HDPsyChart V9 Online Help World's #1 Psychrometric Chart Software
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHART & REPORT LANGUAGE CONTROL
COLOR OR BLACK & WHITE CHART CONTROL
NON-COMMERCIALISM PRESENTATIONS
SUMMER & WINTER COMFORT ZONE CONTROL
PSYCHROMETRIC STATE POINTS & PROCESS ANALYSIS
COIL LEAVING AIR CONDITION CALCULATOR
SENSIBLE HEAT RATIO LINE PLOTTING
DELTA-h / DELTA-W LINE PLOTTING
WEATHER DATA PRESENTATION CONTROL
EXPORT DATA TO EXCEL OR TEXT FILE
HDFRESHAIR -
OUTSIDE AIR ESTIMATOR
SINGLE &
DOUBLE INTERPOLATION AND EXTRAPOLATION CALCULATOR
COIL LEAVING AIR
CONDITION CALCULATOR
EVAPORATIVE
COOLING CALCULATOR
INDOOR POOL AND
SPA EVAPORATION CALCULATOR
CENTER OF GRAVITY
AND CORNER LOAD CALCULATOR
ENERGY RECOVERY
WHEEL CALCULATOR
GENERALIZED
ENERGY RECOVERY CALCULATOR
FLUID AND MIXTURE
THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTY CALCULATOR
CUSTOM USER-DEFINED MENU TOOLBARS
PSYCHROMETRIC TERM DEFINITIONS
SOFTWARE SUPPORT
CONTACT US
CARMEL SOFTWARE CORPORATION (dba HANDS DOWN SOFTWARE)
1050 Northgate Dr., Suite 360
San Rafael, CA 94903 USA
Phone: 800.339.6030
Email: [email protected]
OFFICE HOURS
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time
Monday through Friday
HOLIDAYS
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TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Technical support is free of charge and available by phone, email and through our website. It is our policy to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours from receipt.
Please include version number found in the “About” box under the Help menu with your inquiry.
Email: [email protected] Phone: 800.339.6030 Address Hands Down Software 1050 Northgate Dr., Suite 360 San Rafael, CA 94903 USA Website: https://www.handsdownsoftware.comVERSION 9 REGISTRATION
Version 9 requires a registration code for each seat. One (1) seat is licensed per download unless you have purchased a site license.
The above form will pop-up each time you start the unregistered version of the HDPsyChart software. When you are ready to register, fill in the information on this form, then select one of three delivery methods in the Delivery Method dropdown:
1. Copy to Clipboard: Select this option to copy the information you inputted to the clipboard. You can then open your email client of choice and paste this information into the body of the email. The email address to send this information will be at the top of the pasted text. The email address is: [email protected].
2. Print/Fax: Select this option to either print the registration information to PDF (which you can email) or print to the printer and fax to: 405.844.6314.
3. Register Online: Select this option to redirect to the Hands Down Software licensee portal at https://license.handsdownsoftware.com. This portal is available to companies that have already registered. If you want to register or are unsure, contact us at: [email protected].
Once we receive your registration information and confirm your license, we will email you a registration code that you type into the Registration Code text box in the form above. If you are already registered with the licensee portal, you can always retrieve your registration code from this portal at any time.
GENERAL REGISTRATION
When you register as a user of this software, your contact information will be included in email notifications that include corrective patch alerts, new feature alerts, new versions, tips, and much more. The delivery methods for this information are the same as what is described in the V9 Registration section above.
VERSION AND RELEASE HISTORY
VERSION 9 (RELEASE MAR-2025)
Version 9 of HDPsyChart includes a number of major and minor updates and bug fixes. The following is a list of all of the major updates that are discussed in more detail throughout this user manual.
- Added ASHRAE data zone data from the 2015 and 2021 “Equipment Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments – ASHRAE TC 9.9 Reference.”
- Added world-wide ASHRAE climatic data from the 2017 and 2021 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals. For 2017, weather data for over 8000 cities were added. For 2021, weather data for over 9100 cities were added.
- Added 2023 U.S. TMY3 weather data from the Climate.OneBuilding.org online database that includes 8760 hourly data for 2700 cities in the U.S. We will be adding international TMY3 data over the next year.
- Added comfort data from ASHRAE Standard 55-2017 and -2020.
- Added additional ASHRAE ventilation data that includes data from ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2016 and -2019
- Includes the ability to insert ventilation airflows into the point property list airflow column using the ASHRAE ventilation form
- Create unlimited custom psych chart templates that you can share with other users and other computers that have HDPsyChart installed.
- Includes a new main menu and icon layout in the software that is more intuitive and allows you to be more productive.
- When double-clicking on the chart, you have the option to now display the point property form, so it inserts a point at the exact spot that you just clicked.
- While you can continue to customize the layout of the menu icons by dragging them around the software tool, you can easily reset the layout to factory settings.
- Includes update user interface (UI) elements that make the software more intuitive to use.
- When you open the state form to add a new point, the “wet” input will automatically default to wet-bulb units instead of you having to manually select units each time.
- Includes settings that allow you to specify the default project, output, weather and template subdirectories
- Allows you to store constant lines by individual project or by template.
- Allows you to store the location, width, height, and layout of the state point form so you can see more points at one time.
- Updated the psychrometric chart note creation functionality so not as clunky as before.
- Allows you to display pressure units on the main chart screen in either barometric or atmospheric units for IP.
- When importing climatic data into the state point form, allows you to choose whether to apply the imported city elevation to the chart.
- Includes a menu option to check for software updates that include the latest bug-fixes or minor updates.
- The software is now installed using a more modern install software tool so that it is more easily installed and updated on a variety of computers and the latest versions of Windows.
- Updated the user manual
- Fixed UI issues where the tab order of controls in various forms (i.e. – the profile form) are out of order so when you tabbed, they did not progress in an orderly manner.
- Fixed saving issues where it now prompts you to save any existing project changes when selecting another project, closing a project, starting a new project, or selecting a project from the “recent” list.
- Displays error message in the state point form when you assign the same start point as the current point. This was causing state point and process UI issues when allowed.
- Fixed bug that prevented storing multiple pictures in a project.
- Fixed the bug where the elevation value displayed on the chart resets when closing the profile form.
- Fixed bug where it did not prompt you to save a project if selected another project from the recent files list.
- Fixed many other minor bugs and annoyances.
VERSION 7 (RELEASE AUG-2011)
NEW PROCESS ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES
- Updated ASHRAE Datacenter Zones to 2011 Thermal Guidelines
- Updated ASHRAE 2010 Comfort Zones
- Re-arrange or Re-order Points on the Fly with One Button Click
- TMY2 & TMY3 Bin Weather USA Locations Added
- Ability to Select Days Per Week for Bin Weather Data & Plots
- HDClimatic Updated to 2009 ASHRAE Fundamentals
- Import Your Own Weather Data File Locations into the Chart
- Optional Process Directional Arrowheads on Process Lines
- Ability to Print-All or PDF-All (Psy+Flow+Report) into ONE File
- Cooling Coil Apparatus Dew Point (ADP) Calculator
- Cooling Coil Air Bypass Factor (ABF) Calculator
- Improved Air Mixing Algorithm with both Mass and Energy Balance
- User Program Quantity Expanded from 15 to 25 Programs
NEW TOOLS
- Evaporative Cooling Detailed Performance Calculator
- Electric Heater Detailed Performance Calculator
- Indoor Pool Evaporation Calculator
- SMACNA Air Leak Class Calculator
- Center of Gravity - Corner Load Calculator
- Pump Law Calculator
- Complete Inter-Active Element Periodic Chart
- System Efficiency COP-EER-kW/ton Calculator
- Total & Sensible Wheel Energy Recovery Performance Calculator
- Plate Heat Exchanger Energy Recovery Performance Calculator
- Fluid & Mixture Thermo-Physical Property Calculator
- Rectangle & Round Duct Fittings added to HDDuctDesigner
- Duct Temp Gain/Loss Calculator added to HDDuctDesigner
- Duct Pitot Airflow Calculator added to HDDuctDesigner
NEW PRESENTATION CONTROL
- Ability to Turn Logo On & Off, for ASHRAE Meeting “Generic” Presentations
- Customize Psychrometric Charts with your own Colors
- Change Any Chart Property Lines to Any COLOR You Choose
- Change Any Chart Property Lines to Any Line TYPE You Choose
- Change Any Chart Property Lines to Any Line THICKNESS You Choose
- Improved Toolbar and Menu Control Setup
- User-Defined Custom Area Shading right on the Chart
- Updated ASHRAE 2010 Comfort Zones
- Optional Process Directional Arrowheads on Process Lines
- Ability to Hide State Point Label on a Point-By-Point basis
- Draw Your Own Lines Anywhere You Want
- Draw Your Own Ellipses Anywhere You Want
- Draw Your Own Rectangles Anywhere You Want
- Draw Your Own Circles Anywhere You Want
- Insert Your Own Pictures Anywhere You Want
NEW LANGUAGES
- Now with (19) Different Languages on Charts and Reports with one button click
- Croatia Language
- Czech Language
- Finish Language
- Latin Language
- Polish Language
- Turkish Language
NEW DATA EXCHANGE
- Point Color Control when Importing Data from Excel (*.csv) files
- Point Size Control when Importing Data from Excel (*.csv) files
- Process Line Color Control when Importing Data from Excel (*.csv) files
- Process Line Thickness Control when Importing Data from Excel (*.csv) files
- Import Your Own Weather Data File Locations into the Chart
NEW NOTES
- Improved Note Controls
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS
- Added Apparatus Dew Point (ADP) to Cooling Coil Leaving Air Calculator
- Added Air Bypass Factor (ABF) to Cooling Coil Leaving Air Calculator
- Point property toolbar display now includes units of measure
- Thermal Comfort Terms Definition PDF Manual
- Improved Air Density Property Calculation
- Many minor bugs and improvements implemented
VERSION 6 (RELEASE JAN-2007)
NEW PROCESS ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES
- Auto Flow Chart Diagram
- Individual Process Line Color Control
- Individual Point Color, Shape and Size Control
- Winter "V" Air Mixing Capability with Condensation
- Fog Region Property Display
- Constant h, WB, HR, DB Line Control
TOOLS
- Complete Thermal Comfort Calculator
- Weather Data Plotting with Complete Global Weather Files
- Weather Bin Shade Plotting with Complete Control
- Global Weather Data Table Access
- Weather Term Glossary
- Wind Chill Factor Calculator
- Climatic Data Printing Capability Added
- Outside Air Estimator UPDATED to ASHRAE Standard 62-2004
PRESENTATION CONTROL
- Humidity Ratio Unit of Measure Control
- Mouse Cross-Hair (Like CAD!!) or Target Control
- Cooling Coil Performance Line Control
- Page Color Control
- Chart Area Color Control
- ASHRAE Class 1 through 4 Datacenter Zones (allowed & recommended)
- NEBS Datacenter Zones (allowed & recommended)
- Black & White <=> Color Display & Print Control
- Heading On/Off Control
- Outline On/Off Control
- Zoom Window Control
TOOLBOX ANALYSIS
- Ability to add user defined "ToolBox" Programs under menu item tools
- Single & Double Interpolation Calculator
- Fan Law Calculator
- Duct Sizing Calculator
- Loan Calculator
ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES
- High Pressure Capability up to 100 PSI
- Auto-Altitude Change with Climatic Location Selection
- Fog Region Thermo-Physical Property Display
LANGUAGES
- Now with (13) Different Languages on Charts and Reports with one button click
- Greek Language
- Japanese Language
- Dutch Language
- Improved Italian Language Updated
DATA EXCHANGE
- REAL-TIME Data Monitoring Capability
- Process Control added to Data Import Function
- Complete Weather Data Export to Excel or Text File
- SI units added to text file & Excel Data Exchange
- Export-As Excel *.csv File
- Export-As Notepad *.txt File
NOTES
- Improved Note Control Update
VERSION 5 (RELEASE JAN-2005)
PRESENTATION CONTROL
- Custom Axis Range Control
- Chart Altitude or Pressure Control
- Lines ON/OFF Control
- Process Line Color & Width Control
- State Point Icon, Size Control, Color & Label Control
- Comfort Zone Area Plotting
- User information Saved/Displayed on Charts & Reports
- Page Setup Control
PROCESS ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES
- Sensible Heat Ratio Line Plotting
- Humidification Delta-Enthalpy / Delta-Humidity Ratio Line Plotting
- Partial Mixing of Airstreams Allows for Component Mixing Bypass
- Cooling Coil Leaving Air Calculator / Auto-Plotting
- Organized Toolbar Menu Setup
TOOLS
- Air Collection Calculator with Auto-Plotting
- Integral IP<=>SI Unit of Measure Calculator
- Fresh Air Estimator Updated to 62-2001
- Motor Heat Calculator
- Steam Property Calculator
ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES
- Easy Auto-Create / Export PDF Files of Charts & Reports
LANGUAGES
- Now (10) Languages including CHINESE
DATA EXCHANGE
- Complete Data Exchange Capabilities
NOTES
- Add/Edit/Delete Note Control with Drag-Drop Positioning
- Project Information Control Displayed on Chart & Report
VERSION 4 (RELEASE JAN-2003)
NEW PRESENTATION CONTROL
- New State Point and Process Report
- New Universal IP <=> SI Unit Control
NEW PROCESS ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES
- New Air Mixing Process
- New Cooling Coil Process (with REAL Cooling Coil Curves!)
- New Desiccant Dehumidification Process
- New Sensible Heating Process
- New Heating & Humidification Process
- New Evaporative Cooling Process
- New Sensible Only Cooling Process
NEW TOOLS
- New Stand Alone Psychrometric Calculator
- New Stand Alone World-Wide Climatic Data
- New Stand Alone Outside Air Calculator based on ASHRAE Standard 62-89
NEW ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES
- New State Point Label Positioning Control
- New Zoom & Pan Control
- New Mouse-Move Thermo-Physical Property Display
NEW LANGUAGES
- New (7) Different Languages on Charts & Reports with one-button click
NEW DATA EXCHANGE
- New Ability to Copy Chart to Clipboard
- New Ability to Copy Report to Clipboard
MENUS AND TOOLBARS
OVERVIEW
You can access all of the HDPsyChart functionality using menu options and toolbar buttons. Also, you can move the toolbar groupings around to better accommodate your workflows. The new layout will remain the next time you start the program.
MENUS AND TOOLBARS
You can access the Psychrometric Analysis services via a standard Windows menu and tool bar system. Each component of the system can be dragged and docked to the top, bottom, left or right sides of the psychrometric chart window, or can become floating menus positioned anywhere within the psychrometric window.
You can always reset the toolbar layout to its original layout when you first installed the software by selecting the “Reset Toolbars” submenu option under the main Settings menu option. You will need to close then re-open the software to view the updated toolbar layout.
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In addition to accessing any of the HDPsyChart functionality from the menus and toolbars, a constant display of the mouse position in psychrometric property terms is available at all times. The values are displayed in a button bar that can be docked or floating just as the Psychrometric Analysis’ other button bars. See the graphic to the left. Let the mouse pointer hover over a value for just a couple of seconds and the engineering units for that value are displayed. The values can be configured for your own needs via the button bar customize option as described above.
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These values display in either English (IP) or Metric (SI) units:
OPEN/SAVE PROJECTS
Open Project
You can open an existing project by selecting the File/Open menu option or toolbar icon. Please note that if you open a project created by a prior version of HDPsyChart, it will be converted to Version 9 of HDPsyChart. You will not be able to open the project again under a prior version.
Save Project
Once you have added points, processes, and notes to the chart, you can save this information as a project. Select the File/Save menu option or toolbar icon to open the Save dialog box to save a project file. All project files include the “.hdd” extension and are saved in the default Projects directory. If you are saving an existing project and wish to save it as a new project, select the File/Save As option.
TEMPLATES
OVERVIEW
Templates are a powerful new feature of HDPsyChart 9.0. Templates allow you to store an exact snapshot of the current chart’s settings and retrieve them at any time. You can store as many templates as you want.
In the example below, selecting “DefaultTemplate_V7” in the Template dropdown displays the chart as it defaults to the typical NOLOGO HDPsyChart Version 7 edition:
In the example below, selecting “DefaultTemplate_V9” in the template dropdown displays the chart as it defaults to the new NOLOGO HDPsyChart Version 9 edition:
Selecting the “ZoneandWeather” option in the Template dropdown displays a chart with bin weather data from a U.S. city, a user-defined zone at the top of the chart, and highlighted relative humidity lines:
Note that Templates differ from traditional HDPsyChart projects. Projects store state point, line, notes, and other related data. Templates store a snapshot of the current look-and-feel of a chart. Therefore, template information does NOT include the following “project” information such as:
- Process points
- Lines
- Notes
- Custom text
- Pictures
However, it does include the customized settings of over 100 unique properties of a chart including the following settings categories:
- All chart line colors, thicknesses, and line types
- Custom chart settings such as min/max temperatures and humidity ratios
- Displaying and hiding chart lines
- Chart margins
- All text fonts and sizes
- ASHRAE data zones
- ASHRAE comfort zones
- NEBS zones
- User defined zones
- English (IP) or Metric (SI) units
- Language selection
- Psychrometric chart profile
- TMY Bin weather data selection
- Whether to display the SHR protractor and chart text below it
- Custom size and layout of the state point form
Note that there is some overlap between saved project information and template information:
- Min and max dry-bulb temperatures along the x-axis.
- Max humidity ratio along the y-axis
- Elevation
- IP or SI units
- Psychrometric chart profile
- Constant lines (depending upon the setting in the Profile form)
It is important to note which of the above takes precedence when you save a new or existing project:
If you open a project and update, say, the maximum dry-bulb temperature to a different value, it will save this new value to the PROJECT, only, not the template. If you wish to update the template maximum dry-bulb temperature, close the project, first, then make your updates in the Chart Profile form and “Apply” the settings to the template. This also applies to any of the 5 types of parameters mentioned in the list above (not including the constant lines).
CREATE A TEMPLATE
To create a template, click the “+ Add” button next to the template list located here:
Then, type in the name of the template, and it creates an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file located in the “Templates” subdirectory in the User/Documents folder (or the folder you designated in the Default Directories menu option). This XML file will store all of the template settings. If you go into this directory, you will see a list of all of the template files with names that are displayed in the Template dropdown.
Open one of the template files in your favorite text editor, and you will see a structured XML file that includes tags and values for all the psychrometric chart settings. In fact, you can share these files with other users of HDPsyChart by emailing them and then copying them into their respective User/Documents/Templates subdirectories.
Once that template is created, it contains all the settings of the current chart. To create another template, click the “+” button again. Select it in the dropdown list, change the chart settings, and those new settings will be assigned to this new template.
The dropdown list to the left of the “Add” button displays a list of all of the template files located in the Templates subdirectory.
DELETE A TEMPLATE
To delete a template, click the “Delete“ button. This will actually delete the XML file located in the Templates subdirectory. You will be asked for confirmation prior to deletion.
REFRESH TEMPLATE LIST
Sometimes the full template list will not always appear in the dropdown control or you may have manually added some template files to the directory that do not appear. Therefore, click the “Refresh” button to refresh the template list.
SHARE A TEMPLATE
As mentioned above, you can share templates with other users. Using Windows Explorer, go into the “Templates” subdirectory and you will see all of the template files. You can go ahead and copy the template file that you want to share, email it to another user. The other user can then save the template into their “Templates” directory. It will appear in the template dropdown list when the user next starts the software
DIRECTORY SETTINGS
You can now specify default directories for project files, output files, weather data files, and the new template files. In prior versions of HDPsyChart, the default directory was always the same as the HDPsyChart application directory (c:\program files\Hands Down Software…..). Now, four (4) default directories are created at setup, and they are as follows:
- HDPsyChart project file (.hdd) directory: This directory stores all of the HDPsyChart project files. It is called HDSProjectFiles and is located in the currently logged-in user’s Documents directory (i.e. – c:\Users\JohnDoe\Documents\HDSProjectFiles)
- HDPsyChart output directory: This directory stores all of the HDPsyChart output files (i.e. – PDFs, .txt and .csv files, and more). It is called HDSOutputFiles and is located in the currently logged-in user’s Documents directory (i.e. – c:\Users\JohnDoe\Documents\HDSOutputFiles)
- HDPsyChart template directory: This directory stores all of the HDPsyChart template XML files (see the Templates section above). It is called HDSTemplateFiles and is located in the currently logged-in user’s Documents directory (i.e. – c:\Users\JohnDoe\Documents\HDSTemplateFiles)
- HDPsyChart Bin weather data directory: This directory stores all of the HDPsyChart Bin weather data files (.csv or .txt). It is called HDSBinWeatherData and is located in the currently logged-in user’s Documents directory (i.e. – c:\Users\JohnDoe\Documents\ HDSBinWeatherData)
You can change any of these default directories by selecting the “Default Directories” sub-menu option in the Settings main menu. The form in the screenshot below will appear:
In this form, you can update any of the default directories and then click “Apply” to apply these settings.
CHART PRESENTATION SETTINGS
IP OR SI UNIT CONTROL
You can switch from IP to SI and back with one button click. All state points and processes are dynamically recalculated on the fly.
CHART & REPORT LANGUAGE CONTROL
You can change your charts and reports to any of 19 different languages by selecting the Language main menu option, then the specific language sub-menu option.
For example, select French and it displays the main header text and axes labels in French:
Select Spanish and it displays the main header text and axes labels in Spanish:
COLOR OR BLACK & WHITE CHART CONTROL
Switch from color to black & white and back by clicking the buttons below locate on the main tool bar.
FOG REGION PROPERTY DISPLAY
You can read fog region properties (enthalpy and humidity ratio) on the left-hand side.
MOUSE POINTER CONTROL
Click the icon below on the toolbar to select the mouse tracking icon preference:
NON-COMMERCIALISM PRESENTATIONS
If you have an OEM version of HDPsyChart with your logo embedded in the chart, you can toggle the logo on an off for purposes of non-commercialism presentations often required at ASHRAE meetings.
CONSTANT LINE CONTROL
Click the Constant Line icon on the toolbar to display the Constant Line Control form. This form allows you to draw highlighted constant lines along any one of the psychrometric chart lines including the following:
- Dry Bulb
- Wet Bulb
- Humidity Ratio
- Enthalpy
- Specific Volume
- Relative Humidity
- Dew Point
- Vapor Pressure
- SHR Line
- dh/dW Line
Older versions of HDPsyChart stored the constant line settings by project. This is the default setting with HDPsyChart 9. However, you can unclick this option at the bottom of the form and constant lines will be saved by template, instead. In other words, constant lines can be used across multiple projects as opposed to by-project.
Here is an example of both dry-bulb and relative humidity constant lines drawn on a chart:
Almost all the tabs (with the exception of the SHR and dh/dW) in the Constant Line form have the same set of inputs:
- Display “on” checkbox
- Value that you want the line displayed on
- An optional reference point that you want the line drawn through
- The line color
- The line width
You can draw up to 5 constant lines for each of the line types. Also, when you enter the line value input, it will automatically fill in the line width with 40. You can override this if you want.
SHR LINES
The SHR Lines tab allows you to plot up to 5 sensible heat ratio (SHR) lines through either specifically inputted dry-bulb/humidity ratio points or existing process points. You can also enter the percentage SHR value (0 to 100%), the line color, and line width.
dh/dW LINES
The dh/dW Lines tab allows you to enter delta-h and delta-W ratio for calculating humidification processes:
VIEW CONTROLS
ZOOMING AND PANNING
Zoom In
1. Click View on the menu bar, then click the Zoom In icon.
2. Click the Zoom In icon on the toolbar.
3. Enter the Zoom Percent into the zoom factor dropdown on the toolbar.
4. Depending on the setting in the Profile Form, you can move your mouse so the cursor is on the chart and double-click the left mouse button to zoom in.
Zoom Out
1. Click View on the menu bar, then click the Zoom Out icon.
2. Click the Zoom Out icon on the toolbar.
3. Enter the Zoom Percent into the zoom factor dropdown on the toolbar.
4. You can move your mouse so the cursor is on the chart and double-click the right mouse button to zoom out.
Zoom All
1. Click View on the menu bar, then click the Zoom All icon.
2. Click the Zoom All icon on the toolbar.
3. Enter 100 into the zoom factor dropdown on the toolbar.
Zoom Menu
1. Move your mouse so the cursor is on the chart and single-click the right mouse button and click the Zoom action icon on the pop-up menu.
Panning
If you are Zoomed In on the chart, simply position your mouse on the chart and hold the left mouse button down and move your mouse. When you have panned to the desired position, release the left mouse button.
Zoom Window
Simply click the Zoom Window icon on the tool bar, then click the first corner of the window on the chart, move the mouse and click the other window corner.
PSYCH CHART PROFILE FORM
OVERVIEW
The Psychrometric Chart Profile Form allows you to customize the chart in an infinite number of ways. A subset of the customizations includes:
1. Virtually any altitude or pressure
2. Dry-bulb and humidity ratio axis limit control
3. Turning lines on and off, process line color and width, state point icon and size, state point label font control
4. Comfort, data center, and user-defined zones
5. Page setup
6. And more…
Select the Profile icon located in the image below to display the Psychrometric Chart Profile Form:
PAGE SETUP CONTROL
Complete page setup control includes setting border margins. Just enter the margin values in inches or centimeters for both the logo (if applicable) and the chart, itself.
CHART SETTINGS
The Chart Settings tab allows you to further customize the psychrometric chart.
Header Control: Check this item to turn on and off the header text that appears to the left of the chart
Use Custom Altitude: Check this item to override the elevation. You can specify actual altitude value in feet or meters, barometric pressure (in. w.g.), and atmospheric pressure (psia).
Use Custom Axis: Check this item to override the min and max dry-bulb temperatures along the x-axis and max humidity ratio along the y-axis.
By overriding the above two properties, it will cause the SHR protractor, extended enthalpy lines, and additional x- and y-axes to disappear. The reason for this is at certain elevations and axes bounds, the extended chart may overlap these elements and not look good. If you wish to override this and still display these elements, then select the “Display Additional Chart Axes…” option displayed below.
Use Custom Chart Label Settings: Check this item to override the display of x- and y-axis titles and labels. You can also override the font size.
Chart Double-Click Behavior: Select the option control that allows you to choose the behavior of double-clicking over the chart image. If you wish to display the State Point form with the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures auto-filled-in where you last clicked, then select the first option. If you wish to continue the legacy double-click behavior of incrementally zooming into the chart, select the second option.
Chart Zoom Increment: Enter the zoom increment % as you zoom in and out of the psychrometric chart. The default value is 25%.
Override the Atmospheric/Barometric Pressure Value Display: Check this option to override the default atmospheric/barometric pressure units located to the left of the psychrometric chart. For example, if your version of the chart displays the pressure in “inches of mercury”, then selecting this option will display the pressure in “psia” and vice versa. This toggle option is applicable to IP units only.
Display Additional Chart Axes Even if Customized Axis is Selected: This is an interesting new option the requires some explanation. When you run HDPsyChart for the first time, it loads a default chart that includes additional x- and y-axes and also extended enthalpy lines as seen in the screenshot below (enclosed in the red rectangles and also highlighted by the red arrows):
These additional axes will disappear once you start customizing the chart by either extending the x- or y-axes values or by changing elevation as seen in the screenshots below:
The reason for this is that in many cases the chart will not allow room for these additional axes.
Now you have the option to leave in these additional axes even with the custom axis overridden. In many instances, it will look ok, but there may be instances where they may overlap. If they do, you can always uncheck this option.
Hide Filename and Path…: Check this option to hide the filename that is displayed below the psychrometric chart.
CHART LINES
The Chart Lines tab in the Profile Form allows you to customize which psychrometric chart lines are displayed, and the color, style, and width of the lines. In addition, it allows you to hide or display the chart outline, SHR index, and cooling coil lines. To enable these overrides, select the “Use Custom Line Color…” checkbox option at the top. To resort to the default line properties, uncheck this option. You can reset all of your overrides by clicking the “Load Default Colors” button.
At the bottom, you can override the humidity ratio units (either lb/lb or grains/lb) that display along the psychrometric chart y-axis.
Here is an example of the chart outline:
Here is an example of a cooling coil modeled curve:
Here is what the color palette pop-up looks like for every line:
POINT/PROCESS LINES
The Point/Process Lines tab allows you to customize the process points and lines that are plotted on the psychrometric chart. Changing these settings only updates new points and process lines that are added after these settings apply.
Process Line Color Control: These 2 controls allow you to set the process line color and line width.
State Point Style Control: This series of controls allow you to specify the point-type (shape), point color, and point size.
State Point Label Control: This series of controls allow you to set the point label color, font, whether the label is displayed or not, and whether to insert a line break in longer labels.
The image below shows an example of point and line types and colors (within the blue circles).
SUMMER & WINTER COMFORT ZONE CONTROL
Summer Comfort Zone
The Comfort Zone settings have been updated for Version 9 of HDPsyChart. Newer versions of ASHRAE Standard 55 are now included along with corresponding zone boundary parameters. As you can see from the drop down in the image below, HDPsyChart now includes ASHRAE Standards 55-2020 and 2023 values including clo (clothing units) and met (metabolic units) selections.
For Summer Comfort Zone, default boundary values will be filled in as you make each selection. You can override these values at any time and also restore the default values by clicking the “Load Summer Zone Defaults”. The clo or met values can also be overridden. These values do not affect the boundaries nor calculations at all. They are merely reference values that display on the chart.
You can also format the line color, weight, and area fill colors by selecting the appropriate controls.
Winter Comfort Zone
For Winter Comfort Zone, default boundary values will be filled in as you make each selection. You can override these values at any time and also restore the default values by clicking the “Load Winter Zone Defaults”. The clo or met values can also be overridden. These values do not affect the boundaries nor calculations at all. They are merely reference values that display on the chart.
You can also format the line color, weight, and area fill colors by selecting the appropriate controls.
PAPER & CHART COLORS
This tab allows you to specify chart area and paper area colors. Select the appropriate icons to open the color palette and select the colors you want for paper and chart fill colors.
ASHRAE DATA ZONES
The ASHRAE Data Zones settings have been updated for Version 9 of HDPsyChart. Newer versions of ASHRAE Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments from ASHRAE TC 9.9 are now included. As you can see from the drop down in the image below, HDPsyChart now includes 2011, 2015, and 2021 Guideline years.
Depending upon the year that you choose from the drop down, it will determine which list of ASHRAE Classes (A1, A2, A3, A4, B, or C) are enabled. For example, if you select 2021, the ASHRAE Class H1 Recommended and Allowable classes are enabled. These are bounds for high-density air cooling. Click the question mark icon next to the Guideline Year drop down to display detailed help from the actual Guideline text.
For each class, you can format the line color, weight, and area fill colors by selecting the appropriate controls. You can turn on and off classes by selecting or deselecting the On checkbox. You can turn on and off the labels by selecting the Label On checkbox.
NEBS DATA ZONES
The NEBS Data Zones settings allow you to plot air property boundaries according to Network Equipment-Building System standards. You can plot either allowable or recommended zones or both.
For each zone type, you can format the line color, weight, and area fill colors by selecting the appropriate controls. You can also turn on and off zone types by selecting or deselecting the On checkbox. You can turn on and off the labels by selecting the Label On checkbox.
USER DEFINED ZONES
The User Defined Zones tab in the Profile Form allows you to create your own customized temperature-humidity bounds. Start by clicking the Add New Zone button to add a new zone. Once you do this, a number of parameter inputs will display allowing you to customize the zone boundaries on the psychrometric chart.
Custom Area Properties
The Custom Area Properties section of the User Defined Zones tab allows you to specify the properties of the zone including:
- Plot On: Check to display the zone. Uncheck to hide it.
- Label On: Check to display the zone label.
- Label: Enter the zone label that is displayed on the chart.
- Label X/Label Y: Enter the X/Y coordinates of the zone label location relative to the zone.
- Pen Color/Width: Select the zone outline color and line width.
- Fill Style/Color: Select the zone fill style and color.
- Text Color: Select the zone label text color.
Start Point
Enter the start point dry-bulb and humidity ratio coordinates.
Side List
Specify the number of sides in the Quantity input, then enter the side type in the list below it. The following options are available:
- Constant Dry-Bulb
- Constant Wet-Bulb
- Constant Relative Humidity
- Constant Humidity Ratio
- Constant Dew Point
- Constant Enthalpy
- Point Straight Line
After selecting the side type, enter the side end-point type and value.
Below the side list are 3 buttons: “Dry Zone”, “Mid Zone”, and “Wet Zone”. These are predefined zone types that automatically update the side list to model dry zones, mid zones, and wet zones, respectively. Press one of these buttons, then press Save to save it to the selected user zone.
You can create as many as 100 user defined zones.
PSYCHROMETRIC ANALYSIS
PSYCHROMETRIC STATE POINTS & PROCESS ANALYSIS
The Psychrometric State Point and Processes form allows for complete state point and system process analysis. Process modeling includes air mixing, cooling coil, evaporative cooling, desiccant dehumidification, humidification, and sensible heating and cooling.
Activate "State Point and Processes" by any of the three methods shown below:
You can also double-click over the chart and the state point form will appear with the dry-bulb and wet-bulb values automatically filled in. Make sure to click the “Apply” button to apply those values to the currently selected row. If you do not want to add a new point, then just click the Delete button to delete the newly inserted row.
To enter a new point, click the Add Point button. It will automatically select the wet-bulb units in the dropdown. If you wish to enter another value in addition to dry-bulb, select another option from the drop down.
Fill in the grid information as needed (point name, point label location, enter the airflow, select air flow units, select process and select given option). If this is the first point, the only process offered is "Add State Point" since there are no other points to create a process with. Click on the "Current Point" panel and enter dry bulb temperature, enter moisture value and select moisture property from the drop-down box.
Click on the Apply button and the point is plotted to the chart.
Click the Add Point button again to continue adding new points. Adding more than one point enables additional processes to be selected in the grid. The Given column will also be enabled, after the first point is entered, to allow entering either the end point (POINT), calculating the process energy or entering the process energy and calculating the end point. After each successive point, click the Apply button to plot the point and process to the chart.
Additional processes can be added to complete any system. If you need to make changes you may do so to any point by just clicking on the proper grid row, make any desired changes and simply click "Apply" and the point and connecting processes are automatically updated.
Also make sure that you don’t select the same “Start Point” as the point currently selected. This may cause issues with how the points and processes are displayed. In some cases, you will receive an error message warning you about this.
To apply ASHRAE Climatic Data weather point to the chart, simply click on the Weather icon to access the Climatic Data form.
This form has been updated in Version 9 to include 2017 and 2021 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (HoF) weather data for 1000s of cities world-wide. Select the ASHRAE HoF year from the drop down. This will automatically fill in the available countries, then states (provinces), then cities. Next, select the desired outside design condition (for Summer Cooling: 0.4%, 1% or 2%) (for Winter Heating: 99.6% or 99%) that you want transferred to the current point.
If you want to apply the current city’s elevation to the project, select the “Apply Elevation to Project” check box. This will override any elevation that has already been applied from, say, Bin weather data selection.
To apply this design condition as a State Point, simply click the “Apply to Project” button and then close the Climatic Data form to return to State Points & Processes form. You will now see the dry-bulb and wet-bulb data inserted into the 2 text boxes. Click the Apply button in the State Points form to apply those conditions to the state point row.
To apply an Airflow value to the selected point, simply click on the Airflow icon to access the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 – Fresh Air Estimator form.
Select the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 year (2004, 2016, or 2019) and the appropriate occupancy group and category. Then, input either or both the number of people and the area of the space. This will calculate the suggested fresh airflow.
To apply this airflow to the currently selected state point, simply click the Apply button in the upper right-hand corner of the Window and then close the form to return to State Points & Processes form.
You can re-arrange or re-order points on the fly by clicking the up or down arrow keys highlighted below.
You can also display process directional arrowheads on process lines:
You can also display and hide state point labels on a point-by-point basis:
You can also control the color and thickness of each individual process line:
You can control the icon, color and size of each individual state point, too:
You can plot mixing processes that cross the saturation line:
COIL LEAVING AIR CONDITION CALCULATOR
The Coil Leaving Air Condition Calculator menu option is used to determine the temperature and humidity of the air as it exits a cooling or heating coil. The calculation is based on key input parameters such as the entering air conditions (temperature, humidity, and airflow rate), coil performance characteristics, and heat transfer properties. For cooling coils, the tool helps predict the leaving air temperature (LAT) and leaving air humidity ratio by accounting for the sensible and latent heat removed from the air. For heating coils, it calculates the temperature rise as the air absorbs heat.
The following is a step-by-step description of how to use the HDPsyChart calculator:
1. NOTE: You need to have the Enter Coil (Room) state point and Leaving Coil state point created for reference by the Coil Leaving Air Condition Calculator before continuing.
2. Activate "Coil Leaving Air Condition Calculator" by either of the two methods shown below:
3. The Coil Leaving Air Condition Calculator window appears with blank data fields.
4. Click the Entering Coil (or Room) and Leaving Coil combo box drop-downs and select the desired points that you’ve already created with the State Point and Process dialog. Make sure the selections are different or you will receive an error message.
5. To calculate coil leaving airflow, click the “Dry-Bulb Temp” option.
6. To calculate coil leaving dry-bulb, click the “Airflow” option.
7. Click any two of the Load Data variables you wish to specify and input the appropriate values.
8. Lastly, click “Calculate” to see the results.
9. To Update the Coil LAT point created with the calculated result, simply click “Apply” on the menu and the point and chart are automatically updated.
AIR COLLECTION CALCULATOR
This form allows you to calculate mixed air conditions of up to 5 air streams.
1. NOTE: You need to have two or more points created BEFORE calculation of a collection point can be performed.
2. Activate "Air Collection Calculator" by either of the two methods shown below:
3. The Air Collection Calculator window appears with blank data fields.
4. Click the Selected point combo box drop-downs to specify the points you wish to collect, then click “Calculate =>” to see the Collection Point result.
5. Type in the desired Point Label and click “Apply Point to Chart” to add the Collection Point to the chart and report.
SENSIBLE HEAT RATIO LINE PLOTTING
The sensible heat ratio (SHR) line represents the ratio of sensible heat gain or loss to the total heat (which includes both sensible and latent heat). It is a straight line that slopes upward or downward, depending on whether the process involves heating, cooling, humidification, or dehumidification. The slope of the SHR line is determined by the SHR value, which is calculated as SHR = Sensible Heat / (Sensible Heat + Latent Heat). An SHR of 1.0 indicates a purely sensible heat change, while an SHR of 0.0 represents a process with only latent heat exchange. This line helps HVAC engineers and designers visualize air-conditioning processes, ensuring proper thermal comfort and energy efficiency.
1. NOTE: You need to have at least ONE point created BEFORE calculation of a constant sensible heat ratio line can be performed.
2. Activate "Sensible Heat Ratio Line Plot" by either of the two methods shown below:
3. The Sensible Heat Ratio Line window appears with blank data fields.
4. Click the Start Point combo box drop-down to select a reference state point to plot through. Then type in the desired sensible heat ratio in the space provided.
5. Click the “Plot SHR Line” and the SHR Line is automatically plotted across the chart.
DELTA-h / DELTA-W LINE PLOTTING
The Δh and ΔW line represents a process where both enthalpy (h) and humidity ratio (W) change simultaneously. Δh (change in enthalpy) indicates the heat energy added or removed from the air, while ΔW (change in humidity ratio) reflects the moisture gain or loss. This line can slope in different directions depending on whether the process involves heating, cooling, humidification, or dehumidification. A steeper slope suggests a more significant moisture change relative to heat change, while a flatter slope indicates a dominant temperature change. This line is commonly used in HVAC system analysis to determine energy loads and moisture control in air-conditioning processes.
1. NOTE: You need to have at least ONE point created BEFORE calculation of a constant delta-h / delta-W line can be performed.
2. Activate "Delta-h / Delta-W Line Plot" by either of the two methods shown below:
3. The Delta-h / Delta-W Line window appears with blank data fields.
4. Click the Start Point combo box drop-down to select the desired reference point and enter the “Steam Temperature” or “dh/dW” values in the space provided. Please note that whichever value isn’t provided, is automatically calculated real-time.
5. Click the “Plot dh/dW Line” and the Delta-h/Delta-W Line is automatically plotted across the chart.
6. Type the desired final Dew Point Temperature and click the “Calculate” button to see the resulting Final Dry-Bulb Temperature and Steam Flow Rate.
WEATHER DATA PRESENTATION CONTROL
The Weather Data form allows you to plot different types of hourly weather data (8760 hrs) for regions throughout the entire world. The latest version of HDPsyChart V9 includes new TMY3 (2009 – 2023) bin weather data for over 2900 sites throughout the United States.
Open Weather Data
Location
When the form first opens, it defaults to the Open Weather Data option that allows you to access a wide variety of built-in weather data including:
- TMY2 (USA)
- TMY3 (Legacy USA)
- TMY3 (2009 – 2023 USA from Climate.OneBuilding.org)
- CWEC (Canada)
- IWEC (Rest of the World)
Next, select the country where you want to access the specific weather data. The Weather Data Source dropdown above the country list will populate with the appropriate weather data sources that you can choose from. Next, select the State (Region) and City.
Weather Plot Style
The Weather Plot Style section allows you to specify how the weather data is displayed on the chart or exported.
Data Plot
Select the Data Plot option to plot the individual 8760 hours (or less) of data points for the particular city. You can specify the point color and size. Below this section, you can specify which months, days, and hours/day of data to actually plot. Click the Apply button to apply your selections to the chart.
Bin Plot
The Bin Plot option allows you to plot the points in groups by dry-bulb temperature and humidity ratio ranges. This is a much more visually appealing option and can give you a very good idea of where the weather data falls on the psychrometric chart for a particular city. Select the “size” of the bin for a range of dry-bulb and humidity ratios. Also, below this section, you can specify which months, days, and hours/day of data to actually plot.
You can also select whether to display a Bin Plot Legend on the chart. You can choose the legend color and its location. Click the Apply button to apply your selections to the chart.
Data Table
This option allows you to export the weather data to either a text (.txt) or CSV (.csv) file which can be opened in Excel. Select which type of file, then which fields you want to export. Below this section, you can specify which months, days, and hours/day of data to actually export. Then, press the “Create Data Table” button to save the file to your hard disk.
Import Weather Data
You can import a custom weather data file for a city that may not be in the HDPsyChart database by selecting the “Import Weather Data” option at the top of the form. Click the “Click Here to See File Format Structure” button to view an image of the exact structure of the weather import file. Then, click the ellipses button next to the Target File Name text box to select the file. Click the “Apply” button to apply the weather data to the chart.
General Comments
The weather data options that you select will be saved to the current template. When you next open the HDPsyChart software, you can select the appropriate template to display the weather data. Please note that the weather data settings are NOT saved by project.
Also, the country, city, state that you select will be the same across all templates. You cannot save a specific city by template at this time.
NOTE CONTROLS
OVERVIEW
You can add all types of notes anywhere on the chart. The following sections describe the different types of notes.
CHART NOTES
1. Activate "Notes" by any of the three methods shown below or press 'F3':
2. The Notes window appears with New Note #1 as the current note.
3. To create a new note, enter the desired note text in the "Note Text" field.
4. To edit an existing note, click the "Selected Note Name" drop-down and select the desired existing Note to be edited from the list. Enter the "Note Text" field to make any text revisions.
5. Adjust the font settings (Font Name, Font Size, Bold, Italic, Underline, Color) as desired.
6. Enter the Note X & Y location by either typing the X & Y coordinates in to the appropriate fields or use the left mouse button and click once on the chart, move the mouse to see the coordinates track the mouse location and when the mouse is at the desired location, perform a left mouse button single click again to set the coordinates. See Above graphic.
7. Click the "Apply" button and the note will appear on the chart:
8. The Note window remains open. To add additional notes, simply click the "New" button and you’re ready to begin your next note.
9. Psychrometric Analysis allows an unlimited number of notes to be entered. Each note can have its own properties. All information is saved to the project file. The Notes window accepts the information you want to place on the chart, allows font changes and provides a means to position the information.
10. Enter your notes in the text box. Use any of the font buttons to adjust the settings. Set the position by clicking on the chart or using the X and Y position settings provided in text box. Now click "Apply" to add the project information to the chart.
11. You may want to change the position of the information on the chart after you see it. While the Notes window is open you may do so by making a single click on the information and then another single click at the new location. To edit the information, make the changes in the Notes window and click "Apply".
12. You may edit this information, change its font or position at any time. Simply open the Notes window and make the changes.
PROJECT INFORMATION NOTE
1. Activate "Project Information" by any of the two methods shown below.
2. The Project Information window appears ready to receive the Project Name as the current note. This note will appear on the state point reports as the Project Name.
3. Type in the project name you wish, adjust fonts, location, etc. When finished, click the “Apply” button to automatically place on the chart.
USER INFORMATION NOTE
1. Activate "User Information" by either of the two methods shown below.
2. The User Information window appears as shown below:
3. Type in your information in the space providing. Check the display options you wish to choose for your projects and reports.
4. Click the “Save” button in the upper right-hand corner. You may also click the “Add User Data to Current Chart” button to have your user information displayed on the current chart.
NOTE ON/OFF CONTROL
Click the Note icon on the toolbar to toggle Notes on or off.
CUSTOM CHART ELEMENTS
OVERVIEW
You can add custom lines, custom shapes, and images to the chart.
PEN WIDTH AND COLOR
First, you will want to specify the line/shape pen width and color. You can do that by clicking one of two buttons shown in the images below:
Pen Width
Pen Color
CREATE CUSTOM LINES
Select the pencil icon seen in the screenshot below to draw custom lines.
CREATE CUSTOM SHAPES
Select the square, round, or oval icons seen in the screenshot below to draw custom shapes.
CREATE CUSTOM PICTURES
Select the picture icon seen in the screenshot below to insert a custom image anywhere on the chart.
DELETE SHAPE/IMAGE
To delete a shape or image, press the red “X” button then select the item you want to delete. You will be asked for confirmation prior to deletion.
REPORTING AND DATA EXCHANGE
OVERVIEW
HDPsyChart allows you to print, import and export both report and project information in a variety of formats. The following sections describe all of the different types of reports in more detail.
PRINT ALL
There are four different choices when printing:
1. Print both the Chart and Report. Click on the Print All icon on the toolbar or menu option.
2. Print only the Chart. Click on the Print Chart icon on the toolbar or menu option.
3. Print only the Report. Click on the Print Report icon on the toolbar or menu option.
4. Print Preview only the Report. Click on the Report Print Preview icon on the toolbar or menu option.
PRINT FLOWCHART
Click the Flowchart icon on the toolbar, and then click the print icon on the flowchart window to print the flowchart.
EXPORT/COPY CHART IMAGE
From the menu, click on Edit, and then click Copy Chart Image. The psychrometric chart image is automatically placed on your clipboard for you to paste into your reports, presentations, proposals, etc.
EXPORT/COPY CHART DATA
From the menu, click on Edit, and then click Copy Chart Data. The psychrometric chart point and process data is automatically placed on your clipboard for you to paste into an Excel file or Word document.
EXPORT/COPY REPORT
From the toolbar, click the Report Print Preview icon.
Then from the toolbar on the Report Print Preview, click the Copy Report Data to Clipboard icon. The complete state-point and process report image is automatically placed on your clipboard for you to paste into your reports, presentations, proposals, etc.
From the toolbar on the Report Print Preview, click the Copy Report Data to Clipboard icon. The complete state-point and process report data is automatically placed on your clipboard for you to paste into your reports, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.
EXPORT/CREATE CHART PDF
1. Activate "Save Chart PDF As…" by either of the two methods shown below:
2. Navigate to where you want to save the file, type in the file name and click the “Save” button.
The complete state point and process report with the ability to copy either the report image or the data to the clipboard so you can paste it right into your proposals, presentations or the data into spreadsheets.
EXPORT/COPY REPORT PDF
1. Activate "Save Report PDF As…" by either of the two methods shown below:
2. Navigate to where you want to save the file, type in the file name and click the “Save” button.
EXPORT/COPY FLOWCHART
From the toolbar, click the Flow Chart icon.
Then from the toolbar on the Flow Chart, click the Copy Report Image to Clipboard icon. The complete flow chart report image is automatically placed on your clipboard for you to paste into your reports, presentations, spreadsheets, etc.
The flow diagram schematic with all process and thermo-physical properties can be copied with one button click to the clipboard for pasting into your reports and presentations.
PRINT ALL
You can all print-all or PDF-all (Psy+Flow+Report) into one file:
EXPORT DATA TO EXCEL OR TEXT FILE
You can export all of the point and process data to either Excel .csv or .txt text files.
IMPORTING DATA
From the toolbar, click the Import Data File icon.
Then navigate to the “.csv” file with the data you wish to import. “.csv” file format is a comma delimited file format, which is an export option for spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel.
Then Click the “Open” button and the data points will be imported and displayed on the chart. Below is an example shipped with this program:
If using a Spreadsheet to create the “.csv” file, data points must be set up with the following structure:
If using a text editor to create the “.csv” file, data points must be set up with the following structure:
You can also specify the point color and size, and the line color and width by adding the following columns to the .csv file:
You can also import processes with the data:
TOOLBOX AND CUSTOM PROGRAMS
OVERVIEW
All toolbox programs can be accessed through the following menu and/or icon options that are highlighted in red below:
The following sections describe each of the toolbox options in more detail.
CLIMATIC DATA
The Climatic Data module provides ambient design weather conditions for locations worldwide in either IP or SI units of measure. It has been updated to include 2017 and 2021 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (HoF) climatic data. The 2017 ASHRAE HoF dataset includes over 8000 cities worldwide. The 2021 ASHRAE HoF dataset includes over 9000 cities worldwide.
At the top of the form, select the ASHRAE HoF year. Depending upon the year that you choose, it will fill in the appropriate list of countries. Select the country, then state (zone), then city. Once the city is chosen, it will display all of the appropriate ambient weather data for 0.4%, 1%, and 2% cooling, 99.6% and 99% heating, wind data, and daily range data.
You can also print the form with all its displayed data to the printer by pressing the Print button.
HDPSYTECH - PSYCH
CALCULATOR
This complete stand-alone psychrometric calculator acts as a specialized psychrometric spreadsheet. It has full File-Open-Save-SaveAs capabilities.
The module also has a data report for printing and the ability to copy all data points to the clipboard so you can paste them into your reports or spreadsheets.
HDFRESHAIR - OUTSIDE AIR
ESTIMATOR
Select the ASHRAE Standard 62.1 year (2004, 2016, or 2019) and then the appropriate occupancy group and category from the dropdowns. These options will change according to the ASHRAE Std. 62.1 year that you choose. Then, input either or both the number of people and the area of the space. This will calculate the suggested fresh airflow.
Also, if a read-only Occupancy Density was filled in when you selected an Occupancy Category and you left the “No. of People” input blank, then by entering a value into the Area input, the “No. of People” input will automatically be calculated.
