UNIT-V

PSYCHROMETRY

psychrometry is a term used to describe the field of engineering concerned with the
determination of physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures.

Common applications
The principles of psychrometry apply to any physical system consisting of gas-vapor
mixtures. The most common system of interest, however, air mixtures of water vapor and air
because of its application in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning and meteorology.

Psychrometric ratio

The psychrometric ratio is the ratio of the heat transfer coefficient to the product of mass
transfer coefficient and humid heat at a wetted surface. It may be evaluated with the following
equation

where:
r = Psychrometric ratio, dimensionless
hc = convective heat transfer coefficient, W m-2 K-1
ky = convective mass transfer coefficient, kg m-2 s-1
cs = humid heat, J kg-1 K-1

Humid heat is the constant-pressure specific heat of moist air, per unit mass of dry air.
The psychrometric ratio is an important property in the area of psychrometrics as it relates the
absolute humidity and saturation humidity to the difference between the dry bulb temperature
and the adiabatic saturation temperature.

PSYCHROMETIC CHART

The chart graphically expresses how various properties relate to each other, and is thus a
graphical equation of state. The thermophysical properties found on most psychrometric charts
are:

Dry-bulb temperature (DBT) is that of an air sample, as determined by an ordinary thermometer,

the thermometer's bulb being dry. It is typically the x-axis,the horizontal axis, of the graph. The
SI units for temperature are Kelvin; other units are Fahrenheit.
Wet-bulb temperature (WBT). The WBT is the same as the DBT when the air sample is saturated
with water. The slope of the line of constant WBT reflects the heat of vaporization of the water
required tosaturate the air of a given relative humidity.

Dew point temperature (DPT) is that temperature at which a moist air sample at the same
pressure would reach water vapor saturation. At this saturation point,water vapor would begin to
condense into liquid The dew point temperature is measured easily and provides useful
information, but is normally not considered an independent property.

Relative humidity (RH) is the ratio of the mole fraction of water vapor to the mole fraction of
saturated moist air at the same temperature and pressure. RH is dimensionless, and is usually
expressed as a percentage. Lines of constant RH reflect the physics of air and water: they are
determined via experimental measurement.
Humidity ratio (also known as moisture content, mixing ratio, or specific humidity) is the
proportion of mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air at the given conditions (DBT, WBT,
DPT, RH, etc.). It is typically the y-axis, the vertical axis, of the graph. For a given DBT there
will be a particular humidity ratio for which the air sample is at 100% relative humidity: the
relationship reflects the physics of water and air and must be measured. Humidity ratio is
dimensionless ,but is sometimes expressed as grams of water per kilogram of dry air or grains of
water per pound of air.

Specific enthalpy symbolized by h, also called heat content per unit mass, is the sum of the
internal (heat) energy of the moist air in question, including the heat of the air and water vapor
within. In the approximation of ideal gases, lines of constant enthalpy are parallel to lines of
constant WBT. Enthalpy is given in (SI) joules per kilogram of air or BTU per pound of dry air.

Specific volume, also called inverse density, is the volume per unit mass of the air sample. The
SI units are cubic meters per kilogram of dry air; other units are cubic feet per pound of dry air.
The versatility of the psychrometric chart lies in the fact that by knowing three independent
properties of some moist air (one of which is the pressure), the other properties can be
determined. Changes in state, such as when two air streams mix, can be modeled easily and
somewhat graphically using the correct psychrometric chart for the location's air pressure or
elevation relative to sea level. For locations at or below 2000 ft (600 m), a common assumption
is to use the sea level psychrometric chart.
DBT: This can be determined from the abscissa on the x-axis, the horizontal axis
DPT: Follow the horizontal line from the point where the line from the horizontal axis possible
arrives at 100% RH, also known as the saturation curve.
WBT: Line inclined to the horizontal and intersects saturation curve at DBT point.
RH: Hyperbolic lines drawn asymptotically with respect to the saturation curve which
corresponds to 100% RH.
Humidity ratio: Marked on the y-axis.
Specific enthalpy: lines of equal values slope from the upper left to the lower right.
Specific volume: Equally spaced parallel family of lines.
Specific humidity: Specific humidity is the ratio of water vapor to air (including water vapor
and dry air) in a particular mass.
Relative humidity: The relative humidity of an air-water mixture is defined as the ratio of the
partial pressure of water vapor in the mixture to the saturated vapor pressure of water at a
prescribed temperature. Relative humidity is normally expressed as a percentage.
Adiabatic Saturation: Consider an unsaturated mixture entering a chamber. Suppose water was
sprayed into the stream, so that the humidity increases and it leaves as a saturated mixture. This
is accompanied by a loss of temperature due to heat being removed from the air which is used for
vaporization. If the water supplied is at the temperature of exit of the stream, then there is no heat
transfer from the water to the mixture. The final temperature of the mixture is called adiabatic
saturation temperature.
Sensible Heating Process
Sensible Heating Process is a process during which the dry-bulb temperature of air is increased.
The process occurs at constant moisture content. The air passes over a hot and dry surface which
might be pipe coil using steam or hot water, electrical resistance or an air-to-air heat recovery
unit.

