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Class 31
Friday, November 5th
Section 8.4 d & e
Psychrometric (Psycho!) Charts
Humidification Problems

Psychrometric (Psycho!) Charts

Absolute Humidity, ha
[kg H2O(v)/kg Dry Air]
Moisture content

If you know any

two of these can
determine all the
others!

Absolute Humidity

Dry bulb temperature

Absolute humidity
Relative humidity
Dew Point
Humid volume
Wet bulb temperature
Specific enthalpy of
saturated air
Enthalpy deviation

Dry Bulb Temperature, T

Temp. measured by conventional
method (thermometer)

Dry Bulb Temperature

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Relative Humidity, hr

Dew Point, Tdp

Temperature at which humid air
becomes saturated if cooled at a
constant pressure

*
hr = 100 p H 2O p H 2O (T)

100% Relative
humidity

um

id
ity

el
a

tiv

Dew Point

Wet-Bulb Temperature, Twb

Humid Volume, V [m3/kg dry air]

Enthalpy Deviation

olum
ir V

Correction factor for enthalpy of humid

air NOT at saturation

rd
at

ai

lpy De
viatio

id A

Enthalpy of 1kg of dry air + the water

vapor it contains at saturation

Entha

Specific Enthalpy of Saturated Air,

Temperature of air measured using a

modified thermometer bulb

Hum

Volume occupied by 1kg of dry

air plus the water vapor that

accompanies
it

Wet-Bulb Temperature

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Air at 25 C and 1 atm has a relative

humidity of 20%. Use the psychrometric chart to estimate the absolute
humidity
a).004

b) .015

c).020

d) .031

0.004 kg/kg dry air

Air at 25 C and 1 atm has a relative

humidity of 20%. Use the psychrometric chart to estimate the wet bulb
temperature.
a) 0 C

b) 5 C

c) 12.5 C

Twb = 12.5 C

d) 20 C

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Air at 25 C and 1 atm has a relative

humidity of 20%. Use the psychrometric chart to estimate the dew
point temperature.
a)1 C

b) 5 C

d) 15 C

e) 20 C

c) 10 C

Tdp = 1C

Air at 25 C and 1 atm has a relative

humidity of 20%. Use the psychrometric chart to estimate the humid
volume in m3/kg dry air
a) .75

b) .80

c) .85

V = 0.85 m3/kg dry air

d) .90

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Air at 25 C and 1 atm has a relative

humidity of 20%. Use the psychrometric chart to estimate the specific
enthalpy of the air in kJ/kg dry air
a) 35

b) 34.7

35 kJ/kg dry air

- 0.3 (deviation)
34.7 KJ/kg dry air

c) 30

d) 29.7

Class Problem #1
A gas stream leaves a combustion furnace at 800oF and
atmospheric pressure, at a rate of 300 actual ft3/min. The
gas contains 7.1 mol% CO2, 74.3 mol% N2, 4.3 mol% O2,
and 14.3 mol% H2O. The gas is cooled to 200 F in a heat
exchanger. The heat it loses goes into raising the
temperature of air at 60 F and 30% hr to 100 F. Calculate
the SCFH air that can be heated, using the pyschrometric
chart in your calculation.
n o (lb-moles/min)

200 F, 1 atm

300 ft3/min, 800 F, 1 atm

Q W = KE + PE + H
Q = H
Complete the table:
Reference state: Gas, Pref = 1atm, Tref = 77 F
Substance

n (lb-mol/min)

in(Btu/lbmol)

out(Btu/lbmol)

CO2

0.071 CO2
0.743 N2
0.043 O2
0.143 H2O
humid air
m o (lbm dry air/min)
60 F
hr = 30%

1) Determine how much energy is transferred from

stream 2 to stream 1

N2
O2
Q [Btu/min]

100 F

H 2O

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Find ns:
n= PV/RT
= (1 atm)(300 ft2/min)/(1260 R)(0.7302 ft3 atm/lb-mol R)
= 0.326 lb-moles/min

yCO2
yN2
yO2
yH2O

nCO2
nN2
nO2
nH2O

= 0.071
= 0.743
= 0.043
= 0.143

Substance

n (lb-mol/min)

