Construction of a generalized psychrometric

chart for different pressures

He-Sheng Ren
Institute of Thermal Engineering, College of Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for
Science and Technology, Jun Gong Road 516, Shanghai 200093, China
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract In textbooks of thermodynamics or air conditioning engineering we can find the
psychrometric chart at atmospheric pressure. However, standard psychrometric charts cannot be used
directly in those areas where urban elevations and barometric pressures are considerably different
from those given on the charts. Based on the formulas suggested by ASHRAE, a generalized
psychrometric chart for different pressures is constructed, using composite thermodynamic properties
f/p, pw /p, and vp. A nomograph is given to relate these composite thermodynamic properties to the
psychrometric variables f, pw, and v with p. Other commonly used psychrometric variables can be read
directly from the generalized psychrometric chart. Three numerical examples illustrate the use of the
generalized psychrometric chart. It will be of material help in both the design of air conditioning
systems for different barometric pressures and the teaching of psychrometrics.
Keywords moist air; psychrometric chart; barometric pressure

Nomenclature
h specific enthalpy of moist air
ha specific enthalpy of dry air
hw specific enthalpy of water vapor
ma mass of dry air
mw mass of water vapor
n number of moles
na number of moles of dry air
nw number of moles of water vapor
p total pressure of moist air
pa partial pressure of dry air
pw partial pressure of water vapor
pws saturation pressure of water vapor
pw/p composite partial pressure of water vapor
R universal gas constant
Ra gas constant for dry air
Rw gas constant for water vapor
t temperature, dry-bulb temperature
td dewpoint temperature
twb thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
T absolute temperature
v specific volume of moist air
vp composite specific volume
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

Generalized psychrometric chart

213

V volume
w humidity ratio
xa mole fraction of dry air
xw mole fraction of water vapor
e enthalpymoisture ratio
rw density of water vapor
f relative humidity
f/p composite relative humidity
Introduction
The thermodynamic properties of moist air are basic to some technologies, such as
heating and air conditioning, drying, food storage and meteorology. A psychrometric
chart graphically represents the thermodynamic properties of moist air. Such a chart
not only allows graphical reading of the various properties but also provides convenient graphical solutions to many problems involving moist air processes.
Traditionally, a psychrometric chart may be constructed for some single value of barometric pressure, usually standard sea-level pressure. ASHRAE have developed seven
such psychrometric charts for sea-level pressure (101.325 kPa), 750-m altitude (92.66
kPa), 1500-m altitude (84.54 kPa), and 2250-m altitude (77.04 kPa) [1]. However,
these standard charts cannot be used directly in those areas where urban elevations and
barometric pressures are considerably different from those given on the charts [2]. It
is also difficult to use these charts for moist air processes during which the pressure
varies. It is necessary to construct a generalized psychrometric chart for various
pressures.
For a given barometric pressure, all psychrometric properties of moist air are determined by two independent variables. Usually two basic coordinates of the psychrometric chart are enthalpy and humidity ratio. Other lines of constant properties, such
as dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures, relative humidity, specific volume, partial
pressure of water vapor, and so on can then be plotted on the chart as a function of
enthalpy and humidity ratio. In the present paper, a generalized psychrometric chart
covering all possible pressure cases in air conditioning design is constructed.
Thermodynamic properties of moist air
When moist air is considered a binary mixture of independent perfect gases, namely
dry air and water vapor, each component and the mixture also are assumed to obey
the perfect gas equation of state, as follows:
Dry air

pa V = na RT = ma Ra T

Water vapor
Moist air

(1)

pw V = nw RT = mw Rw T

pV = nRT

(2)
(3)

where p = pa + pw is the total mixture pressure and n = na + nw is the total number

of moles in the mixture. The mole fraction of dry air and water vapor can be
expressed as the ratio of the partial pressure to the total pressure, respectively:
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

214

H.-S. Ren

x a = n a n = pa p

(4)

x w = n w n = pw p

(5)

