CH 07 - Fans & Duct Design - IL

MEC653
HVAC SYSTEMS
CHAPTER 7
FANS AND DUCT DESIGN
TYPE
TYPEOF
OFFANS
FANS
Efficient distribution of conditioned air needed to heat, cool, and ventilate a
building requires the service of a properly selected and applied fan.
The types of fans commonly used in HVAC applications include centrifugal

and axial designs. In a centrifugal fan the airflow follows a radial path
through the fan wheel. In an axial fan the airflow passes straight through the
fan, parallel to the shaft.
TOTAL
TOTALPRESSURE
PRESSURE
The total amount of pressure generated by a fan has two components: velocity
pressure and static pressure.
The velocity pressure is due to the momentum of the air as it moves
axially through the duct, while the static pressure is due to the
perpendicular outward push of the air against the duct walls.
With the fan operating and the damper fully open nearly all of the usable
fan energy is being converted to velocity pressure.
When the damper is closed fully, airflow stops and no velocity pressure
exists in the ductwork. All of the usable fan energy is now being converted
to static pressure.
PRESSURE
PRESSUREMEASUREMENT
MEASUREMENT
FAN
FANPERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCETEST
TEST
The fan is connected to a long piece of straight duct with a throttling device at
the end. The throttling device is used to change the air resistance of the duct.
The fan is operated at a single speed and the power applied to the fan shaft is
measured. A manometer is used to measure the velocity pressure - the
difference between the total and static pressures.
The test is first conducted with the throttling device removed. This is called
wide-open airflow and the pressure generated by the fan is velocity pressure
only - the static pressure is negligible.
The measured velocity pressure is then used to calculate the airflow delivered
by the fan.
Example - assume the test readings for a specific throttling device position
are as follows:
• Total pressure (Pt) = 2.45 in. H2O [62.2 mm H2O or 610 Pa]
• Static pressure (Ps) = 2.0 in. H2O [50.8 mm H2O or 498 Pa]
• Velocity pressure (Pv) = Pt – Ps = 2.45 – 2.0 = 0.45 in. H2O [11.4 mm H2O
or 112 Pa]
• Fan outlet area (A) = 1.28 ft2 [0.119 m2]
• Fan speed = 1,100 rpm (revolutions per minute)
• Air density (ρ) at standard air conditions = 0.075 lb/ft3 [1.2 kg/m3]
V = 1,096 √ Pv/ρ = 1,096 √ 0.45/0.075 = 2,685 fpm (ft/min)

[V = 1.414 √ Pv/ρ = 1.414 √ 112/1.2 = 13.66 m/s]
Airflow = V x A = 2,685 x 1.28 = 3,437 cfm (ft3/min)
[Airflow = V x A = 13.66 x 0.12 = 1.63 m3/s]
It is determined that at this point the fan operating at 1,100 rpm is delivering
3,437 cfm [1.63 m3/s] against a 2 in. H2O [498 Pa] of static pressure.
FAN
FANCURVE
CURVE
FAN
FANLAW
LAW
Pressure – 1.5 kPa
Flow rate – 40000 m3/hr
Pressure – 1.5 kPa

Flow rate – 90000 m3/hr
SYSTEM
SYSTEMRESISTANCE
RESISTANCE
System resistance is the sum of all of the pressure losses experienced as air
passes through the ductwork, supply air diffusers, return air grilles, dampers,
filters, coils, etc.
This system resistance curve
represents the static pressure
that the fan must generate at
various airflows to overcome
the resistance in this particular
system.
VAV
VAVSYSTEM
SYSTEM
The quantity of air being delivered to each space is controlled by a

