (SHL)+(LHL)
Q = Q s + QL
Sensible Heat factor (SHF)

QS
SHF
QS QL
h2 h1 h2 h1
SHF
h2 h1 (h3 h1 ) h3 h1
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Humid Specific heat

h c pa Wc pv t W h fg 0o C

c p c pa Wc pv 1.005 1.88W kJ /( kg d .a.)( K )

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Cooling and dehumidification

When moist air is cooled below its dew-point by bringing it

in contact with a cold surface , some of the water vapor
in the air condenses and leaves the air stream as liquid,
as a result both the temperature and humidity ratio of air
decreases as shown. This is the process air undergoes
in a typical air conditioning system. Although the actual
process path will vary depending upon the type of cold
surface, the surface temperature, and flow conditions, for
simplicity the process line is assumed to be a straight
line.

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Adiabatic mixing of two
streams

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Adiabatic evaporative cooling

Pitcher

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Cooling tower

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Air washer

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BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus