7.

1 Psychrometry

Psychrometry studies vapor - gas mixtures. In this context a vapor is a fluid phase that is close to
condensation at the operating conditions; a gas is far from it. So, one is condensable, the other is not.

Definitions.
Absolute Humidity. The Absolute Humidity is the vapor content of the gas, in reference to the
dry gas. At atmosferic pressure, mole fraction and partial pressure are easily related, so:
Mass of water yB MB pB MB
H = Mass of dry air
=
yA MA
=
P -pB MA
when the partial pressure of the gas is that of saturation, we have the saturation humidity:
pVB MB
Hsat =
P -pVB MA

Relative Humidity. The ratio between humidity and saturation humidity gives the relative
humidity:
H
H% = 100 Hsat

Humid volume. The change in volume due to humidification is easily estimated assuming ideal
behavior:
L T +273.15 1 a t m 1 H
VH = 22.41 mol

273.15

p

MA
+
MB

This can be calculated for any humidity so, we can calculate it for the dry air, Vdry , and use this as a
reference:
H
VH = Vdry + HS
Vsat - Vdry

Humid heat. The specific heat of the mixture can also be estimated,
cH = cA + H cB
where cA and cB are the specific heats of the gas and the vapor.

Enthalpy of the mixture. The enthalpy can be calculated form the heat capacity:
H = cA(T - T0 ) + H cBL (TR - T0 ) + R + cBG (T - TR )

that usually is very close to

H = cH (T - T0 ) + H 0
where 0 is the enthalpy of vaporization at reference temperature, if this is 0C the value is 2,502,300
J/kg. Again, the enthalpy can be calculated with the dry gas as a reference:
H
H = HS + HS
(Hs a t - HS )

Wet bulb temperature. When all the heat for evaporation comes from sensible heat, we have
the wet bulb temperature depression:
q = N sat
h (T - Tsat ) = k Hsat - H
2 7.1 Psycrometry.nb

( - )= -
sat
T - Tsat = Hsat - H
hk
here h k is the psychrometric ratio for the mixture, in the case of air and water it is 950 J/kg/K.

Adiabatic saturation curves. An adiabatic saturation process takes place when a gas is fully
saturated with all the heat provided by cooling of the liquid, mass and energy balances lead to:
L = G Hsat - H
L h = G (Hsat - H)
so
L
G
h = (Hsat - H) = Hsat - H h
this leads to
sat
T - Tsat = Hsat - H
cA +H cB
here sat is the heat of vaporization at Tsat .

All this definitions are usually presented in a Psychrometric chart.

In[1]:= Tc = 647.13 ; pc = 219.4(*bar*); p = 760 / 760(*bar*);

pv[T_] := pc * Exp[(- 7.76451 * x + 1.45838 * x ^ 1.5 - 2.7758 * x ^ 3 - 1.23303 * x ^ 6) / (1 - x)] /.
T + 273.15
x 1- ;
Tc
Teb = T /. FindRoot[pv[T] - p, {T, 90}]
Plot[pv[T], {T, 0, 99}, Epilog {Red, Dashed, Line[{{Teb, 0}, {Teb, 1}}]}]
Out[3]= 99.7475
1.0

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Out[4]=

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Lets plot a series of relative humidity lines...

 7.1 Psycrometry.nb 3

In[5]:= Hs[T_, p_] := pv[T] / (p - pv[T]) * 18.02 / 28.07;(*La humedad absoluta de saturacin*)
rel
Hr[T_, p_, rel_] := Hs[T, p] * ;(*La humedad absoluta para cierto % relativo*)
100
sicro = Plot[Evaluate[Hr[T, p, rel] /. rel {2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100}],
{T, 0, Teb}, PlotStyle Thin, Frame True,
FrameTicks {{All, None}, {All, None}}, PlotRange {{0, 1.2 Teb}, {0, 0.15}},
Epilog {Red, Dashed, Thin, Line[{{Teb, 0}, {Teb, 1}}]}, ImagePadding 25]

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Out[7]=

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Now let us define the volumes, enthalpies and wet buld and adiabatic temperatures. Plot the latter
two...
(2502 - 2260.17)
In[8]:= [T_] := 2502. - T; (*kJ/kg, T en C*)
100
T + 273.15 1 1 Hs[T, p]
vsat[T_, p_] := 22.4 + ;
273.15 p 28.07 18.02
T + 273.15 1 1
vsec[T_, p_] := 22.4 ;
273.15 p 28.07
rel
vH[T_, p_, rel_] := vsec[T, p] + (vsat[T, p] - vsec[T, p]);
100
cH[Ha_] := cA + Ha cB /. {cA 1.005, cB 1.884}(*kJ/kg/C*);
H[T_, p_, rel_] :=
cH[Hr[T, p, rel]] (T - To) + Hr[T, p, rel] o /. {To 0, o 2502.3(*kJ/kg*)};
hk
Hbh[T_, p_, Ts_] := Hs[Ts, p] - (T - Ts) /. {hk 0.950(*kJ/kg/K*)};
[Ts]
Hsa[T_, p_, Ts_] :=
(Hs[Ts, p] [Ts] - cA (T - Ts)) / ([Ts] + cB (T - Ts)) /. {cA 1.005, cB 1.884};
4 7.1 Psycrometry.nb

In[15]:= Show[sicro, Plot[{Hsa[T, p, 50], Hbh[T, p, 50]}, {T, 50, 140}]]

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We need to do a superpose a series of plots with different wet bulb and adiabatic temperature lines...

