Psychrometrics

Not to be confused with Psychometrics, a discipline of 2.1 Dry-bulb temperature (DBT)

psychology and education.
Psychrometry redirects here. It is not to be confused Main article: Dry-bulb temperature
with Psychometry.
The dry-bulb temperature is the temperature indicated
by a thermometer exposed to the air in a place sheltered
from direct solar radiation. The term dry-bulb is customarily added to temperature to distinguish it from wetbulb and dewpoint temperature. In meteorology and psychrometrics the word temperature by itself without a prex usually means dry-bulb temperature. Technically, the
temperature registered by the dry-bulb thermometer of a
psychrometer. The name implies that the sensing bulb or
element is in fact dry. WMO provides a 23 page chapter
on the measurement of temperature.[4]

Psychrometrics or psychrometry or hygrometry are

terms used to describe the eld of engineering concerned
with the determination of physical and thermodynamic
properties of gas-vapor mixtures. The term derives from
the Greek psuchron () meaning cold[1] and
metron () meaning means of measurement.[2]

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 thermal 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.

2.2 Wet-bulb temperature (WBT)

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 wet-bulb therMany substances are hygroscopic, meaning they attract
mometer
often provides an adequate approximation of
water, usually in proportion to the relative humidity
the
thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature.
or above a critical relative humidity. Such substances
include cotton, paper, cellulose, other wood products, The accuracy of a simple wet-bulb thermometer depends
sugar, calcium oxide (burned lime) and many chemicals on how fast air passes over the bulb and how well the
and fertilizers. Industries that use these materials are con- thermometer is shielded from the radiant temperature of
cerned with relative humidity control in production and its surroundings. Speeds up to 5,000 ft/min (~60 mph)
storage of such materials.
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).

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.

A wet bulb temperature taken with air moving at about 1

2 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.

Molds and fungi can be controlled by keeping relative hu- A psychrometer is a device that includes both a dry-bulb
midity low. Wood destroying fungi generally do not grow and a wet-bulb thermometer. A sling psychrometer reat relative humidities below 75%.[3]
quires manual operation to create the airow 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 deter2 Psychrometric properties
mine the relative humidity (RH) from the psychrometric
chart appropriate to the air pressure.
1

2
2.2.1

3 PSYCHROMETRIC CHARTS
Relative humidity

2.7 Psychrometric ratio

The psychrometric ratio is the ratio of the heat transfer

coecient to the product of mass transfer coecient and
humid heat at a wetted surface. It may be evaluated with
The ratio of the vapor pressure of moisture in the sample
the following equation:[6][7]
to the saturation pressure at the dry bulb temperature of
the sample.
Main article: Relative humidity

2.3

Dew point temperature

Main article: Dew point temperature

r=

hc
ky c s
where:

r = Psychrometric ratio, dimensionless

The saturation temperature of the moisture present in the
sample of air, it can also be dened as the temperature
hc = convective heat transfer
at which the vapour changes into liquid (condensation).
coecient, W m2 K1
Usually the level at which water vapor changes into liq ky = convective mass transfer
uid marks the base of the cloud in the atmosphere hence
coecient, kg m2 s1
called condensation level. So the temperature value that
cs = humid heat, J kg1 K1
allows this process (condensation) to take place is called
the 'dew point temperature'. A simplied denition is the
The psychrometric ratio is an important property in the
temperature at which the water vapour turns into dew
area of psychrometrics, as it relates the absolute humid(Chamunoda Zambuko 2012).
ity and saturation humidity to the dierence between the
dry bulb temperature and the adiabatic saturation temperature.

2.4

Humidity

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 dierence between the adiabatic
saturation temperature and wet bulb temperature of air2.4.1 Specic Humidity
water vapor mixtures is small. This property of air-water
vapor systems simplies drying and cooling calculations
Specic humidity is dened as the proportion of the mass often performed using psychrometic relationships.
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.
2.8 Humid heat
Main article: Humidity

2.4.2

Absolute humidity

Humid heat is the constant-pressure specic heat of

moist air, per unit mass of the dry air.[8]

The mass of water vapor per unit volume of air containing

the water vapor. This quantity is also known as the water 2.9 Pressure
vapor density.[5]
Many psychrometric properties are dependent on
pressure concept:

2.5

Specic enthalpy

Analogous to the specic enthalpy of a pure substance.