At the bottom of the form displays a detailed explanation of the selected occupancy category.
STEAM PROPERTY
CALCULATOR
The steam property calculator provides complete thermo-physical properties of steam for both IP & SI units of measure. Enter the temperature and the remaining properties will be calculated.
MOTOR HEAT CALCULATOR
Sensible Heat generated by motors in the air stream can easily be calculated. Simply input three variables and click calculate. It calculates sensible heat and temperature rise for both IP & SI units of measure.
UNIT CONVERSION
CALCULATOR
The Unit of Measure converter allows you to select the unit category and then click on the source and target units of measure and type in your value, resulting in real time conversion. This tool also allows the user complete category tab management, unit of measurement management and conversion equation management.
DUCT DESIGNER CALCULATOR
This Duct Designer tool aids in the design of a single duct system and associated pressure drops. The left-hand side calculates various outputs according to airflow, duct size, and density. The right-hand side calculates pressure losses for one type of fitting.
On the left-hand side, enter the following input parameters:
- Duct airflow in CFM or L/s
- Select STD Air for standard temperature and pressure at 14.7 psia
- Select ACTUAL Air and enter a custom density value
- Select from a list of common duct material types. Depending upon which duct material you select, it will automatically fill in the duct roughness factor in ft or m.
- For rectangular duct, fill in the duct height, width, and duct length to calculate the equivalent diameter and pressure loss values.
- For round duct, fill in the duct diameter and duct length to calculate the equivalent diameter and pressure loss values.
- For oval duct, fill in the duct height, width, and duct length to calculate the equivalent diameter and pressure loss values.
- At the bottom of the form are three tabs:
- Temp Gain/Loss: Enter the R-Value and temperature difference between duct air and ambient air to calculate to temperature gain/loss.
b. Weight Calc: Enter the duct gauge and material to calculate the total weight of duct.
c. Pitot Calc: Enter the P-Velocity or P-Total to calculate airflow.
- The right-hand side allows you to calculate the pressure loss for one type of fitting based on the parameters you inputted on the left-hand side. Select the duct shape, duct fitting type according to the duct shape, and quantity to calculate equivalent length and total pressure loss in the fitting(s).
At the top of this form, you can select either IP or SI units. You can also print the form to your printer or PDF by clicking the Print button.
FAN LAW CALCULATOR
The Fan Law Calculator models “what-if” scenarios for fan law calculations. Enter all of the input parameters for the 1st fan, then select and enter any one parameter for an equivalent 2nd fan to calculate its remaining properties. You can enter and display values in either IP or SI units.
WIND CHILL CALCULATOR
This Wind Chill Calculator calculates wind chill temperatures based upon actual temperature and wind speed. You can enter and display values in either IP or SI units.
THERMAL COMFORT
CALCULATOR
This Thermal Comfort Calculator models human comfort based on ASHRAE Standard 55 equations.
Enter the various environmental conditions, activity and clothing types, and other details to calculate Standard 55 results.
SINGLE & DOUBLE
INTERPOLATION AND EXTRAPOLATION CALCULATOR
This interpolation and extrapolation calculator is used when you need to determine unknown values between 2 or more known values. Both linear interpolation and extrapolation are used.
FINANCIAL LOAN
CALCULATOR
This tool is helpful for quick “cost of money” determinations for project work. Enter the loan amount, % down payment, maximum and minimum # of years of the loan, max and min interest rate to show various types of payment schedule outputs.
COIL LEAVING AIR CONDITION
CALCULATOR
The Coil Leaving Air Condition Calculator is accessed from the Analysis main menu option. This option only works properly when you already have 2 or more state points on the psychrometric chart.
At the top, select the coil or room entering state point condition and the coil leaving state point. Then, select the airflow or dry-bulb leaving coil value type that you want to use. Next, enter up to 2 cooling/heating load values: total, sensible, latent, or the sensible heat ratio value.
Click the calculate button to calculate the new leaving coil conditions including the apparatus dew point and ABF value. If you wish to apply this new leaving coil state point to the chart, click the Apply button at the top.
EVAPORATIVE COOLING CALCULATOR
This form allows you to calculate detailed evaporative cooling outputs based on the altitude, airflow, entering dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures, evaporative media thickness, along with other parameters to calculate the leaving coil conditions. You can then calculate the results and print or copy the results to a printer, PDF file, or the clipboard.
ELECTRIC HEATER
CALCULATOR
This module allows you to calculate electric heat output values based upon a variety of input parameters. Enter the airflow, heater dimensions, entering air temperature, element type and other parameters to calculate these outlet conditions. You can then calculate the results and print or copy the results to a printer, PDF file, or the clipboard.
INDOOR POOL AND SPA
EVAPORATION CALCULATOR
This module allows you to enter the pool information for up to 5 indoor pools and calculate the evaporation rate in lb/hr or kg/hr.
The input parameters include selecting the pool type, activity factor, water and air temperatures, relative humidity, air velocity, and surface area of water. The results include evaporation rate in lbs/hr (kgs/hr). You can calculate the results and print or copy the results to a printer, PDF file, or the clipboard.
PERIODIC TABLE
This module displays the entire periodic chart. As you mouse over an element, its properties are displayed at the top.
SMACNA LEAK CLASS
CALCULATOR
This module allows you to calculate the SMACNA leak class based upon a number of input parameters including the airflow, duct height, width, and length, and leakage info.
CENTER OF GRAVITY
AND CORNER LOAD CALCULATOR
This module allows you to calculate the center of gravity and corner loads. Enter as many weight loads with the actual weight in lbs or kgs and the x- and y- coordinates on the plane. This will calculate the center of gravity on the plane.
PUMP LAW CALCULATOR
The Pump Law Calculator models “what-if” scenarios for pump law calculations. Enter all of the input parameters for the 1st pump, then select and enter any one parameter for an equivalent 2nd pump to calculate its remaining properties. You can enter and display values in either IP or SI units.
SYSTEM EFFICIENCY
CALCULATOR
This module calculates the system efficiency for COP-EER-kW/ton.
ENERGY RECOVERY
WHEEL CALCULATOR
This module calculates total & sensible wheel energy recovery performance. It requires a number of input parameters to properly calculate performance:
1. Select whether the air is standard (0 ft/m) or actual (enter the altitude).
2. Input the airflow quantity and inlet dry-bulb/wet-bulb temperatures
3. At the top enter the wheel diameter and whether you want the software to auto-calculate the wheel depth and area.
4. You can print the results and also toggle between IP and SI units.
GENERALIZED ENERGY
RECOVERY CALCULATOR
This module calculates plate heat exchanger energy recovery performance:
1. Select whether the air is standard (0 ft/m) or actual (enter the altitude).
2. Input the airflow quantity and inlet dry-bulb/wet-bulb temperatures
3. At the top enter the plate area and whether you want the software to auto-calculate the area.
4. You can print the results and also toggle between IP and SI units.
FLUID AND
MIXTURE THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTY CALCULATOR
This module calculates fluid thermophysical properties based on a fluid type and temperature/pressure.
At the top, select from a range of fluid types:
Then, enter the fluid temperature and pressure values and select the appropriate units. Click the Calculate button to display a wide range of calculated properties for the fluid.
Click the Print button to print a report, press the Copy button to copy the report to the clipboard, and the IP/SI buttons to toggle between units.
CUSTOM USER-DEFINED MENU TOOLBARS
To add your favorite engineering tools to the Psychrometric Analysis menu toolbar, simply click User Programs / User Program Manager and provide a program name and locate the program using the “Browse…” button.
HELP
OVERVIEW
There are several ways to receive HDPsyChart V9 help.
Select “Help – PDF File” to display this PDF user manual.
Select “Help – Web” to display web-based help that is located here:
https://www.handsdownsoftware.com/HDPsyChart_V9_Help
Select “Quick Help” to display an overview of psychrometric chart functionality:
Select “Weather Glossary” to display weather-related terminology:
SOFTWARE UPDATES
HDPsyChart Version 9 allows you to check for software updates that may include bug fixes or minor feature updates. Go to the Help / Check for Updates submenu option:
If no update is available, a message box will appear saying so. If an update is available, a message box will pop up that displays a list of the new features and/or bug fixes. Next, it will allow you to download the update install file, and it will automatically begin the update process.
ABOUT
Select this option to display the About form. You can click the links inside this form for more information about the software and also other ways to contact us:
TROUBLESHOOTING
RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR
All organizations have different computer and network setups so there are bound to be issues with running the HDPsyChart software at some time. In fact, we’ve seen it all.
