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PSYCHROMETRY

FE-121
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 PSYCHROMETRY
 Science of studying the thermodynamic properties of moist air

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
 Use of these properties to analyze conditions and processes involving
moist air
 Knowledge of properties of the moist air is imperative to get the
required quality of air. The quality of ambient air varies through out
the year and by employing one or combination of processes, it is
possible to get required conditions of the air.
 By understanding the properties of moist air, HVAC professionals
can optimize air conditioning systems for efficient control of heat
and humidity, ensuring optimal system performance, improved2
comfort and energy efficiency.
 Moist air
 Atmospheric air is a mixture of many gases + water vapour +

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 a number of pollutants
 The amount of water vapour and pollutants vary from place to
place
 The moist air can be thought of as a mixture of dry air and
moisture

Dry air + water vapour

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 BASIC GAS LAWS FOR MOIST
AIR
 Dalton's Law of Partial Pressure: For a mixture

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of perfect gases, the total pressure exerted by the mixture is

equal to the sum of partial pressures of the constituent gases
when it occupies the mixture volume at the mixture
temperature.
Pb = Pa + Pw
Where, Pb = Total pressure of moist air
Pa = Partial pressure of dry air
Pw = Partial pressure of water vapour of the air
Ideal gas law
PV = MRT
Where: P = absolute pressure, Pa
4
M = mass, kg
R = gas constant, kJ/( kg. K)
 PROPERTIES OF MOIST AIR
 Dry-bulb temperature (DBT)

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 Measured with a common thermometer, thermocouple or thermisters
 Wet bulb temperature (WBT)
 Temperature at which water, by evaporating into moist air, can bring the
air to saturation adiabatically in a steady - state condition
 The dry bulb temperature is the ambient temperature.
 Wet bulb temperature is the lowest temperature to which air can

be cooled by the evaporation of water into the air at a constant

pressure.

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 PROPERTIES OF MOIST AIR
 Wet-bulb temperature is the temperature recorded by a thermometer whose
bulb is covered with a thin cotton gauge which is dipped at the lower end into

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water so that the surface of the bulb is kept moist by capillary action. If such
 a thermometer is placed in unsaturated air, the wet bulb of the thermometer
will lose latent heat in the process of evaporation of moisture surrounded
with the bulb. As a result, the temperature of the bulb will fall. Once the air
is saturated, there will be no further evaporation and cooling of the
thermometer, then it will show a constant temperature. This temperature is
called Wet bulb temperature (TW).
 The term “wet-bulb temperature” refers to the temperature of an area of air
that has been cooled to saturation (a relative humidity of 100%) as a result of
the evaporation of water into it. This temperature is known as the “wet-bulb
temperature.”

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MEASURING MOIST AIR: DRY BULB
AND WET BULB TEMPERATURE

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 A psychrometer is a type of
hygrometer that is made up
of two thermometers that are
very similar to each other.

 The bulb of one thermometer is kept wet (by means

of a thin, wet cloth wick), and because of this, the
temperature that is registered by this thermometer is
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lower than the temperature that is registered by the
thermometer with the dry bulb.
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  Thus, the wet bulb temperature (TW), in conjunction with the
dry bulb temperature (TD), gives a measure of the degree of

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saturation or the Relative Humidity (RH) of air.
 The difference between these two temperatures is a measure of
the humidity of the air. The higher the difference in these
temperatures, the lower is the humidity.
Wet bulb depression = DBT – WBT
 If there is 100% humidity, dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures

are identical, making the wet-bulb depression equal to zero in

such conditions.

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 The dry bulb and wet bulb temperature measurements are
used to calculate other air properties such as
 enthalpy,
 dew point temperature, and
 specific volume.

 These properties are crucial in understanding air

conditioning fundamentals and designing HVAC systems
that efficiently control heat and humidity

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 Dew point temperature (DPT)
 Temperature at which moist air becomes saturated (100% relative

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humidity) with water vapour when cooled at constant pressure,
i.e. temperature at which condensation of moisture begins when
the moist air is cooled

 Saturated Vapour Pressure

 At a particular temperature, Saturated Vapour Pressure (Ps) is the
maximum pressure that can be exerted by the water vapour in a
saturated atmosphere or space.

 Vapour Pressure
 This is the partial pressure of water vapour ‘Pw’ present in a
certain volume of air (or space) expressed in kPa. This is also
called Actual Vapour Pressure (AVP). 11
 HUMIDITY RATIO
 Specific humidity/ Moisture content : Ratio of the mass of water
vapour (mw) to the mass of dry air (ma)

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

Rw = 0.461 kJ/kg. K
Ra = 0.287 kJ/kg. K
Pb = Pa + Pw
Pa Va = ma Ra Ta Va = V w Pb = Atm pressure
Pw Vw = mw Rw Tw Ta = Tw

 Degree of saturation µ: Ratio of specific air humidity with respect to the

specific air humidity at saturation point at same dry bulb temperature

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
• Relative humidity : Ratio of the actual mass of water vapour
(mW) in a given volume of moist air to the mass of the water
vapour (ms) in saturated air at the same volume of saturated air at

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the same temperature

• The ratio of the vapour pressure of air to its saturation vapour

pressure is the definition of what is referred to as the air’s relative
humidity.
Where, Pw & Ps are the pressure for the water vapour in actual
condition & in saturated air respectively

• The quantity of water vapour that is present in a water-air mixture

in comparison to the greatest amount that might be present is
referred to as the “relative humidity,” or RH. The relative
humidity, or RH, of a water-air mixture is measured in comparison
to the saturation humidity ratio at a specific temperature (dry- 13

bulb).
 It is essential to be aware of the fact that knowing the dry-bulb
temperature in addition to the RH is required in order to
determine whether or not the relative humidity is relevant to a

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specific application.

 For instance, the amount of moisture that is present in a water-

air mixture having a relative humidity of 80 % at a temperature
of 40 oC is different from the amount of water vapour that is
present in a water-air mixture that having a RH of 80% at a
temperature of 10 oC (38.5 gH2O/kgair, respectively). Because
of this, the recommendations for air conditioning, for example,
include both the temperature and the relative humidity.

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 The lines of constant relative humidity that are displayed on
the psychrometric chart adhere to the nonlinear feature of
vapour pressure in relation to the dry-bulb temperature.

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 Take note that the same variation in relative humidity (RH)
translates to a higher difference in actual humidity ratio as the
dry-bulb temperature increases.

 At decreasing dry-bulb temperatures, the distance between the

lines of constant RH becomes smaller.

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 Relative humidity has a
significant impact on indoor air
quality and can affect

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human comfort and health.

 High relative humidity levels

can cause mold growth and
promote the spread of bacteria
and viruses, while low relative
humidity can lead to dry skin,
respiratory problems, and
discomfort.

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1. Relative humidity of air is 60% and the saturation vapour
pressure of water vapour in the air is 3.6kPa. The amount of

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water vapour present in 2L air at 300K is:
Solution- Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial
pressure of water vapour and the equilibrium vapour pressure of
water vapour multiplied by 100 . It is expressed as
 ϕ=p
H2O/p∗H2O×100 ,where pH2O is the partial pressure of water
vapour and p∗H2O is the equilibrium vapour pressure of water.
 Given P=3.6kPa=3.6×103Pa, V=2L, T=300K. R=8.314J/mol/K,
M(water)=18g .
 Inserting the values,

 w=3.6×103×2×18/(8.314×300) => w=51.96g .

