Psychrometrics

3.
Psychrometrics
3.1 Introduction
Psychrometry is the study of the measurement of the moisture content of atmospheric
air. Atmospheric air contains a large number of gases, water vapor and contaminants. The
moisture content has a direct effect on the building elements (possibility of moisture
collection in or on building elements) and on the comfort of building occupants.
In thermodynamics, moist air is defined as a binary mixture of dry air and water vapor
in a superheated state, both considered ideal gases. Dry air is obtained when the water vapor
and the contaminants have been removed from the atmospheric air. The percentage
composition by volume of dry air is (Harrison -1965):
- nitrogen 78,0840 %
- oxygen 20,9476 %
- argon 0,934 %
- carbon dioxide 0,0314 %
- neon 0,001818 %
- helium 0,000524 %
- methane 0,00015 %
- sulfur dioxid (0...0,0001) %
- hydrogen 0,00005 %
- krypton, xenon, ozone 0,0002 %
The molecular mass of dry air is M a = 28,9645 kg/kmol and of the water vapor is
M w = 18,01528 kg/kmol.
The dry air gas constant, Ra is computed by the relation:
Runiv.
Ra   287,055 J/(kg K),
Ma
where Runiv. = 8314,41 J/(kmol K) is the universal gas constant.
Considering water vapor as perfect gas, the gas constant for water vapor is calculated
using the equation:
R
Rw  univ.  461,52 J/(kg K).
Mw
3.2 Parameters of Moist Air
The characteristic parameters of moist air are:
The total pressure of moist air is considered p = 101 325 Pa (1Pa=1N/m2, 1bar =105
N/m2). According to Dalton’s law for mixtures of gases, the total pressure of the mixture is
the sum of the partial pressures of the mixture components:
p  pa  pw
where: pa - the partial pressure of dry air;

pw - the partial pressure of water vapor.
Dry bulb temperature is the temperature of moist air mixture measured by a perfectly
dry sensor. Wet bulb temperature is the temperature of a thermometer with a wetted wick
over which air flows at a specified velocity.
A psychrometer (a wet- and a dry-bulb thermometer) measures the state of moist air
in a room. Air flows over the moistened wick surrounding the wet bulb, water evaporates,
extracting heat from the thermometer and lowering its temperature.
Dew point temperature tdew, is the temperature at which moist air at a given humidity
ratio becomes saturated. Moisture begins to condense, as the air is cooled at constant
pressure.
Humidity ratio denoted by w, in kg/kg, is the ratio of the mass of water vapor to the
mass of dry air in a moist air mixture:
mw
w
ma
To determine an analytical relationship of this parameter, the perfect gas equation is

written for:
- dry air paV  ma RaT
- water vapor pwV  mw RwT
The masses are expressed from these relationships:
mw p wV Ra R p p pw
w    a w  0,6219773 w  0,622
ma Rw p aV Rw p a pa p  pw
Relative humudity of moist air is expressed by the ratio of the partial pressure pw of
water vapor in superheated state to the partial pressure pws of water vapor in the saturated
state at the same temperature.
The enthalpy of a mixture of perfect gases equals the sum of the individual partial
enthalpies of the components.
H  H a  H w  ma ha  mw hw  ma c pa t  mw (r0  c pv t ) [kJ/(kg moist air)]
Where cpa, and cpw are the specific heat at constant pressure for dry air and water vapor. The
latent heat of water vapor at 0 oC is denoted by r0 .
The specific enthalpy h of moist air related to (1+w) kg of moist air is determined as
the sum of the enthalpies of 1 kg dry air and w kg of water vapor.
H
 h1 w  c pa t  w(r0  c pwt ) [kJ/(kg aer uscat)],[ kJ/kg]
ma
h1w  1,004t  w(2500 1,86t )

The index (1+w) refers to the fact that (1+w ) kg moist air contain 1 kg dry air and w kg
water vapor.
Density of moist air. The two perfect gas equations for dry air and water vapor are
added and used in the density relationship:
m ma  mw ma  mw p 1 w p
    [ kg/m3]
V V ma Ra  mw Rw T Ra  wRw T
3.3 Psychrometric Chart h-x
Application 3.1
The parameters of moist air in a room are:
- the dry bulb temperature: t d =25 oC

- the relative humidity: = 60%.
Using the psychrometric chart h-x determine:
- the humidity ratio (w): x = kg/kg;

