PSYCHROMETRIC CHART:

Theory and Application

ME301A
 PSYCHROMETRY

• The name “ Psychrometry ” is given to the study

of the properties of air-water vapour mixtures.

• Atmospheric air is considered to be a mixture of

dry air and water vapour.
 Properties Of Air
• Dry-bulb temperature
• Wet-bulb temperature
• Dew-point temperature
• Relative humidity
• Humidity ratio
 TEMPERATURES
• Dry Bulb Temperature : DBT( tdb) the actual temperature of gas or
mixture of gases indicated by an error-free temperature measuring
device.

• Wet bulb temperature : WBT(twb) It is the temperature obtained by

an accurate thermometer having a wick moistened with distilled
water .

• Dew point temperature: DPT(tdp) It is the temperature at which the

liquid droplets just appear when the moist air is cooled continuously.

• The equipment used for measuring the dry bulb temperature and
wet bulb temperature simultaneously is known as Psychrometer.
WET BULBTHERMOMETER
PSYCHROMETER
Condensation Occurs at
Dew Point

Fog Occurs When Air is

Saturated
 Relative Humidity

…describes the degree of saturation

…compares moisture content to saturation
Amount of moisture that a given amount of air is holding
Relative =
Humidity Amount of moisture that a given amount of air can hold

50% 100%
(saturated)
 Knowing Two Properties
…lets you determine the remaining three

• Dry-bulb temperature
• Wet-bulb temperature
• Dew-point temperature
• Relative humidity
• Humidity ratio
 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
■ Identify parts of the chart
■ Determine moist air properties
■ Use chart to analyze processes
involving moist air
 Enthalpy
kJ/kg

Specific humidity
Dew
Point

100%
Saturation

Wet
Blub
Specific
Volume
Dry
Blub
 relationship between…
Dry Bulb, Wet Bulb And Dew Point
220

200 A B C D
Dry Bulb 60°F 62°F 75°F 90°F
180
Wet Bulb 60°F 60.8°F 65.2°F 70°F
Grains Of Moisture Per Pound Of Dry Air

Dew Point 60°F 60°F 60°F 60°F

When Saturated (grains/lb of dry air)

160

Rel Humidity 100% 92% 60% 37%

140

120

100
60°F A 60°F
80 Wet Bulb Dew Point

60 B C D
40

20

0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110
Dry-Bulb Temperature (°F)
© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN
 moisture content doesn’t change by…
Adding Sensible Heat
220

200

180
100% Saturation
Grains Of Moisture Per Pound Of Dry Air

160
When Saturated (grains/lb of dry air)

140

120

100
60°F 60°F
80 Wet Bulb Dew Point

60

40

20

0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110
Dry-Bulb Temperature (°F)
© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN
 intersection represents…
Three Air Properties
220

200

180
Grains Of Moisture Per Pound Of Dry Air

160
When Saturated (grains/lb of dry air)

140

120

100

80 Humidity Ratio

60

40
Dry Bulb
20
Relative Humidity
0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110
Dry-Bulb Temperature (°F)
© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN
Psychrometric chart: Example 1
Given: T = 25°C
Tw = 20°C
Required: (a) RH (), (b) Tdp, (c) humidity ratio, (d) v, (e) h

57.5 kJ/kg
d.a.

20.0°C
63%
17.6° 12.6 g/kg
C d.a.