The humidity ratio of a given moist air sample is defined as the ratio of the mass
of water vapor to the mass of dry air contained in the sample. From equations (1)
to (5), the humidity ratio, w, is given by:
w=

mw
pw
xw
= 621.98
= 621.98
ma
p - pw
1 - xw

(g

kg a )

(6)

Absolute humidity (alternatively, water vapor density) is the ratio of the mass of
water vapor to the total volume of the sample:
rw =

mw
V

(kg

m3 )

(7)

Relative humidity is the ratio of the moist airs absolute humidity to the absolute
humidity of saturated air at the same temperature. From equations (2) and (5),
relative humidity can be written:
f=

rw
xw
pw
=
=
r ws x ws pws

(8)

where the term pws represents the saturation pressure of water vapor at the given temperature. This pressure is a function only of temperature and can be calculated from
following formulas, published by Hyland and Wexler [3]:
5

ln( pws ) = ci T i -1 + c6 ln(T )

(9)

i=0

where the coefficients for the temperature range 173.16  T  273.15 K are
c0 = -5.6745359 10 3 , c1 = 6.3925247, c2 = -9.6778430 10 -3 ,
c3 = 6.2215701 10 -7 , c4 = 2.0747825 10 -9 , c5 = -9.4840240 10 -13 ,
c6 = 4.1630159
and for 273.16  T  473.15 K are:
c0 = -5.8002206 10 3 , c1 = 1.3914993, c2 = -4.8640239 10 -2 ,
c3 = 4.1764768 10 -5 , c4 = -1.4452093 10 -8 , c5 = 0, c6 = 6.5459673
The specific volume of a moist air mixture is expressed in terms of a unit mass
of dry air. Using equations (1) and (6):
v=

V
Ra T
Ra T
w
=
=
1+
ma p - pw
p 621.98

(m 3

kg a )

(10)

The enthalpy of moist air equals the sum of the enthalpies of the dry air and the
water vapor. The specific enthalpy of moist air is also defined per unit mass of dry
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

Generalized psychrometric chart

215

air. For lower pressure, the specific enthalpy of water vapor is approximately the
linear function of temperature. Therefore, the enthalpy of moist air can be expressed
as [4]:
h = ha + whw = 1.005t + w(2.501 + 1.805 10 -3 t )

(kJ

kg a )

(11)

where t is the dry-bulb temperature, in C.

Another commonly used psychrometric parameter is the wet-bulb temperature. In
principle, there is a difference between the wet-bulb temperature and the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature (otherwise known as the temperature of adiabatic
saturation). The wet-bulb temperature measured by a wet-bulb thermometer is a
function of both heat and mass diffusion rates, while the thermodynamic wet-bulb
temperature is a function of a thermodynamic equilibrium process. During the
process, water by evaporating into air can bring the moist air to adiabatic saturation
at the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature. The energy equation for this process is
h + (ws - w)hwb = hs

(12)

where the specific enthalpy and humidity ratio of moist air are respectively increased
from given initial values h and w to the values hs and ws, corresponding to saturation at the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature, twb. The specific enthalpy, hwb, of
the water added at temperature twb can be calculated by the approximate relation
hwb = 4.186t wb

(kJ

kg)

(13)

Construction of the generalized psychrometric chart

A thermodynamic state for moist air is uniquely fixed if the barometric pressure and
two independent properties mentioned above are known. Traditionally, a psychrometric chart is constructed for some single value of barometric pressure, usually
standard sea-level pressure. In fact, a generalized psychrometric chart for different
pressures can be constructed as long as the psychrometric parameters such as f, pw,
and v are substituted by composite parameters involved with the total pressure,
respectively known as the composite relative humidity, f/p, composite partial pressure of water vapor, pw/p, and composite specific volume, vp.
Enthalpy lines (h) and humidity ratio lines (w)
As in the ASHRAE charts, the enthalpy and humidity ratio are used as the basic
coordinates in the generalized psychrometric chart for different pressures, as shown
in Fig. 1. The other properties or composite parameters can then be represented by
the enthalpy and humidity ratio with the aid of the equations given above. Humidity ratio lines are horizontal, and enthalpy lines are obliquely drawn across the chart
so that other property lines are more distinct and can be read more accurately.
Dry-bulb temperature lines (t)
According to equation (11), enthalpy is the linear function of the humidity ratio for
constant dry-bulb temperature. Thus, the dry-bulb temperature lines are straight but
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

