Moist air

Atmospheric air is a mixture of dry air and water

Psychrometry
vapour.

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Moist air (working fluid in air conditioning system) Dalton’s law of partial pressure
Atmospheric air is a mixture of dry air and water vapour.
 Pmixture = P1 + P2 + …

What is psychrometry?  Pressure exerted by each constituent of a gas

mixture is indepentent of the presence of the others;
The science of studying the thermodynamic
properties of moist air, and   the General Gas Law can be applied to the dry air
and water vapour separately.
apply the properties to analyze air conditioning
processes.
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  Conservation of mass
mm = ma + mw

 Dalton’s Law
Pm = Pat = Pa + Pw

t = 25.5 oC t = 25.5 oC t = 25.5 oC  Gibbs-Dalton Law

ma = 1 kg ma = 0 kg ma = 1 kg mm um = ma ua + mw uw
ms = 0 kg ms = 0.0102 kg ms = 0.0102 kg
Pa = 99.692 kPa Pa = 0 Pa = 99.692 kPa
mm hm = ma ha + mw hw
Ps = 0 Ps = 1.633 kPa Ps = 1.633 kPa mm sm = ma sa + mw sw
P = 99.692 kPa P = 1.633 kPa Pat = 101.325 kPa

For the dry air : Pa V = ma Ra T ... (i)

Humidity Ratio (w), or Moisture Content
For the water vapour : Pw V = mw Rw T ... (ii)

It is defined as the ratio of the mass of water (i) / (ii) :

vapour to the mass of dry air contained in the
moist air mixture,

w = mw / ma , kg per kg dry air

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Saturated Air
Relative humidity ()

• It is the ratio of the mole fraction of the water

vapour (Xw) in a given moist air sample to the mole
fraction of water vapour (Xws) in saturated air at the
same temperature and pressure,

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Mole fraction of
water vapour
 Relative humidity can also be defined as the Example 1
ratio of the partial pressure of the water vapour in
moist air, to the partial pressure of the water vapour Calculate the relative humidity of a moist air
in saturated air at the same temperature; at temperature of 20 oC and vapour pressure
of 1.5 kPa.

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Solution: Instead of using the steam table, the saturation vapor

pressure of water (Ps) at a specific temperature can
From steam table, at 20 oC, be calculated :
Saturation vapor pressure Pws = 2.337 kPa

log10Ps = 30.59051 - 8.2 log10T + 0.0024804T

- 3142.31/T
where Ps is in unit of kPa,
and T is the absolute temperature.

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 Degree of Saturation ()

 is the ratio of moisture content of moist air (w)

to the moisture content of saturated moist air (ws)
at the same temperature and pressure,

 = w / ws

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Enthalpy of moist air (h)

Now Pw  Pws Assumptions :

 (Pat - Pws)  (Pat - Pw) (i) Gibbs - Dalton Law hold.

(ii) Enthalpy of dry air and water is taken to

    be zero at 0 oC.

(iii) All water vapour contained in the moist air

The difference between  and  is
is vapourized at 0 oC.
usually less than 2%.
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 Example 2

In a summer day the ambient temperature and RH is

30 oC and 80%, respectively. The atmospheric
pressure is 101.3 kPa. Find the moisture content and
specific enthalpy of the air.

h = Cpd t + w (hfg.o + Cps t ) Note: The specific heat of dry air and water vapour is
1.005 and 1.88 kJ/kgꞏK, respectively, obtained from
= (Cpd + w Cps) t + w hfg.o the tables of thermodynamic properties of fluid.

h = Cpa t + w hfg.o kJ/(kg dry air)

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Solution:
 = 0.8 , Pat = 101.3 kPa Cpd = 1.005 kJ/kg K
From steam table, at 30 oC, Cps = 1.88 kJ/kg K
Saturation water pressure Pws = 4.242 kPa
h = Cpd t + w (hfg.o + Cps t)
= 1.005  30 + 0.02156 (2501+ 1.88  30)
= 85.29 kJ/kg
=========

Note that in this case the specific heat of the

ambient air is
Cpa = Cpd + w Cps

= 1.005 + 0.02156  1.88 = 1.046 kJ/kg K

Dew point temperature
Example 3
The dew point of a moist air is
the temperature of saturated air The air in a room is at temperature of 17 oC and
which has the same moisture relative humidity 60%. If the barometric pressure
content as the moist air under is 101.3 kN/m2, find
consideration.
(a) the humidity ratio; and

(b) the dew point temperature of the air.

