PSYCHROMETRY & PSYCROMETRIC PROCESSES

Instructor: Engr. Yuri G. Melliza

PROPERTIES OF MOIST AIR

Psychrometry - is the study of the properties of air and water vapor mixture.

FUNDAMENTAL PARAMETERS

1. Total Pressure
P = Pa + Pv KPa

2. Vapor Pressure
Pv = Pw - PA(td - tw) KPa

6.66 x 10 4
where A 
(for tw of equal or greater than 0C)
C
5.94 x 10  4
A 
(for tw of less than 0C)
C

3. Specific Humidity or Humidity Ratio

0.622 Pv kgm
W
P  Pv kgda

4. Relative Humidity Pv
 x 100 %
Pd
5. Enthalpy

h  1.0045td  W 2501.3  1.86td

KJ
kgda
h = 1.0045td + W[2501.3 + 1.86td] KJ/kgda

6. Specific Volume
0.287( t d  273) m 3

(P  Pv ) kgda
17. Degree of Saturation
 P  Pd 
   
 P  Pv 
where:
P - total pressure of air and vapor mixture, KPa
Pa - Partial pressure of dry air, KPa
Pv - vapor pressure, KPa
Pw - saturation pressure corresponding tw, KPa
Pd - saturation pressure corresponding t d, Kpa
td - dry bulb temperature, C
tw - wet bulb temperature, C
 - relative humidity, %
W - specific humidity or humidity ratio, kgm/kgda
h - enthalpy, KJ/kgda
hg - enthalpy at saturated vapor at td, KJ/kg
 = specific volume, m3/kgda
R = 0.287 KJ/kg-K
 -degree of saturation

Psychrometric Chart

P = 760 mm Hg

h

Dew Point tw
Temperature
(DPT)
W
Saturation Curve

tw td

DPT - dew point temperature (saturation temperature corresponding Pv)

Basic Psychrometric or Air Conditioning processes

1) SENSIBLE HEATING: Addition of heat to moist air. Sensible heating follows a constant specific
humidity line on the psychrometric chart.

m 1 2 m
h1 Q h2

Sensible
Heating h2

h1
Saturation Curve

1 2 W1 = W2

t1 t2

By Energy Balance
mh1  Q  mh 2  1
Q  m(h 2 - h1 )  2
Q  mCp (t 2 - t 1 )  3
Cp  1.0045  1.86W  4
W  W1  W2
 2) SENSIBLE COOLING: It is the removal of heat from moist air without the removal of moisture. It also
follows a constant specific humidity line.

m 1 2 m
h1 h2

Sensible
Cooling

h1

h2
Saturation Curve

2 1 W1 = W2

t2 t1

By Energy Balance
mh1  mh 2  Q  1
Q  m(h1 - h 2 )  2
Q  mCp (t 1 - t 2 )  3
Cp  1.0045  1.86W  4
W  W1  W2
3) COOLING AND DEHUMIDIFYING: It is the removal of heat and moisture from moist air. It involves
sensible and latent heat transfer.

m 1 2 m
t1 t2
h1 h2
W1 W2

mw
hw

Cooling and h1
Dehumidifying DPT
ha
1 W1

h2
QL
Saturation Curve

W2
2 a
QS

t2 t1

By Energy Balance
mh1  mh2  Q  mwhw  1
Q  m(h1 - h2 ) - mwhw  2
By moisture balance
mW1  mw  mW2
mw  m(W1  W2 )  4
Q  Qs  QL  5
Qs  mCp (t1 - t 2 )  5
Cp  1.0045  1.86W2  6
QL  m(W1 - W2 )hfg@t  7
2
 where:
QS - sensible heat
QL - latent heat
hfg - latent heat at t2
For air conditioning design:
hfg = 2466 KJ/kg
Cp = 1.02 KJ/kg-C

4) HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING: It is the addition of heat and moisture to moist air.

m 1 2 m
t1 t2
h1 h2
W1 W2
mw
hw

Heating and h2
Dehumidifying
ha
2 W2

h1
QL
Saturation Curve

W1 = Wa
1 a
QS

W1

t1 t2
By Energy Balance
mh1  Q  m w h w  mh 2  1
Q  m(h 2 - h1 ) - m w h w  2
By moisture balance
mW1  m w  mW2
m w  m(W2  W1 )  4
Q  Q s  QL  5
Q s  mC p (t 2 - t 1 )  5
C p  1.0045  1.86W1  6
Q L  m(W2 - W1 )h fg@t  7
2

W1  Wa
Q  m(h 2 - h1 ) - m(W2  W1 )h w
Q  m(h 2 - h1 ) - (W2  W1 )h w   8
mw
m
(W2  W1 )

Q
mw
(h 2 - h1 ) - (W2  W1 )h w 
(W2  W1 )
(h 2 - h1 ) Q
  hw  9
(W2  W1 ) m w
h Q
  h w  10
W m w
where:
hfg = hfg at t2 or hfg = 2466 KJ/kg
Cp = 1.0045 + 1.86W1
 5) HUMIDIFYING: It is the addition of moisture to moist air without the addition of heat.

m 1 2 m
t1 t2
h1 h2
W1 W2
mw
hw

Humidifying

2
hw < hg at t1 2 hw = hg at t1
2
hw = hf @ tw1 0r hw > hg at t1
tw2
2
Saturation Curve

By energy balance
mwhw = m(h2 - h1)  1
By moisture balance
m w  m(W2  W1 )  2
mw
m 3
(W2  W1 )
Equation 3 to equation 1:
Δh
 hw  4
ΔW
Conditions:
a. If hw = hg at t1, the process follows a constant dry bulb temperature line.
b. If hw  hg at t1, the air is heated as well as humidified.
c. If hw  hg at t1 , the air is cooled and humidified.
d. If hw is equal to hf at the wet bulb temperature, the process follows the
constant wet bulb temperature line.
 6) ADIABATIC MIXING OF TWO STREAMS OF MOIST AIR: It is the mixing of two streams of moist
air without the addition of heat.

m2 W2
h2

W1
W3
m1 m3
h1 h3

h1

Adiabatic
Mixing
h3 1 W1

h2
W2
Saturation Curve 3
W3
2

t2 t3 t1

By energy balance:
m1h1 + m2h2 = m3h3  1
By moisture balance:
m1W1 + m2W2 = m3W3  2
By mass balance:
m1 + m2 = m3  3
m1 h 3  h 2 W3  W 2 t 3  t 2
  
m 2 h1  h 3 W1  W3 t1  t 3
m1 h 3  h 2 W3  W 2 t 3  t 2
  
m 3 h1  h 2 W1  W2 t1  t 2
m 2 h1  h 3 W1  W3 t 1  t 3
  
m 3 h1  h 2 W1  W2 t 1  t 2
SENSIBLE HEAT FACTOR
Sensible Heat factor is the ratio of the sensible heat to the total heat transfer for a process.
QS
SHF 
Q
QS
SHF 
QS  Ql
APPARATUS DEW POINT

Cooling and
Dehumidifying
Process

ADP
(Apparatus Dew
Point)
LOAD RATIO LINE

Room Condition

Supply Air

LOAD RATIO
LINE

For Air Conditioning Design: Supply air temperature

is within 3°C to 11°C lower than room temperature

BY - PASS FACTOR or COOLING COIL CONTACT FACTOR

Cooling and
Dehumidifying
Process

APPARATUS
DEW POINT
1

2'

ADP t2 t1

t 2  ADP
BPF 
t1  ADP