 The relative humidity of air given is 60%. Hence the amount of

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water vapour in 2L air at 300K
 = 51.96×0.6=31.2g.
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
 Humid heat (specific heat)
Amount of heat in J (or, kJ) required to raise the
temperature of 1 kg of dry air plus the water vapour present by

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
1K
Humid heat, Cs= Qd + QwY
where, Y = weight of water vapour, kg
Sp. Heat of dry air, Qd = 1.005 kJ/kg. K
Sp. Heat of water vapour, Qw = 1.88 kJ/kg. K

Cs = (1.005 + 1.88 Y) kJ/kg .K

Humid volume (specific volume)

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Total volume (m ) of 1 kg dry air and its accompanying water
3

vapour
Enthalpy: The enthalpy of moist air is the sum of the enthalpy of
one dry air and the enthalpy of water vapour associated with one kg

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dry air.
h = ha + W. hg = cp T + W (hfg + cpw T)
= 1.005T + W(2500+1.88T) Kj/kg of dry air

Where, cp = specific heat of dry air at constant pressure, kJ/kg.K

cpw = specific heat of water vapor, kJ/kg.K
T = Dry-bulb temperature of air-vapor mixture, K
W = Humidity ratio, kg of water vapor/kg of dry air
ha = enthalpy of dry air at temperature t, kJ/kg 20

hg = enthalpy of water vapor at temperature t, kJ/kg

Dew point temperature of air at one atmospheric pressure (1.013 bar) is 18 ∘C.
The air dry bulb temperature is 30∘C. The saturation pressure of water at 18 ∘C
and 30∘C are 0.02062 bar and 0.04241 bar respectively. The specific heat of air
and water vapour respectively are 1.005 and 1.88 kJ/kgK and the latent heat of

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vaporization of water at 0∘C is 2500 kJ/kg. The specific humidity (kg/kg of dry
air) and enthalpy (kJ/kg of dry air) of this moist air respectively, are

Given, p = 1.013 bar, pv=0.02062 bar (at dew point)

We know that,
Specific humidity,ω=0.622pv/(p−pv) = 0.622×0.020620/(1.013−0.02062) =
0.012924 kg/kg of dry air
Enthalpy: h=1.005td+ω(hfg+1.88tdb)
= 1.005×30+0.01291(2500+1.88×30)
= 1.005×30+33.00 = 63.15kJ/kg of dry air

POINT TO REMEMBER
It is very important to keep in mind that the temperature, used in the formula
=cpat+ω(2500+1.88t), is the Dry bulb temperature. 21
Enthalpy of moist air is the summation of enthalpy of dry and enthalpy of vapour.
 patm=1bar=100kPa, DBT=30∘C
The pressure, dry bulb temperature pvs=4.25kPa, R H, ϕ=70%=0.7
and relative humidity of air in a room Specific humidity : ω=?
are 1 bar, 30∘C and 70%, ϕ=pv/pvs => 0.7=pv/4.25 =>
respectively. If the saturated steam pv=2.975kPa

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pressure at 30∘C is 4.25 kPa, the Specific humidity,
specific humidity of the room air in ω=0.622×pv/(p−pv)
kg of water vapour/kg dry air is =0.622×2.975/(100−2.975)
=0.0191kg w.v./kg d.a.
A moist air sample has dry bulb
temperature of 30∘C and specific Specific humidity,
humidity of 11.5 g water vapour per ω=0.622(pvp−pv)
kg dry air. Assume molecular weight 11.5×10−3=0.622(pv90−pv)
of air as 28.93. If the saturation pv=1.63378KPa
vapour pressure of water at 30∘C is RH, =pv/pvs=1.63378/4.28
4.24 kPa and the total pressure is 90 =0.385 = 38.5%
kPa, then the RH(in %) of air sample
is

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 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
•A psychometric chart graphically represents the thermodynamic

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properties of moist air

•Shows the inter-relation of all the important properties of air.

•Using the chart, it is easy to obtained psychrometric properties

of air and it helps to decide the various processes to be followed
to achieve required quality of air. It saves lot of time and labour
required for calculation of different properties of air and such
values can be directly read from the chart.

