Psychrometric processes

for achieving thermal

comfort, Direct and
Indirect Evaporative
Cooling (Sensible
Cooling), Air-
conditioning (Cooling and
Dehumidification),

Module – 1 (Part 3) Air & Refrigeration

cycles, Basics of Load
Calculations, Zoning and
Air Distribution, Heating
Introduction to Systems for Thermal Comfort system.
  Psychrometric Processes for Achieving Thermal Comfort

 Psychometrics is the study of the physical and

Psychrometric thermodynamic properties of gas-vapor mixtures, primarily
processes for air and water vapor. Understanding psychrometric
processes is essential for designing HVAC (Heating,
achieving Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems that effectively
thermal achieve and maintain thermal comfort within a building.
comfort  The science of moist air conditions. i.e the characteristics of
mixed air and water vapor.
 Key Psychrometric Properties
1. Dry-Bulb Temperature (DBT): The actual air temperature is
measured by a standard thermometer.

2. Wet-Bulb Temperature (WBT): The temperature measured by

a thermometer with a wet cloth covering the bulb, reflecting the
cooling effect of evaporation.

3. Relative Humidity (RH): The ratio of the current amount of

moisture in the air to the maximum amount the air can hold at
the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.

4.Dew Point Temperature: The temperature at which air

becomes saturated with moisture, and condensation begins.
 Key Psychrometric
Properties
5. Enthalpy: The total heat content of air, including
both sensible heat (dry air) and latent heat (moisture).

6. Humidity Ratio: The mass of water vapor per unit

mass of dry air, typically expressed as grams of water
per kilogram of dry air. Specific Volume calculator

7. Specific Volume: The volume of air per unit mass,

typically expressed in cubic meters per kilogram.
 1. Sensible Heating and Cooling:
• Sensible Heating: Involves raising the dry-bulb temperature without
changing the humidity ratio. This is typically achieved by passing air over
a heating coil.
• Sensible Cooling: Lowers the dry-bulb temperature without changing
the humidity ratio. This process is achieved by passing air over a cooling
coil that is above the dew point temperature to avoid condensation.

Psychrometric • Psychrometric Chart Impact: Movement horizontally to the right for

Processes: 1 heating and to the left for cooling, with no change in the vertical position.

Sensible Heating
•What it does: Increases air temperature without changing its moisture.
•How: Using heaters or warm air.
•Example: Room heaters in winter.

Sensible Cooling
•What it does: Decreases air temperature without removing moisture.
•How: Using fans or cool air.
•Example: Using a fan to feel cooler, although humidity stays the same.
 2. Latent Heating and Cooling:
• Latent Heating (Humidification): Adds moisture to the air, increasing the
humidity ratio. This is typically done using steam or water atomization.
• Latent Cooling (Dehumidification): Removes moisture from the air,
decreasing the humidity ratio. This usually occurs when air is cooled below its
dew point, causing condensation.

• Psychrometric Chart Impact: Movement vertically upward for humidification

and downward for dehumidification, with no change in horizontal
Psychrometric temperature.
Processes: 2 Humidification
•What it does: Adds moisture to the air.
•How: By spraying water or using humidifiers.
•Example: Adding moisture to dry air in air-conditioned rooms.

Dehumidification
•What it does: Removes moisture from the air.
•How: Using air conditioners or dehumidifiers.
•Example: ACs remove moisture during monsoon to prevent dampness.
 3. Adiabatic Mixing of Air Streams:
• Process: Mixing two air streams with different properties (e.g.,
temperature, humidity) without adding or removing heat. The resulting
air properties are a weighted average of the two initial air streams.
• Applications: Commonly used in ventilation systems where outdoor air is
mixed with recirculated indoor air to achieve desired indoor conditions.
Psychrometric
• Psychrometric Chart Impact: The process moves along a straight line
Processes: 3 connecting the initial states of the two air streams.

Adiabatic Mixing
•What it does: Mixes two air streams of different temperatures and humidity
levels without adding or removing heat externally.
•Example: Mixing outdoor air with return air in ventilation systems.
 4. Evaporative Cooling:
• Process: Involves cooling air by evaporating water into it, reducing the dry-
bulb temperature while increasing the humidity ratio. This process does not
add or remove heat but redistributes it, known as adiabatic cooling.
• Applications: Used in direct evaporative coolers, where hot dry air is passed
over a wetted surface or sprayed with water.