CO2

0.0231

N2

0.2422

O2

0.014

H 2O

0.0466

= 0.0231
= 0.2422
= 0.014
= 0.0466

in(Btu/lbmol)

out(Btu/lbmol)

Can look up s in Table B.9

Reference state: Gas, Pref = 1atm, Tref = 77 F
Substance

n (lb-mol/min)

in(Btu/lbmol)

out(Btu/lbmol)

CO2

0.0231

7599

1132

N2

0.2422

5150

857

O2

0.014

5418

875

H 2O

0.0466

6122

996

Energy Balance on gas:

Q = H = ni (out in )
= -1492 Btu/min energy transferred between
streams

2) Determine the specific enthalpies of steam/air

mixture in and out of heat exchanger
Use psychrometric chart!
1492 Btu/min

Humid air in:

60 F
hr = 30%

humid air

humid air

m o (lbm dry air/min)

100 F
ha = 0.0033

60 F
hr = 30%

Humid air out:

100 F
ha = 0.0033 lbm H2O /lbm dry air

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2) Determine the specific enthalpies of steam/air

mixture in and out of heat exchanger

3) Determine mass of air required

Use psychrometric chart!

Energy balance on air:

Humid air in:

60F
hr = 30%

= 18 Btu/lb-mol dry air

ha = 0.0033 lb-mol H2O/lb-mol dry air

Q = 1492 Btu/min = H = ni (out in )

ni = 149.2 lb-mol dry air/min

4) Determine the SCFH of air required

Humid air out:
100F
ha = 0.0033

= 28 Btu/lb-mol dry air

3) Determine mass of air required

Energy balance on air:

Q = H = ni (out in )
ni = 149.2 lb-mole D.A./min

4) Determine the SCFH of air required

From chart:
At 32F, 1 atm (STP), ha = 0.0033
VSTP = 12.4 ft3/lb-mole D.A.
V = (12.4 ft3/lb-mole D.A.)(149.2 lb-mol D.A./min)(60 min/hr)

V = 1.11 x 105 ft3/hr

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Class Problem # 2
A solution of sugar in water is to be concentrated from 5 wt%
sugar to 20 wt%. The solution is fed continuously to a bubble
column. Air at 45 C with a dew point of 4 C is bubbled through
the column and emerges saturated. The humidification of the air
may be considered adiabatic. Use the psychrometric chart to
solve the following problems: (a) What are the absolute
humidities of the entering and exiting air, (b) How many kg of dry
air must be fed per kg of the entering sugar solution? What is the
corresponding volume of the entering wet air? (use the chart for
the latter problem)
5 wt % sugar in water

45 C humid air
Tdp 4C

20 wt % sugar in water

Part a) Absolute humidities of entering and exiting air?

Entering Air:
45C humid air
d.p. 4C

Exiting Air:
Saturated
(Adiabatically! Twb = Tas)

Saturated air

Part a) Absolute humidities of entering and exiting air?

Entering Air:
45C humid air
d.p. 4C

Exiting Air:
Saturated
(Adiabatically! Twb = Tas)

ha = 0.005 kg H2O/kg D.A.

Twb = 20.4C
ha = 0.0154 kg H2O/kg D.A.

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Part b) kg D.A. fed per kg sugar solution?

5 wt % sugar in water
1 kg
45C humid air
m1 (kg D.A.)
0.005 kg H2O/kg D.A

Part b) V of corresponding wet air?

20 wt % sugar in water
m2
Saturated air
m1 (kg D.A)
0.0151 kg H2O/kg DA

V = 0.91 m3/kg dry air

Mass Balance! (sugar)

0.05(1 kg) = 0.2 m2
m2 = 0.25 kg

Mass Balance! (Water)

m1 (0.005 kg H2O/kg D.A) + 1 kg (0.95) = m1(0.0154 kg H2O/kg DA) + 0.25 (0.8)
m1 = 72 kg dry air

Part b) V of corresponding wet air?

Humid volume of air at entering conditions
V = 0.91 m3/kg D.A.

V = (0.91 m3/kg D.A.)(72 kg D.A.) = 66 m3