The thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature is a thermodynamic property of a mixture of air and water vapor. Psychrometric properties Dry-bulb temperature (DBT) Wood destroying fungi generally do not grow at relative humidities below 75%. Molds and fungi can be controlled by keeping relative humidity low. In many industrial applications it is important to avoid condensation that would ruin product or cause corrosion. In industrial drying applications, such as drying paper, manufacturers usually try to achieve an optimum between low relative humidity, which increases the drying rate, and energy usage, which decreases as exhaust relative humidity increases. Relative humidity is often controlled in manufacturing areas where flammable materials are handled, to avoid fires caused by the static electricity discharges that can occur in very dry air.

Industries that use these materials are concerned with relative humidity control in production and storage of such materials. Such substances include cotton, paper, cellulose, other wood products, sugar, calcium oxide (burned lime) and many chemicals and fertilizers. Many substances are hygroscopic, meaning they attract water, usually in proportion to the relative humidity or above a critical relative humidity. In human terms, our thermal comfort is in large part a consequence of not just the temperature of the surrounding air, but (because we cool ourselves via perspiration) the extent to which that air is saturated with water vapor.

JSTOR ( March 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Īlthough the principles of psychrometry apply to any physical system consisting of gas-vapor mixtures, the most common system of interest is the mixture of water vapor and air, because of its application in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning and meteorology.

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Large printable psychrometric chart