WATER VAPOR s-t DIAGRAM FOR TEMPERATURE

RANGE FROM –20 TO +40 °C

1 2
Valfrid Treier, Veli Palge
Estonian Agricultural University
Department of Agricultural Energy Engineering
Kreutzwaldi 56, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
2
E-mail: pvel@eau.ee

ABSTRACT expressed through °C) for low temperatures is found only

The paper presents formulas and algorithm for composition
of water vapor s-t-diagram for temperature (t) range from
-20 to +40 °C. The algorithm may be used by everybody
interested in analyzing humid air thermodynamical
properties at low and moderate temperatures and energy
transformations connected with transition of water vapor.
A spreadsheet that is capable of creating output data in the
form of graphical charts can be used for making the
diagram. In the current paper Microsoft Excel was used.
Keywords : ICE-WATER-VAPOR, PRESSURE,
TEMPERATURE, ENTROPY, DIAGRAM.
1. INTRODUCTION
Evaporation of water, sublimation of ice, and vice versa,
liquefying (condensation) and solidifying of vapor is
taking place everywhere in the nature. Power-consuming
phase transition of water used by power and technological
devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners, dryers,
turbines, and steam boilers. For that reason, the presented
algorithm might be interesting for many people working in
the field of natural and technical sciences.
Evaporation of water during heating and condensation of
vapor during cooling take place below critical parameters
of water (p cr = 22.115 MPa and tcr = 374.12 °C). Below the
triple point parameters of water (p 0 = 611.2 Pa and
t0 = 0.01 °C) H2 O exists basically as ice, and if heat flow is
applied the ice will turn into vapor (sublimation). The
energy of phase transition at steady pressure and
temperature may be calculated by multiplying the entropy
difference of both phases and absolute temperature
(expressed through K). The product corresponds to the area
under the curve of the process on s-T-diagram. In this way
s-T-diagram describes graphically power-consuming
background of any thermodynamic phase transition
process. Diagrams for high temperature region are found in
every handbook, however, s-t-diagram (temperature
in a monograph of prof. J. Ivandi about thermodynamics
from the year 1948 (in Estonian). We present an algorithm
for creating the s-t-diagram for temperature range from
-20 to +40 °C for those who are interested in creating and
using the s-t-diagram themselves.
2. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAM
In the diagram (Figure 1), abscissa is presenting entropy
s kJ/(kg·K) and ordinate is presenting temperature t °C. In
the diagram, the most left fractured curve presents liquid
state of H2 O (water) at temperatures above 0.01 °C and
solid state of H2 O (ice) at temperatures below 0.01 °C. The
most right area (gray area in Figure 1) presents superheated
vapor, and curve at x = 1 presents the state of dry saturated
vapor. The curve differentiates the rightmost superheated
vapor region from the mixture consisting above 0.01 °C of
water and saturated vapor, and below 0.01 °C of ice and
saturated vapor. The area between the mentioned curves
presents two-phases area or wet vapor area, where above
0.01 °C exists mixture of water and saturated vapor, and
below 0.01 °C mixture of ice and saturated vapor. The
fraction of relative mass of saturated vapor in the mixture
of water and saturated vapor, or in the mixture of ice and
saturated vapor, is called dryness rate x of wet vapor. It is
characterized in the s-t-diagram by means of curves
x = const. At the leftmost curve x = 0 (all the H2 O is
condensed or solidified), and at the rightmost curve x = 1
(all the H2 O is vaporized). In the region of wet vapor, the
temperature of phase transition is determined by pressure,
and therefore the isotherm and isobar are coinciding. The
region below the isobar presents heat energy needed for
phase transition from ice or water to vapor or vice versa.
At the triple point temperature of H2 O (t = 0.01 °C) the
value of evaporation of water is 2500 kJ/kg and the value
of heat energy of ice sublimation is 2833 kJ/kg. In the
rightmost area of superheated vapor, the isobars are
directed up towards higher temperatures. The area under

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the isobar in the region of superheated vapor is equal to The s-curves of equidryness at x = const divide sections of
heat energy needed for superheating of vapor. isoterms –isobars (s”–s’) between s-curves at x = 0 and at
x = 1 proportionally according to dryness of vapor.
3. FORMULAS Therefore at temperatures t > 0.01 °C
The s-t- diagram may be created on the basis of tables of sx = s’+ x(s”− s’). (3)
thermophysical properties of water and water vapor And at temperatures t < 0.01 °C
(Rivkin and Aleksandrov (1984), Vulkanovich (1969),
Guigo et al. (1972)). In the discussed case, we create the t- six = si ’+x(s”− si ’). (3’)
s-diagram using computer programs and hence it is
suitable to use formulas. For that reason, we created For approximating the saturated pressure of water vapor
approximating formulas providing at least 1% accuracy for temperature range from 0to +120 °C it is appropriate
(Treier and Palge (2001)). For the rightmost curve, where to use the Filney’s formula (Filney’s formula by
x = 1, V. Treier have developed a formula Nesterenko (1971)):

s" = 9. 1565 − 0 .0183 ( (70 + t )(710 − t ) − 222 . 97 ) , ps = exp ((1514 + 23 .59 ⋅ t ) /(236 + t )) , Pa, (4)
kJ/(kg·K), (1) and for temperature range from 0to −20 °C the Filney’s
which may be used at temperature range from −20 to formula modified by V. Treier:
+150 °C. For the leftmost curve V. Treier has developed a ps = exp ((1513 + 25 .6 ⋅ t ) /(236 + t )) , Pa. (4’)
formula
s' = 0 .01 ( (162 + t )(1881 − t ) − 552 .0363 ) ,
It is possible to find the temperature of saturation
ts = f ( p) on the basis of pressure of saturation using
kJ/(kg·K) (2) inverse Filney’s formula. Entropy for superheated water
or temperature range from 0.01 to +150 °C, and for vapor at steady pressure may be calculated by the
temperatures t < 0.01 °C we suggest a formula known from following formula:
basic course of physics:
 273 + t 
 − 333 . 4 + 2. 1⋅ t  s = s" (ts ) + c pm ⋅ ln ,
 (5)
si' =   , kJ/(kg·K), (2’)  273 + ts 
 273 .15 + t  where cpm = 1.833 + 0.00031(ts + t), kJ/(kg·K) is mean
where 333.4 kJ/kg is the heat energy of freezing of H2 O at specific heat at steady pressure for saturated temperature ts
triple point, and 2.1 kJ/(kg·K) is the specific heat of ice. and for temperature t of superheated vapor.

s-t-diagramm for temperature range from -20...+40 °C s at:

p=2500 Pa

s’ at s x at s x at s x at s x at s” at
p=600 Pa
x=0 x=0.2 x=0.4 x=0.6 x=0.8 x=1
40
p=100 Pa

30
temperature, °C

saturated vapor & water

20 water superheated
saturated vapor vapor
10

-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
-10
ice saturated vapor & ice
-20
s i ’ at s ix at s ix at s ix at s ix at s i ” at
x=0 x=0.2 x=0.4 x=0.6 x=0.8 x=1

entropy, kJ/(kg·K)

Figure 1. s-t-diagram for temperature range from –20 to +40 °C created by using Microsoft Excel

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4. CREATING THE S-T-DIAGRAM
Any spreadsheet that is capable of creating output data in
the form of graphical charts can be used for making the
diagram. In the current paper, Microsoft Excel was used.
Our diagram is presented on Figure 1. In the traditional
s-t-diagram, the axis of temperature is directed upward (as
ordinate) and axis of entropy is directed to right (as
abscissa). In spite of previous remark, we used the
temperature as an independent variable when creating the
diagram. In the discussed case, we chose a temperature
range from -20 to +40 °C. s’-curves and sx = c6nst -curves for
positive and negative temperature regions should be
calculated on the basis of different formulas: formulas (2)
and (3) for temperature range from 0 to +40 °C, and
formulas (2’) and (3’) for temperature range from -20 to
0 °C. Only formula (1) for calculating s” values can be
used for the whole temperature range (-20…+40 °C).
Formula (5) may be used for creating isobars for
superheated water vapor region. First, it is needed to
calculate coordinates of the beginning point of the curve ts
and s”. The temperature ts for saturated vapor at chosen
pressure may be calculated by using inverse Filney’s
formula. To calculate s” formula (1) is used. After that,
other interesting points of the curve can be calculated by
using formula (5).
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5. REFERENCES
Guigo, E. I. and N. K. Zhuravskaya and
Y. I. Kauhcheshvili. (1972). The Sublimation Drying in
Food Industry, Moscow, (in Russian).
Krischer, O. (1956). Die wissenschaftlichen Grundlagen
der Trocknungstechnik . SPRINGER-VERLAG Berlin-
Göttingen-Heidelberg, (translated into Russian 1961,
Moscow).
Nesterenko, A. V. (1971). Fundamentals of Ventilation
and Conditioning of Air, Moscow, 3th ed. (in Russian).
Rivkin, S. L. and A. A. Aleksandrov. (1984). The
Thermodynamical Properties of Water and Water’s
Vapor, Handbook , Moscow, (in Russian).
Treier, V. and V. Palge. (2001). Specific heat, Enthalpy
and Entropy Formulas of Water Vapour. In
Agricultural Machinery, Building and Energy
Engineering, Transactions of Estonian Agricultural
University No. 214, pp. 268–271, Tartu, (in Estonian).
Vukalovich, M. P. (1969). Tables about Thermophysical
Properties of Water and Water Vapor, Moscow, (in
Russian).