Basic Components of Ahu and Fcu, Fan and Duct Systems
Basic Components of Ahu and Fcu, Fan and Duct Systems
Basic Components of Ahu and Fcu, Fan and Duct Systems
WEEK 3
2020-2021/3T
Prepared by:
Engr. Manuel B. Rustria
March 30, 2021
05/27/2021 1
Objectives
Differentiate AHU from FCU, direct expansion refrigeration
system from chilled water system;
Enumerate the components of AHU and FCU;
Draw the schematic diagrams of AHU and FCU showing the
different components;
Explain filter MERV rating and the different applications of the
MERV ranges;
05/27/2021 2
Objectives
Define clean room, enumerate its application in the industry, and
draw a schematic diagram of a clean room air conditioning
system;
Identify the classifications of ducts system; and
Solve problems on duct system.
05/27/2021 3
Difference between AHU
and FCU
05/27/2021 4
Difference between AHU and FCU
In simple terms, an air handling unit (AHU) is a component of an
HVAC system that cools and distributes air into the space through a
duct.
A fan coil unit (FCU) is a standalone system that circulates the
existing air in a small space, but it can also be a part of an HVAC
system.
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Difference between AHU and FCU
AHU (air handling unit) and FCU (fan coil unit) are both included
in the HVAC systems. However, AHU differs in many ways from
FCU.
AHUs are usually connected to a central HVAC system; whereas,
FCU can function or be installed independently. Thus, the AHUs
are used to ventilate an entire building whereas FCUs are used in
smaller and often local spaces only.
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Difference between AHU and FCU
AHU is the bigger HVAC system, while the FCU is regarded as the
smaller version of the AHU.
Hence, the smaller FCUs can be called as terminal units.
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Difference between AHU and FCU
Because of the magnitude of the AHU system, it usually makes
use of the air from the outside environment.
Thus, it treats outside air and brings it inside the vicinity with the
use of special ducts while an FCU system on the contrary just
circulates the inside air.
The latter usually does not have any duct system that’s why it is
obviously smaller in size as previously mentioned. It is only
composed of a simple coil and fan.
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Difference between AHU and FCU
Ordinarily, AHUs have certain features that are not present in the
FCU type.
AHUs have several sections for reheating and even humidifying.
FCUs don’t have sections such as these.
Perhaps the only advantage that the FCU has over the AHU is
that generally, FCUs can also handle water while the AHUs
basically handle air.
AHUs can have several fans or blowers installed in its system.
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Difference between AHU and FCU
The AHU’s blowers are placed at the point where the ducts
originate or at the terminal end of the air handler unit. FCUs
have a different approach to blowers.
Because of their small size, fans are usually placed within the
same space as the units themselves.
The result is a minor uncomfortable noise that can be heard
within the vicinity. This could be regarded as the single most
advantageous flaw of the FCU system.
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Difference between AHU and FCU
In summary,
1. AHU is generally a bigger system than FCU.
2. AHU is more complex than the FCU; consequently, AHU is
often used in bigger establishments or spaces.
3. The AHU system usually channels air through ducts, whereas
the FCU doesn’t have any ductworks.
4. AHU system treats outside air while FCU system basically
recycles or re-circulates the air.
5. AHU has sections for reheating and humidifying, whereas the
FCU does not have such system.
6. FCU is often observed to be noisier than the AHU.
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DX and Chilled Water
Systems
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
In the DX type of central air conditioning plants, the air used for
cooling the room is directly chilled by the refrigerant in the
cooling coil of the air handling unit.
In case of the chilled water system, the cooling effect from the
refrigerant is first transferred to the chilled water, which is then
used to chill the air used for cooling the room.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
There is some loss of the cooling effect when it is being
transferred from the refrigerant to the chilled water and from
there to the air. Thus, the chilled water systems have lesser
cooling efficiency.
The chilled water acts as the secondary medium for cooling the
room air in air handling unit.
Further, the chilled water has to flow long distance along the
whole building.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
Thus, the chilled water flowing along the line gets heated due to
flow friction and also due to surrounding heat absorption.
The chilled water also has to be pumped by the pump, which
adds more heat to it.
