SUSTAINABLE ENERGY UTILIZATION

Lecture:
- PSYCHROMETRICS
Assist. Prof. Igor BALEN

International MSc Programme Sustainable Energy Engineering

Psychrometrics
Basic terms
- moist air typical atmospheric air which contains a certain amount of
water vapor (mixture of two ideal gases - dry air and water vapor)
- dry air O2 & N2 mixture that contains no water vapor
- assumed to consist of:
Nitrogen N2 : 78 % of volume, M=28 kg/kmol
Oxygen O2 : 21 % of volume, M=32 kg/kmol
Argon Ar: 1 % of volume, M=40 kg/kmol
mean molecular mass M=28.96 kg/kmol
PSYCHROMETRICS deals with the thermodynamic properties of moist air
and uses these properties to analyze conditions and processes involving
moist air.
- considering temperature range 40 to 50C

Psychrometrics
Basic terms
- dry-bulb temperature - usually referred to as air temperature, is the air
property that is most common used.
- when people refer to the temperature of the air, they are normally referring
to its dry bulb temperature.
- dry-bulb temperature - Tdb, can be measured by using a normal
thermometer; it is an indicator of heat content.
- wet-bulb temperature - associated with the moisture content of the air.
- Twb can be measured with a thermometer that has the bulb covered with a
water-moistened bandage with air flowing over the thermometer.
- wet-bulb temperatures are always lower than dry bulb temperatures but
they will be identical with 100% relative humidity in the air.
- dew point - Tdp, is the temperature at which water vapor starts to
condense out of the air, the temperature at which air becomes completely
saturated; above this temperature the moisture will stay in the air.

Psychrometrics
Basic parameters
- humidity ratio (moisture content, specific humidity) - the ratio between the
actual mass of water vapor present in moist air - to the mass of the dry air
- normally expressed in kilogram water vapor per kilogram dry air:

mw
x=
ma

mass of water

[kgwater/kgdry air]

- hard to measure, but very

useful in calculations

mass of dry air

- assuming ideal gas behavior, humidity ratio can also be expressed with
the partial pressure of water vapor and total pressure of air:

pw
x = 0.622
p pw

Partial pressure of
water vapor [Pa]

[kgwater/kgdry air]

Total pressure of
moist air [Pa]

Psychrometrics
Basic parameters
- relative humidity - is the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a
given moist air sample to the partial pressure of water vapor in an air
sample saturated at the same temperature and pressure:

pw
=
ps ( T )

the partial pressure

of water vapor

- easy to measure and useful in

some contexts, but often need to
know temperature as well

the saturation pressure of water vapor in the

absence of air at the given temperature T

- relation between humidity ratio and relative humidity:

x = 0.622

ps ( T )
p

ps ( T )

p
x
=
p s ( T ) x + 0.622

Psychrometrics
Basic parameters
- specific volume function of temperature, pressure and moisture content:

T
va = 461.6 (0.622 + x)
p

[m3/kgdry air]

- density of the moist air:

p ps 1 + x
= s +
=
287.1T
va

[kgmoist air / m3]

- the moist air saturation:

ps ( T )
[kgwater/kgdry air]
x s = 0.622
p ps ( T )
=1
- for dry air: x =0 kg/kg; =0

Psychrometrics
Basic parameters
- specific enthalpy - consist of sensible heat and latent heat; it is important
for calculating cooling and heating processes.
- enthalpy of moist and humid air includes:
the enthalpy of the dry air - the sensible heat
the enthalpy of the evaporated water - the latent heat
- specific enthalpy - h (kJ/kg) of moist air is defined as the total enthalpy of
the dry air and the water vapor mixture per kg of dry air.
- specific enthalpy of dry air:

h = cp t

[kJ/kgdry air]

- specific enthalpy of the water vapor:

h = r0 + c p ,v t [kJ/kgdry air]

t temperature of air [C]

cp specific heat capacity of
air [kJ/(kgK)]
cp,v specific heat capacity of
water vapor [kJ/(kgK)]
r0 evaporation heat of water
at 0C [kJ/kg]

Psychrometrics
Basic parameters
- specific enthalpy of the water - fog:

h = ( x x s )c w t

[kJ/kgdry air]
specific heat capacity of
liquid water [kJ/(kgK)]

- specific enthalpy of the ice:

h = ( x x s )( ci t qi )
specific heat capacity of
ice [kJ/(kgK)]

[kJ/kgdry air]
melting heat of ice [kJ/kg]

- specific enthalpy of the moist air (unsaturated):

h = 1.01 t + x( 2501 + 1.86 t ) [kJ/kgdry air]