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Solution:
 = 0.6 , Pat = 101.3 kN/m2
From steam table, at 17 oC, Refer to properties of saturated vapour from
Saturation water vapour pressure Pws = 1.936 kN/m2 the steam table,

if Pws = 1.1616 kN/m2 ,

then temperature t = 9.2 oC

 dew point temperature of the room air

is 9.2 oC.

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 Solution:
(1) (2)
Example 4
2 m3, 17oC, 30oC,
w1 , h1 w2 , h2
It is required to heat 2 m3 of the moist air in
Example 3 to 30 oC. Calculate the mass of dry
At the initial state (1):
air and the heat required for heating up the air.
Vapour pressure Pw = 1.162 kN/m2 (from example 3)
Given: Gas constant of dry air = 287.1 J/kg K Partial air pressure,
Pa = Pat - Pw = 101.3 - 1.162 = 100.138 kN/m2
Specific volume,
 = Ra t / Pa = 287.1 290 / 100138 = 0.8314 m3/kg
Mass of dry air, ma = 2/  = 2.405 kg
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h1 = (Cpd + w1 Cps) t1 + w1 hfg.o kJ/kg dry air Thermodynamic wet bulb temperature t*
h2 = (Cpd + w2 Cps) t2 + w2 hfg.o kJ/kg dry air

w1 = w2 = w = 0.007215 kg/kg dry air (from example 3)

Heat required,
q = ma (h2 - h1)
= ma (Cpd + w Cps) (t2 - t1)
= 2.405 (1.005 + 0.007215  1.88) (30 - 17)
= 31.85 kJ
======
Ideal adiabatic saturation process
 Thermodynamic wet
bulb temperature t*

An ideal adiabatic
saturation process is:
- Moist air flows over an infinitely
long water surface in an insulated chamber;
- no heat exchange between the chamber and the surrounding;
Mass of water evaporated
- water inside the chamber and make-up water are at t*,
into the air stream = ws* - w1
same temperature as the leaving air;
- water evaporates into the air stream; and latent heat of
vapourization comes from sensible heat of the latter; Sensible heat loss = Latent heat of vapourization of
- at the end of the process, the air is cooled and saturated. of the air stream water added to the air stream

Thermodynamic wet
bulb temperature t* In the expression

ws* = f (t*), and hfg* = f (t*)

Cpd (t1 - t*) + Cps w1 (t1 - t*) = (ws* - w1) hfg* Hence, t* is a parameter which is dependent
on t1 and w1 only,
 (Cpd + Cps w1) (t1 - t*) = (ws* - w1) hfg*
i.e., t* is fixed for a given state of t1 and w1.
 Cpa (t1 - t*) = (ws* - w1) hfg*
t* is termed the thermodynamic wet bulb
temperature
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Wet bulb temperature twb
Humidity of a moist air can be determined by:

 measuring the wet bulb temperature;

twb measured with a  measuring the dew point temperature;
psychrometer is a
close approximation  measuring the relative humidity;
of t*

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Measuring the wet bulb temperature, twb Measuring the dew point temperature, tdp
Principle:
A polished metal surface, in contact with the air at
temperature t with water vapour pressure Pw , is
cooled gradually by evaporation of volatile liquid.
Measure the metal surface temperature, tdp , when
Knowing twb , condensation occurs.

w can be calculated; Knowing tdp , then Pw = Pws at tdp

Pw is obtained from: w = 0.622 Pw / (Pat - Pw)

Then, relative humidity  = Pw / Pws
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Measuring the RH Note that
by using a humistor hygrometer
• the moisture content (w) vapour pressure (Pw) and
and measuring the resistance of a
enthalpy (h) of a moist air cannot be directly measured;
humidity sensitive resistor.
• but the temperature (t) and atmospheric pressure (Pat)
can be measured easily;

4%
• and the humidity, particularly the wet bulb temperature
(twb), can also be readily measured;
• The measured t, twb and Pat can be used to calculate the
3% other properties.