Thus, as the chilled water flows from the chiller to the air
handling unit and again back to the chiller, apart from the heat
from air, it also absorbs lots of additional heat, which leads to
high increase in its temperature.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
The chiller has to remove this additional heat from the water due
to which its efficiency decreases or rather additional power is
required to remove this additional heat.
In the DX type of central air conditioning plants, the refrigerant
travels only through the small distances and there is no pump
involved so the additional heat absorption is less, which makes
the DX plants even more efficient.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
In the direct expansion types of the central air conditioning plant,
the refrigerant like R22 flows through the whole air conditioning
system including the air handling unit.
When the refrigerant flows in the refrigeration piping there is lots
of drop in its pressure.
Thus, the length of the refrigeration tubing and the distance
between the condenser and the air handling unit should be kept
as minimum as possible.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
If the air handling unit is kept at the height more than the
condenser, the loss in pressure is pronounced since refrigerant
travelling from the condenser to the air handling unit is in liquid
state.
As the distance between the air handling unit and the condenser,
the loss in pressure also increases.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
At certain point the losses may be so high that the refrigerant
may not be able to reach the air handling unit, leading to
complete failure of the system.
At the larger height difference there is also oil return problem
from the refrigerant to the compressor.
The height difference between the condenser and the air
handling units has to be quite reasonable so that they can
function well.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
Due to these reasons, in direct expansion type of the central air
conditioning, there is limitation on the distance between the
condenser and the air handling unit.
The distance between the two cannot be too high. This limits the
application of the direct expansion type of central air
conditioning systems to the small buildings or a number of rooms
on the single floor. In such cases, the plant room and air handling
room and the rooms to be cooled are located on the same floor.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
One of the solutions to increase the capacity of the DX systems
could be to increase the number of air handling units on upper
floors.
But with this arrangement, there will be additional number of
joints in the refrigerant tubing from which there will be higher
chances of leakage of highly expensive refrigerant.
This leads to too many operational and maintenance problems.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
It is suggested to employ compressor of very high capacity to
increase the refrigerant pressure, but this will lead to highly
excessive capital and running costs of the plant.
This arrangement requires installation of compressor whose
capacity is much higher than needed.
Thus, the direct expansion air conditioning systems are used only
for smaller buildings or various rooms on the same floor.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
There are no pressure loss problems in the chilled water system.
In this system, chilled water is pumped by the pump at very high
pressure, which is good enough to carry it to various floors of the
multi-storey building.
The losses in the pressure of water are accommodated by the
sufficient capacity of the pump, which has low capital and
running cost.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
Further, the water doesn’t carry any oil so there are no oil return
problems.
In case of the chilled water system, compressor, condenser,
expansion valve and chiller are all kept at the same level in the
single plant room.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
Further, there is no problem concerning the height difference
between the condenser and the air handling unit since the
refrigerant does not flow to the air handling unit.
The flow of the refrigerant is limited to the chiller plant.
The water chilled in the chiller flows to the various air handling
units kept on different floors of the building.
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
The whole arrangement and the structure of the chilled water
type of central air conditioning plant makes it more suitable for
cooling the large multi-storey buildings and even for very long
distances along the same floor level.
This makes the chilled water central air conditioners more
popular than the direct expansion type ones.
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Components of AHU and
FCU
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
The definition of air handling unit from ANSI/AHRI Standard 430-
2009 states that it is "A factory-made encased assembly
consisting of a fan or fans and other necessary equipment to
perform one or more of the functions of circulating, cleaning,
heating, cooling, humidifying, dehumidifying and mixing of
air....“
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
The AHU is used to control the following parameters of the
space.
Temperature
Humidity
Air Movement
Air Cleanliness
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Draw-Through or Blow-Through
There are basically two types of air handling unit that are in used
and they are the "Draw-Through" or "Blow-Through".
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Here are some of the air handling unit components that may be
contained in the equipment.
Housing
• The housing that contains all the other components of an
AHU is usually make of metal, some are painted to prevent
corrosion.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Here are some of the air handling unit components that may be
contained in the equipment.
Housing
• The housing that contains all the other components of an
AHU is usually make of metal, some are painted to prevent
corrosion.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Housing
• In sections where the fans and the coil are located, 1-2
inches of polyurethane foam or PU is used to insulate them
to prevent the condensation on the panel. Drain pan is also
used as a precaution in the event of condensation of water.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Fan
• Centrifugal fan is used to circulate the air to the various
parts of the sections in the building.
