Psychrometry
Atmospheric Air
Gas laws for Moist Air
• Both dry air and water vapour behave as ideal
gases and ideal gas laws can be applied on it
• Dalton’s law of Partial pressure
Total Pressure of mixture of gases is equal to the
sum of Pressure of individual components
Psychrometry
• Psychrometric Properties: The properties of moist air.
• Psychrometry: The study of Psychrometric properties
• Different Psyschrometric Properties are
1. Dry bulb temperature (DBT)
The temperature of the moist air as measured by a standard thermometer or other
temperature measuring instruments is known as dry bulb temperature.
2. Saturated vapour pressure (psat)
It is the saturated partial pressure of water vapour in the moist air at the given dry bulb
temperature.
It is the highest partial pressure of vapour in moist air at the given dry bulb temperature
At this pressure the moist air contain maximum amount of moisture content
The saturated vapour pressure can be obtained from steam tables.
Psychrometry
3. Specific humidity or Humidity ratio or Moisture
content (W):
The ratio of mass of water vapours to the mass of dry
air is known as specific humidity.
Mathematically.
W= mv /ma
Psychrometry
4. Dew-point temperature:
If unsaturated moist air is cooled at constant pressure, then the
temperature at which the moisture in the air begins to condense is
known as dew-point temperature (DPT) of air.
OR
It is saturation temperature at the Partial pressure of water vapor in
the moist air.
The dew point temperature can be obtained from the steam table
For fully saturated air the dew point temperature and dry bulb
temperature becomes equal
Psychrometry
5. Degree of saturation μ:
The degree of saturation is the ratio of the humidity(mass of
water vapor per kg of dry air) ratio W of moist air to the humidity
ratio of a saturated moist air Ws at the same temperature, i.e
μ = pv/ps . [1-ps/p]/[1- pv/p]
Psychrometry
6. Specific volume:
The specific volume is defined as the volume of
moist air per kilogram of dry air i.e.,
Psychrometry
7. Relative humidity (Φ)
The ratio of the mass of water vapour in moist
air to mass of water vapour in saturated air at
the same temperature and volume.
Φ = [mv /m vs ] T,V
Psychrometry
8. Enthalpy: The enthalpy of moist air is the sum
of the enthalpy of the dry air and the
enthalpy of the water vapour.
h= ha + whv
Psychrometry
Taking the refrence state enthalpy as zero for saturated liquid and air at 0 ◦C
ha = Cpat
since Cpa =1.005 kJ/(kg.K)
So
ha = 1.005 t
hv =Cpw td + (hfg)d+Cpv(t-td)
Taking the specific heat of liquid water as 4.1868kJ/(kg.K) and that of water vapour as 1.88
kJ/(kg.K) in the range of 0 to 60 ◦C
hv = 4.1868 td + (hfg)d+1.88(t-td)
Since the enthalpy of ideal gas at low pressure is a function of temperature only therefore
hv = 2501 + 1.88 t
So enthalpy of moist air
h = 1.005 t + w(2501 + 1.88 t)
Psychrometry
• Humid Specific Heat
h= (Cpa + wCpv)t + w (hfg)0 ◦C
H= (1.005+w 1.88)t +w hfg)0C
H=1.0216t+ 2501w
Psychrometric Chart
Psychrometric Chart
• What is Psychrometry?
• The term air conditioning means treating of air or conditioning the air to
change its temperature or the moisture as per the requirements of
various applications. Air conditioners are used throughout the world for
a number of applications and one just can’t imagine the life without
them. They are the devices or machine that condition or alter the state
of the air by changing its temperature and the humidity level. Though
you may have read about the various
types of air conditioning systems, you may have hardly bothered
about reading the various constituents of the air and what changes
occur in them that lead to reduction in the temperature of the air and
changes in its humidity.
• Psychrometry is the science of study of various properties of air, method
of controlling its temperature and moisture content or humidity and its
effect on various materials and human beings. Studying Psychrometry
helps understanding different constituents of air and how they affect
each other, which in turn unravels various mysteries of the atmosphere
and the nature. Some of the psychrometric properties of air that we are
going to study are: dry bulb temperature, wet bulb temperature, dew
point temperature, relative humidity etc.
• Composition of Air
• Air comprises of mixture of various gases and water vapor or moisture. The air without any water vapor is called as dry
air, thus the ordinary air is the mixture of dry air and water vapor. As such the air always contains some amount of water
vapor so the pure dry air doesn’t really exists, however its concept is very important in understanding the properties of
the air and how various changes occur in the air conditioning process. The dry air and water vapor mixture is merely
physical one as there is no chemical reaction between the two.
• The dry air is composed of various gases, chiefly nitrogen (78%), and oxygen (21%). The remaining 1% of
the gases includes carbon dioxide, and very small quantities of inert gases like hydrogen, helium, neon,
and argon. The water vapor is also small part of the air included among remaining 1% of the gases.
• The amount of moisture in air by its mass keeps on varying from place to place and depending on the
atmospheric conditions at a particular place. The places located close to the sea areas contain more
moisture while the desert areas contain less moisture. Similarly, during the raining seasons the moisture
content of the air is high while during summers and winters its low. The air contains usually 1% to 3% of
moisture by mass.
• At the normal atmospheric temperature conditions oxygen gas exists in superheated conditions as gas
since its boiling point is -182.7 degree C or -297 degree F. By nature oxygen is highly active agent causing
rusting and corrosion of metals. Nitrogen too exists in superheated condition as gas in the atmosphere
since its boiling point is -195 degree C or -319 degree F. However, nitrogen is an inert gas and does not
cause any chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Since the chief constituents of the air are oxygen and
nitrogen and they both exist in superheated condition, the air also exists in the superheated conditions as
the gas.
• It is important to note here that small changes in the temperature of the dry air during the air
conditioning process cause very small changes in its volume and density. It is also important to note that
all the heat that is added or removed from the air during air conditioning process is the sensible heat and
no latent heat is involved since the boiling point temperatures of oxygen and nitrogen are very low.
• Another important point to note is that the water vapor exists in the superheated condition, but when it is
cooled or heated there is change in its phases, hence it absorbs or liberates sensible heat as well as the
latent heat due to changes in its phases. This is what makes the whole process of air conditioning highly
complicated. Cooling of water vapor results in its condensation, whiles its heating leads to superheating.