•Psychometric charts are readily available for standard

barometric pressure of 101.325 kPa at sea level and for normal
temperatures (0-50oC). 24
 PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

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•ASHRAE has also developed psychometric charts for other
temperatures and barometric pressures (for low temperatures: -
40 to 10oC, high temperatures 10 to 120oC and very high
temperatures 100 to 120oC)

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 Lines of constant
Relative humidity

Psychometric chart for a given atmospheric pressure

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 Humidty ratio/ specific humidty/ moisture content

HUMIDITY
 Degree of saturation/ Percentage humidity
ratio of absolute air humidity with respect to
the absolute air humidity at saturation point at
same dry bulb temperature
 Relative humidity

ratio of the actual mass of water vapour (mv)

in a given volume of moist air to the mass of the
water vapour in saturated air at the same volume
of saturated air at the same temperature and29
pressure
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Psychrometric chart: Example 1
Given: T = 25°C

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Tw =20°C

Required: (a) RH,

(b) Tdp,

(c) HR,
(d) v,
(e) h

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PSYCHROMETRIC PROCESSES

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1. Sensible Heating or Cooling
2. Heating and Humidifying
3. Cooling and Dehumidifying
4. Adiabatic Cooling
5. Adiabatic Mixing of Moist Air Stream

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Sensible Heating or Cooling
• A psychometric process that involves the increase or decrease
in the temperature of air without changing its humidity ratio

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Eg: heat pump (sensible heating)
air conditioning (sensible cooling)

Humidity ratio
Sensible Cooling
Sensible Heating

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21 21
DBT
 SENSIBLE HEATING OF AIR

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 Heating of air without addition or subtraction of water vapour
of the air is termed as sensible heating of the air. The sensible
heating can be achieved by passing the air over heating coil
like electric resistance heating coils or steam coils as shown in
Fig. 27.1 The process is represented on the Psychrometric
chart in Fig. 27.2
 The efficiency of the heating coil is better with lower bypass

factor. Lower by-pass factor of heating coil is desirable to

achieve higher efficiency of the coil.

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 By-Pass factor: The inability of a coil to cool or heat the air
to its temperature is indicated by a factor called by-pass factor
(BPF) or Coil Bypass Factor. This inability is due to the coil

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inefficiency and some amount of air just bypassing the coil
without getting affected by it.
 A coil with low BPF
has better
performance.
 BPF can also be

defined as the ratio of

air which is
unaffected by the coil
to the total quantity
of air passing over
the coil. 41
 BPF = (xB - xC) / (xA - xC)
= (hB - hC)/(hA - hC)
= (TB - TC) / (TA - TC) BPF = bypass factor

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=1–β
β = contact factor

h = enthalpy of humid air, (J/kg_dry_air)

hA = at condition A, inlet of the cooling coil
hB = at condition B, outlet of the cooling coil
hC = at condition C, in contact with the cooling coil
x = humidity ratio or, Absolute humidity of air
xA = at condition A
xB = at condition B
xC = at condition C
TA = temperature of humid air, (K)
TA = at condition A 42

TB = at condition B
 BPF =ts−td2/ts−td1 For heating coil where Ts is the surface
temperature of the coil.
 BPF =td2−ts/td1−ts For cooling coil

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Factors affecting BPF:
 The number of fins provided in a unit length i.e. the pitch of the

coil fins. The smaller the pitch, greater will be the number of fins
per unit length coming in direct contact with the air and hence BPF
decreases.

 The number of rows in a coil in the direction of flow. Higher the

number of rows, higher will be the surface area exposed to the air
flow. Hence BPF decreases.

 The velocity of flow of air. It should not be too high, otherwise

huge amount of air will get past the coil without having enough 43
heat transfer due to the short contact time
There are operational parameters as well:
 An unclean cooling coil will have higher bypass factor.

