Introduction to Psychrometric

charts
by
Salim Deramchi
Email: salim.deramchi@bsria.co.uk
1

What is a Psychrometric chart?

Psychrometric is the study of moist

air

Atmospheric Air
A mix of "dry" air and water vapour
Dry Air is a mixture
Mainly nitrogen and oxygen
Traces of argon, krypton, neon, helium,
xenon, carbon dioxide, methane and
others

NATURAL PSYCHROMETRY

Snow

Rain

Hail

Fog/Mist

Dew

Ground Frost

Why psychrometric charts?

Thermal comfort

TO AVOID
CONDENSATION

SWEATING

Where can psychrometric chart be

used

Design of AIR-CONDITIONING
SYSTEMS

LOCAL
& SPLIT

CENTRALISED
CAV & VAV

PARTIALLY
CENTRALISED
UNIT

+
9

10

Types of psychrometric charts

11

12

13

CIBSE GUIDE C Tables

14

The properties of the psychometric

chart

15

The properties to be discussed

Dry bulb temperature

Wet bulb temperature

Moisture content (kg Water / kg Dry air)

Percentage of relative humidity (this is shown

on psychrometric charts as percentage
saturation)

Specific enthalpy

16

Dry bulb

The temperature which can be

measured by a thermometer

17

WET-BULB TEMPERATURE

Dry-bulb
Temperature

Wet-bulb
Temperature

Wet-bulb
depression

Used to infer the amount of water moisture in

the air (Water content)

18

Specific enthalpy

Specific enthalpy is the amount of

energy per kg of air at a specific
condition

19

So lets determine some

parameters

20

Dry Bulb Vertical

Lines

10

20

30

Dry bulb temperature

21

Wet Bulb Diagonal

Lines

21
16
11
6

22

Dew point temperature

Vertical Lines

Dew point Horizontal

Lines

23

Relative humidity
It is the Ratio of water vapour
compared to the maximum amount
the air can hold

24

Exercise

Determine all the parameters at the temperatures

of 20Cdb and 20%RH

25

Dew Point

Dry bulb

Exercise

Moisture content

Dew Point
temperature

26

Exercise

Determine all the parameters at the temperatures

of 22Cdband 15 Cwb

27

Enthalpy
41.2 kJ/kg

15 C

47%

Moisture Content 7.6 g/kg

Dew-point Temperature = 10 C

22 C

28

28

DESIGN CONDITIONS

Singapore

Hong
Kong
Comfort
COMFORT
Zone
ZONE

UK
Arabian Desert

29

Basic Formulae
Sensible Heat =
Flow

qs

mass x specific heat x temperature change

flow

m x

cp

x Dt

30

Exercise

Heat 2m3/s of air entering at 10OCdb and 7OCwb

to 30O C & determine the heater duty

31

32

Hb=42.5
Ha=22.5
7
a

10

30

33

Exercise

Determine coil duty to cool 3m3/s of air at

30OCdb and 20OCwb to 20OCdb

34

Ha=57
20

Hb=47

20

30
35

END
Any questions?

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