PSYCHROMETRY

GS, AP, ME Dept.

 Psychrometrics or psychrometry or hygrometry
• They are terms used to describe or determine the physical and
thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures.
• The term derives from the Greek psuchron meaning
"cold"and metron meaning "means of measurement”
• the principles of psychrometry apply to any physical system consisting of
gas-vapor mixtures,
• But the most common system of interest is the mixture of water vapor
and air, because of its application in heating, ventilating, and air-
conditioning

GS, AP, ME Dept.

 PSYCHROMETRIC TERMS

➢ Dry air
• Pure dry air is a mixture of various gases
• theoretical sample of air that has no water vapor
• Pure dry air doesn't exist in nature

➢ Moist Air
• Mixture of dry air and water vapour

➢ Saturated Air
• Air that contains the maximum amount of water vapour that is possible
at the given temperature and pressure

GS, AP, ME Dept.

 PSYCHROMETRIC PROPERTIES
➢ Dry-bulb temperature (DBT)(tdb)
• The dry-bulb temperature is the temperature indicated by a thermometer
exposed to the air in a place sheltered from direct solar radiation.
• In psychrometrics the word temperature by itself without a prefix usually
means dry-bulb temperature.
➢ Wet-bulb temperature (WBT)(twb)
• It is the temperature a parcel of air would have if it were cooled to saturation
by the evaporation of water into it
• Wet Bulb temperature can be measured by using a thermometer with the bulb
wrapped in wet muslin.
• A wet bulb temperature taken with air moving at about 1–2 m/s is referred to
as a screen temperature,
• a temperature taken with air moving about 3.5 m/s or more is referred to
as sling temperature.
➢ Wet bulb depression
• Difference between dry and wet bulb temperature

GS, AP, ME Dept.

➢ psychrometer
• is a device that includes both a dry-bulb and a wet-bulb thermometer.
• A sling psychrometer requires manual operation to create the airflow
over the bulbs
• a powered psychrometer includes a fan for this function.
• Knowing both the dry-bulb temperature (DBT) and wet-bulb
temperature (WBT), one can determine the relative humidity (RH) from
the psychrometric chart appropriate to the air pressure.

GS, AP, ME Dept.

➢ Dew point temperature(tdp)
• The saturation temperature of the moisture present in the sample of air
• it can also be defined as the temperature at which the vapour changes into
liquid (condensation).
• is the temperature at which a moist air sample at the same pressure would
reach water vapor "saturation."
➢ Dew point Depression
• Difference between tdb and tdp
➢ Humidity
• Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.
• There are three main measurements of humidity:
❑ absolute,
❑ relative and
❑ specific.
➢ Absolute humidity
• The mass of water vapor per unit volume of air containing the water vapor at a
given temperature and pressure.
• This quantity is also known as the water vapor density
• It is expressed in gram per cubic metre.
GS, AP, ME Dept.
➢ Relative humidity
• is the ratio of actual mass of water vapour present in a given volume of moist
air to the mass of water vapour in the same volume of moist air when it is
saturated at the same temperature and pressure
• RH is dimensionless, and is usually expressed as a percentage.
➢ Specific humidity
• is a ratio of the water vapor content of the mixture to the total air content on a
mass basis in the moist air sample (dry air plus the water vapor)
• sometimes referred to as the humidity ratio
• It is also known as the moisture content or mixing ratio.
• Specific Humidity is defined as:
SH=m of {v}/m of {a}
➢ Degree of Saturation (Percentage Humidity)
• Degree of Saturation is the ratio of the humidity ratio of moist air - to the
humidity ratio of saturated moist air at the same temperature and pressure.

GS, AP, ME Dept.

➢ Specific enthalpy
• is the sum of the internal (heat) energy of the moist air in question
• In psychrometrics, the term quantifies the total energy of both the dry
air and water vapour per kilogram of dry air.
➢ Specific volume
• is the volume of the mixture (dry air plus the water vapor) containing
one unit of mass of "dry air".
• The SI units are cubic meters per kilogram of dry air
➢ Psychrometric ratio
• It is the ratio of the heat transfer coefficient to the product of mass
transfer coefficient and humid heat at a wetted surface.
➢ Adiabatic Saturation Temperature.
• Also called The thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
• It is the lowest temperature which may be achieved by evaporative
cooling of a water-wetted (or even ice-covered), ventilated surface.

GS, AP, ME Dept.

GS, AP, ME Dept.
 Terminology
• A psychrometric chart is a graph of the thermodynamic parameters of
moist air at a constant pressure, often equated to an elevation relative
to sea level.
➢ Dry-bulb temperature
➢ Wet-bulb temperature
➢ Dew point temperature
• At this point further removal of heat would result in water vapor
condensing into liquid water fog or, if below freezing point, solid
hoarfrost.
• Relative humidity
• Humidity ratio
• It is typically plotted as the ordinate (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
➢ Specific enthalpy
➢ Specific volume GS, AP, ME Dept.
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury
Saturation Line 210

200

190

180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

140

130

120

110

Staturation Line
100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Dry Bulb Temperature
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

190

180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

140

130

Constant Dry Bulb Temperature 120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Humidity Ratio

PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

190

180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

140

130

Constant Humidity Ratio 120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

190

180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

140

130

Constant Humidity Ratio 120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Relative Humidity
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

190

180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

140

130

Constant Relative Humidity 120

110

100

90

80

%
90
%
70

80
%
60

70
%
60 50

%
50
40
%
40
30
30%
20
20%
Y
HUMIDIT
10% RELATIVE 10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Specific Volume
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

