PSYCHROMETRY 12-7

FIG. 12-1 Grosvenor psychrometric chart for the air-water system at standard atmospheric pressure, 101,325 Pa, SI units.
(Courtesy Carrier Corporation.)

temperature range than Grosvenor charts, so are useful for dryer calcu- boiling point, e.g., in pulp and paper drying. See Soininen, Drying
lations. The slope of the enthalpy lines is normally −1/λ, where λ is the Technol. 4(2): 295–305 (1986).
latent heat of evaporation. Adiabatic saturation lines are not quite paral- Figure 12-4 shows a psychrometric chart for combustion products
lel to constant-enthalpy lines and are slightly curved; the deviation in air. The thermodynamic properties of moist air are given in Table
increases as humidity increases. Figure 12-3 shows an example. 12-1. Figure 12-4 shows a number of useful additional relationships,
The Salen-Soininen perspectively transformed chart is a triangu- e.g., specific volume and latent heat variation with temperature. Accu-
lar plot. It is tricky to plot and read, but covers a much wider range of rate figures should always be obtained from physical properties tables
humidity than do the other types of chart (up to 2 kg/kg) and is thus or by calculation using the formulas given earlier, and these charts
very effective for high-humidity mixtures and calculations near the should only be used as a quick check for verification.
12-8 PSYCHROMETRY, EVAPORATIVE COOLING, AND SOLIDS DRYING

In the past, psychrometric charts have been used to perform quite qa = heat added to system, Btu/lb dry air
precise calculations. To do this, additive corrections are often required qr = heat removed from system, Btu/lb dry air
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, Subscripts 1, 2, 3, etc., indicate entering and subsequent states.
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 Example 1: Determination of Moist Air Properties Find the prop-
erties of moist air when the dry-bulb temperature is 80°F and the wet-bulb tem-
as a rough cross-check that the result has been calculated correctly. Table perature is 67°F.
12-4 gives values of saturation humidity, specific volume, enthalpy, and Solution: Read directly from Fig. 12-2a (Fig. 12-6a shows the solution dia-
entropy of saturated moist air at selected conditions. Below the freezing grammatically).
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 Moisture content H = 78 gr/lb dry air
approximately 900 ft gives a pressure decrease of 1 inHg (0.034 bar). For = 0.011 lb water/lb dry air
a recorded wet-bulb temperature of 50°F (10°C), this gives an increase Enthalpy at saturation h′ = 31.6 Btu/lb dry air
in humidity of 1.9 gr/lb (0.00027 kg/kg) and the enthalpy increases by Enthalpy deviation D = −0.1 Btu/lb dry air
0.29 Btu/lb (0.68 kJ/kg). This correction increases roughly proportion-
True enthalpy h = 31.5 Btu/lb dry air
ately for further changes in pressure, but climbs sharply as wet-bulb tem-
perature is increased; when Twb reaches 100°F (38°C), ∆Y = 11.2 gr/lb Specific volume v = 13.8 ft3/lb dry air
(0.0016 kg/kg) and ∆H = 1.77 Btu/lb (4.12 kJ/kg). Equivalent, more Relative humidity = 51 percent
detailed tables in SI units can be found in the ASHRAE Handbook. Dew point td = 60.3°F
Examples Illustrating Use of Psychrometric Charts In these
examples the following nomenclature is used: Example 2: Air Heating Air is heated by a steam coil from 30°F dry-bulb
temperature and 80 percent relative humidity to 75°F dry-bulb temperature. Find
t = dry-bulb temperatures, °F the relative humidity, wet-bulb temperature, and dew point of the heated air.
tw = wet-bulb temperature, °F Determine the quantity of heat added per pound of dry air.
td = dewpoint temperature, °F Solution: Reading directly from the psychrometric chart (Fig. 12-2a),
H = moisture content, lb water/lb dry air Relative humidity = 15 percent
∆H = moisture added to or rejected from the airstream, Wet-bulb temperature = 51.5°F
lb water/lb dry air Dew point = 25.2°F
h′ = enthalpy at saturation, Btu/lb dry air
D = enthalpy deviation, Btu/lb dry air The enthalpy of the inlet air is obtained from Fig. 12-2a as h1 = h′1 + D1 =
h = h′ + D = true enthalpy, Btu/lb dry air 10.1 + 0.06 = 10.16 Btu/lb dry air; at the exit, h2 = h′2 + D2 = 21.1 − 0.1 = 21 Btu/lb
hw = enthalpy of water added to or rejected from system, Btu/lb dry air. The heat added equals the enthalpy difference, or
dry air qa = ∆h = h2 − h1 = 21 − 10.16 = 10.84 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.)
 PSYCHROMETRY 12-9

FIG. 12-2b Grosvenor psychrometric chart (high-temperature) for the air-water system at standard atmospheric pres-
sure, 29.92 inHg, U.S. Customary units. (Source: Carrier Corporation.)