In[32]:= bulb = {};

adia = {};
Do[
pi = Plot[Hbh[T, p, i], {T, i, 140}, PlotStyle {Thin, Orange, Dashed}];
pj = Plot[Hsa[T, p, i], {T, i, 140}, PlotStyle {Thin}];
AppendTo[bulb, pi];
AppendTo[adia, pj];,
{i, {10, 20, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60}}]
carta = Show[sicro, Flatten[bulb], Flatten[adia], PlotRange {{0, 140}, {0, 0.15}}]

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We can also plot the heats...

 7.1 Psycrometry.nb 5

In[36]:= heats = Plot[Evaluate[{H[T, p, 100], H[T, p, 100] / 10, H[T, p, 0]} / 1000], {T, 0, 92},
PlotRange {{0, 140}, {0, 4}}, PlotStyle {Dashed}, Frame {False, False, False, True},
FrameTicks {{None, All}, {None, None}}, ImagePadding 25];
Overlay[{carta, heats}]

4
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Out[37]= 2

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Adiabatic saturation processes

Sometimes drying processes are adiabatic or nearly adiabatic, so it is possible to calculate the
changes in the gas under this assumption. The balances are simply:

Mass acquired by the gas L = G H2 - H0

Mass given by the solid L = M (X0 - X2)
Heat required Q = G cH (T1 - T0) = G (H1 - H0)

Here L is the mass flow of liquid evaporated (kg/h), G is the dry-basis mass of gas (kg of dry gas/h),
H is the absolute humidity before and after the process, M is the mass of dry solid and X is its humid-
ity in dry basis.
Ejemplo.
Se desea procesar 500 kg/h base seca de un producto biolgico que contiene 13% de humedad en
base seca en un secador adiabtico, debe llevarse hasta 2% en base seca. El aire disponible tiene una
humedad relativa de 50% y temperatura de 19C. El producto no debe rebasar 35C durante el
proceso. Defina a que temperatura deber calentarse el aire, cunto se requerir, la carga del calenta-
dor y las condiciones de proceso para el aire efluente. Asuma que se permite que llegue hasta 70%
de saturacin de humedad. El proceso ocurre en la ciudad de Mxico.
6 7.1 Psycrometry.nb

In[38]:= (*La humedad inicial es calculada fcilmente*)

T0 = 19; HRo = 50;
Ho = Hs[T0, p] HRo / 100;
Ho = H[T0, p, 50];
VHo = vH[T0, p, 50];
(*Como la T no puede ser ms de 35 entonces se requiere la adiabtica
que llega a esa Tsat y cruza con la humedad absoluta de entrada*)
T1 = T /. FindRoot[Hsa[T, p, 35] Ho, {T, 45}];(*se puede despejar de la ecuacin*)
H1 = H[T1, p, 0];
VH1 = vH[T1, p, 0];
(*la T de salida del gas corresponde con la
de 70% de saturacin sobre la misma adiabtica de 35*)
T2 = T /. FindRoot[Hsa[T, p, 35] 0.7 Hs[T, p], {T, 50}];(*no se puede despejar*)
H2 = H[T2, p, 70];
VH2 = vH[T2, p, 70];
H2 = Hs[T2, p] 0.7;
TableForm{{{T0, Ho}, Ho, VHo}, {{T1, Ho}, H1, VH1}, {{T2, H2}, H2, VH2}},
TableDepth 2, TableHeadings {"Aire fro", "Aire caliente", "Efluente"},
"{T,Habs }", "H (kJ/kg)", "Volumen (m3 /kg)"
Out[49]//TableForm=

{T,Habs } H (kJ/kg) Volumen (m3 /kg)

Aire fro {19, 0.00719397} 37.354 0.863078
Aire caliente {108.475, 0.00719397} 109.017 1.11491
Efluente {40.097, 0.0358911} 132.819 0.966312

In[50]:= (*Los balances de masa y energa pueden ser resueltos*)

M = 500; Xo = 0.13; X2 = 0.02;
L = M (Xo - X2);
G = L / (H2 - Ho);
Q = G (H2 - H1);
q = G (H1 - Ho);
{L, G {1, VHo, VH1, VH2}, {Q, q}}
Out[55]= {55., {1916.57, 1654.15, 2136.81, 1852.}, {45 617.3, 137 348.}}
 7.1 Psycrometry.nb 7

In[62]:= points = {{T0, Ho}, {T1, Ho}, {T2, H2}};

Show[carta, PlotRange {{0, 140}, {0, 0.05}},
Epilog {Red, Point[points], Line[points]}]

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