AB PRODUCTS PROCESSING AND STORAGE ENGR. KEVIN M.

DENIEGA

MOIST AIR PROPERTIES Relative Humidity, Ø

- the thermodynamic properties of moist air with - the ratio of the mole fraction (or vapor pressure)
importance on how we will analyze the process of water vapor in the air to the mole fraction (or
of drying. vapor pressure) of the water vapor in the
saturated air at the same temperature and
MOIST AIR
atmospheric pressure
- Drying medium used in drying grains. - expressed as a decimal or a percentage.
- Dry Air + Water Vapor (composition) - Rh values between 0 and 100% are encountered
in grain drying.
Dry Air →Major : Oxygen & Nitrogen
Humidity Ratio, W
Minor : Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Neon
- the weight of water vapor contained in the moist
- In determining the thermodynamic properties air per unit weight of dry air.
of moist air, Goff (1949) arbitrarily defined dry - also known as absolute humidity and specific
air having the following composition: humidity
- Molecular weight: 28.966 - values for grain drying air are relatively small:
- Mole- Fraction Composition: 0.005 to 0.2 lb of water per lb of dry air.
0.2095 - Oxygen Dry Bulb Temperature, T
0.7809 –Nitrogen - temperature of moist air indicated by an
0.0093 – Argon ordinary thermometer.
- grain – drying air temperatures range between
0.0003 - Carbon Dioxide 40 °f and 550°f (4.44 to 287.78°c)
Psychrometric Terms Dew Point Temperature, Tdp
• Moist- Air Thermodynamic Properties - temperature at which condensation occurs
when air is cooled at constant humidity ratio
- Vapor Pressure
and constant atmospheric pressure.
- Relative Humidity
- can be considered as the saturation temperature
- Humidity Ratio
corresponding to the humidity ratio and vapor
- Dry- Bulb Temperature
pressure of the moist air.
- Dew Point
- Wet Bulb Temperature Wet Bulb Temperature
- Enthalpy
- Specific Volume Psychrometric Wet Bulb Temperature, Twb

Vapor Pressure, Pv - the temperature of moist air indicated by a

thermometer whose bulb is covered with a wet
- is the partial pressure exerted by the water wick. the airflow passing over the wick should
vapor molecules in moist air have a velocity of at least 15 ft/ sec
Saturated Vapor Pressure, Pvs Thermodynamic Wet- Bulb Temperature, T*wb
- vapor pressure of air fully saturated with water - the temperature reached by moist air and water
vapor (reached its saturation point) if the air is adiabatically saturated by the
- 100% water vapor evaporating water.
- the vapor pressure in air used for grain drying
is small (less than 1.0 psia) compared to the Adiabatic – no heat transfer
atmospheric pressure (14.7 psia) ENTHALPY, h
- for dry air-water vapor mixture, is the heat
content of the moist air per unit weight of dry
air above a certain reference temperature
- datum temperatures chosen are:
dry air → 0°F liquid water → 32°F
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AB PRODUCTS PROCESSING AND STORAGE ENGR. KEVIN M. DENIEGA

- values range from 10 to 135 btu per lb dry air

Specific Volume, v
- volume per unit weight of dry air
specific density of the moist air → is equal to the
reciprocal of its specific volume

- values range from 12.5 and 25 cu. ft per lb dry

air Relative Humidity of Moist Air
Thermodynamic Relationships of Moist-air 𝑃𝑣
Ø=
Properties 𝑃𝑣𝑠