190

15.5
180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

140

130

15.0
Constant Specific Volume 120

110

100

90

14.5
80

S
PEC
IFIC
70

VOL
UME
60

ft³/lb
50

14.0

OF D
RY A
40

IR
30
13.5

20
13.0

10
12.5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Wet Bulb Temperature
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

85
190

180
85
W
ET
BU 170
LB
TE
80 MP
ER
AT 160
UR
E
-°
F
150
80

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

Constant Web Bulb Temperature 75
140

130

75
120
70

110

70
100
65

90

65
60
80

60 70
55

60
50 55

50
45 50

40 40
45

35
40 30
30
35
25
30 20
20
15 25
10 20
5 10
15
10
0 5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Enthalpy

PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

190

180

170

160

150

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

Constant Enthalpy 140

130

120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Constant Enthalpy and Wet Bulb
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
Lexington, Kentucky USA 210
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury

200

85
190

180
85
W
ET
BU 170
LB
TE
80 MP
ER
AT 160
UR
E
-°
F
150
80

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

Constant Enthalpy 75
140

and 75
130

Constant Web Bulb 70

120

110

70
100
65

90

65
60
80

60 70
55

60
50 55

50
45 50

40 40
45

35
40 30
30
35
25
30 20
20
15 25
10 20
5 10
15
10
0 5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

 Typical Chart With Enthalpy Lines
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART 55 60
210
Lexington, Kentucky USA 1.3
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury
50 200 65

85
85
190 1.2

180
45 85
W
ET 1.1
BU 170
LB 60
TE
80 MP
ER 80
AT 160
UR
40 E 1.0
-°
F

IR
150

YA
80

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

DR
OF
140 .9
75

D
75 55

UN
35

°F
PO

VAPOR PRESSURE - INCHES OF MERCURY

E-
130

ENTHALPY - BTU PER POUND OF DRY AIR

R
PE

UR

15.0
AT
.8

TU
75

ER
-B
120

MP
PY
70

TE
AL

70
TH

N
30

TIO
110
EN

.7

RA
50

TU
70
SA
100
65
65
.6
90
25
65

14.5
60
80 60
%

SPE
90

20 .5
45

CIFIC
%

60 70
55
80

55

VOL
%

UME
60 .4
70

15
50 55
50

ft³/lb
%
60 50
14.0

OF D
45 50 45 .3
%

RY A
10 50 40
40 40

IR
45 40
%
35 40
40 30 35 .2

DEW POINT - °F
13.5

30
5 35 30% 30
25
30 20 25
20 20%
15 25 20 .1
13.0

Y
10 20 HUMIDIT 35
5 LATIVE 10 10
15 10% RE
10
12.5

5 0
0
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

10 15 20 25 30

GS, AP, ME Dept.

Typical Chart Without Enthalpy Lines
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART 55 60
210
Lexington, Kentucky USA 1.3
BAROMETRIC PRESSURE 28.874 inches of Mercury
50 200 65

85
85
190 1.2

180
45 85
W
ET 1.1
BU 170
LB 60
TE
80 MP
ER 80
AT 160
UR
40 E 1.0
-°
F

IR
150

YA
80

HUMIDITY RATIO - GRAINS OF MOISTURE PER POUND OF DRY AIR

DR
OF
140 .9
75

D
75 55

UN
35

°F
PO

VAPOR PRESSURE - INCHES OF MERCURY

E-
130

ENTHALPY - BTU PER POUND OF DRY AIR

R
PE

UR

15.0
AT
.8

TU
75

ER
-B
120

MP
PY
70

TE
AL
70

TH

N
30

TIO
110

EN
.7

RA
50

TU
70

SA
100
65
65
.6
90
25
65

14.5
60
80 60

SPE
90
20 .5
45

CIFIC
%
60 70
55

80
55

VOL
%

UME
60 .4

70
15
50 55
50

ft³/lb
%
60

14.0
50

OF D
45 50 45 .3
%

RY A
10 50 40
40 40

IR
45 40
%
35 40
40 30 35 .2

DEW POINT - °F
13.5

30
5 35 30% 30
25
30 20 25
20 20%
15 25 20 .1
13.0

Y
10 20 HUMIDIT 35
5 LATIVE 10 10
15 10% RE
10
12.5

5 0
0
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 120

Linric Company Psychrometric Chart, www.linric.com DRY BULB TEMPERATURE - °F

10 15 20 25 30

GS, AP, ME Dept.

GS, AP, ME Dept.
➢ Specific Humidity(w)

➢ Degree of Saturation

➢ Relative Humidity

GS, AP, ME Dept.

➢ Pressure of water vapour

➢ Vapour density or Absolute Humidity

GS, AP, ME Dept.

GS, AP, ME Dept.
 Sensible heating
 Sensible cooling
 Humidification & dehumidification
 Cooling and adiabatic humidification
 Cooling and humidification by water injection
 Heating and humidification
 Humidification by steam injection
 Adiabatic chemical dehumidification
 Adiabatic mixing of air streams

GS, AP, ME Dept.

 Heating of air without changing specific humidity.

GS, AP, ME Dept.

 Cooling of air without changing specific humidity.

GS, AP, ME Dept.

▪ Addition of moisture to air without change in its dry bulb temperature is known
as humidification.

▪ Removal of moisture from air without change in its dry bulb temperature is
known as dehumidification.

GS, AP, ME Dept.

Basic Concepts