 A choked cooling coil (muck/ dust deposited over years of

operation and lack of care) will result in higher bypass

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factor as air will not be able to contact coil but will be held
back by the muck deposited.
 Damaged fins may disallow maintaining a straight air path

necessary for air to move through the coil in abundance.

 Low actual total static pressure, with high design static

results in very high bypass factor since, air velocity will be

higher than design air velocity.
 While doing heat load, room total heat is higher with lower

bypass factor. Thus, dehumidified air flow rate increases in

high sensible heat applications.
 During higher latent heats, cooling coils with high row

depth and lower bypass factors are considered. With higher

coil depth and higher fin density, coil surface temperature
(ADP) drops to lowest manageable levels, which is 44

conducive for attaining higher dehumidification levels and

hence, better RH control.
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 Sensible heat factor is the ratio of sensible heat and Total heat.
Sensible heat is the heat which increases or decreases the

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temperature of the body. Latent heat is the heat which increases
the specific humidity without increasing or decreasing the
temperature of the body. Total heat is the sum of sensible heat
and latent heat.

 For example, an SHR value of 100 % would mean that an

evaporator would only cool the air, i.e., a purely sensible load.
On the other hand, an SHR value of 80 % would mean that 80
% of an evaporator load is used for cooling air (sensible load),
while the remaining 20 % would provide dehumidification
(latent load).

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 SENSIBLE HEATING OF AIR

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 Heating of air without addition or subtraction of water vapour of the
air is termed as sensible heating of the air. The sensible heating can be
achieved by passing the air over heating coil like electric resistance
heating coils or steam coils as shown in Fig. 27.1 The process is
represented on the Psychrometric chart in Fig. 27.2
 The efficiency of the heating coil is better with lower bypass factor.

Lower by-pass factor of heating coil is desirable to achieve higher

efficiency of the coil.
Example
 An ambient air at 30 ºC dbt and 22 ºC wbt is heated to

180 ºC dbt in an indirect steam coil heater at the rate of

20 m3/min. Find the capacity of the heating coil in kW
and the by-pass factor of the coil, if the surface 47
temperature of the heating coil is 200 ºC.
SENSIBLE COOLING OF AIR
 Cooling of air without addition or subtraction of water vapour of the air is

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termed as sensible cooling of the air. Sensible cooling of air can be
achieved by passing the air over a cooling coil like evaporating coil of the
refrigeration cycle or secondary chilled water/brine coil as shown in Fig
27.2.
The capacity of cooling coil can be estimated as under.
 capacity of cooling coil in TR = V /V x h -h /3.5
a sp 1 2

Where, Va = flow rate of the air, m3/s

Vsp = specific volume of air, m3/kg dry air
h1 = initial enthalpy of the air (kJ/kg of dry air)
h2 = enthalpy of the cooled air (kJ/kg of dry air)
 The efficiency of cooling coil is expressed as bypass factor (B) of the coil.
B =t2-t3 / t1-t3
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 The efficiency of the cooling coil is better with lower bypass factor. Lower
by-pass factor is desirable to achieve higher efficiency of the coil.
EXAMPLE
AN AMBIENT AIR AT 40 ºC DBT AND 30 % RH IS
COOLED 25 ºC DBT & 21 ºC WBT BY A COOLING COIL

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MAINTAINED AT 20 ºC. THE FLOW RATE OF THE AIR IS
10 M3/MIN. FIND THE CAPACITY OF THE COOLING COIL
IN TON AND THE BY-PASS FACTOR OF THE COIL.
Solution
 Corresponding to 40 ºC dbt and 30% RH, the psychrometric

properties are,
h1 = 76..5kJ/kg of dry air
ω1 = 0.014 kg/kg of dry air
Vsp = 0.91 m3/kg dry air
= 1.005 X 25+ 0.014[2501+1.88X25]
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= 60.79 kJ/kg dry air
Heating and Humidifying
• „A psychrometric process that involves the simultaneous
increase in both the dry bulb temperature and humidity ratio of

