A Psychrometric Chart is an important tool for HVAC engineers to

carry out heat load or cooling load calculations and find solutions
to various air condition related problems. Read an overview of the
components included in a psychrometric chart.

The series of articles on properties of air discussed

important properties of air like relative humidity, dry bulb
temperature, wet bulb temperature, dew point temperature,
sensible heat and latent heat. We shall now see how the air
behaves when it is subjected to changes in temperature and
humidity to suit the various applications for which the air
conditioning is meant. The behavior of the air can be studied very
conveniently and accurately by using a psychrometric chart.

What is Psychrometric Chart?

Psychrometric charts are graphic representations of the
psychrometric properties of air. By using psychrometric charts
HVAC engineers can graphically analyze different types of
psychrometric processes and find solution to many practical
problems without having to carry out long and tedious
mathematical calculations.
The psychrometric chart looks complicated with vast numbers of
lines and curves in it, but is very easy to understand if you know
the basic properties of air. You will also understand its worth when
you actually use it considering the fact that you wont have to use
any formulae to find the properties of air in different conditions,
all you will have to know is two parameters of air and the rest are
easily found on the chart.

Various Lines and Curves in the Psychrometric Chart

All the properties of air indicated in the psychrometric chart are
calculated at the standard atmospheric pressure. For other
pressures relevant corrections have to be applied. The
psychrometric chart looks like a shoe. The various lines shown in
the chart are as follows (please refer the figs below):

1) Dry Bulb (DB) Temperature Lines:

The dry bulb temperature scale is shown along the base of the
shoe shaped psychrometric chart forming the sole. The DB
temperature increases from the left to the right. The vertical lines
shown in the chart are the constant DB temperature lines and all
the points located along a particular vertical line have same DB
temperature.

2) Moisture Content:
Moisture content is the water vapor present in the air and is
measured in gram per kg of dry air (gm/kg of dry air). The
moisture present within the air is indicated by the vertical scale
located towards the extreme right. The horizontal lines starting
from this vertical scale are constant moisture lines.

3) Wet Bulb (WB) Temperature Lines:

The outermost curve along the left side indicates the Wet Bulb
(WB) temperature scale. The constant WB temperature lines are
the diagonal lines extending from WB temperature curved scale
downwards towards the right hand side of the chart. All the points
located along the constant WB temperature line have the same
temperature.

4) Dew Point (DP) Temperature Lines:

Since the dew point temperature of the air depends on the
moisture content of the air, constant moisture lines are also
constant DP temperature lines. The scale of the DP and WB
temperature is the same, however, while the constant WB
temperature lines are diagonal lines extending downwards, the
constant DP temperature lines are horizontal lines. Thus the
constant DP and WB temperature lines are different.

Reference
1) Book: Principles of Refrigeration by Roy J. Dossat
2) Book: Basic Refrigeration and Air Conditioning by P N
Ananthanarayan

Image Courtesy
1) http://www.acr-news.com/news/news.asp?id=633
2) http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~mdarre/NE127/NewFiles/psychrometric_inset.html