• The typical types of fan available are
a) Backward Inclined,
b) Backward Curved,
c) Forward Curved and
d) Airfoil.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Fan
• The selection of the fan will depend on the air volume and
the static pressure required of the system.
• Usually, the designer of the system will use a specialized
software to do this selection.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Fan
• In order to reduce the effect of vibration on the panel, the
motor and the fan are usually installed on the vibration
isolator except when the drive assembly is external to the
fan casing.
• In recent years, the use of variable air volume (VAV) system
is becoming more popular as the volume of the air being
discharged can be varied depending on the load condition.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Fan
• If the load is high, the fan speed will be higher and if the
load is lower, the speed of the fan will be lower.
• The speed of the fan is varied by using frequency inverter
instead of conventional motor such as PSC motor.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Fan
• Frequency inverter provides better control of the fan speed
as a whole range of fan speed from super low to super high
can now be utilized based on the load conditions required.
• This technology has enabled better use of energy and is in
tandem with the move to go for greener energy.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Cooling Coil
• Cooling Coil is used to cool and dehumidify the air.
• Both DX (direct expansion) cooling and CW (chilled water)
cooling coils are available for use depending on the system
design.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Cooling Coil
• These coils are arranged in rows with different fin spacing.
Aluminium fins and copper tubes are used in the design of
the coils.
• The corrosion resistance hydrophilic fins are also used due
to its lower cost and lower resistance to the air velocity.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Filters
• Filters are to remove particles and contaminants of various
sizes from the air. The type of air filter being used will very
much depend on the application of the system.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Filters
1) Panel Filter is a flat and rectangular in shape and
provides a minimum low efficiency filtration which is
acceptable to the air conditioning industry. The high
velocity filter is arranged vertically whereas the low
velocity filter is arranged in V shape. Typical air velocity
that moves through the filters is in the range of 2-3 m/s.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Filters
2) HEPA Filter is very efficient and is able to achieve
efficiencies up to 99.97%, removing minute particles and
airborne bacteria from the air. It is usually used in clean
room applications such as semiconductor production
floor, operating theaters and critical processes.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Filters
3) Electrostatic Filter is used to remove particles from the
air by using highly charged electrodes that ionized the
air. Bag Filter is able to remove dust particles and is
thrown away after use. Roll Filter is used for high
velocity filtration where the used part is rolled up
automatically/manually.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Humidifiers
• During winter, the humidity level of the air can be low
hence causing discomfort to the occupants. The humidity of
the air is increased by using the humidifiers. Here are the
commonly used humidifiers:
1) Spray Type has a header and spray nozzles that spray
water with a pressure of 15 psi or more.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Humidifiers
2) Steam Pan Type has a pan and a heating coil to heat up
the water of the pan. The evaporation of water caused
by the heating will increase the humidity level of the
surrounding air.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Humidifiers
3) Steam Grid Type has tiny holes on the pipe to distribute
the steam that flows through it. In this case, the water
that is heated up to produce the steam to be supplied to
the grid is conditioned to prevent odor being discharged
to the room.
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
Components of Air Handling Unit
Mixing Box
• This box has air inlets that is attached to the dampers.
• This is the place where the outside air and the return air
are mixed to provide the correct proportion of air to be
distributed to the space that is to be conditioned.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of
Fan Coil Unit
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
A fan-coil unit is a terminal unit installed inside the conditioned
space or in the ceiling plenum just above the conditioned space.
A fan-coil unit includes a small motor driven centrifugal fan or
two small centrifugal fans connected in parallel a finned coil filter
and outer casing and controls sometimes a cooling coil or a
heating coil may be connected in series along the airflow.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
A fan-coil unit can be horizontal unit installed inside the ceiling
plenum, a vertical unit mounted on the floor under windowsill or
a stack unit installed vertically along the two sides of the window.
Vertical and stack units are usually used to offset the cold draft
on the inner surface of window glass or on the external wall
during cold weather.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Cold draft often flows downward along the glass because it is
heavier than the surrounding air.
Warm air discharged from a fan coil during winter heating rises
the inner surface temperature of window glass.