- the wet bulb temperature: t wet = oC
o
- the dew point temperature: t dew = C;
- the specific enthalpy: h = kJ/kg;
- the partial pressure of water vapor: pw =
- the partial pressure of water vapor at saturation: pws =
- the humidity ratio at saturation: xs = kg/kg
- the density:  = kg/m3
- the specific volume: v = m3/kg.
For the conditions of problem 1.1, using the analytical relationships, determine:
- the humidity ratio: x = kg/kg

- the specific enthalpy: h = kJ/kg
- the partial pressure of water vapor at saturation: pws = 0.0317 bar
3.4 Psychrometric Processes for Buildings
In a psychrometric process 1-2, is calculated:

- the heat flux (heat divided by time), , in kW, received or removed from the air
stream:
  qm h2  h1 
where qm or m is the mass flow rate, in kg/s.

h is the specific enthalpy in KJ/kg.
- the umidity, qwater, in kg/s , received or removed from the air stream in unit time:
qwater  qm w2  w1 
where w is the humidity ratio in kg/kg.

Psychrometric processes:
1. Adiabatic saturation (in figure A-A`)
h = constant, w – increases, t – decreases,  = constant (adiabatic), qwater - increases
2. Warming at w = ct. (in figure B-B`)
w = ct., t – increases, h – increases,  = increases, qwater = 0
3. Humidification with steam at t = ct. (in figure B-B`)
h = increases, w – increases, t = ct.,  - increases, qwater - increases
4. Cooling at w = ct. at a temperature greater than the dew point temperature (C-C`)
h = decreases, w – ct., t – decreases,  = decreases, qwater = 0
5. Adiabatic mixing of two airstreams with mass flow rates qm1 and qm2, in kg/s.
The mixed state is denoted by M and the specific enthalpy, hM and the humidity ratio,
wM results from the relationships:
qnM  qm1  qm2
qnM hM  qm1h1  qm2h2
qnM wM  qm1w1  qm2w2
In the chart, the state M are placed on the line 1-2 at distances from the states 1 and 2
inversely proportional to the ratios of mass flow:
qm1 line segment M 2

qm 2 line segment M 1
3.5 Air Handling Units (Air Conditioning Equipment)
Air handling units is an all-air, single zone HVAC system consisting of an air handling unit
(supply constant or variable air volume) and an air distribution system.
Figure 1 shows an AHU that supplies conditioned air to a single zone.
Fig. 1 Air Handling Unit Configuration
VE – ventilator extragere aer = exhaust fan from the conditioned space = return air fan
F – filtru = filter
CA – camera de amestec = mixing plenum
BI – baterie de încălzire = heating coil = (ex. hot water coil use temperature difference between the
warm fluid (prepared in a central fuel-fired heating plant) and the cooler air)
BR – baterie de răcire = cooling coil = (ex. chilled-water coil use temperature difference between the
fluid and air to exchange energy)
VI – ventilator introducere aer = supply fan
RC – recuperator de căldură = heat (energy) recovery device = (ex. plate cross-flow heat exchanger)
E – state of exterior (outside) air

I – state of interior air
M – state of mixed air (interior air mixed with exterior air)
Ci- state of conditioned air in winter (supply air) (iarna)
Cv- state of conditioned air in summer (supply air) (vara)
The effectiveness (eficiența) of the heat recovery unit is calculated with the relationship:
ti1  ti 2 t e 2  t e1
 
ti1  t e1 ti1  t e1
Problema preluata din Manualul de Instalatii (Handbook of Installations ), Instalatii de
ventilare, Editura Artecno Bucuresti, 2010. Rezolvarea grafica a problemei este reprezentata
in fgura de mai jos.

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3.

where: pa - the partial pressure of dry air;

To determine an analytical relationship of this parameter, the perfect gas equation is

h1w  1,004t  w(2500 1,86t )

The parameters of moist air in a room are:

- the dry bulb temperature: t d =25 oC

Using the psychrometric chart h-x determine:

- the humidity ratio (w): x = kg/kg;

- the humidity ratio: x = kg/kg

In a psychrometric process 1-2, is calculated:

where qm or m is the mass flow rate, in kg/s.

where w is the humidity ratio in kg/kg.

qnM  qm1  qm2

qnM hM  qm1h1  qm2h2

qnM wM  qm1w1  qm2w2

Fig. 1 Air Handling Unit Configuration

E – state of exterior (outside) air

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