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the air

Example: heated air drying systems

•Dry-bulb temperature ↑

Humidity ratio
•Wet-bulb temperature ↑
Heating with humidifying
•Dew-point temperatures ↑
•Humidity ratio ↑
•Enthalpy ↑
•Specific volume ↑

1 2
•Relative humidity ↓ DBT 50
Cooling and Dehumidifying
„ A psychrometric process that involves the removal of water
from the air as the air temperature falls below the dew point

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temperature.
• The dehumidification of air is achieved if the air is cooled below
the dew point temperature of the air.
• Large scale dehumidification of air can be achieved by passing
the air over a cooling coil maintained well below the dew point
temperature of the air. The water vapour present in the air
condenses over the surface of the cooling coil.
• The ambient air at point 1(t1, ω1, h1) is passed over the cooling
coil which is maintained at the surface temperature of t4 (point
4). First, the air reaches to dew point temperature (t2) and finally
comes out from the cooling coil at point 3 (t3, ω3, h3).
Eg.: Evaporative cooler, cooling tower
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•Dry-bulb temperature ↓
•Wet-bulb temperature ↓

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•Dew-point temperatures ↓
•Humidity ratio ↓ Cooling with dehumidifying
•Enthalpy ↓

Humidity ratio
•Specific volume ↓

•Relative humidity↑

2 1
DBT

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 ADIABATIC CHEMICAL
DEHUMIDIFICATION OF THE AIR
 When humid air is passed through the solid absorbent bed or

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through the spray of liquid absorbent, part of water vapour
will be absorbed and the water vapour content of the air
decreases as indicated in (Fig.27.7)
 The latent heat of the vapour is liberated resulting into

increase in dbt of the air without any change in total enthalpy

of the air.
 This method of dehumidification is economical for small size

dehumidification of air and the change in humidity required is

smaller.

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 ADIABATIC HUMIDIFICATION OF AIR
 Adiabatic humidification of air can be achieved by passing

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the air through the spray of water. When the air is passing
through the spray of water, a part of water will be evaporated
by using the sensible heat of the air. During this process, the
specific humidity of the air increases and enthalpy of the air
does not change.
 The latent heat required to evaporate the water is taken from

the atmosphere of the area resulting into the decrease in the

DBT of the air without any change in total enthalpy of the air.
 This method of humidification is economical for small size

humidification of air and the change in humidity required is

smaller.
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Adiabatic Cooling
„A psychometric process that involves the cooling of air without

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heat loss or gain. Sensible heat lost by the air is converted to latent
heat in the added water vapor
Example : Drying
•Dry-bulb temperature ↓

Humidity ratio
•Wet-bulb temperature Adiabatic saturation

•Enthalpy
Dew-point temperatures ↑
•Humidity ratio ↑
•Specific volume ↑ 55
2 1
•Relative humidity ↑ DBT
Adiabatic Mixing of Moist Air Stream
„A psychometric process that involves no net heat loss or gain

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during the mixing of two air streams

Humidity ratio
Mixing of air stream

2 3 1 56
DBT
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HUMIDITY MEASUREMENT,
DEHUMIDIFIERS, HUMIDITY
CONTROL

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 The measurement of dbt and wbt is a basic way to know the
psychrometric properties of air by using psychrometric chart. It
is necessary to locate the point on psychrometry chart to read

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values of other parameters such as relative humidity, dew point
temperature, specific humidity etc. The dbt and wbt of the air
are measured by using following type of psychrometers.

simplest type of psychrometer used for the

measurement of dbt and wbt of the air. It consists
of two thermometers, one measure the dbt of the
air and second measures wbt as its bulb is covered
with wet cloth as shown in Fig. This type of
psychrometer is commonly used in laboratories.

