PSYCHROMETRY

It is the branch of science which

studies the properties of air.
 Psychrometric Properties
• Dry Bulb Temperature (DBT)
• Wet Bulb Temperature (WBT)
• Relative Humidity (RH)
• Humidity Ratio (HR)
• Enthalpy (H)
• Dew Point Temperature(DPT)
 DRY BULB TEMPERATURE
Temperature of air as measured by an ordinary
thermometer is the DBT of the air.
Its units are °F,°C and K.
 WET BULB TEMPERATURE
Temperature shown by a wet bulb thermometer is WBT. A wet
bulb thermometer is an ordinary thermometer but with a
wetted cotton or cloth covering the bulb of the thermometer.
 Relative Humidity
Ratio of actual amount of moisture present in one unit
volume of dry air at a certain temperature to the amount
if the air were to be saturated at that temperature is
called relative humidity. It is expressed in percentage.
 Humidity Ratio
Humidity Ratio is the ratio of the mass of water vapor and
the mass of dry air or it is known moisture content.
Its unit is Grains per pound (gr/lb)
 Dew point Temperature
It is the temperature at which moisture
contained in the air at a particular temperature
starts to condense.
 ENTHALPY
Total heat content or enthalpy of air is made up of sensible
heat and latent heat.
Sensible heat is mainly from dry air and latent heat is due to
the water vapour present in the air.
Problems
• Find out the HR and H in Mumbai in summer?

• Find out WBT, HR, H, if DBT = 23̊ c and RH =

60%

• Find out the HR and H in Delhi in mansoon?

• ̊ F =( ̊ c x 9/5) +32
 Psychrometric process’
• Sensible Heating

• Sensible Cooling

• Humidification

• Dehumidification

• Heating and Humidification

• Heating and Dehumidification

• Cooling and Humidification

• Cooling and Dehumidification

SENSIBLE HEATING
It is the adding of heat to air which raises the
temperature of air. No moisture is added.

SENSIBLE COOLING
There is heat removal in this process. The air is cooled
only to a temperature higher than its dew point.
HUMIDIFICATION
If the moisture is added to the air without the change in
temperature, the process is known as humidification.

DEHUMIDIFICATION
We can use silica gel cartridges to remove humidity/water
vapour from the air.
 HEATING & HUMIDIFICATION
If the air is heated and moisture is added to it, the process is
heating and humidification.
The temperature of the spray water should be higher than
the dry bulb temperature of the entering air.
 HEATING &
DEHUMIDIFICATION
If the air is heated and moisture is removed from it, the
process is heating and dehumidification.
 Cooling and Dehumidification
 This process not only involves the sensible cooling, also it involves
dehumidification.
 i.e. latent heat removal or reduction of moisture content or
dehumidification. So the air has to cooled below the dew point
temperature.
 Cooling and Humidification
 This process not only involves the sensible cooling, also it involves
humidification.
 i.e. latent heat addition or addition of moisture content or
humidification.
Problem
• An apartment room in Chennai has set to 22̊ c
and 50% RH. Find out the HR at a DBT of
27̊ c in summer.
 Refrigerants
• Refrigerants are broadly classified into two
– Primary refrigerant
– Secondary refrigerant

Primary refrigerants are again classified into

 Natural
 Synthetic
 Blends
• Synthetic refrigerants are again classified into 3
– CFC Chloro Flouro Carbon
– HCFC Hydro Chloro Flouro Carbon
– HFC Hydro Flouro Carbon
 Chloro Fluoro Carbon (CFC)
• It is the refrigerant synthesized by replacing all
the Hydrogen atoms in a hydro carbon
molicule with Chlorine and Fluorine.
 Hydro Chloro Fluoro Carbon
(HCFC)
• It is the refrigerant synthesized by replacing
some of the Hydrogen atoms in a hydro
carbon molicule with Chlorine and Fluorine.
• O3 + Cl2 -----> Cl2O + O2
• Cl2O + O3 ------> Cl2 + 2O2
 Hydro Fluoro Carbon (HFC)
• It is the refrigerant synthesized by replacing
some of the Hydrogen atoms in a hydro
carbon molicule with Fluorine.
 Zeotropic Blend
• Even after mixing if the properties of both the
refrigerants are remaining separate then the blend
is known as zeotropic blend.
• Eg: R410 a ------> CH2F2 + CHF2 CF3 (R32 + R125)
 Azeotropic Blend
• If after mixing the properties of both the
refrigerants change and forms a common
property, then it is known as zeotropic blend

• Eg: R134a /R32 (CH2F2 + CH2F CF3 )