ME 162 REPORT

Thermodynamic Wet Bulb Temperature

vs.
Wet Bulb Temperature

 Thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature t* is the

temperature at which water (liquid or solid), by
evaporating into moist air at drybulb temperature t
and humidity ratio W, can bring air to saturation
adiabatically at the same temperature t* while total
pressure p is constant. This parameter is
considered separately in the section
onThermodynamic Wet-Bulb and Dew-Point
Temperature. (ASHRAE Handbook, 2017)
 Thermodynamic Wet Bulb Temperature
vs.
Wet Bulb Temperature

A psychrometer consists of two

thermometers; one thermometer’s bulb
is covered by a wick that has been
thoroughly wetted with water. When the
wet bulb is placed in an airstream, water
evaporates from the wick, eventually
reaching an equilibrium temperature
called the wet-bulb temperature.
This process is not one of adiabatic
saturation, which defines the thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature, but one of
simultaneous heat and mass transfer from the
wet bulb.
 In this constant-pressure process,
 Humidity ratio increases from initial value W to Ws*, corresponding to
saturation at temperature t*
 Enthalpy increases from initial value h to hs*, corresponding to saturation at
temperature t*
 Mass of water added per unit mass of dry air is (Ws* – W), which
adds energy to the moist air of amount (Ws* – W)hw*, where hw* denotes
specific enthalpy in Btu/lbw of water added at temperature t*
 HUMIDITY STANDARDS

 Humidity ratio is the only moist-air

property related to moisture content
capable of direct measurement. The
procedure is called the gravimetric method
and is considered to be a primary standard
.
 HUMIDITY STANDARDS

 The water vapor associated with a

measured volume of air of known density is
removed by a desiccant such as
phosphorous pentoxide. Mass of water
vapor is determined by precision weighing.
Other Methods of Measuring Air Humidity

 Psychrometer
Two thermometers; one has moist wick (sling or mounted with fan
 • Mechanical
– Metal-paper coil (paper strip attached to metal coil; coil changes shape with
moisture; dial rotates similar to that in a bimetallic
thermometer; inexpensive & not very accurate)
- Hair tension (human hair attached to spring & dial; hair swells as RH inc.)
 Electronic
Change in electrical resistance of LiCl or semiconductor
 Chilled mirror
Optoelectronic mechanism; very accurate
 Capacitive, resistive, thermal conductivity, gravimetric
Chapter 11:

Objectives:
 In this chapter we will consider problems involving direct
contact of air and water different from those covered in
Chapter 9.
 In this chapter we will be concerned with thermal
processes only
THE AIR WASHER
THE AIR WASHER

 An air washer is a piece of equipment that is designed to improve air quality

by scrubbing the air that moves through it and adjusting humidity levels to
keep the environment consistent.
 Air washers are used as part of climate control and air quality systems.
Air Washer Efficiency

Where 𝑊2 is the humidity ratio of moist air leaving the washer,

𝑊1 is the humidity ratio of moist air entering the washer,
𝑊𝑠 ∗ is the saturated humidity ratio of moist air at wet bulb remp.
Heat Transfer Through a fin-tube fan coil
BY: Brown and Marco

 Coils of this type are commonly employed in fan systems designed for
supplying heated, cooled and dehumified air as desired in various applications
of air conditioning.
 Fin-colied tubes, as the name implies, are made of tubes surrounded by fins
 The tubes are generally of copper or aluminium, and the fins either copper,
brass or aluminium. The fins are usually rectangular and circular in shape.
 Factors Affecting the Heat Transfer of
Finned Tubing
 The mean velocity of the air stream
 The degree of scrubbing action of the air stream as of influenced by the
design and arrangedment of the tubes and fins
 The condition of the exterior surface, wet or dry
 The thermal conductivity, depth, thickness and spacing of the fins and the
method of attaching them to the tube surface.
 The nature of the fluid inside the surface
Transfer of Finned Tubing
Transfer of Finned Tubing