ChBE 2523 Separations

Chapter 10
Psychrometric Charts
Spring, 2015
Dr. John Clay

Yesterday you
said tomorrow.

On a Lighter Side

CHAPTER 9 TOPICS
Drying Overview (9.1, 9.4)
Psychrometric Charts (9.3)
Drying Calculations (9.5, 9.6, 9.7)
Types of Dryers (9.2)

Break up chapter into four different slide sets

3

Goals of Lecture
Introduce (or review) psychrometric charts
Differentiate between the four definitions of
humidity and calculate each
Use psychrometric charts to solve drying
problems

Temperatures
Dry bulb temperature, T
Temperature from unmodified temperature sensor
Often read as temperature

Wet bulb temperature, Tw

Steady-state non-equilibrium temperature obtained
when small amount of water is contacted under
adiabatic conditions from a small stream of gas
T & H (Humidity) remain constant

Dew point temperature, Tdp

Temperature at which the air becomes saturated with
water vapor
Condensation will occur if the moisture content of the air
stays constant and the temperature drops below
the
5

Humidity
A review of humidity
Humidity, H
kg of water vapor contained in 1kg of
dry air

pA Mwater kg H 2O

H

P pA M air
kg dry air

pAs Mwater kg H 2O
Saturated humidity, Hs

Hs

P pAs M air
kg dry air
Humidity level if the air was saturated,
pA=pAs

Percentage humidity, Hp
Comparison of the actual humidity, H,
to the saturated humidity, Hs

Percentage relative humidity, HR

Humidity reported in terms of relative
pressures

H
H p 100
Hs

pA
H R 100
pAs
6

I report
HR

Humidity Definitions

Humidity Charts
Humidity (psychrometric) charts
Four charts to choose from
Text
Carrier
Aaon SI
Aaon - English

Why four charts?

Units
Scale
Detail
8

Humidity Charts
Another source of Hv data
What is dry bulb
temperature?

Figure 8.4-1, p. 385

Humidity Charts
What is absolute humidity?

Absolute Humidity is to mass fraction (x)

xH2O

kg H2O
kg H2O kg DA

10

Humidity Charts
What is hr?

Ratio of actual pressure to

vapor pressure of liquid.

100% hr = saturation conditions

(liquid is becoming vapor)

11

Humidity Charts
Can be used to determine dew point
What is dew point?
Dew point = Temperature at which the vapor becomes
saturated
To calculate:
1. Find your point of interest on psychometric chart. (e.g.,
T = 29C, hr = 20%)
2. Follow a horizontal line from the point to its intersection
with the saturation curve
3. Follow a vertical line from this intersection to the x-axis.
4. The intersection with the x-axis is the dew point
12

Humidity Charts
What is the dew point at
T = 29C, hr = 20%?

13

Humidity Charts
Can be used to determine humid volume
What is humid volume?

Volume occupied by 1 kg moist air on a kg DA basis

OR Volume of dry air plus associated vapor
Humid volume is used to calculate the volume of a
particular mass of moist air
Specifically used to convert between
in DA basis
and m

of humid air (HA)

14

Humidity Charts

15

Humidity Charts
Can be used to determine wet-bulb temperature.
What is wet-bulb temperature?
Wrap cloth soaked in water around bulb of
thermometer and place thermometer in stream of
flowing air
Water evaporates from the wick, removing heat from
the thermometer
Steady-state temperature is the wet bulb temperature

Dependent on:
- Temperature (faster evaporation at higher T)
- Humidity (less evaporation in 100% hr)
Surface moisture is evaporated at the wet bulb temperature
16

Humidity Charts

17

Key Concepts to Retain

Be able to obtain values from a
psychrometric chart
Use data from a psychrometric chart to help
solve drying problems
Understand that surface moisture is
evaporated at the wet bulb temperature

18