Psychrometrics

DETERMINATION OF PHYSICAL AND THERMODYNAMIC

PROPERTIES OF GASVAPOR
MIXTURES

A psychometric chart is a graph of the physical

properties of moist air at a
constant pressure (often equated to an elevation
relative to sea level). The
chart graphically expresses how various properties
relate to each other, and is
thus a graphical equation of state. The thermo physical
properties found on
most psychometric charts are:
• Dry-bulb temperature (DBT) is that of an air
sample, as determined by an
ordinary thermometer, the thermometer's bulb
being dry. It is typically the
abscissa, or horizontal axis of the graph. The SI
units for temperature are
Celsius; other units are Fahrenheit.
• 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.
The WBT is the same as the DBT when the air
sample is saturated with
water.
• Dew point temperature (DPT) is that
temperature at which a moist air
sample at the same pressure would reach
water vapor saturation.
At this saturation point, water vapor would begin to
condense into liquid
water fog or (if below freezing) solid hoarfrost,
as heat is removed. The
dew point temperature is measured easily and provides
useful information, but
is normally not considered an independent property. It
duplicates information
available via other humidity properties and the
saturation curve.
• Relative Humidity (RH) is the ratio of the mole
fraction of water vapor to the
mole fraction of saturated moist air at the same
temperature and pressure. RH
is dimensionless, and is usually expressed as a
percentage. Lines of constant RH
reflect the physics of air and water: they are
determined via experimental
measurement. Note: the notion that air "holds" moisture,
or that moisture
dissolves in dry air and saturates the solution at some
proportion, is an
erroneous (albeit widespread) concept
Humidity Ratio (also known as Moisture Content, Mixing
Ratio, or Specific Humidity) 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 typically the ordinate or 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:
Specific Enthalpy symbolized by h, also called heat
content per unit mass, is the sum of the
internal (heat) energy of the moist air in question, including the
heat of the air and water
vapor within.
In the approximation of ideal gasses, 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 air.
Specific Volume, also called Inverse Density, is the
volume per unit mass of the air sample.
The SI units are cubic meters per kilogram of air; other units
are cubic feet per pound of dry
air.
The versatility of the psychometric chart lies in the fact that by
knowing three independent
properties of some moist air (one of which is the
pressure), the other properties can be
determined. Changes in state, such as when two air
streams mix, can be modeled easily and
somewhat graphically using the correct
psychometric chart for the location's air pressure or
elevation relative to sea level. For locations at or below
2000 ft (600 m), a common assumption
is to use the sea level psychometric chart.
How to read the chart
The most common chart used by practitioners and
students alike is the "ω-t" (omega-t)
chart in which the Dry Bulb Temperature (DBT) appears
horizontally as the abscissa and
the humidity ratios (ω) appear as the ordinates.
In order to use a particular chart, for a given air
pressure or elevation, at least two of
the six independent properties must be known (DBT,
WBT, RH, Humidity Ratio, Specific
Enthalpy, and Specific Volume). This gives rise to 15
possible combinations.
DBT : This can be determined from the abscissa
DPT : Follow the horizontal line from the point where
the line from the horizontal axis
arrives at 100% RH, also known as the saturation curve.
WBT : Line inclined to the horizontal and intersects
saturation curve at DBT point.
RH : Hyperbolic lines drawn asymptotically with respect
to the saturation curve which
corresponds to 100% RH.
Humidity Ratio : Marked on Ordinate axis.
Specific Enthalpy : lines of equal values, or hash
marks for, slope from the upper left to
the lower right.
Specific Volume : Equally spaced parallel family of
lines.
Human comfort
Inevitably 'comfort' is a very subjective matter. The
Engineer aims to ensure
'comfort' for most people found from statistical surveys
.Most people (90%) are
comfortable when the air temperature is between
18-22°C and the %sat is
between 40-65%. This zone can be shown on the
psychometric chart. And is
known as the comfort zone.
Outside air is quite likely to be at a
different condition from the required
comfort zone condition. In order to bring
its condition to within the comfort zone
we may need to do one or more of the
following:-heat it; cool it; dehumidify it;
humidify it; or mix it.

• HUMAN COMFORT CONTROL

• A human being is sensitive to impurities such as dust,
smoke, & pollen that cause
irritation to the nose, lungs, & eyes, Thus there is a need
for clean air.
• A human being also requires fresh air to renew oxygen
supply as well as to
dilute undesirable odors.
• Due to these reasons some properties of the air must
be adjusted which are
essential to provide a comfortable & healthful
environment.
• Temperature- by cooling or heating.
• Moisture content -by humidifying or
dehumidifying.
• Movement -by circulation
• Cleanliness -by filtration
• Ventilation- by recalculating fresh air to
replace stale air.
• COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR
HUMANS :
• Comfortable environment for humans Human body
adjusts to the temperature
changes of its surrounding .Inside temperature of
human body, known as
subsurface temperature is 37 degree c.(98.6 F)
Temperature at the skin
surface is about 21 degree c.(70 F.)
• If surrounding temperature adjacent to skin, Is more
than skin surface
temperature we fill hot, If less we fill cold.
• When cold, nerve send the signal to brain to close the
pores tightly, When hot,
nerve send the signal to brain to open the pores causing
to release the liquid
from skin, which in turn maintains the temperature of skin
surface by
evaporation, to feel comfortable.
• A balance is thus maintained so that deep tissue heat
should not deviate more
than one degree Fahrenheit, However this does not
means one is always
comfortable, as out side tissues always come across
these variable conditions
which results in discomfortable feelings to human being.
• WHAT IS AIR CONDITIONING :
• Air conditioning is the process by which
• AIR IS COOLED OR HEATED.
• CLEANED OR FILTERED.
• CIRCULATED OR RECIRCULATED.
• CONTROL THE QUALITY & QUANTITY
• This means by air conditioning system the temperature,
humidity & volume of
air can be controlled at any time in any situation.
FUNCTIONS OF HVAC
• CONTROL OF AIR TEMPERATURE.
• CONTROL OF MOISTURE CONTENT IN
THE AIR.
• PROPER AIR MOVEMENT.
• TO HOLD THE AIR CONTAMINATION
WITHIN ACCEPTABLE
LIMITS.