In psychrometrics, the term quanties the total energy of
both the dry air and water vapour per kilogram of dry air.

2.6

Specic volume

vapor pressure of water;

atmospheric pressure at the location of the sample.

3 Psychrometric charts

Analogous to the specic volume of a pure substance. In 3.1 Terminology

psychrometrics, the term quanties the total volume of
both the dry air and water vapour per kilogram of dry A psychrometric chart is a graph of the thermodyair.
namic parameters of moist air at a constant pressure,

3.1

Terminology

3
12

14

10

0.030
0

(J

gD

ry

Air

35

30

atu
rati

0.95

on

Psychrometric Chart

0.025

80

Spec

25

0.020

Dry

50

60

0.015

3 kg

Re
la
tiv

70

H
um
id
ity

%
80

90

10

(m

n
io
at
ur
at

90
Air)

S
or
lb
B u 15

re
tu
ra
pe 20
m
Te

e 0.

et

m
Volu

40

)
C
(

0%

ic

60

40

0.010

30
0.85

10

Humidity Ratio (gm Water / gm of Dry Air)

En
tha
lp

ya

tS

SI (metric) units
Barometric Pressure 101.325 kPa (Sea level)
based on data from
Carrier Corporation Cat. No. 794-001, dated 1975

20

%
20
5

0.005
0

10%

0.80

0.75

10

0%
5

is dimensionless, and is usually expressed as a percentage. Lines of constant RH reect 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.

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

0.000

Dry Bulb Temperature (C)

A psychrometric chart for sea-level elevation

often equated to an elevation relative to sea level. The

ASHRAE-style psychrometric chart, shown here, was pioneered by Willis Carrier in 1904.[9] 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 reects 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.

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.). It is also known as
the 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 reects 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).
Specic 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.
Specic 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 specic 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 specic
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 locations 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 ()
Relative humidity (RH) is the ratio of the mole frac- appear as the ordinate (vertical axis). A chart is valid for
tion of water vapor to the mole fraction of saturated a given air pressure (or elevation above sea level). From
moist air at the same temperature and pressure. RH any two independent ones of the six parameters dry bulb

3 PSYCHROMETRIC CHARTS

temperature, wet bulb temperature, relative humidity, hu- 3.3 How to read the chart: fundamental
midity ratio, specic enthalpy, and specic
examples
( ) volume, all
the others can be determined. There are 62 = 15 possible combinations of independent and derived parameters. Psychrometric charts are available in SI (metric) and IP
(U.S./Imperial) units. They are also available in low and
high temperature ranges and for dierent pressures.

3.2

Locating parameters on chart

* 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 dier 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.

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%.
U.S/Imperial (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 eect of temperature change on
relative humidity: For air of a xed water composition or moisture ratio, nd 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 dierent 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 nal 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 inltrated with outside
air.

* 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.
* Specic 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.
Specic volume: These are a family of equally spaced
straight lines that are nearly parallel.

Determining the amount of water to be removed or

added in lowering or raising relative humidity: This
is the dierence in humidity ratio between the initial
and nal conditions times the weight of dry air.

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.
3.4
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 dierence to humidity dierence. 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.[10][11][12]

Mollier diagram

The Mollier i-x" (Enthalpy - Humidity Mixing Ratio) diagram, developed by Richard Mollier in 1923,[13] is an
alternative psychrometric chart, preferred by many users
in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Russia.[14]
The underlying psychrometric parameter data for the psychrometric chart and the Mollier diagram are identical.
At rst glance there is little resemblance between the