 Psychrometric Chart Impact: Movement along a line of constant wet-bulb

Psychrometric temperature (downward to the right), indicating a decrease in dry-bulb
temperature and an increase in humidity.
Processes: 4
Evaporative Cooling
•What it does: Uses water to cool air and add moisture.
•How: Hot dry air passes over water or wet pads, losing heat.
•Example: Desert coolers used in dry climates.
 5. Chemical Dehumidification:
• Process: Involves the removal of moisture from air using hygroscopic
materials (desiccants) that absorb water vapor. This process decreases
both the humidity ratio and dry-bulb temperature of the air.
• Applications: Used in specialized HVAC systems where precise humidity
Psychrometric control is required, such as in industrial processes or storage facilities.
Processes: 5
 Psychrometric Chart Impact: Movement down and to the left, indicating a
reduction in both temperature and humidity ratio.
 6. Cooling and Dehumidification:
• Process: Air is cooled below its dew point, causing condensation and
a reduction in humidity. This is achieved by passing air over a cooling
coil that is colder than the air’s dew point.
• Applications: Used in air conditioning systems where both
temperature and humidity control are necessary.
Psychrometric
Processes: 6  Psychrometric Chart Impact: Movement downward to the left,
indicating a decrease in both temperature and humidity ratio.

Cooling and Dehumidification (Combined Process)

•What it does: Cools the air and removes moisture.
•How: Typically done in air conditioners.
•Example: AC cools your room and reduces humidity to make it comfortable.
Applying To achieve thermal comfort, it is crucial to maintain
Psychrometric indoor conditions within a certain range on the
psychrometric chart, typically defined by a
Processes to combination of temperature and humidity that is
Achieve perceived as comfortable by most occupants.
Thermal
Comfort
Applying 1. Targeting Comfort Zones:
Most comfort zones are defined between 20°C to 24°C (68°F to
Psychrometric 75°F) with a relative humidity range of 40% to 60%.HVAC
Processes to systems are designed to maintain conditions within this zone,
Achieve using combinations of heating, cooling, humidification, and
dehumidification as required.
Thermal
Comfort
Applying 2. Energy Efficiency Considerations:
Psychrometric •Understanding psychrometric processes allows HVAC
Processes to designers to optimize systems for energy efficiency, ensuring
Achieve that thermal comfort is achieved with minimal energy use.
Thermal •Strategies include using evaporative cooling in dry climates,
Comfort utilizing heat recovery from exhaust air, and applying
desiccant-based dehumidification where appropriate.
Applying 3 Control Systems Integration:
Psychrometric •Modern HVAC systems integrate sensors and control systems
Processes to to continuously monitor indoor conditions and adjust
Achieve psychrometric processes dynamically to maintain thermal
comfort.
Thermal
Comfort
  Direct Evaporative Cooling is effective in dry climates and
adds moisture to the air, which can be beneficial or detrimental
depending on the environment.
 Indirect Evaporative Cooling provides cooling without
Comparative increasing humidity, making it suitable for more humid
Summary climates or specialized applications.
 Air-conditioning (Cooling and Dehumidification) is the most
comprehensive approach, effectively controlling both
temperature and humidity, making it versatile for various
climates and comfort requirements.
  Mastering the psychrometric processes is essential for
designing and operating HVAC systems that efficiently achieve
thermal comfort. By understanding how to manipulate air
temperature, humidity, and other key properties, engineers
Summary can create indoor environments that are comfortable, healthy,
and energy-efficient. The psychrometric chart is a vital tool in
this process, providing a visual representation of air properties
and the effects of various psychrometric processes.
What is a Psychrometric Chart ?

A psychrometric chart is a graphical representation of the

psychrometric processes of air. Psychrometric processes
include physical and thermodynamic properties such as dry bulb
temperature, wet bulb temperature, humidity, enthalpy, and air
density.

A psychrometric chart can be used in two different ways. The

first is done by plotting multiple data points, that represent the
air conditions at a specific time, on the chart. Then, overlaying
an area that identifies the “comfort zone.” The comfort zone is
defined as the range within occupants are satisfied with the
surrounding thermal conditions. After plotting the air
conditions and overlaying the comfort zone, it becomes
possible to see how passive design strategies can extend the
comfort zone.
Psychrometric chart
Dry bulb temperature lines on a psychrometric chart