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Laboratory Psychrometric
 As the air is passed over a thermometer covered with
wet wick, the moisture contained in the wick tends to

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evaporate.
 The cooling effect of evaporation lowers the
temperature measured as compared to dry bulb
thermometer. When the temperature measured by the
wet bulb thermometer reaches steady state, then the heat
absorbed from the thermometer bulb required for the
evaporation of water vapour going into air is equal to
the heat given by the air by convection to the
thermometer.
 The evaporation rate of water from the wet wick
depends upon the humidity of the air passing over it.
The air having low humidity gives more evaporation
rate and the drop in temperature measured by the wet
bulb thermometer will be more and vice versa. 60
 This shows that the wbt is a measure of degree of
saturation or relative humidity of the air.
Whirling Hygrometer or Sling Psychrometer
 This instrument consists of a wet-bulb thermometer and a dry-bulb
thermometer. These two thermometers are fastened on cork mounted in a

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wooden frame with arrangement for rotating the same to provide a relative
movement of air around the thermometer bulbs.
 The two bulbs are placed in such a way that the evaporative cooling and
moisture from wet-bulb do not affect the dry bulb. It is provided with a
handle for whirling the instrument such that continuous rotation of the bulb
causes the fresh air to pick up moisture surrounding the wet-bulb.
 The psychrometer can be rotated with the
helps of a handle to produce necessary
air motion.
 The air velocities of 5 m/s to 10 m/s are
recommended to get more accurate value
of wbt.
 The rotating motion of sling
psychrometer provides necessary air
velocity over the thermometer. 61
 The least count of this instrument is 1°C.
Aspirating psychrometer
 The aspirating psychrometer is
shown in Fig 28.3 which has a

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small blower at the top for
producing rapid motion of air
over the thermometer bulbs.
 A provision is also made in the

psychrometer to prevent errors

due to radiant heat exchange.
 This type of psychrometer is

used for measuring the DBT and

WBT at a particular interval of
time mostly for measuring the
atmospheric conditions of air.
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 CONTINUOUS RECORDING PSYCHROMETER/DATA
LOGGER
 Continuous recording of psychrometers are available for measurement

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of dbt and relative humidity of the air using various types of sensors
and transducers. The values of the air quality will be recorded and it is
possible to get digital output of data.
Dehumidifiers
 Dehumidification of air is required to control the RH of the air for

comfort air conditioning, storage, food production, packing etc. The

process of dehumidification by cooling has been explained in chapter
27. There are three main methods of dehumidification, viz.
a) Reducing the temperature of air below dew point
b) Absorption of moisture from air
c) Adsorption of moisture from air
 Reducing the temperature of air below dew point: This may be carried

out by two methods- either by passing the air over a cold surface below 63
DPT, or by passing the air though a spray of cold water below DPT
 1. Which of the following statements are TRUE?
a) During sensible cooling of air, both dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures
decrease

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b) During sensible cooling of air, dry bulb temperature decreases but wet bulb
temperature remains constant
c) During sensible cooling of air, dry and wet bulb temperatures decrease but
dew point
temperature remains constant
d) During sensible cooling of air, dry bulb, wet bulb and dew point temperatures
decrease
 Ans.: a) and c)

 2. Which of the following statements are TRUE?

a) The sensible heat factor for a sensible heating process is 1.0

b) The sensible heat factor for a sensible cooling process is 0.0
c) Sensible heat factor always lies between 0.0 and 1.0
d) Sensible heat factor is low for air conditioning plants operating in humid 64
climates
 Ans.: a) and d)
 3. Which of the following statements are TRUE?
a) As the by-pass factor (BPF) of the cooling coil increases, temperature
difference

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between air at the outlet of the coil and coil ADP decreases
b) The BPF of the coil increases as the velocity of air through the coil increases
c) The BPF of the coil increases as the fin pitch increases
d) The BPF of the coil decreases as the number of rows in the flow direction
increase
 Ans.: b), c) and d)

