Psychrometric Charts (Humidity Chart)

Psychrometric chart is concise compilation of physical properties of gas-vapor mixtures.

Psychrometric Charts of Air (gas) - H2O (vapor) System

Ordinate: Absolute humidity, ha = kg water/kg dry air (DA)

Abscissa : Dry-bulb temperature; Normal temperature of humid air measured
by common thermometer.
Others data on humidity chart:
Relative humidity (RH) curves: hr = [PH2O/P*H2O] x 100%
Saturation curve (100% RH curve) is the upper most boundary curve.
Humid volume (VH) lines: m3 of humid air/kg DA
Specific enthalpies of saturated air (kJ/kg DA) at the saturation temperatures
are given on the graduated diagonal lines above the saturation curve.
Enthalpy deviation curves (vertical curves) are used to determine the specific
enthalpy of unsaturated humid air.

Wet bulb temperature (Twb) is measured with a thermometer whose bulb is

covered with wet cloth.

Twb < Tdry due to the evaporation of water on the bulb.

Once Twb and Tdry are measured all properties of air-H2O vapor mixtures can be
obtained from the humidity chart.
<Wet bulb temperature>
 Wet bulb temperature lines

Assumptions:
o Make-up water is at Twb :
o Completely wet wick: Surface area of wet wick ( A) is constant.
o Flow rate of make-up water equals the evaporation rate of water.
o Air mass is much large than water: Conditions of air (T, ha) are maintained constant.
o The system at steady-state.

)streams = Q
Energy Balance: ( +W
s=Q

o Energy transfer rate from air to wet wick: Q = hy A (T - Twb)

o Rate of water vaporization: m w = ky A [ha (Twb) - ha (T)]
o Enthalpy of evaporated water = heat of vaporization at Twb + sensible heat to T
outlet = m
H w[Hv H2O(l) (Twb) + Cp, H2O(v)(T- Twb)]
o Neglect the amount of sensible heat as compared to heat of vaporization
outlet = m
H w[Hv H2O(l) (Twb) + Cp, H2O(v)(T- Twb)]
= kyA[ha(Twb) - ha(T)] Hv H2O (Twb)
o Enthalpy of inlet water = 0
H inlet = m
w Cp, H2O(l)(Twb - Twb) = 0
o Energy Balance Equation:
)streams = H
( outlet - H
inlet = H
outlet - 0 = Q

kyA[ha (Twb) - ha (T)] Hv H2O (Twb) = hyA(T- Twb)

Finally,
(ha (Twb)-ha (T)) /( Twb-T) = - hy/[ky Hv H2O (Twb)] = slopes of web bulb lines
(Example 8.4-5) The Psychrometric Chart

Use the psychrometric chart to estimate (1) the absolute humidity, wet-bulb
temperature, humid volume, dew point, and the specific enthaply of humid air at
41 C and 10% relative humidity, and (2) the amount of water in 150 m3 of air at
these conditions.

[Solution]

(1) Absolute humidity: ha 0.0048 kg H 2O / kg DA

(2) Wet-bulb temperature: Twet bulb = 19 C

( )
(3) Humid volume: V m / kg DA 0.897 (By interpolation 0.85+3.75/4*0.5),
3

(4) Dew point: Tdp = 3 C

(5) Specific enthalpy:= H (54.2 0.7) kJ / kg DA

At Twet bulb = 19 C , the enthalpy of the saturated air = 54.2 kJ / kg DA .

At 41 C , 10% relative humidity, enthalpy deviation in in the middle of
0.6 kJ / kg and 0.8 kJ / kg , therefore becomes 0.7 kJ / kg .

(2) The amount of water: Since the specific volume is V = 0.897 ,

150 m3 1.00 kg DA 0.0048 kg H 2O

= 0.803 kg H 2O
0.879 m3 1.00 kg DA
Comparison of latent heat to sensible heat in

w [Hv
q w = m H2O(l) (Twb) + Cp, H2O(v) (T- Twb)] for example 8.4-5

From Table B.1,

Hv H2O(l) (100) = 40.656 kJ/mol

From Watsons correlation (8.4-8)

Hv H2O(l) (Twb) = Hv H2O(l) (19)
= Hv H2O(l) (100) [(Tc-T2)/(Tc-T1)]0.38
= 40.656 [(374.15-19)/(374.15-100)]0.38
44.9 kJ/mol

Cp, H2O(v) (T- Twb) 75.4 x 10-3 (41-19) = 1.66 kJ/mol

Therefore, the sensible heat 1.66 kJ/mol is only 3.6% of the latent heat.
 Adiabatic Cooling

Contact of warm vapor with cold liquid in an adiabatic equipments causes the gas to
cool down and the liquid to evaporate.

Examples: Spray cooling, spray humidification, Spray dehumidification, Drying, Spray

drying

(Example 8.4.-7) Adiabatic Humidification

The answers could be determined from the humidity chart

100%
40%

Twb 10%
ha,out

ha,in

13.2oC 21.2oC 30oC

Energy Balance Equation for Adiabatic Humidification

Energy balance equation: =Q +W s = 0 since Q =0, W s =0

Inlet enthalpy = Outlet enthalpy
Reference states: Air (T3), H2O(l, T3), T3=outlet air T, T2=Inlet air T
Neglect flow rate of make-up water for both inlet and outlet.
Inlet Enthalpy = m a Cp,air (T2-T3) + m w1 (Hv H2O (T3) + Cp,H2O (T2-T3))
Neglect sensible heat of water, Cp,H2O (T2-T3), as compared to heat of vaporization.
a Cp,air (T2-T3) + m
Inlet Enthalpy = m w1 Hv H2O (T3)
a Cp,air (T3-T3) + (m
Outlet Enthalpy = m w1 + m
we)(Hv H2O (T3) +
w1 + m
Cp,H2O (T3-T3)) = (m we)Hv H2O (T3)

Since m a,
w1 = ha (T2) m w1 + m
m we = ha (T3) m
a
a Cp,air (T2-T3) + ha (T2) m
Inlet Enthalpy = m a Hv H2O (T3)
a Hv H2O (T3)
Outlet Enthalpy = ha (T3) m
Cp,air (T2-T3) + ha (T2) Hv H2O (T3) = ha (T3) Hv H2O (T3)
Finally,

ha (T3) - ha (T2) Cp,air

---------------- = - ----------
T3 - T2 Hv H2O (T3)

This equation is the same form as the wet bulb lines if hy/ky = Cp,air

ha (Twb)-ha (T) hy
-------------- = - --------------
Twb - T ky Hv H2O (Twb)