Wet bulb temperature lines on a psychrometric chart

Based on the data points in this example, we can conclude average conditions are between 30° C and 35° C.
Relative humidity lines on a psychrometric chart
Contemporary models of thermal comfort
recommend that a narrow temperature range be
applied equally across all building types, climatic
zones, and populations. This narrow range of
thermal comfort was imposed by mechanical
ventilation systems. However, even though it
meant it was now possible to have a comfortable
indoor environment in any climate, it also led to
design that completely ignored varying climatic
conditions. For example, New York-style town-
homes were built in New Orleans. This caused
buildings that had functioned efficiently in one
environment to consume excessive amounts of
energy in another. Essentially, we began to build
less efficient buildings that used more energy.
Therefore it is imp to combine the passive
techniques with the mechanical systems for
energy efficient sustainable building design.
Comfort Zone
The comfort zone is typically
indicated by shading a portion of
the psychrometric chart. This
shaded area is highly variable per
climate and project. The comfort
zone is either populated by a
software system, or manually by a
designer, based upon the activity
to take place in the building and
the level of anticipated clothing to
be worn by the occupants.
Design Strategies and the Psychrometric Chart
Sustainable design strategies can be best used to improve
occupant comfort.

When data points fall to the right of the comfort zone, you will
want to reduce the air temperature. An example strategy to
achieve this would be to increase air flow with natural
ventilation.

When data points fall to the left of the comfort zone, you will
want to increase the air temperature. A common strategy to do
this passively is to incorporate solar heat gains with high thermal
mass materials.

When relative humidity is too low it can be increased with

evaporative cooling. And when it is too high it can be decreased
with the use of desiccants.
Design Strategies and the Psychrometric Chart
Sustainable design strategies can be best used to improve
occupant comfort.

When data points fall to the right of the comfort zone, you will
want to reduce the air temperature. An example strategy to
achieve this would be to increase air flow with natural
ventilation.

When data points fall to the left of the comfort zone, you will
want to increase the air temperature. A common strategy to do
this passively is to incorporate solar heat gains with high thermal
mass materials.

When relative humidity is too low it can be increased with

evaporative cooling. And when it is too high it can be decreased
with the use of desiccants.
Psychrometric processes are crucial in
designing HVAC systems for achieving
thermal comfort.

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 How to Read a Psychrometric Chart (youtube.com)

 Psychrometric Chart | How To Read Psychrometry Chart, DPT &

WBT Lines, Problems, Numerical Solved (youtube.com)
 Energy-efficient buildings are only effective when the occupants of the buildings are comfortable.
If they are not comfortable, then they will take alternative means of heating or cooling a space
such as space heaters or window-mounted air conditioners that could be substantially worse than
typical Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Thermal comfort is difficult to measure because it is highly subjective. It depends on the air
temperature, humidity, radiant temperature, air velocity, metabolic rates, and clothing levels and
each individual experiences these sensations a bit differently based on his or her physiology and
state.

Factors in Human Comfort

Human Thermal  There are six factors to take into consideration when designing for thermal comfort. Its
Comfort determining factors include the following:

 Metabolic rate (met): The energy generated from the human body

 Clothing insulation (clo): The amount of thermal insulation the person is wearing

 Air temperature: Temperature of the air surrounding the occupant

 Radiant temperature: The weighted average of all the temperatures from surfaces surrounding
an occupant

 Air velocity: Rate of air movement given distance over time

 Relative humidity: Percentage of water vapor in the air

 A method of describing thermal comfort was developed by Ole Fanger and is referred to as
Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD).

Predicted Mean Vote

The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) refers to a thermal scale that runs from Cold (-3) to Hot (+3),
originally developed by Fanger and later adopted as an ISO standard. The original data was
collected by subjecting a large number of people (reputedly many thousands of Israeli soldiers) to
different conditions within a climate chamber and having them select a position on the scale the best
described their comfort sensation. A mathematical model of the relationship between all the
environmental and physiological factors considered was then derived from the data. The result
relates the size thermal comfort factors to each other through heat balance principles and produces
the following sensation scale.
Human Thermal
The recommended acceptable PMV range for thermal comfort from ASHRAE 55 is between -0.5
Comfort - tool and +0.5 for an interior space.

Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied

Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) predicts the percentage of occupants that will be
dissatisfied with the thermal conditions. It is a function of PMV, given that as PMV moves further
from 0, or neutral, PPD increases. The maximum number of people dissatisfied with their comfort
conditions is 100% and, as you can never please all of the people all of the time, the recommended
acceptable PPD range for thermal comfort from ASHRAE 55 is less than 10% persons dissatisfied
for an interior space.

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Tool