GROUP 8: Scarlet Snow

• https://www.wikipedia.org/

• Carrier Corp. (http://siglercommercial.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/181010-Duct-Design-Presentation-RC-

1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0v1Iuz9spf1z-H-zD5urXxA9pcbEeV4hFGCNOzPZDsBPnc9nvl0Wz_7Mw)

• https://www.smacna.org

• Design Guide for Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems Manual
(https://www.usbr.gov/tsc/techreferences/mands/mands-
pdfs/HVACManl.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3ztAEPd24GAVGE5QX0GVmns3jvYovouCzGpHARkXvKrV22ppoS5ya8hWY)

• https://www.slideshare.net/guestf11b52/ductwork?fbclid=IwAR0_qSUETp2WvbvtkTc-
g4u0WgcYX9hbsB7Pzy6WmneO2oG1wxd8Z6eLNLw
A. Location of Air Intakes and Exhaust Openings — When possible, cooling
should begin with 100 percent outdoor air. Outdoor air louvers should be
located opposite major heat sources such as electrical control equipment
and transformers. The bottom of the intake louvers should be located a
minimum of 2-feet from ground level. Locate louvers away from air
polluting sources.

The Uniform Building Code (UBC) provides guidelines for relative

location between intake and exhaust air openings.
B. Airflow — Air distribution systems should be designed to supply air to
the lower levels and return air from the upper levels. Air is then circulated
and transferred up through areas containing major electrical equipment
where many of the heat gains are concentrated. Air supplied directly to
generator or motor rooms is usually too hot to transfer to other areas;
therefore, it should be exhausted or returned to the air conditioning unit as
return air.

Air transfer fans are commonly used to move air around. These fans are
especially advantageous when space constraints prevent or limit
installation of ductwork.
C. Substructure Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation — The substructures of
plants are heated and cooled to maintain minimum and maximum
temperatures for equipment protection, to prevent freezing, and to ensure
personnel comfort.
D. Superstructure Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation —
Superstructure ventilation system should be independent of the main
HVAC system. The space below the high superstructure ceiling tends
to get very hot due to external solar heat gain and rising warm air
from internal heat sources. If undisturbed, the air will stratify with
the hottest air immediately below the ceiling and progressively cooler
air moving towards the conditioned space below.
The majority of heating and cooling systems are classified as “forced air”
types. Central heating and cooling involves the use of one furnace,
centrally located in the structure, that is equipped with a motor driven fan
to blow treated air through a ductwork system to the living spaces. The
ductwork consists of separate “supply air” and “return air” sections.
These furnaces had to be
located centrally, with short
runs of ductwork from the
furnace to the air outlets. All
supply air outlets were
located in or near inside
walls of rooms. Return air
inlets were generally located
in or near the baseboards of
outer walls.
The perimeter system uses forced air and locates the supply air outlets
in the baseboard along outside walls, or in floors or ceilings near outer
walls. The supply air “blankets” the wall against drafts (heating mode),
or radiant heat during the cooling mode.
Upflow Furnace - An upflow furnace
takes in air from the bottom of the unit,
warms it in the heat exchanger, and
then blows it upward into the ductwork
of your home. Upflow furnaces need to
be placed in a basement or crawlspace
to be energy efficient, as they work on
the principle that warm air rises.
Downflow Furnace - A downflow
furnace is normally placed in the
attic, at the top of the venting
system, so that it can push air down
through the vents. A downflow
system is usually used when there is
no basement or other suitable place
to install an upflow furnace.
Horizontal Furnace - A horizontal furnace lies on its side, pulling cool air
from one side and pushing warm air out of the other. You will
occasionally see a distinction between a "horizontal left side" and a
"horizontal right side" furnace. This refers to configuring a furnace to
discharge warm air from the right side (in a horizontal right furnace), or
the left side (in a horizontal left furnace).
Ductwork Considerations:

(1)Minimize the number of fittings (6) Shape and size

(2)Use semi-extended plenums (7) Velocity

(3) Seal ductwork (8)Static Pressure of the System

(4) Use round duct (9)Space conflicts

(5) Reduce aspect ratio

Radial Piping System - A radial
system is one that uses round pipe
running directly from the plenum to
the register hoot (component that is
used to connect the pipe to the outlet registers). The radial duct
system in its simplest form consists of a central supply plenum that
feeds a number of individual branch ducts arranged in a generally
radial pattern. It also can be designed and sized so that each
individual run leaving the plenum can feed two or more supply
outlets.
Extended Plenum System - Generally
consists of one or two boxlike pieces of
ductwork extending from the main plenum
at the indoor unit. This extended plenum
has the same dimensions (height and width) from the starting collar to the
end of the run.

