Introduction to Energy

Management
Week/Lesson 5

Psychrometrics: The Properties

of Air
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

 Define psychrometry, the psychrometric chart and
psychrometrics
 Describe the composition of air

 Explain Boyle’s, Charles’ and Dalton’s laws

 Read a psychrometric chart

 Use the psychrometric chart to determine the

effects of latent and sensible
heat on air
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

• Psychrometry — the study of air,

temperature and water vapor relationships
• Psychrometric chart — graphical
representation of these relationships
• Psychrometrics — combination of the
concepts of psychrometry and the
psychrometric chart
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

The Composition of Air

 Dry air — 77% nitrogen, 22% oxygen, 0.04%
carbon dioxide, 0.96% other gases
 Water vapor — evaporation and transpiration

 Airborne impurities

• Smoke, dust, pollen, bacteria, noxious gases

• Particulate matter or gases
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Predicting Air’s Behavior

 Boyle’s Law — Gas shrinks in volume when
pressurized at constant temperature
 Charles’ Law — Gas expands when heated at
constant pressure
 Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures — Total pressure
of a gaseous mixture is the sum of the pressures
of the individual gases
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Water Vapor in Air — Latent Heat of

Vaporization
 Equal to 970 Btus/lb of water vapor

 Heat added to water causes evaporation

 Heat removed from water vapor causes

condensation
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Defining Humidity
 Humidity — airborne moisture
 Specific humidity — weight of water vapor in dry
air
 Relative humidity — percentage of moisture
saturation in air
 Dew point — point at which air has a relative
humidity of 100%
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Measuring Humidity
 Wet bulb temperatures
 Dry bulb temperatures

 Sling psychrometer

 Psychrometric table

 Psychrometric chart
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Example 5-1
 Dry bulb temperature = 92ºF
 Wet bulb temperature = 89ºF

 Use Percent Relative Humidity Table

 Difference between temperatures is 3ºF

 The point of intersection

is 89% RH
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Other Psychrometric Properties of Air

 Specific Volume of air – cu ft/lb dry air
 Enthalpy – Btu/lb dry air

Introduction to the Psychrometric Chart

 Plotted graph of tables of moist air properties
 Standardized at sea level pressure
Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Constructing the Psychrometric Chart

 Dry bulb temperature scale along the bottom
• Constant dry bulb represented by vertical
lines
 Moisture measurements along the right side
• Constant moisture represented by
horizontal lines
 Dew point line
• Upward curved line at left of chart
• Also known as the 100%
humidity line
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Examining the Psychrometric Chart

 When two properties are known, the others
can be read from the chart
• Dry and wet bulb temperatures
• Relative humidity and dew point
• Enthalpy
• Specific volume
 Psychrometrics: The Properties of Air

Example 5-3
 Wet bulb temperature of 61 degrees
 Dry bulb temperature of 75 degrees

 Intersection of these two lines

• 42% relative humidity
 Dew Point
• The temperature which moisture starts to
condense out of the air.

• Dew point is also known as saturation

temperature.

• Dew point temperature is determined by moving

from a state point horizontally to the left along
lines of constant humidity ratio until the upper,
curved, saturation temperature boundary is
reached.
 Air temperature Relative humidity Air movement
+100

-5
Air quality (IAQ) Surface
temperatures

75 degrees
Acoustics
Lighting

65 degrees •quality
•quantity
Security

Building Envelop -The Third Skin

The 3rd. skin moderates the differences between the
natural environment and the built environment
 dew point
Saturation
Line
Temperatures are read at the

MOISTURE CONTENT (BTU/LBAIR)

Saturation line from a set
point to the left along 80°

humidity ratio lines. 70°

60°
50°
40°
30°
The combined affects of
environmental
conditions on
comfort
•Air temperature
•Relative humidity
•Air movement
•Surface radiation
The psychrometric
chart
Charts the combined affects of air
temperature and moisture content

Change in quantity of water in the air

Dry Bulb Temperature Reading
 Breakdown of the Lines
Enthalpy
BTU / lb Dry Relative
Blub Humidity

Dew
Point Grains of
Moisture

Specific
100% Volume Wet
Saturation Blub
Psychrometric Chart
Definition of Relative Humidity
The amount of moisture in the air
expressed as a percentage of the
maximum amount of moisture the air can
hold at the given temperature.
Example: at dry bulb temp. of 77 and wet
bulb temp. of 63, the air is holding 50% of
it’s maximum capacity at 77 degrees.

Enter wet bulb reading

50% RH

Enter dry bulb reading

 Adding
moisture

cooling warming

drying
Energy efficient zones
Winter: higher humidity off-sets
lower furnace thermostat setting

Summer: lower humidity off-sets

higher AC thermostat setting

Adding
moisture
Winter
Cool &
Humid

cooling warming

Warm &
Dry

drying Summer
The saturation curve

Air is 100% saturated

with moisture and
condensation begins
50% RH
 What if cooling
continues ?

Air is 100% saturated

with moisture and
continues to cool

50% RH
Moisture removed
by condensation
 Air is 100% saturated
with moisture and
continues to cool

50% RH
Moisture removed
by condensation

Same air is reheated to 70 degrees

and no moisture added – RH of the
room goes down (dryer)
Chart Exercises
What is the RH in the classroom?
Dry bulb ________
Wet bulb _________
RH = _________

Change in quantity of water in the air

Dry Bulb Temperature Reading
Chart Exercises
Based on the current room RH, how
cool would the walls need to get to
start noticing condensation ?
Dry bulb ________

Change in quantity of water in the air

Wet bulb _________
RH = _________

Dry Bulb Temperature Reading

Chart Exercises
Assume the room is at pt. “A” when class
begin and we are comfortable, which
direction would room condition tend to
move toward as a response to our
presents ?

Mechanically: (Summer)
we need to (add or remove heat)
we need to (add or remove moisture)

D
A - Room starts out
E here