216

H.-S. Ren

w, g/kga
ga

0.94

3 ar/k
m b

h w

Psychrometric chart for different pressures.

Fig. 1

h=

50
k

J/k
g

t,C

f/p=0.05

bar

wb

=3
2

vp =

pw/p, kPa/bar
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

Generalized psychrometric chart

217

are not parallel to each other, since their slopes vary with temperature. From equation (11) we have h = 1.005 t for w = 0, that is, the values of the enthalpy and drybulb temperature on the abscissa (w = 0) are approximately equal. These properties
are also true for different pressures because there is no pressure term in equation
(11).
Composite partial pressure of water vapor (pw /p)
From equations (5) and (6), we see that the composite partial pressure of water vapor
is synonymous with the mole fraction of water vapor, and w is the monodromic function of pw/p. Thus, constant lines of composite partial pressure of water vapor are
consistent with constant humidity ratio lines, from equation (6).
Composite relative humidity lines (F/p)
From equations (6) and (8), we obtain:
f
w
pws (t ) =
p
621.98 + w

(14)

where the saturation pressure of water vapor, pws(t), is a function only of temperature. Substituting equation (9) for pws and combining with equation (11) to eliminate
t, the relationship between the enthalpy and the humidity ratio for constant composite relative humidity, F/p, can be found by:
621.98 5
h - 2.501w

f
+ 273.15
ln 1 +
+ ci
-3

w
1.005 + 1.81 10 w
i=0

i -1

h - 2.501w

+ c6 ln
+ 273.15 = 0

1.005 + 1.81 10 -3 w

(15)

Then, lines of constant composite relative humidity can be drawn on hw coordinates. Every line for f/p may be either a saturation curve (f = 100%) or an unsaturation curve (f < 100%), which depends on the pressure. For example, the line for
f/p = 1 bar-1 is a saturation curve for pressure p = 1 bar, but an unsaturation curve
(f = 50%) for p = 0.5 bar. For p = 0.5 bar the line of f/p = 2 bar-1 is its saturation
curve. The saturation curve at standard atmospheric pressure can be represented by
the constant line of f/p = 1.01325-1 bar-1 as shown in Fig. 1.
Composite specific volume lines (vp)
The relationship between the enthalpy and the humidity ratio for a constant composite specific volume can be obtained by substituting equation (10) for t in equation (11):
h = 2.501w +

vp 1.005 + 1.81 10 -3 w
-3
- 273.15(1.005 + 1.81 10 w)

Ra 1 + 1.6078 10 -3 w

(16)

It is shown from equation (16) that lines of vp are nearly straight, because, in the
second term of the right side of the equation, the values of the numerator and
denominator in parenthesis are approximately equal.
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

218

H.-S. Ren

Thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature lines (twb)

Substituting equations (11), (6), and (13) respectively for hs, ws, and hwb, equation
(12) becomes:
f
pws (t wb )
p
(2.501 - 4.18419twb )
h = 4.186t wbw + 1.005t wb + 621.98
f
1 - pws (t wb )
p