To solve 95% of any issues you may have such as:
- Projects not saving correctly
- The chart not displaying correctly or not at all
- Program crashing or acting strangely
- Toolbox programs not running
Do the following:
- Open Microsoft Windows Explorer and navigate to the “C:\Program Files (x86)\Hands Down Software Psychrometric Analysis Design Suite” (or a similar directory name if you have an OEM version of the software).
- Look for the HDPsyChart.exe program
- Right-click over the program and select “Run as administrator”
By taking this simple step, it will correct most issues.
CREATE HDSBINWEATHERDATA
Sometimes you may receive an error when dealing with the Bin weather data form:
If you receive an error saying that the directory does not exist that allows you to save the temporary weather data file to, then make sure that this directory indeed does exist and/or you have permission to access it. By default, it is located here: “c:\users\yourname\HDSBinWeatherData”. If the subdirectory does not exist or you do not have permissions to read or write from this directory, then you should select another directory to save weather data to.
You can do that here:
EXAMPLE PROCESSES
EXAMPLE 1:
Moist Air Sensible Heating
Saturated air at 35F enters a heating coil at 20,000cfm. Air leaves coil at 100F. Find the required rate of heat addition.
Solution: 1,503,224 Btu/h
EXAMPLE 2:
Moist Air Cooling & Dehumidification
Problem: Moist air at 85F dry bulb and 50% rh enters a cooling coil at 10,000 cfm and is processed to a final condition at 50F and 100% rh. Find the tons of refrigeration required.
Solution: 51.1 tons
EXAMPLE 3:
Moist Air Cooling & Dehumidification Below Freezing
Problem: Moist air at 31F dry bulb and 85% rh enters a cooling coil at 5,000 cfm and is processed to a final condition at 20F and 100% rh. Find the tons of refrigeration required.
Solution: 7.6 tons
EXAMPLE 4:
Adiabatic Mixing of Two Moist Airstreams
Problem: A stream of 5000 cfm outdoor air at 40F dry-bulb temperature and 35F wet-bulb temperature is adiabatically mixed with 15,000 cfm of 75F dry-bulb temperature air and 50% rh. Find the resulting dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures.
Solution: 65.8°Fdb & 56.6°Fwb
EXAMPLE 5:
Adiabatic Mixing of Water Injected into Moist Air
Problem: Moist Air at 70F dry-bulb and 45F wet-bulb is to be processed to a final dew-point temperature of 55F by adiabatic injection of saturated steam at 230F. The rate of dry airflow is 200lbda/min and the final dry-bulb temperature is 72.267. Find the rate of steam flow required.
Solution: 102.3 lb/h
TERMINOLOGY
PSYCHROMETRIC TERM DEFINITIONS
Absolute Humidity
The ratio of the mass of water vapor to the total volume of a sample. The term "water vapor density" is also used for this value.
ASHRAE
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
Atmospheric Air
Air containing water vapor and many gaseous components such as smoke, pollen, gaseous pollutants, etc.
Clo
"Clo" is in ASHRAE Standard 55 and is the unit used to measure clothing insulation. One clo is the thermal insulation of winter clothing, while 0.5 clo is the thermal insulation of summer clothing.
Density
The ratio of the total mass of a sample to the total volume of the sample. For moist air, water vapor and air are included in the totals.
Dew Point Temperature
The temperature of moist air saturated at the same pressure and humidity ratio. Or more simply the temperature at which water vapor will begin to condense from a sample of air.
Dry Air
Atmospheric air with all water vapor and contaminants removed.
The approximate percentage by volume of dry air is as follows:
78.084 % Nitrogen
20.9476 % Oxygen
0.934 % Argon
0.0314 % Carbon Dioxide
0.001818 % Neon
0.000524 % Helium
0.00015 % Methane
0.00010 % Sulfer Dioxide
0.00005 % Hydrogen
0.00020 % Other (Krypton, Xenon, Ozone, etc.)
Dry Bulb Temperature
The temperature of air read on a standard thermometer indicating it's thermal state.
Enthalpy
The thermodynamic property defined as energy per unit mass commonly used to define the internal energy of moist air. The enthalpy of a sample of moist air is the sum of enthalpies of the air and the water vapor. On the psychrometric chart Enthalpy is expressed in terms of energy per weight of DRY air.
Humidity Ratio
The ratio of the mass of water vapor to the mass of dry air of a sample.
Met
In the context of ASHRAE Standard 55, "met" refers to a unit used to measure a person's metabolic rate, essentially how much heat they generate through their activity level.
Moist Air
A binary (or two-component) mixture of dry air and water vapor.
Psychrometric Chart
A graphical presentation of the thermodynamic and physical properties of air and water vapor mixtures.
Relative Humidity
The ratio of mole fraction of water vapor in a given moist air sample to the mole fraction in a saturated air sample at the same temperature and pressure.
Saturation
A state of neutral equilibrium between moist air and the condensed water phase (liquid or solid). This state is often referred to as the maximum amount of water vapor in moist air at a given temperature and pressure.
Saturation Humidity Ratio
The humidity ratio of moist air saturated with respect to water (or ice) at the same temperature and pressure.
Specific Humidity
The ratio of the mass of water vapor to the total mass of moist air of a sample.
Specific Volume
The ratio of the total volume of air to the mass of dry air in a sample.
Standard Atmosphere
The standard of reference for estimating properties at various altitudes.
For HVAC purposes standard air is taken as 68°F and 29.921 inches Hg atmospheric pressure.
Vapor Pressure
Pressure exerted by a vapor.
Wet Bulb Temperature
The equilibrium temperature reached as water evaporates from a thoroughly wetted psychrometer wick into an airstream. While this process is not one of adiabatic saturation, by applying only small corrections one can obtain the thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature.
ALGORITHMS
PSYCHROMETRIC ALGORITHMS
The following is the methodology the program uses in determining the psychrometric properties of moist air:
Atmospheric Pressure
= inches of
Mercury
= 29.921299597519
= elevation in
feet
Water Vapor Saturation Pressure
For 311.67°R <= T =< 491.67°R
= absolute
temperature, °R = °F + 459.67
For 491.67°R < T =< 851.67°R
= absolute
temperature, °R = °F + 459.67
Saturated Humidity Ratio
= total pressure
of moist air
= enhancement
factor
= pressure of
saturated pure water
Enhancement Factor
= calculated in
accordance with Hyland and Wexler (1973, "The Second")
Humidity Ratio
For 
> 32°F
= thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature of moist air, °F
= dry-bulb
temperature of moist air, °F
= specific heat
of moist air, Btu/lb°F
= humidity ratio
of moist air at saturation at thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
For <= 32°F
= thermodynamic
wet-bulb temperature of moist air, °F
= dry-bulb
temperature of moist air, °F
= specific heat
of moist air, Btu/lb°F
= humidity ratio
of moist air at saturation at thermodynamic wet-bulb temperature
Specific Heat
= dry-bulb
temperature of moist air, °F
Specific Volume
= dry-bulb
temperature of moist air, °F
= humidity ratio
of moist air, mass of water per unit mass of dry air
= total pressure
of moist air
Enthalpy
= dry-bulb
temperature of moist air, °F
= humidity ratio
of moist air, mass of water per unit mass of dry air
= specific heat
of moist air, Btu/lb°F
Wet Bulb
Iterative calculation calling Humidity Ratio function
Dew Point
Iterative calculation calling Saturated Humidity Ratio function
LEGAL NOTICES
USER LICENSE
When you purchase a single user license, Hands Down Software grants you a non-exclusive license to install and operate this software on one computer. Should you choose to purchase a Network License, Hands Down Software will grant you a non-exclusive license to install this software on one network server and operate the software on not more than the user limit provided by the licensing you have purchased.
In addition, Hands Down Software grants you the right to make an archive copy of this software and to use that copy to reinstall the software in cases where the original copy has been corrupted or destroyed. The limits of your license to use this software must be understood prior to installation.
Program Ownership and Copyright Notice
This is a license agreement not a sale of the original program or copies thereof. Hands Down Software retains all rights to the program and any and all subsequent copies which exist regardless of their form. Reproduction of this software by parties other than Hands Down Software for reasons beyond that which is specifically stated in this license agreement is strictly prohibited by international copyright laws. Charts produced by this software are copyright the OEM Company whose logo appears on the chart.
HDPsyChart was written by Hands Down Software and associates
and may be distributed under agreement between Hands Down Software and other
parties. This software uses algorithms that are generally accepted by the
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry and as such the
results of these calculations should yield acceptable results for use in
general HVAC work.
DISCLAIMERS AND WARRANTIES
Hands Down Software and the distributors of this software do not warrant that the information in this software is free of errors. The program is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the program and data is with you. In no event will Hands Down Software be liable to you for any damages; including without limitation any lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use this program and data.