Air density

Here are our CFD links and discussions about aerodynamics, suspension, driver safety and tyres. Please stick to F1 on this forum.
User avatar
hollus
Moderator
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 01:21
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Re: Air density

Post

I have added humidity data to the initial plot in two graphs:
One for air density.
Image

And another for the somewhat more dramatic oxygen content or density.
Image

I would have done full 3D graphs, but 21st century display technology is so primitive! Source of maximum absolute humidity data here.

Each dark blue bar represents the air density (or oxygen content) difference at a given temperature between dry air (0%) and air saturated with water (100% relative humidity); and its effects are additive with those of the general air density depicted in the background and always in the direction of lower density relative to dry air.

I have ignored the effect of altitude on relative humidity (maximum absolute humidity is insensitive to pressure in a first approximation) and plotted in the top for clarity. The humidity data are for sea level, if they were to be aplied at a 10% lower atmospheric presure, the numbers would come 10% larger.

This is the same data as a table:
T(C)	Oxygen dif.     Air density difference.
0	0.603%	        0.229%
5	0.860%	        0.326%
10	1.21%		0.456%
15	1.68%		0.637%
20	2.31%		0.876%
25	3.09%		1.17%
30	4.18%		1.59%
35	5.63%		2.14%
40	7.21%		2.73%
TANSTAAFL