Assumption: The water vapor pressure (Pv) in moist air at

any temperature and RH can be found by
- Moist air is an ideal gas in order to apply the combining the following equations
perfect gas laws and to be able to derive
equations to be used in obtaining the Brooker found that the equations for Pvs are
thermodynamic properties of moist air. valid within 1% in the dry- bulb temperature
range from 0 to 200°F.
Perfect Gas Laws
Humidity Ratio
- at atmospheric pressure conditions, the mixture
of gases and water vapor in moist air can be - weight of water vapor per unit weight of dry air
considered a mixture of ideal gases that follows
the Gibbs- Dalton law of partial pressures.
- Gibbs- Dalton Law for Moist Air:
P = Poxy + Pnit + Pv
P = Pa + Pv
Dry Air: Pa Va = waRaTabs Gas Constant
Water Vapor: Pv Vv = wvRvTabs
- Dry Air : Ra = 53.35 ft lb/ lb°R
Vapor Pressure and Relative Humidity - Water Vapor : Rv = 85.81 ft lb/ lb°R
• The Clausius- Clapeyron equation expresses Grain
the change of vapor pressure with temperature
and can be used to calculate the water vapor - defined as the humidity ratio , W in lb per lb
pressure of moist air multiplied by 7000.
- the constant 0.622 becomes 4354 ( = 0.622 *
• Clausius – Clapeyron Equation: 7000) for calculating W in grains
𝑑𝑃𝑣 ℎ𝑓𝑔 - *humidity ratio of moist air at saturation, Ws, is
= (eqn 1)
𝑑𝑇𝑎𝑏𝑠 𝑇𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑉𝑣 found by setting ø = 1
- the latent heat of vaporization (h fg) has to be (You are able to calculate RH of moist air if the Humidity ratio, dry bulb
temperature and atmospheric pressure are known)
calculated at the saturation condition using the
equation: Enthalpy
- hfg = 1075.9 - 0.57 (Tabs – 459.69) eq’n 2
- enthalpy of the moist air is the sum of the
For temperatures below 32°F, the heat of sublimation at enthalpies of the dry air and of the water vapor
saturation, hsg associated with the dry air
- hsg = 1220.84 - 0.05 (Tabs – 459.69) eq’n 3 ha = ca (T – To) where ca = Specific Heat
- substituting eq’n 2 and 3 in 1 for conditions - associated water vapor which is superheated ( T
above and below 32°F, respectively – Tdp ) degrees above the dew point
temperature:

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AB PRODUCTS PROCESSING AND STORAGE ENGR. KEVIN M. DENIEGA

- enthalpy/ lb = enthalpy of the superheated

vapor + enthalpy of evaporation at dew point
temperature + enthalpy of water at dew point
temperature

• Ca = 0.24 Btu/ lb°F

• Cv = 0.45 Btu/ lb°F
• Cw = 1.0 Btu/ lb°F
• h = Ca T + W (1061 + 0.45T)
Specific Volume, v

If Humidity Ratio is given, use:

Wet bulb temperature

- for moist air, the numerical value of the
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
thermodynamic and psychrometric wet bulb
Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE, 1967)
temperature is approximately equal but not for
gas- vapor mixtures. - developed a number of Mollier-type
psychrometric charts in the 40ºF to 250ºF
range
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
- these charts have been constructed from the
- The thermodynamic properties of the dry air- Goff and Gratch ( 1945) thermodynamic data
water vapor mixture are frequently needed in for standard atmospheric pressure ( 14.7 psia =
analyzing grain-drying problems. 29.92 in.Hg) and use oblique-angle enthalpy-
- To avoid time-consuming calculations, special humidity ratio coordinates
charts containing the values of the most
- since the ASHRAE psychrometric charts are
common thermodynamic properties of moist
drawn from thermodynamic data of moist air
air have been prepared →
calculated by statistical mechanics methods,
PSYCHROMETRIC CHARTS
the values on the psychrometric charts will be
- Differ with respect to the barometric pressure,
slightly more accurate than those computed
temperature range, number of thermodynamic
from the equations based on the perfect gas
properties included, and the choice of
laws.
coordinates.
- The difference between the two methods (
- United States: Grosvenor type →absolute
equations and chart) is less than 1%.
humidity is plotted vs the dry bulb
temperature. - A psychrometric chart is drawn and is
therefore applicable only at one atmospheric
- Europe: Mollier chart →the absolute
pressure
humidity and enthalpy as coordinates.
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AB PRODUCTS PROCESSING AND STORAGE ENGR. KEVIN M. DENIEGA

- The ASHRAE charts are for standard

barometric ( sea level) pressure. At significant
elevations such as 5000 ft, the standard charts
cannot be used and one is forced to use
thermodynamic equations or special
psychrometric charts
USE OF PSYCHROMETRIC CHART

