HOW TO USE
PSYCHROMETRIC
CHART
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
ROHIT MEENA
DRY-BULB TEMPERATURE (TDB)
►Dry-bulb temperature (DBT) is the 'normal' temperature measured by a
standard thermometer. It represents the air temperature without considering
moisture content and is measured in °C or °F.
►Find the dry-bulb temperature along the x-axis at the bottom of the chart.
Vertical lines extending upward represent constant dry-bulb temperatures.
►DBT is critical for HVAC system design, ensuring thermal comfort in
buildings, and calculating other air properties like relative humidity and
enthalpy.
©Rohit Meena
WET-BULB TEMPERATURE (WBT)
►Wet-bulb temperature (WBT) is the lowest temperature achievable through
evaporative cooling. It reflects adiabatic saturation conditions where no heat is
added or removed from the system except through evaporation.
►Lines of constant wet-bulb temperature are approximately lines of constant
mixture enthalpy as the diagonal lines running from bottom-right to top-left
represent constant wet-bulb temperatures. Hence, these lines are almost
parallel to enthalpy lines.
►WBT is used in designing cooling towers, assessing evaporative cooling
efficiency, and calculating psychrometric processes like humidification or
dehumidification.
©Rohit Meena
RELATIVE HUMIDITY (ϕ)
►Relative humidity (RH) is the ratio of actual water vapor in the air to
its maximum capacity at a given temperature, expressed as a percentage.
It provides insight into how 'humid' or 'dry' the air feels
►It is represented by curved lines that start from the bottom-left corner
and end on the saturation curve. Each line corresponds to a specific RH
percentage.
►Maintaining optimal RH levels (40–60%) prevents equipment corrosion,
ensures human comfort, and supports industrial processes like painting or
coating.
©Rohit Meena
DEW POINT TEMPERATURE (TDP).
►Dew point temperature (TDP) is the temperature at which air becomes
saturated with moisture and condensation begins. It indicates the
moisture-holding capacity of air at a specific state.
►Since the dew point is the state where moist air becomes saturated when
cooled at constant pressure, the dew point for a given state is determined
from the chart by following a line of constant ω (constant PV) to the
saturation line where ϕ= 100%.
►Follow a horizontal line of constant humidity ratio until it intersects the
saturation curve (100% relative humidity). The corresponding temperature
is the dew point.
©Rohit Meena
HUMIDITY RATIO (ω)
►The humidity ratio (ω) is the mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry
air. It is a key property for understanding moisture content in air and is
typically expressed in grams of water vapor per kilogram of dry air.
►Locate horizontal lines running across the chart. These lines represent
constant humidity ratios, with values increasing as you move upward.
►Humidity ratio is essential in drying processes, designing dehumidification
systems, and ensuring proper indoor air quality.
©Rohit Meena
VOLUME PER UNIT MASS OF DRY AIR
(V/ma)
►Volume per unit mass measures how much space a specific weight of dry
air occupies at a given condition. It’s expressed as cubic meters per
kilogram (m³/kg).
►Lines giving V/ma can be interpreted as the volume of dry air or of water
vapor (each per unit mass of dry air) because in keeping with the Dalton
model each component is considered to fill the entire volume.
►Specific volume calculations are vital for sizing ducts and optimizing
energy efficiency in HVAC systems by ensuring proper airflow distribution.
©Rohit Meena
SUMMARY
►These two versions of
psychrometric charts
provide a comprehensive
overview of all the
parameters, allowing
users to visualize and
analyze air properties at
a glance.
©Rohit Meena