(17)

where the saturation pressure, pws(twb), of water vapor at twb can be calculated from
equation (9). It will be seen from equation (17) that lines of constant thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature, twb, are straight but are not parallel to each other, since
the slope varies with twb. On the other hand, the slope of twb lines do not depend on
the pressure, p, and therefore thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature lines for a given
twb may be parallel to each other regardless of different f/p, because they have the
same slope. Thus, we can arbitrarily choose a value of f/p to plot thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature lines by equation (17). For instance, selecting f/p = 1 bar-1
(the saturation line for p = 1 bar), the lines of thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
corresponding to p = 1 bar are shown in Fig. 1. After determining the
saturation curve for other given pressures, thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
lines corresponding to the pressure are drawn through intersections of constant
dry-bulb temperature lines t = twb and the saturation curve, and parallel to twb lines
of p = 1 bar.
Enthalpymoisture ratio protractor (e)
The protractor to the left of Fig. 1 shows the enthalpymoisture ratio, e, which is
defined as the ratio of the total heat to moisture. For a given process from state 1 to
state 2, e may be directly calculated by the ratio of enthalpy difference to humidity
ratio difference:
e=

Q Dh
=
W Dw

(18)

It follows that the enthalpymoisture ratio represents the slope of the moist air
process line. The protractor may be used to establish the direction of a process line
on the psychrometric chart.
The generalized psychrometric chart for different pressure as shown in Fig. 1 can
be used to solve heating and air conditioning problems. Ranges of thermodynamic
properties covered by the chart are:
t = -10 50 C, w = 0 30 g kg a, h = 0 130 kJ kg a, t wb = 0 34 C,
pw p = 0 4.6 kPa bar, f p = 0.05 2.0 bar -1 , vp = 0.76 0.96 m 3 bar kg a .
Fig. 2 is a nomograph, in which composite parameters pw/p, f/p, and vp are related
to pw, f, and v with p. After obtaining composite parameters from Fig. 1, values of
pw, f, and v can be determined either by calculation or by reading directly from
Fig. 2.
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

Generalized psychrometric chart

Fig. 2

219

A nomograph of composite parameters.

Numerical examples
Example 1
Moist air exits at dry-bulb temperature t = 25 C, relative humidity f = 50%. Determine the other moist air properties for pressures 101.325, 77.058, and 10.5263 kPa.
Solution
Composite relative humidity f/p corresponding to the saturation state (f = 100%)
can be read from Fig. 2 for three known pressures: 1.01325-1 bar-1, 1.3 bar-1, and
0.95 bar-1. The saturation curve corresponding to each pressure can be found from
Fig. 1. Read f/p corresponding to p and f = 50% from Fig. 2.
Locate the state point on Fig. 1 at the intersection of the 25 C dry-bulb temperature line and the f/p line. Read values of h, w, pw/p, and vp, directly. Then the partial
pressure of the water vapor, pw and specific volume, v, can be read from Fig. 2. The
thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature, twb, can be read at the intersection of the saturation curve and the line of constant thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature through
the state point. The dew point temperature, td, can be found at the intersection of the
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

220

H.-S. Ren

TABLE 1

Solutions to numerical example 1

p, Pa

101 325

77 058

105 263

t, C
j
j/p, bar-1
pw/p, kPa/bar
vp, m3bar/kg
h, kJ/kga
w, g/kg
pw, kPa
v, m3/kg
twb, C
td, C