 4. Which of the following statements are TRUE?

a) During cooling and humidification process, the enthalpy of air decreases

b) During cooling and humidification process, the enthalpy of air increases
c) During cooling and humidification process, the enthalpy of air remains
constant
d) During cooling and humidification process, the enthalpy of air may increase,
decrease or remain constant depending upon the temperature of the wet surface
 Ans.: d) 65
 5. An air stream at a flow rate of 1 kg/s and a DBT of 30 C mixes
adiabatically with another air stream flowing with a mass flow rate of 2 kg/s
and at a DBT of 15o C. Assuming no condensation to take place, the temperature
of the mixture is approximately equal to:

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a) 20o C
b) 22.5o C
c) 25o C
d) Cannot be found
 Ans.: a)

 6. Which of the following statements are TRUE?

a) In an air washer, water has to be externally cooled if the temperature at which it

is sprayed is equal to the dry bulb temperature of air
b) In an air washer, water has to be externally heated if the temperature at which it
is sprayed is equal to the dry bulb temperature of air
c) In an air washer, if water is simply recirculated, then the enthalpy of air remains
nearly constant at steady state
d) In an air washer, if water is simply recirculated, then the moisture content of66air
remains nearly constant at steady state
 Ans.: b) and c)
 7. Which of the following statements are TRUE?
a) When the enthalpy of air is equal to the enthalpy of saturated air at the wetted surface
temperature, then there is no sensible heat transfer between air and the wetted surface

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b) When the enthalpy of air is equal to the enthalpy of saturated air at the wetted surface
temperature, then there is no latent heat transfer between air and the wetted surface
c) When the enthalpy of air is equal to the enthalpy of saturated air at the wetted surface
temperature, then there is no net heat transfer between air and the wetted surface
d) When the enthalpy of air is equal to the enthalpy of saturated air at the wetted surface
temperature, then the wet bulb temperature of air remains constant
 Ans.: c) and d)
 8. What is the required wattage of an electrical heater that heats 0.1 m /s of air from
15 o C and 80% RH to 55 C? The barometric pressure is 101.325 kPa.

 9. 0.2 kg/s of moist air at 45o C (DBT) and 10% RH is mixed with 0.3 kg/s of moist
air at 25o C and a humidity ratio of 0.018 kgw/kgda in an adiabatic mixing chamber.
After mixing, the mixed air is heated to a final temperature of 40o C using a heater.
Find the temperature and relative humidity of air after mixing. Find the heat transfer
rate in the heater and relative humidity of air at the exit of heater. Assume the
67
barometric pressure to be 1 atm.
 Humidity affects air conditioning performance by
influencing how efficiently the system can cool a
space.

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 Higher humidity makes it feel warmer because sweat doesn't
evaporate as easily, making it harder for the body to cool
down.
 Air conditioners remove moisture from the air along with
heat. When humidity levels are high, the AC must work
harder to extract both heat and moisture, potentially leading
to decreased efficiency and comfort.
 Lower humidity levels allow the AC to cool the air more
effectively.

68
 Certainly! Humidity affects air conditioning in several ways:
1. **Comfort Levels:** High humidity can make a room feel warmer
than it actually is because sweat doesn't evaporate effectively. Air

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conditioners help by removing moisture from the air, making it more
comfortable.
2. **AC Efficiency:** Air conditioners not only cool but also
dehumidify the air. Higher humidity means the AC needs to work harder
to remove both heat and moisture from the air, reducing its overall
efficiency and potentially increasing energy consumption.
3. **Temperature Perception:** Lower humidity levels make it easier
for sweat to evaporate, enhancing the body's natural cooling mechanism.
As a result, even if the actual temperature remains constant, lower
humidity can make a room feel cooler.
4. **Health and Air Quality:** High humidity can promote the growth
of mold and mildew, affecting indoor air quality. Air conditioners help
by regulating humidity levels, creating a healthier environment by
69
reducing excess moisture.
Balancing humidity and temperature is crucial for achieving optimal
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 https://youtu.be/jMCdrE-4jBI

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