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CIV300 Terrestrial Energy

Systems
Water Vapour as a Major Energy Carrier
Lecture 11 - 12

How to Dene Humidity?

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Humidity Ra+o = Mass of vapour / mass of dry air (g/kg or no dims)

This is the absolute amount of water vapour in the airand we represent

this as a percentage of the total possible with the relaNve humidity (RH as a
%).

Atmospheric pressure varies with atmospheric humidity (Daltons Law of

ParNal Pressures)

E = Actual Vapour Pressure

E* = Saturated Vapour Pressure

SaturaNon Vapour Pressure Curve

E* is the saturated vapour pressure

Psychrometric Chart

Humidity RaNo (g/kg)

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SaturaNon temperature

Enthalpy (kJ/kg of dry air)

Dry Bulb Temperature

Key Items
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Chart has a bewildering range of potenNal measurements

Focus on dry bulb, wet bulb, relaNve humidity, dew point, humidity raNo,
enthalpy

Psychrometric Chart provides a graphic relaNonship of the condiNon of air

Wet Bulb
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Wet Bulb temperature relates relaNve humidity to the dry air temperature
(Dry Bulb) via the energy, or Enthalpy (kJ/kg) - a measure of how it feels

A direct measure of the ability to evaporate and therefore cool a

thermometer. The higher the RH, the less the ability to evaporate and cool

The drier the air the more rapid evaporaNon on a thermometer the lower
the wet bulb. OR the moister the air, the closer dry bulb to wet bulb.

Dry Bulb Temperature (deg C) = Web Bulb temperature at 100% RH

follow the enthalpy lines to the curve to read it.

Wet Bulb Temperature Measurement

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Toronto Design Day

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ASHRAE states we need to meet 27oC dry bulb / 21oC

wet bulb

Equates to 27oC / 58% RH

Melbourne, FL Design Day

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ASHRAE states we need to meet 30oC dry bulb / 25oC

wet bulb

Equates to 30oC / 67% RH

How Air CondiNoning Works.

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Reading from the Chart.

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Air at 30oC/50%
RH?

22oC wet bulb
65 kJ/kg enthalpy
0.013 kg/kg dry air
moisture content

Real Life
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Dead of winter

Tropical
summer

Desert heat

Humidity in the
home

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Dew Point
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Can now see why we get dew and frost

AdiabaNc cooling forces RH to 100% condensaNon

Find the dry bulb and RH, follow the line horizontally as it cools, unNl it
meets the curve

If ambient temperature is <0C, you will get frost.

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Dew point

Frost point

Reading from the Chart.

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0.013 humidity raNo

18oC dew point

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Which window got caulked?

Light Relief
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What is the Humidex?

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Humidex



So the humidex IS related to the wet bulb in laymans terms

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The humidex
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Types of Fog
1. Radia+on fog
Ground cools o at night. Reduces temperature of moist air which then
reaches the dew point. Fog.
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Why does fog burn o in sunlight?

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Types of Fog
2. Advec+on fog
Moist air blows across cold surface.
Welcome to Newfoundland.

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Catch the Fog

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Low Level Cloud FormaNon

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Warm moist air rises up e.g. summer over Lake Ontario

What happens on the chart?

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Air Mass and Mountains

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The moist wind approaches from the westor east in Nanaimo

Recall psychrometrics

What happens when it hits the dew point?

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How Air CondiNoning Weather Works.

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