Horizontal and vertical fan-coil unit are available in standard sizes
of 02, 03, 04, 06, 08, 10, 12, 16, and 20.
The 02 means a nominal flow rate of 200 cfm, 04 means 400 cfm
and so on.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of Fan Coil Unit
Fan
• Double-width, double-inlet, forward-curved centrifugal fans
are usually used because of their compact size and lover
level.
• The fan wheels are usually made of aluminum or galvanized
steel with a diameter less than 10 inches (250 mm) in most
cases fan housing are die-formed with integral scrolls and
inlets.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of Fan Coil Unit
Fan Motor
• Permanent-slip capacitor (PSC) motor and shaded-pole (SP)
motors are used.
• PSC motors have an efficiency f 55 to 70 percent which is
considerably higher than that of SP motors, which have 30
to 40 percent efficiency.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of Fan Coil Unit
Coil
• Coils are usually made from copper tubes and aluminum
fins.
• Cooling-heating coil usually have two, three, or four rows of
fins, depending on the coil on the coil’s cooling capacity and
the sensible heat ratio of the cooling and dehumidifying
process.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of Fan Coil Unit
Coil
• SHR, two-row coil and widely used four-row coil have a
greater dehumidifying capacity.
• Usually, there is only one coil for both heating and cooling.
• A separate electric heating coil is sometimes used with two-
stage step control in location where the heating season is
short or energy rates are low in winter.
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of Fan Coil Unit
Coil
• Manual air vents are installed to prevent the formation of
air pockets inside the water circuit.
• A galvanized—steel pan with an insulating liner is often
used to drain the condensation on the fan-coil unit.
• To reduce the air side pressure loss, the face velocity of the
air flowing through the coil is usually from 200 fpm (1m/s)
to 300 fpm (1.3 m/s)
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Components of AHU and FCU
FAN-COIL UNIT
Components of Fan Coil Unit
Filters
• Usually low-efficiency, low-pressure drop permanent filter
are used.
• They are easy to clean and replace periodically.
• Sometimes disposable low efficiency fiberglass are used.
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
MERV is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, which is the
scale designed by the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to rate
the effectiveness of air filters.
Basically, the higher MERV rating indicates higher filtering
performance.
The most recommended MERV ratings for residential filters are
between MERV 7 and MERV 13.
In fact, filters with these MERV ratings perform as efficiently as
true HEPA filters.
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MERV
They all basically trap the same range of particulates, particulates
such as dust particles, mold spores, dust mite debris, tobacco
smoke, pet dander, and pollen, but each filter has a higher
capturing capacity the higher the MERV.
There are really two different components of a MERV rating.
One is the ability to remove large airborne particles, or
particles that are between 1 and 10 microns. These “large”
particles include pet dander, pollen grains, dust mite debris,
etc. However, the bulk of indoor air pollutants are in a smaller
size range.
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MERV
MERV also rates the filter’s ability to remove submicron
particles, those that are smaller than 1 micron; this rating is
called the Microparticle Performance Rating (MPR), and some
filters are given just this rating.
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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Clean Room
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Clean Room
A cleanroom or clean room is
an environment, typically used
in manufacturing, including of
pharmaceutical products or
scientific research, as well as
aerospace semiconductor
engineering applications with a
low level of environmental
pollutants such as dust,
Cleanroom used for the production of microsystems.
airborne microbes, aerosol The yellow (red-green) lighting is necessary for
particles, and chemical vapors.
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photolithography, to prevent unwanted exposure
of photoresist to light of shorter wavelengths.
73
Clean Room
More accurately, a cleanroom
has a controlled level of
contamination that is specified
by the number of particles per
cubic meter at a specified
particle size.
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Clean Room
To give perspective, the ambient air
outside in a typical urban
environment contains 35,000,000
particles per cubic meter in the size
range 0.5 μm and larger in diameter,
corresponding to an ISO 9 cleanroom,
while an ISO 1 cleanroom allows no
particles in that size range and only 12
particles per cubic meter of 0.3 μm
and smaller.
05/27/2021 Entrance to a cleanroom with no air shower 75
Clean Room
AIR FLOW PRINCIPLES
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Clean Room
Personnel contamination of cleanrooms
In the healthcare and pharmaceutical
sectors, control of microorganisms is
important, especially microorganisms
likely to be deposited into the
air stream from skin shedding.
