Psychrometric Equations Page 1 of 3

Psychrometric Equations
The psychrometric chart is a very convenient way to determine the air water relationships; however, somtimes it is useful to calculate the properties using
equations. Several sets of equations have been published expressing these relationships.

SYMBOLS:

l h = enthalpy of air-vapor mixture, J/kg

l hfg = latent heat of vaporization of water at saturation, J/kg
l hfg1 = latent heat of vaporization of water Twb, J/kg
l hfg2 = latent heat of vaporization of water at T dp, Jkg
l hig = heat of sublimation of ice, J/kg
l hig1 = heat of sublimation of ice at Twb , J/kg
l hig2 = heat of sublimation of ice at Tdp, J/kg
l H = humidity ratio, kg of water/kg of dry air
l ln = natural logrithm (base e)
l Patm = atmospheric pressure, Pa
l Pvs = saturation vapor pressure at T, Pa
l Pswb = satruation vapor pressure at Twb , Pa
l Pv = vapor pressure, Pa
l RH = relative humidity, decimal
l T = dry bulb temperature, K
l Tdp = dewpoint temperature, K
l Twb = wet bulb temperature, K
l Vsa = air specific volume, m3/kg dry air
l W = humidity ratio, kg water/kg dry air
l Ws = saturation humidity ratio, kg water/kg dry air
l t* = thermodynamic wet bulb temperature, C
l h* = enthalpy at wet bulb temperature, kJ/kg
l Ra = gas constant for air = 287.055 J/kgK

The following equations are published in the ASAE Standard Psychrometric Data ASAE D271 (ASAE, St Joeseph, MI USA).

Saturation line, P vs as a function of T:

ln(P vs) = 31.9602 - (6270.3605/T) - 0.46057 ln(T) ; [for 255.38 < T < 273.16]

ln(P vs/R) = (A + BT + CT 2 + DT3 + ET4)/(FT - GT 2) ; [for 273.16 <= T <= 533.16]

where:

l R = 22 105 649.25
l A = -27 405.526
l B = 97.5413
l C = -0.146244
l D = 0.12558e-3
l E = -0.48502e-7
l F = 4.34903
l G = 0.39381e-2

Saturation line, T as a function of Pvs:

T - 255.38 = (Summation from i = 0 to i = 8 ) A i{ln(0.00145 P vs)} i ; [for 620.52 < Pvs < 4 688 396.00]

where:

l A0 = 19.5322
l A1 = 13.6626
l A2 = 1.17678

http://www.ageng.ndsu.nodak.edu/envr/PsycEqns.htm 8/15/2005
Psychrometric Equations Page 2 of 3

l A3 = -0.189693
l A4 = 0.087453
l A5 = -0.0174053
l A6 = 0.00214768
l A7 = -0.138343e-3
l A8 = 0.38e-5

Latent heat of sublimation at saturation:

hig = 1 839 683.144 - 212.56384 (T - 255.38) ; [for 255.38 <= T <= 273.16]

Latent heat of vaporization at saturation:

hfg = 2 502 535.259 - 2 385.76424 (T - 273.16) ; [for 273.16 <= T <= 338.72]

hfg = (7 329 155 978 000 - 15 995 964.08 T 2)1/2 ; [for 338.72 <= T <= 533.16]

Wet bulb line:

Pswb - Pv = B1(T wb - T)

where:

B1 = {1006.9254(Pswb - Patm )(1 + 0.15577[Pv/Patm])}/(0.62194 h fg1) ; [for 255.38 <= T <= 533.16]

Substitute h ig1 for h fg1 where T wb <= 273.16

Humidity ratio:

H = (0.6219 Pv)/(P atm - Pv) ; [for 255.38 <= T <= 533.16]

Pv < Patm

Specific volume:

Vsa = (287 T)/(P atm - P v)

Enthalpy:

h = 1006.9254 (T - 273.16) - H[333 432.1 + 2030.598 (273.16 - Tdp)] + hig2 H + 1875.6864 H (T - T dp) ;

[for 255.38 <= Tdp <= 273.16]

and

h = 1006.9254 (T - 273.16) - 4186.8 H (Tdp - 273.16)] + hig2 H + 1875.6864 H (T - Tdp) ;

[for 273.16 <= Tdp <= 373.16]

Relative humidity:

RH = Pv/Ps

The following equations are from the 1993 ASHRAE Handbook: Fundamentals (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Atlanta GA, USA):

Saturtion vapor pressure:

ln(P vs) = C1/T + C2 + C3T + C4T2 + C5T3 + C5T4 + C6T5 + C7 ln(T)

where:

http://www.ageng.ndsu.nodak.edu/envr/PsycEqns.htm 8/15/2005
Psychrometric Equations Page 3 of 3

Over ice (-100 < T < 0 C) Over water (0 < T < 200 C)
C1 -5.674536e+3 -5.800221e+3
C2 -5.152306e-1 -5.516256e+0
C3 -9.677843e-3 -4.864024e-2
C4 +6.221570e-7 4.176477e-5
C5 +2.074782e-9 -1.445209e-8
C6 -9.484024e-13 0.0
C7 +4.163502 6.545967

Albright (Environment Control for Animals and Plants, 1990, ASAE, St Joseph MI, USA) uses the ASHRAE equations and develops the following:

Relative humidity:

RH = Pv/Pvs

Humidity ratio:

W = 0.62198 Pv/(P atm - Pv)

Ws = 0.62198 Pvs/(P atm - P vs)

Specific volume:

vsa = RaT(1 + 1.6078 W)/[Patm (1 + W)]

Enthalpy:

h = 1.006 t + W(2501 + 1.805 t)

t = T - 273.15

Dewpoint temperature:

tdp = -60.45 + 7.0322 ln(P v) + 0.3700 (ln(P v)) 2 ; [ for -60 < t < 0 C]

tdp = -35.957 - 1.8726 ln(P v) + 1.1689 (ln (P v)) 2 ; [for 0 < t < 70 C]

Wet bulb temperature : must satisfy the following equations:

hs* = h + hw*(W s* - W)

hw* = 4.186 t*

http://www.ageng.ndsu.nodak.edu/envr/PsycEqns.htm 8/15/2005