12.5 Introducing Psychrometric Principles 583
12.5.3 Modeling Moist Air in Equilibrium with Liquid Water
Thus far, our study of psychrometrics has been conducted as an application of the ideal gas
mixture principles introduced in the first part of this chapter. However, many systems of in-
terest are composed of a mixture of dry air and water vapor in contact with a liquid (or solid)
water phase. To study these systems requires additional considerations.
Shown in Fig. 12.5 is a vessel containing liquid water, above which is a mixture of water
vapor and dry air. If no interactions with the surroundings are allowed, liquid will evaporate
until eventually the gas phase becomes saturated and the system attains an equilibrium state.
For many engineering applications, systems consisting of moist air in equilibrium with a
liquid water phase can be described simply and accurately with the following idealizations:
The dry air and water vapor behave as independent ideal gases.
The equilibrium between the liquid phase and the water vapor is not significantly
disturbed by the presence of the air.
The partial pressure of the water vapor equals the saturation pressure of water
corresponding to the temperature of the mixture: p
v
p
g
(T ).
Similar considerations apply for systems consisting of moist air in equilibrium with a solid
water phase. The presence of the air actually alters the partial pressure of the vapor from the
saturation pressure by a small amount whose magnitude is calculated in Sec. 14.6.
12.5.4 Evaluating the Dew Point Temperature
A significant aspect of the behavior of moist air is that partial condensation of the water va-
por can occur when the temperature is reduced. This type of phenomenon is commonly en-
countered in the condensation of vapor on windowpanes and on pipes carrying cold water.
The formation of dew on grass is another familiar example.
To study such condensation, consider a closed system consisting of a sample of moist air
that is cooled at constant pressure, as shown in Fig. 12.6. The property diagram given on
this figure locates states of the water vapor. Initially, the water vapor is superheated at state 1.
In the first part of the cooling process, both the system pressure and the composition of the
moist air would remain constant. Accordingly, since p
v
y
v
p, the partial pressure of the wa-
ter vapor would remain constant, and the water vapor would cool at constant p
v
from state 1
to state d, called the dew point. The saturation temperature corresponding to p
v
is called the
dew point temperature. This temperature is labeled on Fig. 12.6.
In the next part of the cooling process, the system would be cooled below the dew point
temperature and some of the water vapor initially present would condense. At the final state,
the system would consist of a gas phase of dry air and water vapor in equilibrium with a liq-
uid water phase. The vapor that remains can be regarded as saturated at the final temperature,
System boundary
Liquid water
Gas phase: Dry air and
water vapor
Figure 12.5 System consisting of moist air in contact
with liquid water.
dew point temperature