modulating device (damper) that is contained within a VAV box. This device
is controlled by a thermostat to provide only the quantity of conditioned air
needed to balance the space load. As the device modulates, the overall
system resistance changes.
A variable-air-volume (VAV) system controls the environment by varying the
volume of constant-temperature air.
AIR
AIRDISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTIONSYSTEM
SYSTEM
 Duct: air distribution system to deliver the proper amount of conditioned air
to a space.
 Most air conditioning system requires some form of duct work to channel or
direct the air to places where the conditioned air is needed.
 The duct work must be sized properly. Oversized ductwork cost more and
does not maintain the desired air flow and undersized duct work causes the
system to strain mechanically and can be noisy.
 Duct design method: Equal friction, velocity reduction and static regain
methods.
DUCT
DUCTCLASSIFICATION
CLASSIFICATION
 Velocity Classification Ducts are classified according to the velocity they
are subjected to:
 Low velocity duct system: 400 to 2000 fpm
 Medium velocity duct system: 2000 to 2500 fpm
 High velocity duct system: 2500 to 3500 fpm
Low velocity duct system is very important for energy efficiency (larger duct
sizes - doubling of duct diameter will reduce friction loss by a factor of 32
times and will be less noisy)
Some applications for low velocity duct system:
 Pressure classification Duct systems are also divided into three
pressure classifications, matching the way supply fans are classified
As a good engineering practice:

 Primary air ductwork (fan connections, risers, main distribution ducts) shall
be medium pressure classification.
 Secondary air ductwork (run-outs/branches from main to terminal boxes
and distribution devices) shall be low pressure classification.
DUCT
DUCTDESIGN
DESIGNMETHOD
METHOD
Equal friction method
Based on maintaining the same pressure drop per unit of duct length (or
friction rate) throughout the system.
The duct size is based on the flow rate through a particular section of duct,
and design value for the friction rate.
Each section is sized using the design friction rate criterion, and the total
pressure drop for each run is simply the sum of the pressure drop of each
individual section.
The duct system designed using the equal friction method is not self-
balancing. Balancing dampers must be installed in lower pressure loss
branches to balance the system.
Typical design friction rates are 0.1 in-WC per 100 ft in commercial
buildings.
 The pressure drop in the air distribution system is obtained by multiplying
the total equivalent length of the most unfavorable circuit by the unit
pressure loss previously fixed.
 Velocity reduction method
 The duct is sized fixing the speed in the duct immediately downstream
from the delivery fan and empirically reducing this speed over subsequent
duct trunk.
 Velocity limits are commonly used as a surrogate for limiting duct
breakout noise.
 Static regain method
 This method refers to increase or regain of static pressure in the ductwork

when the air velocity decreases.
 Duct sizing is based on Bernoulli's equation which states that when a
reduction of velocities takes place a conversion of dynamic pressure into
static pressure occurs.
Friction rate - The pressure loss between two points in a duct system that
are separated by a specific length. The units for friction rate are inches water
column per 100 feet (in. WC/100 ft)
Equivalent length - The amount of duct length added to a duct run by

fittings.
Effective length - The length of duct used for design purposes that includes
the straight length of duct added to all the fitting equivalent lengths.
FRICTION
FRICTIONLOSS
LOSSCHART
CHART
What is the velocity and pressure loss per 100 ft length in a 12” diameter duct
delivering 1000 cfm of air?
DUCT
DUCTCALCULATOR
CALCULATOR
DUCT
DUCTCALCULATOR
CALCULATOR--SOFTWARE
SOFTWARE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE(B3-A11-1/2)
(B3-A11-1/2)
Room size – 20’ x 32’ = 640 sq. ft.
Cooling load – 37,500 Btu/hr

(58.59 Btu/sq. ft.)
SAF – 1,154 cfm

(1.80 cfm/sq.ft.)
External SP of fan – 0.8” w.c.
Losses – Cooling coil 0.1” w.c., air

filter 0.15” w.c., supply grill 0.03” w.c.

CH 07 - Fans & Duct Design - IL

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CH 07 - Fans & Duct Design - IL

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

CH 07 - Fans & Duct Design - IL

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What are the different duct sizing methods mentioned?

What are the units used to measure pressure loss?

MEC653

The types of fans commonly used in HVAC applications include centrifugal

V = 1,096 √ Pv/ρ = 1,096 √ 0.45/0.075 = 2,685 fpm (ft/min)

Pressure – 1.5 kPa

The quantity of air being delivered to each space is controlled by a

As a good engineering practice:

 This method refers to increase or regain of static pressure in the ductwork

Equivalent length - The amount of duct length added to a duct run by

Room size – 20’ x 32’ = 640 sq. ft.

Cooling load – 37,500 Btu/hr

SAF – 1,154 cfm

External SP of fan – 0.8” w.c.

Losses – Cooling coil 0.1” w.c., air

You might also like