Psychrometric charts
BG 87/2024, Useful Information Guide, written by Chin Hang “Kay” Lam and published by BSRIA in 2024, defines Psychrometrics as: ‘The study of the properties of moist air, including properties such as relative humidity, dry bulb temperature and wet bulb temperature.’
Psychrometric charts are complex graphs that can be used to assess the physical and thermodynamic properties of gas-vapour mixtures at a constant pressure. They are often used to assess the properties of moist air. This can be useful in the design of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems for buildings, and psychrometric charts often include a zone in the middle that represents the range of conditions that people find comfortable under different circumstances (such as summer and winter).
Typically, the properties represented on psychrometric charts are:
- Dry-bulb temperature: A measure of air temperature recorded by a thermometer exposed to the air but shielded from radiation and moisture.
- Wet-bulb temperature: The temperature recorder by a thermometer that has its bulb wrapped in cloth and moistened with distilled water. The rate of evaporation from the wet bulb, and so the temperature it records varies depending on the humidity of the air it is exposed to.
- Relative humidity: The ratio of the actual vapour pressure relative to the vapour pressure of saturated air at the same temperature, expressed as a percentage.
- Specific volume: The volume of a unit weight of dry air.
- Dew point temperature: The highest temperature at which water vapour will condense.
- Humidity ratio: The dry-basis moisture content of air expressed as the weight of water vapour per unit weight of dry air.
- Enthalpy: The energy content of air.
The state of moist air can be determined from any two of these properties, from which all other properties can then be determined.
Atmospheric pressure varies with altitude and so a number of psychrometric charts are available for different atmospheric pressures, however, for altitudes of less than 600m the sea-level psychrometric chart is often considered adequate.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
Comments
Who is the author of this article? I cant find the name.
Designing Buildings Wiki is a wiki site – articles are developed over a period of time by our users. As such, there is no specific author. To reference an article on the site, just reference Designing Buildings Wiki as the publisher, and the date that you accessed it.