There is another area of concern with the extended plenum system—

because of the higher velocities in the plenum, it is possible that the
branches closest to the indoor blower may not feed the desired amount of
air (cfm).
Plenum (Bonnet)

In building construction, a
plenum is a separate space
provided for air circulation
HVAC and typically provided in
the space between the
structural ceiling and a drop-
down ceiling.
Ductboard - made from compressed fiberglass is becoming increasingly
popular for plenums and rectangular duct. Ductboard is inexpensive,
easy to work with, cuts with a knife, and is already insulated. Applying
insulation by hand to metal ducts is often necessary, but is time-
consuming and costly.
Round Metal Pipe - can be used as main trunk line or a
branch line, in both supply air and return air situations.
Round metal pipe has the most efficient characteristics, and
is commonly used.
Rectangular Duct - is a 30-gauge, galvanized sheet metal, and mainly
used as a trunk line or “extended plenum”. A branch line begins with a
starting collar or takeoff installed on the extended plenum (main truck
line). The end of the extended plenum must be blocked with an end cap
that is anchored with sheet metal screws and sealed with mastic.
Insulated Flexible Duct - Flexible ducts (also
known as flex) are typically made of flexible
plastic over a metal wire coil to shape a tube.
A protective layer surrounds the insulation,
and is usually composed of polyethylene or
metalized PET.

Flexible duct is very convenient for attaching supply air outlets to the rigid
ductwork. It is commonly attached with long zip ties or metal band claps.
However, the pressure loss is higher than for most other types of ducts. As
such, designers and installers attempt to keep their installed lengths (runs)
short.
Rule of thumb in determining size
• Different shapes and sizes

• Different materials

• Air tunnel that allows air to move from

one end to another

• Heating, cooling, ventilation and etc

 MATERIALS
Sheet Metal (by gauge): Flexible: Others:

Galvanized Insulated PVC

Iron Tube (socks) Fiberglass
Aluminum
Stainless Steel
• Space availability
• Installation cost
• Air friction loss
• Noise level
• Duct heat transfer and airflow leakage
• Codes and standards requirements
Fitting in the Ductwork Duct Terms
Limit Noise Level
Sealing Ductwork
Codes and Standards Requirements:

 Building Code deals mostly with life safety issues

 Mechanical Code addresses construction and installation

 Energy Conservation Code directs designers to create

systems that meet insulation, leakage, and static pressure
requirements
Cfm: measurement of airflow in cubic feet/min
Fpm: velocity or speed of air flow in feet/min
Sq.ft: cross-sectional area

CFM = fpm x cross sectional area

1000 CFM = 1000 fpm x 1 sqft.
1000 CFM = 500 fpm x 2 sqft.

Velocity(A) * Area(A) = Velocity(B) * Area(B)

1000 fpm x 1 sqft. = 500 fpm x 2 sqft.
Conservation of mass
• air mass is neither created nor destroyed
• CFM (all inlet) = CFM (all outlet)

Conservation of energy
• Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only change from one
form to another

Bernoulli’s Law
• When there is a change in velocity there is acorresponding and
inverse change in
static pressure
Total Pressure = Static Pressure
+ Velocity Pressure
Factors Affecting Friction Loss

 Air Velocity

 Duct Size and Shape

 Duct Material (Roughness Factor)

 Duct Length
 Equivalent Length (EL) Method – converts fittings to
straight duct (similar to piping)

 Dynamic Loss (CV) Method – uses coefficients x

velocity pressure
1. Determine Number of Zones
2. Perform Heating and Cooling Estimate
3. Determine Room / Zone Airflow Quantities
4. Select Duct Material, Shape, and Insulation
5. Layout Ductwork from AHU to Diffusers
6. Summarize Airflows and Label Ducts
7. Size Ducts from Fan Outlet to Diffusers
8. Calculate Air System Pressure Losses
9. Select Fan and Adjust System Pressures
Perform Cooling and Heating Load Estimates

• Accurately enter the building info

• Set system parameters for block, zone, and space loads
• Run loads
Select Duct Material, Shape, and Insulation

• Cost-effective material to fit the conditions

• Round, rectangular, or flat oval to fit the space and for efficient installation
• Adequate insulation to conserve energy and avoid condensation
Size Ductwork from Fan to Extremities

• Pick an initial velocity

• Size duct sections usingequal friction
• Pick efficient fittings
• Tabulate results in a Duct Sizing Worksheet
Calculate Air System Pressure Losses

• Summarize losses for greatest pressure loss circuit or

run
• This is not always the longest run, look at terminal and
diffuser losses
• Double-check that sizes will fit into the space
available.
Select Fan and Adjust System Airflows

• Add safety factor to the total external pressure drop

• For exhaust/supply fan selection, external static pressure drop is
equal to total static pressure drop
• Use external static pressure for AHU/RTU/FCU

Select Fan and Adjust System Airflows

• Evaluate if the static pressure makes sense

• Fine tune air distribution device or air path to minimize pressure
drop