If the enthalpy deviation is ignored, the heat added qa is ∆h = 21.1 − 10.1 = 11 enters at 70°F. Determine exit dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature,
Btu/lb dry air, or the result is 1.5 percent high. Figure 12-6b shows the heating change in enthalpy of the air, and quantity of moisture added per pound of
path on the psychrometric chart. dry air.
Solution: Figure 12-6c shows the path on a psychrometric chart. The leav-
Example 3: Evaporative Cooling Air at 95°F dry-bulb temperature ing dry-bulb temperature is obtained directly from Fig. 12-2a as 72.2°F. Since
and 70°F wet-bulb temperature contacts a water spray, where its relative humid- the spray water enters at the wet-bulb temperature of 70°F and there is no heat
ity is increased to 90 percent. The spray water is recirculated; makeup water added to or removed from it, this is by definition an adiabatic process and there
12-10 PSYCHROMETRY, EVAPORATIVE COOLING, AND SOLIDS DRYING

FIG. 12-3 Mollier psychrometric chart for the air-water system at standard atmospheric pressure,
101,325 Pa SI units, plots humidity (abscissa) against enthalpy (lines sloping diagonally from top left to
bottom right). (Source: Aspen Technology.)

will be no change in wet-bulb temperature. The only change in enthalpy is that Exit enthalpy h2 = h′2 + D2 = 10.1 + 0.06
from the heat content of the makeup water. This can be demonstrated as fol- = 10.16 Btu/lb dry air
lows:
Inlet moisture H1 = 78 gr/lb dry air
Inlet moisture H1 = 70 gr/lb dry air
Exit moisture H2 = 19 gr/lb dry air
Exit moisture H2 = 107 gr/lb dry air
Moisture rejected ∆H = 59 gr/lb dry air
∆H = 37 gr/lb dry air
Enthalpy of rejected moisture = −1.26 Btu/lb dry air (from small
Inlet enthalpy h1 = h′1 + D1 = 34.1 − 0.22 diagram of Fig. 12-2a)
= 33.88 Btu/lb dry air Cooling load qr = 31.52 − 10.16 + 1.26
Exit enthalpy h2 = h′2 + D2 = 34.1 − 0.02 = 22.62 Btu/lb dry air
= 34.08 Btu/lb dry air
Enthalpy of added water hw = 0.2 Btu/lb dry air (from small diagram, Note that if the enthalpy deviations were ignored, the calculated cooling load
37 gr at 70°F) would be about 5 percent low.
Then qa = h2 − h1 + hw
= 34.08 − 33.88 + 0.2 = 0 Example 5: Cooling Tower Determine water consumption and amount
of heat dissipated per 1000 ft3/min of entering air at 90°F dry-bulb temperature
Example 4: Cooling and Dehumidification Find the cooling load per and 70°F wet-bulb temperature when the air leaves saturated at 110°F and the
pound of dry air resulting from infiltration of room air at 80°F dry-bulb temper- makeup water is at 75°F.
ature and 67°F wet-bulb temperature into a cooler maintained at 30°F dry-bulb Solution: The path followed is shown in Fig. 12-6e.
and 28°F wet-bulb temperature, where moisture freezes on the coil, which is Exit moisture H2 = 416 gr/lb dry air
maintained at 20°F.
Inlet moisture H1 = 78 gr/lb dry air
Solution: The path followed on a psychrometric chart is shown in Fig. 12-6d.
Moisture added ∆H = 338 gr/lb dry air
Inlet enthalpy h1 = h′1 + D1 = 31.62 − 0.1 Enthalpy of added moisture hw = 2.1 Btu/lb dry air (from small diagram
= 31.52 Btu/lb dry air of Fig. 12-2b)