Studying cleanroom microflora is of
importance for microbiologists and
quality control personnel to assess
changes in trends.
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Clean Room
PERSONNEL CONTAMINATION OF CLEANROOMS
Shifts in the types of microflora may indicate deviations from the
“norm” such as resistant strains or problems with cleaning
practices.
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Clean Room
PERSONNEL CONTAMINATION OF CLEANROOMS
In assessing cleanroom microorganisms, the typical flora are
primarily those associated with human skin (Gram-positive
cocci), although microorganisms from other sources such as the
environment (Gram-positive rods) and water (Gram-negative
rods) are also detected, although in lower number. Common
bacterial genera include Micrococcus, Staphylococcus,
Corynebacterium, and Bacillus, and fungal genera include
Aspergillus and Pencillin.
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Clean Room
CLEANROOM CLASSIFICATION AND STANDARDIZATION
Cleanrooms are classified according to the number and size of
particles permitted per volume of air.
Large numbers like "class 100" or "class 1000" refer to FED-STD-
209E, and denote the number of particles of size 0.5 µm or larger
permitted per cubic foot of air. The standard also allows
interpolation; for example SNOLAB is maintained as a class 2000
cleanroom.
A discrete, light-scattering airborne particle counter is used to
determine the concentration of airborne particles, equal to and
larger than the specified sizes, at designated sampling locations.
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Clean Room
CLEANROOM CLASSIFICATION AND STANDARDIZATION
Small numbers refer to ISO 14644-1 standards, which specify the
decimal logarithm of the number of particles 0.1 µm or larger
permitted per m3 of air.
So, for example, an ISO class 5 cleanroom has at most
105 particles/m3.
Both FS 209E and ISO 14644-1 assume log-log relationships
between particle size and particle concentration.
For that reason, zero particle concentration does not exist. 9.[10]
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Clean Room
CLEANROOM CLASSIFICATION AND STANDARDIZATION
Some classes do not require testing some particle sizes, because
the concentration is too low or too high to be practical to test for,
but such blanks should not be read as zero.
Because 1 m3 is about 35 ft3, the two standards are mostly
equivalent when measuring 0.5 µm particles, although the
testing standards differ.
Ordinary room air is around class 1,000,000 or ISO 9.
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Clean Room
CLEANROOM CLASSIFICATION AND STANDARDIZATION
ISO 14644-1 and ISO 14698
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Fan and Duct Systems
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Fan and Duct Systems
DESIGN OF DUCT SYSTEMS
A duct system consists of necessary sections of straight duct,
elbows, branch outlets and inlets, dampers, and such terminal
units as registers and diffusers.
In designing the duct system, the pressure drop contributed by
heat-transfer coils and filters must also be included.
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Fan and Duct Systems
DESIGN OF DUCT SYSTEMS
The chief requirements of duct system are:
1) that it conveys specified rates of airflow to prescribed
locations,
2) that it be economical in combined first cost, fan-operating
cost, and cost of building space occupied , and
3) that it not transmits or generates objectionable noise.
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Fan and Duct Systems
DESIGN OF DUCT SYSTEMS
Since there are so many decisions to make in selecting the size of
ducts and fittings, and since each decision affects the remainder
of the system, the design of duct system is (or at least could be) a
sophisticated operation.
The design procedures outlined next are simply methodical
procedures for arriving at duct sizes that are reasonable with
respect to space requirements and velocities.
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Fan and Duct Systems
DESIGN OF DUCT SYSTEMS
There are three major design techniques in use:
1) velocity method,
2) equal-friction method, and
3) static-regain method.
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Fan and Duct Systems
VELOCITY METHOD
In this method of duct design, the velocities in the mains and
branches are selected and the pressure drops in all runs
calculated.
The fan is selected to provide a pressure sufficient to meet the
requirements of the run with the highest pressure drop.
Standard practice calls for installation of a balancing damper in
each branch line, and the damper in the run calling for highest
pressure difference is left completely open while the other
dampers are throttled to reduce the flow rate to the design value.
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VELOCITY METHOD
No fixed recommendations can be given for the velocity to be
selected because the choice is a function of the economics,
space limitations, and type of acoustic treatment.
High velocities result in high pressure drops that are costly in fan
power if they occur in the critical run.