Psychrometrics
Basic parameters
- specific enthalpy of the moist air containing water fog (saturated):

h = 1.01 t + x s ( 2501 + 1.86 t ) + ( x x s )4.19 t [kJ/kgdry air]

- specific enthalpy of the moist air containing ice (saturated):

h = 1.01 t + x s ( 2501 + 1.86 t ) + ( x x s )( 2.09 t 334 )

- mass flow of dry air:

V&
m& a =
1+ x

volume flow of the

moist air [m3/s]
density of the moist
air [kg/m3]

[kgdry air/s]

Psychrometrics
Psycrometric chart and Mollier (h-x) diagram

90
.028

60
%

80

80
%

.024

.020

lb
Bu
et
W

)
(F 70

.016

.012

60
%
20

50

HUMIDITY RATIO (Lbv/Lba)

%
40

.008

40
.004

40

50

60

70
80
90
DRY BULB TEMPERATURE (F)

100

Psychrometric chart

120

Mollier diagram

Psychrometrics
Psycrometric chart and Mollier (h-x) diagram the difference

FLIP

ROTATE

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Unsaturated

Saturation line
Saturated - fog

Saturated - ice

Mollier (h-x) diagram

- need two quantities for a state point
State point

- can get all other quantities from a state

point
- can do all calculations without a chart,
but sometimes it requires iteration

Dew point

- pressure must be specified

- charts available for a range of pressures
- dew point right below the state point on
the saturation line

Psychrometer
- adiabatic saturation temperature
can be determined (at atmospheric
pressure) by using a thermometer
whose bulb is covered with a wet
bandage
- measuring:
webbulb temperature
drybulb temperature
- sling psychrometer (the picture)
- electronic humidity sensors available
today

Psychrometer
- determination of the state point 1:
graphically
mathematically:

hs h1
dh
= hws = c wt wb =
dx
x s x1
- i.e. if measured tdb, twb; xs, hs read
from the table for saturation line:

hs 4.19t wb x s 1.01t db
x1 =
2501 + 1.86t db 4.19t wb
t1 = t db

tdb
twb

Mollier (h-x) diagram

- for all points on the saturation line =1, dry-bulb temperature tdb, wet-bulb
temperature twb and dew point tdp are
the same!
s

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Adiabatic mixing of two air streams of different properties

1
M
L2
L1
2

- graphical solution:
measure the distance
between 1 and 2, then
calculate L1 or/and L2

m& M = m& 1 + m& 2

L = L1 + L2
m& 1
L
L1 =
m& M
m& 2
L2 =
L
m& M

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Adiabatic mixing of two air streams of different properties
- mathematical solution:

[kgdry air/s]
m& M = m& 1 + m& 2
m& 1
m& 2
xM =
x1 +
x2 [kgwater/kgdry air]
m& M
m& M

hM

m& 1
m& 2
=
h1 +
h2
m& M
m& M

[kJ/kgdry air]

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Sensible heating and cooling
- humidity ratio stays unchanged while
temperature increases (heating) or
decreases (cooling) and relative
humidity changes

2
=c
h2
st.
on

Q&1 2 = m& a ( h2 h1 )

[kW]

h2 h1 = 1.01( t 2 t1 ) [kJ/kgdry air]

1
=c
h1
st.
on

h2-h1

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Cooling and dehumidification
- temperature and humidity ratio decrease

Q&1 2 = m& a ( h1 h2 ) [kW]

- the state point 2 determined graphically

- the theoretical point 2 read from the
table for saturation line

2
2

h1-h2

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Humidification by injection of water (liquid or vapor)
x2
- liquid water:
2v
1
2w

m& w = m& a ( x2 x1 )
h2 w h1
dh
= hw = c wt w =
dx
x2 x1
- water vapor:

m& v = m& a ( x2 x1 )
h2v h1
dh
= hv =
dx
x2 x1

from the table

for saturated
vapor [kJ/kg]

Mollier (h-x) diagram

Evaporative cooling (air washing)
- wet-bulb temperature of the entering air
stream limits direct evaporative cooling (the
diagram) efficiency 80-95%

1
2
s

- wet-bulb temperature of the secondary air

stream limits indirect evaporative cooling
efficiency 60-75%

Psychrometric chart
Condition line for a space

enthalpy change [kJ/kg]

sensible load [kJ/kg]

q& S + ( x2 x1 )r = ( h2 h1 )
latent load [kJ/kg]

- condition line:

sensible-to-total heat ratio

h h2 h1 q& S + ( x2 x1 )r
=
=
x x2 x1
x2 x1
Q& S
SHR =
Q& S + Q& L