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Example 5 Unlike Example 5, if dry-bulb (t) and dew point

temperature (tdp) are measured, the other moist air
The dry bulb and wet bulb temperature of the properties can be calculated by:
outdoor air is 33oC and 28oC, respectively, and the
atmospheric pressure is 101.325 kPa.
i) Calculate Pws at t and Pws at tdp by equation (3),
or obtain from the steam table;
Calculate the relative humidity, moisture content, ii) Vapour pressure Pw = Pws at tdp ;
enthalpy, dew point temperature and specific volume Dry air pressure Pa = Pat – Pw ;
of the outdoor air.
iii) Calculate moisture content w by equation (1);
[Carry out the calculation. If in doubt, refer to the iv) Calculate relative humidity  by equation (2);
method of calculation given in the Study Guide.] v) Calculate specific enthalpy h by equation (5);
vi) Calculate specific volume  by equation (9).

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 Constant temperature lines
Construction of the psychrometric chart: At t = t1 ,
h = cpd t1 + w (2501 + cps t1) = a(t) + b(t)  w
 A psychrometric chart consists of lines of
where a(t) = cpd  t1 and b(t) = 2501 + cps t1
constant temperature (t)
wet bulb temperature (twb)
relative humidity ()
specific volume ()

in a w-h coordinates

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Constant relative humidity () lines

 = Pw / Pws  Pw =   Pws(t)

(i)

(ii)

The parameter t in (ii) can

be expressed in terms of 
and w based on (i), giving an
equation relating h, w and .
Hence, curves of constant 
relating change of w with h
can be constructed.
Constant wet bulb (twb) lines Constant specific volume () lines

hf = Cpw  twb and hwb = Cpd twb + wwb (hfg + Cpstwb)  = Ra t / Pa = Ra t / (Pat – Pw)

h = hwb - (wwb - w) hf = (hwb - wwb hf)+ w hf

 for a constant wet Hence, when  is a constant,

bulb temperature,
h = a w-1 + b + c w
h = a+bw
Curves of constant 
relating change of w with h
can be constructed.

In the CIBSE psychrometric chart:

Lastly, we can construct a psychrometric chart w-axis – use a linear distance of 15 cm for 0.03 kg/kg
where:
Fw = 15 / 0.03 = 500
w and h are the principle variables;
h-axis – use 24 cm for 150 kJ/kg
w-axis is vertical but h-axis is inclined at an angle 
to the horizontal such that the line of t = 0 oC Fh = 24 / 150 = 0.16
becomes vertical; sin  = Fh hfg / Fw
Inclination angle  of h-axis depends on the scaling = 0.162501 / 500
factors Fw and Fh for converting values of w in
kg/kg and h in kJ/kg into proportional linear = 0.8003
distances on the chart.
  = 53.16o

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 Note that:

 One chart only applies for one atmospheric

pressure. Normal pressure (pressure at sea
level): 101.325 kPa

 Two different chart format exist, one

represented by ASHRAE or CIBSE chart, and
the other used by most of the non-English-
speaking European countries.

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The psychrometric chart is useful for:

 Given any two parameters, find the other parameters using

the chart;

 Find the dew point temperature of an air sample;

 Calculate energy required in heating, cooling of air,

humidification and dehumidification of air;

 Given the indoor design conditions and cooling load,

determine the required supply air conditions and flow rate,
or vice versa.

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