• thermodynamic properties of moist air at one

atmosphere:
➢ Dry-bulb temperature
➢ Wet-bulb temperature
➢ Dew point ( saturation) temperature
➢ Humidity ratio
➢ Relative humidity
SENSIBLE HEATING AND COOLING
➢ Specific volume
- at constant humidity ratio, heat is added to or
➢ Enthalpy withdrawn from the drying air in a heat
exchanger as in an indirect heater (for grain
drying) or in an evaporator (for grain chilling)
- The processes of sensible heating and cooling
are represented on the psychrometric chart by
straight horizontal lines parallel to the abscissa
(see figure)

- results in changes in the dry bulb and wet bulb

temperatures, the enthalpy, the specific volume
and the relative humidity of the moist air.
- no change occurs in the humidity ratio, dew
point temperature and vapor pressure of the
moist air

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AB PRODUCTS PROCESSING AND STORAGE ENGR. KEVIN M. DENIEGA

HEATING WITH HUMIDIFYING DRYING

- during this process, not only heat but also a

small amount of water vapor is added to the air - the drying of a column of grain can be
- result: enthalpy, humidity ratio, vapor pressure, considered an adiabatic process
dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature - as the air passes through the wet grain mass, a
and dew point temperature, and specific volume large part of the sensible heat of the air is
of the air are increased transformed into latent heat as a result of the
increasing amount of water held in the air as
In most heated-air grain-drying systems, energy is vapor
added to the air by direct combustion of gas in the
air Decrease: dry-bulb

-the RH of the drying air decreases during the Increase: humidity ratio, RH, vapor pressure and
combustion of fuel in the heater dewpoint temperature

COOLING WITH DEHUMIDIFYING Constant: enthalpy, wet bulb temperature

MIXING OF TWO AIRSTREAMS

- during this process, air is often cooled to below

the dew point temperature by passing it over an • In number of continuous-flow grain dryers,
evaporator. Since the air is saturated with water two streams of air with different mass flow
vapor at the dew point temperature, water rates, temperatures, and humidity ratios are
condenses out of the air as soon as its mixed.
temperature drops below Tdp
- Decrease: humidity ratio, dew point, wet bulb,
dry-bulb, enthalpy and specific volume

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AB PRODUCTS PROCESSING AND STORAGE ENGR. KEVIN M. DENIEGA
SAMPLE PROBLEM USING THE
PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
MOIST AIR PROPERTIES THAT CAN BE
OBTAINED USING PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
 Dry-bulb temperature = ºF or ºC
 Wet-bulb temperature = ºF or ºC
 Barometric pressure = 29.92 in.Hg or
101.325 kPa
 Dew point temperature (Tdp) = ºF or ºC
 Relative humidity (RH) = %
OBTAINING OTHER VALUES
 Volume (V) = Ft^3 per lb dry air or m^3
per kg dry air
 Humidity ratio (w) = lb moisture per lb dry
air or kg moisture per kg dry air
 Enthalpy (h) = Btu per lb dry air or KJ per
kg dry air

OBTAINED MOIST AIR PROPERTIES FROM

THE PSYCHROMETRIC CHART
GIVEN:
Dry-bulb temperature = 85ºF
Wet-bulb temperature = 70 ºF
Barometric pressure = 29.92 in.Hg

OBTAINED:
Dew point temperature (Tdp) = 63 ºF
Relative humidity (RH) = 48%
Specific Volume (V) = 14 Ft^3 per lb dry air
Example 1:
Humidity ratio (w) = 0.0124 lb of moisture per lb dry
Determine from the psychrometric chart the air
thermodynamic properties of moist air at 85ºF dry-bulb Enthalpy (h) = 34.1 Btu per lb dry air
temperature, 70 ºF wet-bulb temperature and 29.92
in.Hg barometric pressure. USING THERMODYNAMIC EQUATION:
 Dry-bulb temperature = 85ºF DEWPOINT TEMPERATURE = 63.4 º F
 Wet-bulb temperature = 70 ºF RELATIVE HUMIDITY = 48.66 %
 Barometric pressure = 29.92 in.Hg SPECIFIC VOLUME = 14.0 ft^3 per lb dry air
HUMIDITY RATIO = 0.0125 lb of water per lb of
dry air
ENTHALPY = 34.1 Btu per lb dry air

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