PLANT AND LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ENGINEERING
FINAL TERM
ACTIVITY NO: __2__
Psychrometry
Instruction: Look for and read the definitions of the following terms.
I. Psychrometry – a branch of engineering science which deals with the study of moist
air i.e., dry air mixed with water vapour or humidity. It also includes the study of
behavior of dry air and water vapour mixture under various sets of conditions.
II. Properties of Air:
a. Dry-bulb temperature - It is the temperature of air recorded by a thermometer,
when it is not affected by the moisture present in the air.
b. Wet-bulb temperature - It is the temperature of air recorded by a thermometer,
when its bulb is surrounded by a wet cloth exposed to the air.
c. Relative humidity (RH) - It is the ratio of actual mass of water vapour in a
given_volume of moist air to the mass of water vapour in the same volume of
saturated air at the same temperature and pressure.
d. Humidity ratio - It is the mass of water vapour present in 1 kg of dry air and is
generally expressed in terms of gram per kg of dry air (g / kg of dry air).
e. Specific volume - represents the space occupied by a unit weight of dry air (ft3/lb,
m3/kg).
f. Dew point temperature - It is the temperature of air recorded by a thermometer,
when the moisture (water vapour) present in it begins to condense.
g. Enthalpy - is the heat energy content of moist air. It is expressed in Btu per
pound of dry air and represents the heat energy due to temperature and moisture
in the air.
h. Energy content - refers to the amount of energy contained within a given mass of
air-water vapor mixture. It is commonly measured in terms of enthalpy, which
represents the total heat content of a substance at constant pressure.
i. Moisture content - refers to the amount of water vapor present in a given volume
of air.
III. Psychrometric Processes
a. Sensible cooling – The cooling of air without any change in its specific humidity.
During this process, the moisture content of air remains constant but its
temperature decreases as it flows over a cooling coil.
b. Sensible heating - The heating of air, without any-change in its specific humidity.
During the process, the moisture content of air remains constant, and its
temperature increases as it flows over a heating coil.
PLANT AND LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL ENGINEERING
FINAL TERM
ACTIVITY NO: __2__
c. Cooling and Dehumidification - This process is generally used in summer air
conditioning to cool and dehumidify the air. The air is passed over a cooling coil
or through a cold water spray. In this process, the dry bulb temperature as well as
the specific humidity of air decreases. The final relative humidity of the air is
generally higher than that of the entering air.
d. Heating and Humidification - This process is generally used in winter air
conditioning to warm and humidify the air. When air is passed through a
humidifier having spray water temperature higher than the dry bulb temperature
of the entering air, the unsaturated air will reach the condition of saturation and
thus the air becomes hot. The heat of vaporization of water is absorbed from the
spray water itself and hence it gets cooled. In this way, the air becomes heated
and humidified.
e. Cooling & Humidification - during the process, the air temperatures drops and
its humidity increases. The temperature of water should be lower than the dry
bulb temperature of air but higher than its dew-point temperature to avoid
condensation.
f. Heating and Dehumidification - In this process, the air is passed over chemicals
which have an affinity for moisture. As the air encounters these chemicals, the
moisture gets condensed out of the air and gives up its latent heat. Due to the
condensation, the specific humidity decreases, and the heat of condensation
supplies sensible heat for heating the air and thus increasing its dry bulb
temperature.
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