AIR CONDITIONING and VENTILATION SYSTEMS

Air Conditioning mv kg water vapor

ω= ;( )
ma kg dry air
At temperatures below the critical temperature, the gas phase of a
substance is frequently referred to as a vapor. The term vapor implies a The specific humidity can also be expressed as
gaseous state that is close to the saturation region of the substance, raising
the possibility of condensation during a process m v P v V / Rv T Pv / R v P
ω= = = =0.622 v
Air conditioning is the simultaneous control of temperature, humidity, air m a Pa V / Ra T Pa / Ra Pa
movement, and the quantity of air in a space.
or
Dry and Atmospheric Air mv Pv
ω= =0.622
ma Pt −Pv
Air is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and small amounts of some other gases.
Air in the atmosphere normally contains some water vapor (or moisture) Ra = 287 J/kg-K , gas constant of dry air
and is referred to as atmospheric air. By contrast, air that contains no water Rv = 461.5 J/kg-K , gas constant of water vapor
vapor is called dry air. It is often convenient to treat air as a mixture of
water vapor and dry air since the composition of dry air remains relatively Relative humidity Ø is the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in the
constant, but the amount of water vapor changes as a result of air to the saturation pressure corresponding to the temperature of the air.
condensation and evaporation from oceans, lakes, rivers, showers, and even
the human body. Although the amount of water vapor in the air is small, it m v P v V / Rv T P v
plays a major role in human comfort. Therefore, it is an important ∅= = =
m g Pg V / R v T P g
consideration in air-conditioning applications.
Where
Vapor is the condensable component of the mixture, the water vapor or
Pg =Psat @ T
steam which may exist in a saturated or superheated state.
Combining ω and Ø , we can also express the relative humidity as
Pt =Pa + Pv
ωP 0.622 ∅ Pg
Where Pt = total mixture pressure ∅= ∧ω=
Pa = partial pressure exerted by the dry air (0.622+ ω)P g Pt −∅ Pg
Pv = partial pressure exerted by the vapor
Enthalpy h of a mixture of dry air and water vapor is the sum of the
Specific and Relative Humidity of Air enthalpy of the dry air and enthalpy of the water vapor. Enthalpy values are
always based on some reference condition, and the zero value of the dry air
The amount of water vapor in the air can be specified in various ways. is chosen as air at00C and the zero value of the water vapor is saturated
Probably the most logical way is to specify directly the mass of water vapor liquid water at 00C.
present in a unit mass of dry air. This called absolute or specific humidity
(also called humidity ratio) and is denoted by ω: KJ
h=c p t +ω hg ; dry air
kg
 AIR CONDITIONING and VENTILATION SYSTEMS

also note that the ordinary temperature of atmospheric air is frequently Wet bulb depression is the difference between the readings of the wet and
referred as the dry-bulb temperature dry bulb thermometers.
Specific volume is the number of cubic meters of mixture per kilogram of
dry air. Dewpoint temperature tdp is the saturation temperature corresponding to
the actual partial pressure of the steam in air or the temperature at which
RaT R a T m3 condensation of moisture begins when the air is cooled at constant
v= = ; of dry air pressure.
Pa P t−P v kg

When tdb and twb are given, for calculating the partial pressure of water
vapor in air the most widely used equation is Carrier’s equation.

( Pt −Pw )(t db −t wb )
Pv =P w −
1544−1.44 t wb
where
Pw = saturation pressure corresponding to wet bulb temperature (from
steam table) t dp=t sat @ P
Pt = total pressure
v

tdb = dry bulb temperature

Degree of saturation (DS) is the ratio of the air humidity ratio W to the
twb= wet bulb temperature
humidity ratio of saturated air Ws at the same temperature
Example

1. Compute the humidity ratio of air at 65 percent relative humidity and

DS=
( )
W
Ws
340C when the barometric pressure is 101.3 KPa.
0.622 P v
2. What is the enthalpy of the air-vapor mixture in problem 1? P −P v P P −P g
DS= t = v( t )
0.622 P g Pg Pt −Pv
3. What is the specific volume of an air-vapor mixture at 30 0C and a relative
humidity of 40 percent at 101.3 KPa pressure? P t−P d

Dry bulb temperature td is the temperature of air as registered by an Pt −P g

DS=∅ ( )
ordinary thermometer. Pt −P v
Example
Wet bulb temperature tw is the temperature of air as registered by a
thermometer whose bulb is covered by a wetted wick and exposed to a 4. A mixture of dry air and water vapor is at a temperature of 21 oC under a
current of rapidly moving air. pressure of 101.3 KPa. The dew point temperature is 15 oC. Find a) partial
pressure of water, b) relative humidity, c) humidity ratio, d) enthalpy, e)
specific volume, and f) degree of saturation
 AIR CONDITIONING and VENTILATION SYSTEMS