BAROMETRIC PRESSURE : 29.921 INCHES OF MERCURY

90

200 15.5

85 50

SEA LEVEL

MOLLIER DIAGRAM

45
80

40
75

I-P Units

-
F
RE
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U
ER

80

[3] p 25

14.5

NORMAL TEMPERATURE

15.0

MP
TE
LB
BU
ET
85
W

70

35

75
. DRY AIR

90

653
0

70

250
0

60
55

40
15

50

45

%
50

13.5

5
0
0
-5 -5
0

50

10 5

515
15
20
12.
0
.
15 10

20

10

20

10
25
25
25

35

12.5 30
40

45

50

55

30

35

13.0

30

40

35

45

40
60

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

Mollier Diagram (Chart), IP Units

Chart by: HANDS DOWN SOFTWARE, www.handsdownsoftware.com

55

60

25

80

60

65
70

.FT. PER
LB
14.0 VO
LUME CU

%
25

%
15
105

110

115

120

125

65

1.30
1.25

190
85

1.20

180

1.15

170

1.10

160

1.05

80

1.00

150
140

.95
75

130
120
110

70
65

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10

130

VAPOR PRESSURE - INCHES OF MERCURY

.55
.60
.65
.70
.75
.80
.85
.90

60
.50

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

.45

55

.40
.35

50

2%

45

4%

.20

[2] Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "metron", A GreekEnglish Lexicon

DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - F

RE

6%

.30

RE
LAT
IV

HU
MID
ITY

.25

8%

ID
IT
Y

.15

30

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M

.10

[1] Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, "psychron", A GreekEnglish Lexicon

[5] AMS Weather Glossary. American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 18 September 2011.

20

VE

.05

LA
TI

0 10 20 25 30 35 40
DEW POINT TEMPERATURE - F

5 References

[4] World Meteorological Organisation. (2008) Guide to Meteorological Instruments and Methods Of Observation.
WMO-8. Seventh edition. Chapter 2, Measurement of
Temperature.

10%

1.35

[6] http://www.che.iitb.ac.in/courses/uglab/manuals/
coollabmanual.pdf, accessed 20080408
[7] http://www.probec.org/fileuploads/
fl120336971099294500CHAP12_Dryers.pdf,
cessed 20080408

ac-

[8] http://www.engin.umich.edu/class/che360/coursepack/
ch13-cooltower.doc
[9] Gatley, D.P. (2004). Psychrometric chart celebrates
100th anniversary (PDF). ASHRAE Journal 46 (11): 16
20.

charts, but if the chart is rotated by ninety degrees and

looked at in a mirror the resemblance becomes appar- [10] Kutz, Myer (Ed). (2006) The Mechanical Engineers
Handbook. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
ent. The Mollier diagram coordinates are enthalpy and
humidity ratio. The enthalpy coordinate is skewed and the [11] American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Airlines of constant enthalpy are parallel and evenly spaced.
Conditioning Engineers (1997). ASHRAE Fundamentals
The ASHRAE psychrometric charts since 1961 use simHandbook
ilar plotting coordinates. Some psychrometric charts use
[12] Biasca, Karyn. Psychrometric Chart Tutorial, accessed
dry-bulb temperature and humidity ratio coordinates.
November 20, 2010.

See also
Air
Air conditioning
Daltons law of Partial Pressures
Dew point and dew point temperature
Dry-bulb temperature
Evaporative cooling
Humidity
Relative humidity
Wet-bulb temperature
Operative temperature

[13] Mollier, R. 1923. Ein neues diagram fr dampuftgemische. ZVDI 67(9)

[14] Todorovic, B., ASHRAE Transactions DA-07-024 (1131), 2007

6 External links
Western Cooling Eciency Center Psych: An Open
Source Psychrometric Plug-in for Microsoft Excel
by Kevin Brown.
Psychrometric Chart Software Digital version of
Psychrometric Chart for easy HVAC calculations.
Xchanger Inc, webpage Calculator for humidity,
dew point, mass ows & heat ux for variable pressure systems with compressors, blowers, vacuum
pumps and heat exchangers.
Psychrometric Chart - Detailed psychrometric chart
including curves for enthalpy, air mass, and water
mass.

6
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
Universal Industrial Gases, Inc. webpage - Links to
physical properties tables, to psychrometric charts
that depict inter-relationships among the various
physical properties of air, to online psychrometric
properties calculators for easy calculation of properties, and to individual gas information pages.
Corwins Calculators Calculator for humidity, dew
point.
Anatomy of the Psychrometric chart, from educatesustainability.eu
Psychrogen Psychrometric Charts, Calculators
Psychrometric Online & Desktop Psychrometric
Calculator for easy Psychrometric Calculations and
much more ......
How to read and use a psychrometric chart

EXTERNAL LINKS

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

Psychrometrics Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychrometrics?oldid=688312760 Contributors: Jdpipe, Hankwang, Cdang,

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7.3

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