Course Description

Psychrometrics is the study of the thermodynamic properties of moist air, and moist air is the fundamental medium for all air conditioning processes. Every time we cool, heat, humidify, or dehumidify a space, we are manipulating moist air. Without a solid understanding of psychrometrics, an HVAC engineer cannot correctly size cooling coils, select fans, design ductwork, or diagnose comfort complaints. Furthermore, psychrometrics directly impacts human comfort, indoor air quality, building energy consumption, and the prevention of mold and moisture-related damage. In short, if you cannot read the chart, you cannot truly engineer air conditioning.

What you'll learn in this course?

• Define psychrometrics and explain its critical role in air conditioning system design and operation.

• Identify and interpret all nine primary properties of moist air on a standard psychrometric chart.

• Locate and describe the significance of the saturation line, dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature, humidity ratio, relative humidity, dew point, specific volume, and enthalpy lines.

• Perform manual and analytical calculations for mixed air conditions from two or more air streams.

• Plot and analyze fundamental air conditioning processes: sensible heating/cooling, humidification, dehumidification, evaporative cooling, and adiabatic mixing.

• Calculate sensible heat ratio (SHR) and use it to select appropriate room sensible heat factor (RSHF) lines.

• Diagnose common system problems using psychrometric analysis, such as coil face condensation, overcooling, and inadequate dehumidification.

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of HVAC systems, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and air-conditioning processes

• Familiarity with engineering units and basic load calculations is helpful