The values of total enthalpy are given on a scale above saturation curve as
shown in Fig. 5

6. Specific volume lines – the specific volume lines are obliquely inclined
straight lines and uniformly spaced. These lines are drawn up to the
PSYCHROMETRY saturation curve. The values of volume lines are generally given at the base
of the chart. Fig. 6
Psychrometry is the study of the properties of mixtures of air and water
vapor. 7. Vapor pressure line – the vapor pressure lines are horizontal and
uniformly space. Generally, the vapor pressure lines are not drawn in the
Psychrometric properties are the properties of moist air. main chart. But a scale showing vapor pressure in mm of Hg. Fig.7

A psychrometric chart is a graphical representation of the thermodynamic 8. Relative humidity line – the relative humidity lines are curved lines and
properties of moist air. follow the saturation curve. Generally, these lines are drawn with values
10%, 20%, 30% and up to 100%. The saturation curve represents 100%
The psychrometric chart has a number of details, yet the following lines are relative humidity. Fig. 8
important from the subject point of view.

1. The dry bulb temperature lines – the dry bulb temperature lines are
vertical i.e. parallel to the ordinate and uniformly spaced. Fig 1

2. Specific humidity or moisture content lines – the specific humidity

(moisture content) lines are horizontal. Fig 2

3. Dew point temperature lines – the dew point temperature lines are
horizontal i.e. parallel to abscissa and non-uniformly spaced. Fig 3

The values of dew point temperature are generally given along the Fig. 1 Fig. 2
saturation curve of the chart as shown in Fig.3

4. Wet bulb temperature lines – the wet bulb temperature lines are inclined
straight lines and non-uniformly spaced. At any point on the saturation
curve, the dry-bulb and wet bulb are equal. Fig. 4

5. Enthalpy lines – the enthalpy lines are inclined straight lines and
uniformly spaced. These lines are parallel to the wet bulb temperature lines,
and are drawn up to the saturation curve. Some of these lines coincide with
the wet bulb temperature lines also. Fig. 5 Fig. 3 Fig. 4
 AIR CONDITIONING and VENTILATION SYSTEMS

Example

5. A certain has a dry bulb temperature of 34 oC and a wet bulb temperature

of 25oC. Determine a) the relative humidity b) the dew point temperature, c)
the humidity ratio, d) the specific volume and e) the enthalpy

Activity
Fig. 5 Fig. 6
1. The readings from a sling psychrometer are as follows: Dry bulb
temperature = 30 oC ; Wet bulb temperature = 20oC ; Barometer reading =
740 mm Hg. Determine the following dew point temperature, relative
humidity, specific humidity, Degree of saturation, and Enthalpy of mixture
per kg of dry air. Using Steam table

2. The readings from a sling psychrometer are as follows: Dry bulb

temperature = 30 oC ; Wet bulb temperature = 20oC ; Barometer reading =
740 mm Hg. Determine the following dew point temperature, relative
Fig. 7 humidity, specific humidity, and Enthalpy of mixture per kg of dry air. Using
Fig. 8 Psychrometric chart
Note:
Atmospheric Pressure IF STEAM TABLE IS NOT AVAILABLE
1 atm = 101.325 KPa
= 14.7 psi Use the following formula:
= 760 mm Hg
= 29.92 in Hg Pv
= 1.032 kg / cm2 RH =∅=
Psat (d .b )
= 10.33 mm H2O
= 33.88 ft H2O
Apjohn Formula for Pv
= 1.0132 bar
Pbaro . ( t d . b .−t w .b . )
Pv =P sat(w .b )− note :t d . b .∧t w .b . (℉ )
Specific heat of Air 2700
Cp = 1.0062 KJ/kg-K = 0.24 BTU/lb-R
Cv = 0.7186 KJ/kg-K = 0.171 BTU/lb-R Lilley Formula for Psat
ln ¿ ¿
 AIR CONDITIONING and VENTILATION SYSTEMS

For hg
KJ
h g=2501+1.88 t d . b(℃) ;
kg

h g=1061+0.45 t d . b (℉ ) ; Btu /lb

Example (without the use of steamtable)

1. The readings from a sling psychrometer are as follows: Dry bulb

temperature = 30 oC ; Wet bulb temperature = 20oC ; Barometer reading =
740 mm Hg. Determine the following dew point temperature, relative
humidity, specific humidity, Degree of saturation, and Enthalpy of mixture
per kg of dry air. Without using Steam table