THERMODYNAMICS

1 Psychrometrics and Air conditioning (Ch 14)

2 Psychrometrics and Air conditioning (Ch 14)
3 Psychrometrics and Air conditioning (Ch 14)
4 Thermodynamic Property Relations (Ch. 12)
5 Thermodynamic Property Relations (Ch. 12)
6 Thermodynamic Property Relations (Ch. 12)

“Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach” 7th edition, Cengel and Boles

1
Objectives
• Why air conditioning?
• What are physical systems that
enable air conditioning
• Differentiate between dry air and
atmospheric air.
• Air as a mixture of dry air and water
vapor.
 HUMAN COMFORT
WHY AIR CONDITIONING
A body feels comfortable when it can freely
AND AIR-
dissipate its waste heat, and no more. CONDITIONING
Today, modern air-conditioning systems can
condition the air to peoples’ desires.

The rate of heat generation by human body (average

adult male): ~ 87 W when sleeping ~115 W when
resting or doing office work, and ~ 440 W when
doing heavy physical work.

Body heat is too quickly dissipated – we feel cold

Body heat is too slowly dissipated – we feel warm

We cannot change the weather, but

we can change the climate in a
confined space by air-conditioning.
 •The relative humidity affects the
amount of heat a body can dissipate
through evaporation. Most people
prefer a relative humidity of 40 to 60%.

•Air motion removes the warm, moist air

that builds up around the body and
replaces it with fresh air. Air motion
should be strong enough to remove
heat and moisture from the vicinity of
the body, but gentle enough to be
unnoticed.

•An important factor that affects human

comfort is heat transfer by radiation
between the body and the surrounding
A comfortable environment. surfaces such as walls and windows.

• Temperature •Other factors that affect comfort are air

• Humidity cleanliness, odor, and noise.
• Air Motion (wind-chill factor)
AIR CONDITIONERS

1 – compressor
2 – condenser
3 – expansion valve
4 - evaporator
 EVAPORATIVE COOLERS AND
HUMIDIFIERS

Cool moist air

Dry warm
out
air in

Liquid water

Spray

Dry warm
Cool moist air
air in
out
Liquid water

Internal mass and energy transfers result in cool, moist air exiting the duct
 MIXTURES OF GASSES AND VAPOUR/LIQUID
DRY AND ATMOSPHERIC AIR
Atmospheric air: Air in the atmosphere containing some water vapor (or moisture).
Dry air: Air that contains no water vapor.

Atmospheric air = Dry Air + Water Vapor

The cp of air can be assumed to be constant at 1.005 kJ/kg · °C in the temperature

range -10 to 50°C with an error under 0.2%.
 MIXTURES OF GASSES AND VAPOUR/LIQUID
Air conditioning applications: Between the temperature range of -10 to 50 oC
In this region, water vapor in air behaves as if it existed alone and obeys the ideal-
gas relation Pv = RT.

Then the atmospheric air can be treated as an ideal-gas mixture:

Pa Partial pressure of dry air
Pv Partial pressure of vapor (vapor pressure)

Dalton’s law of additive pressures for a mixture of two ideal gases.

Dalton’s law of additive pressures: The pressure of a
gas mixture is equal to the sum of the pressures each
gas would exert if it existed alone at the mixture
temperature and volume.
 MIXTURES OF GASSES AND VAPOUR/LIQUID
Air conditioning applications: Between the temperature range of -10 to 50 oC

In this region the cp , h, and u can be evaluated from table or using:

For water vapor

hg = 2500.9 kJ/kg at 0°C
cp,avg = 1.82 kJ/kg · °C at -10 to 50°C range

Additional Info:
Subcooling a Liquid = To cool the liquid below its
saturation temperature at a given P

Superheating a vapour = To increase the

temperature of the vapour at constant P

Degree of Superheat = (T-Tsat) for a given pressure

 MIXTURES OF GASSES AND VAPOUR/LIQUID
Water is a common component in mixtures, and therefore requires special treatment.

E.g.: In a mixture of ideal gasses, the increase of pressure or reduction of

temperature will cause one component of the mixture to a state of saturation and then
condensation.

This can be seen for a gas mixture containing a vapour as shown below:

T = Constant P = Constant
P T vapour
1
vapour

2 3
3 2
Mixture 1 Mixture
Mixture

V S

Mixture at constant T but P is increased Mixture at constant P but T is decreased

2 = saturated vapour 2 = saturated vapour
3 = saturated liquid 3 = saturated liquid
PHYCHROMETRY
Study of air and water vapour mixtures relevant to air conditioning plant, and water
cooling tower analysis.

Some special terms that will be used to analyse these system are defined as follows:

Specific Humidity (w)

This is the ratio of masses of water vapour to air in a given volume V:

Ra= 0.287 kJ/kg.K

Rv= 8.314/(16+2)  kJ/kg.K
PHYCHROMETRY
Relative Humidity
Saturated air: The air saturated with moisture.

Relative humidity: The ratio of the amount of moisture the air holds (mv) to the
maximum amount of moisture the air can hold at the same temperature (mg).

Relationship between absolute and relative humidity

In most practical applications, the
amount of dry air in the air–water-
vapor mixture remains constant,
but the amount of water vapor
changes.
Therefore, the enthalpy of
atmospheric air is expressed per
unit mass of dry air.

The enthalpy of moist (atmospheric) air is

expressed per unit mass of dry air, not per
Dry-bulb temperature: unit mass of moist air.
The ordinary temperature
of atmospheric air. Lecture 4,5&6/ MEC 3454
EXAMPLE
Atmospheric air at 30oC, 100 kPa, has a dew point of 21.3oC.
Find the relative humidity?

Pv 2.548 kPa
   0.6 or 60%
Pg 4.247 kPa

Lecture 4,5&6/ MEC 3454

Additional Info: Self Learning

For saturated air, the vapor pressure is equal to the saturation pressure of
water.
•Relative humidity ranges from 0 to 1

•Relative humidity changes with

temperature, although specific humidity
may remain constant
Lecture 4,5&6/ MEC 3454
Additional Info: Self Learning

The difference between specific and relative humidity.

Lecture 4,5&6/ MEC 3454