25°C
0.86 m3/kg
d.a.
Effect Of Adding Sensible Heat

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Effect Of Removing Sensible Heat

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Effect Of Adding Moisture

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Effect Of Removing Moisture

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

effect of changing…
Sensible Heat And Moisture Content

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

effect of changing…
Sensible Heat And Moisture Content

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Determining Entering Air Conditions

Air Conditioner
Mixture Outdoor
C
Air (OA)
B

Supply FanCooling Coil

A
Recirculated Air
(RA)

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Determining Entering Air Conditions

Outdoor
Air
B

A
Recirculated 95°F
Air 80°F

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Determining Entering Air Conditions
C B
4,000 cfm 1,000 cfm
Mixed Air OA

1,000 cfm = 0.25

A
4,000 cfm
3,000 cfm
OA = 25% RA
RA = 75%
Mixture = 100%
© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN
Determining Entering Air Conditions

Mixed Air Temperature

95°F × 0.25 = 23.75°F
80°F × 0.75 = 60.00°F
Mixture = 83.75°F

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Determining Entering Air Conditions

B
70°F
C

A 95°F

83.75°F
80°F

© American Standard Inc. 1999 Air Conditioning Clinic TRG-TRC001-EN

Psychrometric chart: Example 2
Definition of Relative Humidity
The amount of moisture in the air
expressed as a percentage of the
maximum amount of moisture the air can
hold at the given temperature.
Example: at dry bulb temp. of 77F and wet
bulb temp. of 63F, the air is holding 50%
of its maximum capacity at 77F degrees.

Enter wet bulb reading

50% RH

Enter dry bulb reading

 Sensible Heating or Cooling
■ A psychrometric process that involves the increase or decrease in the
temperature of air without changing its humidity ratio
■ Example: passing moist air over a room space heater and of kiln air over
the heating coils

1 2
 Example: Sensible Heating
2 3
T2=60ºC T3=70ºC
Tw2=50ºC
287.0 kJ/kg d.a.
Tw3=?
RH2=58.8% RH3=? 275.5 kJ/kg d.a.
51°C

50°C
2 3

60°C 70°C

RH3 = 37.6%
Tw3 = 51C
 Heating and Humidifying
■ A psychrometric process that involves the simultaneous
increase in both the dry bulb temperature and humidity ratio
of the air

1
0
 Example: Heating and humidifying
Two and a half cubic meters of lumber is being dried at 60C dry bulb temperature
and 52C wet bulb temperature. The drying rate of the lumber is 12.5 kg of water per
hour. If outside air is at 27C dry bulb temperature and 80% relative humidity, how
much outside air is needed per minute to carry away the evaporated moisture?

52°C

92 g/kg d.a.
2
1 18 g/kg d.a.

27°C 60°C
0.87 m3/kg d.a.
 Example: Heating and Humidifying (contd.)

HR = (92.0 – 18.0) g/kg dry air

= 74.0 g/kg dry air
wa1 = drying rate/HR
= (12.5 kg/hour)/(0.074 kg/kg dry air)
= 168.9 kg drying air/hour

VF1=(wa1)(v1)
=(168.9 kg dry air/hour)(0.87 m3/kg dry air)
= 147 m3/hour = 2.45 m3/minute
 Cooling and Dehumidifying
■ A psychrometric process that involves the removal of water from the air as
the air temperature falls below the dew- point temperature

2
 Example: Cooling and Dehumidifying
Moist air at 50C dry bulb temperature and 32% relative humidity enters the cooling
coil of a dehumidification kiln heat pump system and is cooled to a temperature of
18C. If the drying rate of 6 m3 of red oak lumber is 4 kg/hour,
determine the kW of refrigeration required.
115.7 kJ/kg d.a.

50.8 kJ/kg d.a.

28.8°C 25.2 g/kg d.a.
1
12.9 g/kg d.a.
2

18°C 50°C
Example: Cooling and Dehumidifying (contd.)
HR = (25.2 – 12.9) g water/kg dry air
= 12.3 g water/kg dry air
drying rate
wa 
HR
4 kg water h

0.0123 kg water kg dry air
kg dry air
 325.2
h
Example: Cooling and Dehumidifying (contd.)

h = (115.7 – 50.8) kJ/kg dry air

= 64.9 kJ/kg dry air

q  h w a 
 kJ  kg dry air 
 64.9   325.2

 kg dry air  h
kJ
 21105.7  5.9 kW
h