Sensible Cooling Process

Sensible cooling process at constant moisture content is a process during which the dry-bulb
temperature of air is decreased. The air passes over a cooling coil which uses chilled water or
direct expansion of some refrigerant into the pipe coil. The load on the cooling coil is

Sensible Cooling with Dehumidification

In this process the dry-bulb temperature and the moisture content of air are decreased. The heat
in the condensed water is normally very small relative to the total cooling load therefore the load
on the cooling coil can be calculated.

Two Marks

1. What is the difference between air conditioning and refrigeration?

Refrigeration is the process of providing and maintaining the temperature in space below
atmospheric temperature.
Air conditioning is the process of supplying sufficient volume of clean air containing a
specific amount of water vapour and maintaining the predetermined atmosphere condition with
in a selected enclosure.

2. Define psychrometry.
The science which deals with the study of behaviour of moist air (mixture of dry air and
water vapour is known as phychrometry.

3. Name some psychrometry.

1. Sensible heating.
2. Sensible cooling.
3. Humidifying
4. Dehumidifying.
5. Heating and humidifying
6. Heating and dehumidifying.
7. Cooling humidifying
8. Cooling dehumidifying.

4. Define dry bulb temperature.

The temperature which is measured by an ordinary thermometer is known as dry bulb
temperature .It is generally denoted by td
5. Define wet bulb temperature.
It is the temperature of air measured by a thermometer When its bulb is covered with wet
cloth and exposed to a current rapidly moving air.It is denoted by tw.

6. Define dew point temperature.

The temperature at which the water vapour presents in air begins to condense when the
air is cooled is known as dew point temperature .It is denoted by tdp.

7. Define relative Humidity (RH) and specific humidity.

RH is the ratio of the mass of water vapour (mv) in a certain volume of moist air at Given
temperature to the mass of water vapour in the same volume of saturated air at the Same
temperature.
RH = mv /mvs
Specific humidity (ω) is the ratio of mass of water vapour (mv) to the mass of dry air in
the given volume of mixture.
ω = mv / ma.

8. Differentiate between absolute and relative humidity.

Absolute humidity is defined as the ratio of the mass of water vapour (mv) in certain
volume of moist at given temperature to the mass of water vapours at
Atmospheric conditions
RH is the ratio of the mass of water vapour in a certain volume of moist air at a given
temperature to the mass of water vapour in tha same volume of saturated air at the same
temperature.
RH = mv /mvs

9. Define DTP and degree of saturation.

DTP is the temperature to which moist air to be cooled before it starts condensing.Degree
of saturation is the ratio of specific humidity of moist air to the specific Humidity of saturated air
at temperature.
Specific humidity of moist air ω
μ = ------------------------------------------- = -----
Specific humidity of saturated air ωs

10. What is dew point temperature? How is it related to dry bulb and wet bulb?
Temperature at the saturation condition?
It is the temperature at which the water vapour present in air begins to condense the air is
cooled.For saturated air, the dry bulb, wet bulb and dew point temperature are all same.

11. State Dalton’s law of partial pressure.

The total pressure exerted by air and water mixture is equal to the barometric Pressure. Pb
= pa + pv
Where
Pb = barometric pressure.
pa = Partial pressure of dry air.
 pv = Partial pressure of water vapour.

12. Define Apparatus Dew point of cooling coil.

For dehumidification, the cooling coil is to be kept at a mean temperature which is below
the dew point temperature of the entering .This temperature of the coil is called ADP
temperature.

13. List down psychometric process.

1. Sensible heating process
2. Sensible cooling process.
3 .Humidification process.
4. Dehumidification process.
5. Heating and humidification process.
6. Cooling and Dehumidification process.
7. Adiabatic mixing airstreams process.
8. Evaporative cooling process.

14. Define bypass factor of coil.

The ratio of the amount of air which does not contact the cooling coil to the amount of supply air
is called BPF
Amount of air bypassing the coil
BPF = -------------------------------------------
Total amount of air passed.

15. Define the humidification process.

Humidification is defined as the process of adding moisture at constant dry bulb
Temperature.

16 .What are the assumption made while mixing two air streams?
1. Surrounding is small.
2. Process is fully adiabatic.
3. There is no work interaction
4. Change in kinetic and potential energies are negligible

12 MARKS

1. An air conditioning system is designed under the following conditions:

Solution The process are shown in fig. The property values, taken from the psychrometric chart
are
2. Air at 200C, 40% RH is mixed adiabatically with air at 400C,

Solution Fig shows the mixing process of two air streams. The equations
3. Saturated air at 210C is passed through a drier so that its final relative humidity is 20%. The
drier uses silica gel adsorbent. The air is then

Solution: From psychrometric chart

4. Water at 300C flows into a cooling tower at the rate of 1.15kg per kg of air. Air enters the
tower at a dbt of 200C and a relative humidity of 60%

Solution: Properties of air entering and leaving the tower are

5. A mixture of ideal gases consists of 3kg of nitrogen and 5kg of carbon dioxide at a pressure of
300 kPa and a temperature of 200C. Find (a) the

Solution:
6. Find the increase in entropy when 2 kg of oxygen at 600C are

Solution