25
50%
0.4935
1.57
0.8695
50.3
9.9
1.59
0.858
17.8
13.9

25
50%
0.6489
2.06
0.8735
58.4
13.1
1.59
1.134
17.2
13.9

25
50%
0.4750
1.51
0.8690
49.4
9.5
1.59
0.8256
18
13.9

line of constant w and the saturation curve. Table 1 lists all the moist air properties
for the three pressures.
Example 2
Given dry-bulb temperature t = 40 C and thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
twb = 20 C, determine the other properties of moist air for pressures of 101.325,
77.058, and 105.263 kPa.
Solution
As in example 1, the f/p values of saturation state for the three pressures are
1.01325-1 bar-1, 1.3 bar-1, 0.95 bar-1, respectively. Then, the saturation curves corresponding to the above three f/p values can be found from Fig. 1. Parallel to the
twb = 20 C line of p = 1 bar, the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature line corresponding to the above pressures is drawn through the intersection of the t = 20 C
dry-bulb temperature line and the saturation curve. The intersection of this thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature line with the 40 C dry-bulb temperature line is the
state point. Read h, w, and composite parameters f/p, pw/p, vp directly. Then, f, pw,
and v can be found from Fig. 2. All the properties of the moist air are listed in Table
2.
Example 3
A stream at p1 = 125 kPa, t1 = 13 C and f1 = 62.5% is adiabatically mixed with the
other stream at p2 = 111 kPa, t2 = 32 C and f2 = 50%. The two mass flows of dry
air are the same, ma1 = ma2. Find the dry-bulb temperature t3, the thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature twb3, and the relative humidity, f3, of the resulting mixture
when the pressure is decreased to p3 = 101.325 kPa.
Solution
The composite relative humidities of the two streams in the initial state can be
determined by:
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

Generalized psychrometric chart

221

TABLE 2

Solutions to numerical example 2

p, Pa

101 325

77 058

105 263

t, C
twb, C
f/p, bar-1
pw/p, kPa/bar
vp, m3bar/kg
h, kJ/kga
w, g/kg
f
pw, kPa
v, m3/kg
td, C

40
20
0.141
1.03
0.908
56.8
6.5
14.3%
1.044
0.9861
7.6

40
20
0.2375
1.75
0.9145
68.9
11.2
18.3%
1.349
1.1868
11.5

40
20
0.1270
0.93
0.9073
55.3
5.86
13.4%
0.983
0.8619
6.5

f1
0.625
=
= 0.5 bar -1 ,
p1 1.25 10 5

f2
0.50
=
= 0.45 bar -1
p2 1.11 10 5

State 1 and state 2 are located at the intersections of t1, and f1/p1, t2, and f2/p2, respectively. Thus, h1 = 25 kJ/kga, w1 = 4.7 g/kga, h2 = 67 kJ/kga, w2 = 13.6 kJ/kga. The
adiabatic mixing process is governed by the energy and mass balance equations.
Therefore:
h2 - h3 w2 - w3 ma,1
=
=
h3 - h1 w3 - w1 ma,2
Note that ma,1 = ma,2. The specific enthalpy and the humidity ratio of the final state
can be calculated from the above equation: h3 = 46 kJ/kga, w3 = 9.15 g/kga. State 3
is located on Fig. 1, and the values t3 = 22.6 C and f3/p3 = 0.53 bar-1 can be read
off the chart. Thus f3 = 0.53 1.01325 = 53.7%. Thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature, twb3, is found by drawing the line of the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature through state 3, and intersecting with the saturation curve for f/p = 1.01325-1
bar-1, to give twb3 = 16.3 C.

Conclusions
Using composite thermodynamic properties f/p, pw/p, and vp, a generalized psychrometric chart for different pressures is constructed. Compared with the standard
psychrometric charts for some single value of barometric pressure, the generalized
psychrometric chart covers all the possible pressure cases in air conditioning design.
The method can be applied to heating and food storage, and can be extended to
drying and meteorology.
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3

222

H.-S. Ren

Portions of this work were supported by the Shanghai Municipal Education

Commission.
References
[1] R. B. Stewart, R. T. Jacobsen and J. H. Becker, Formulations for thermodynamic properties of moist
air at low pressure as used for construction of new ASHRAE SI unit psychrometric charts, ASHRAE
Transactions, 89(2A) (1983), 536548.
[2] National Standard of Peoples Republic of China (GBJ 1987). Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Design Criterion (1988).
[3] R. W. Hyland and J. Wexler, Formulations for the thermodynamic properties of the saturated phases
of H2O from 173.15 K to 473.15 K, ASHRAE Transactions, 89(2A) (1983), 500519.
[4] Psychrometrics, in ASHRAE Handbook (1989).

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education 32/3