High velocities also result in increased noise generation.
On the other hand, high velocities permit small ducts, which are
lower in first cost and require less space in the building.
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Fan and Duct Systems
VELOCITY METHOD
For air-duct system in public buildings with no extensive acoustic
treatment, typical velocities in the main duct are of the order of
5 to 8 m/s and in the branch ducts 4 to 6 m/s.
Typical velocities for residential systems are lower and velocities
for industrial buildings are higher than those quoted for public
buildings.
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VELOCITY METHOD
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VELOCITY METHOD
An improved design results if one or more sections of run A-C-G-H
are enlarged to reduce the critical pressure drop.
It is also possible to reduce the size of sections in the other runs
while staying within velocity constraints, since excess pressure
drop available.
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Fan and Duct Systems
EQUAL-FRICTION METHOD
There are several versions of the equal-friction method but one
that often results in a superior design is to select the pressure
drop to be available in the duct system and size the ducts to
dissipate this pressure.
The steps in this design method are as follows:
1. Decide what pressure drop will be available.
2. Compute the equivalent length of all runs (the sum of the
length of straight duct plus the equivalent length of fittings).
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EQUAL-FRICTION METHOD
3. Divide the available pressure drop by the equivalent length of
the run having the longest equivalent length.
4. With the pressure gradient from step 3 and the flow rate in
each section of the longest run, select the duct size of all those
sections, using Fig. 6-2.
5. For the remaining sections, select the size to use in available
pressure drop but stay within velocities appropriate for noise
restrictions.
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EQUAL-FRICTION METHOD
In step 2 the equivalent length can be computed by dividing the
coefficient of the V2/2 term in the equation for the pressure loss
of the fitting by f/D for duct of the same size.
Elbows might be equivalent to 3 to 12 m and branch takeoffs 20 m
of straight duct.
In step 5 some sections of the main duct might have been
selected in sizing sections in the critical run.
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EQUAL-FRICTION METHOD
If the critical run in the system shown in Fig. 6-13 is A-C-G-H, for
example, the size of A will be specified in step 4, so the pressure
available to section B should be computed and the size of B
chosen to dissipate the available pressure.
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PROBLEMS
6-1 Compute the pressure drop of 30°C air flowing with a mean
velocity of 8 m/s in a circular sheet-metal duct 300 mm in
diameter and 15 m long, using (a) Eqs. (6-1) and (6-2) and (b) Fig.
6-2. Ans. (a) 36 Pa
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PROBLEMS
6-5 A duct 0.4 m high and 0.8 m wide, suspended from a ceiling
in a corridor, makes a right-angle turn in the horizontal plane. The
inner radius is 0.2 m, and the outer radius is 1.0 m, measured
from the same center. The velocity of air in the duct is 10 m/s.
To how many meters of straight duct is the pressure loss in this
elbow equivalent? Ans. 15 m.
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PROBLEMS
6-6 A 0.3- by 0.4-m branch duct leaves a 0.3- by 0.6-m main duct
at an angle of 60°. The air temperature is 20°C. The dimensions
of the main duct remain constant following the branch. The flow
rate upstream is 2.7 m3/s. What is the pressure (a) downstream
in the main duct and (b) in the branch duct? Ans. (a) 346 Pa, (b)
209 Pa
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PROBLEMS
6-7 in a branch entry, an airflow rate of 0.8 m3/s joins the main
stream to give a combined flow rate of 2.4 m3/s. The air
temperature is 25°C. The branch enters with an angle = 30° (see
Fig. 6-12). The area of the branch duct is 0.1 m 2,and the area of
the main duct is 0.2 m2 both upstream and downstream. What is
the reduction in pressure between points u and d in the main
duct?Ans. 95 Pa
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PROBLEMS
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References
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References
BOOK
Stoecker, W.F. and Jones, J.W. (2nd Ed.). Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning.
WEBSITES
http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-
between-ahu-and-fcu/
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References
http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hvac/50414-comparison-of-dx-and-
chilled-water-central-air-conditioning-plants/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanroom
https://www.airconditioning-systems.com/air-handling-unit.html
https://www.slideserve.com/edana/duct-design
http://
technicaltheory.blogspot.com/2015/07/components-of-fan-coil-unit.html
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End.
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