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Design criteria:
- Space availability
- Space air diffusion
- Noise level
- Duct leakage
- Duct heat gains & losses
- Balancing
- Fire & smoke control
- Investment costs
- Operating costs of the system
- …
𝑝1 𝑝2
𝑝1 > 𝑝2
1. Conservation of mass:
- Air mass is neither created nor destroyed.
- A duct size can be recalculated for a new air velocity by using the
formula:
𝒗𝟏 ∗ 𝑨𝟏 = 𝒗𝟐 ∗ 𝑨𝟐
𝑣1 𝑣2
Where:
v = velocity [m/s]
A = surface [m²]
𝐴1 𝐴2
7 Fundamentals of Duct design - Internal use only
Air flow principles
2. Conservation of energy:
- Based on the Bernouilli equation: the difference in total pressure
between two points, is equal to the pressure loss between these
two points.
3. Conservation of momentum.
- Based on Newton’s law that a body will maintain its state of rest
or uniform motion unless compelled by another force to change
that state.
1. Friction losses
Resistance to air flow caused by the duct size (length and diameter),
roughness of the duct walls and the air velocity.
𝒍 𝝆 ∗ 𝒗𝟐
𝒑𝒇 = 𝒇 ∗ ∗
𝒅𝒉 𝟐
Where:
𝑝𝑓 friction losses [Pa]
𝑓 friction factor [dimensionless]
𝑙 length [m]
𝑑ℎ hydraulic diameter [m]
𝜌 specific density [kg/m³]
𝑣 velocity [m/s²]
𝒅𝒉 ∗ 𝑽
- Reynolds number: 𝑹𝒆 =
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝒗
With:
𝑅𝑒 Reynolds number
𝑑ℎ Hydraulic diameter [m]
𝑉 Velocity [m/s]
𝑣 Kinematic viscosity [m²/s]
𝑣 = 14,5 * 10−6 𝑚²Τ𝑠
Friction factor
Colebrook’s equation
𝟏 𝜺 𝟐, 𝟓 𝒍
= −𝟐 𝐥𝐨𝐠 +
𝒇 𝟑, 𝟕 𝒅 𝒉 𝑹𝒆 𝒇
Where:
𝜀 = Material absolute roughness factor [mm]
𝑅�𝑒 = Reynolds number
Roughness factor (𝜀 ):
𝑘𝑔
16 Fundamentals of Duct design - Internal use only 𝜌 = 1,2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜀 = 0,09 𝑚𝑚
𝑚3
Pressure losses
Where:
𝐶 = local loss coefficient [-]
∆𝑝𝑖 = total pressure loss [Pa]
𝑝𝑣 = velocity pressure [Pa]
𝜌 = density [kg/m³]
𝑣 = velocity [m/s]
17 Fundamentals of Duct design - Internal use only
3. Duct classification
- Purpose
- Velocity
- Pressure
Three categories:
Three categories:
- Round ducts:
- Are the most efficient in conveying moving air due to the greatest
cross sectional area and a minimum contact surface.
- Advantages:
- Lower pressure drop
- Less surface and less insulation
- Are available in longer length than rectangular ducts (less
joints)
- Better acoustic performance (the curved surface allows
less breakout noise).
- Less chance of dirt accumulating inside the duct
- Disadvantage:
- Need more clear height for installation
- Rectangular ducts:
- Aspect ratio (AR) = width / height
- Rectangular ducts:
- Disadvantages:
- Higher pressure drops
- More material is required for the same air flow rate
compared with round ducts
- The joints are difficult to seal (bigger risk on leakage)
- Duct with high aspect ratio can transmit excessive noise if
not properly supported.
- Oval ducts:
- Advantage:
- Smaller height requirements than round ducts while
maintaining most advantages of the round ducts
- Disadvantages:
- Fittings for oval flat ducts are more difficult to fabricate or
modify in the field.
- Difficult of handling and shipping larger sizes
- Tendency to become more round under pressure
- Difficulties of assembling oval slip joints in case a large
aspect ratios
1,30 ∗ (𝑎 ∗𝑏)0,625
- Rectangular ducts: 𝐷𝑒𝑞 = (𝑎+𝑏)0,250
1,55 ∗ 𝐴0,625
- Oval ducts: 𝐷𝑒𝑞 = 𝑝0,250
and: Where:
𝜋 ∗ 𝑏2 𝑎 length of major axis [m]
𝐴= + 𝑏 ∗ (𝑎 − 𝑏) 𝑏 length of minor axis [m]
4
𝐴 cross sectional area [m²]
𝑝 = 𝜋 ∗ 𝑏 + 2 ∗ (𝑎 − 𝑏) 𝑝 perimeter of oval [m]
1. Velocity method
1. Method of equal velocities
2. Method of reducing velocities
- This method sizes the duct by varying the velocity in the main and
the branch ducts. The maximum air velocity is situated near the fan
and the velocities are gradually decreasing towards the end of the
main duct.
- Application:
- Normally not used. Sometimes used for simple small duct lay-outs.
𝑸 4∗𝑄
𝑨= 𝑑=
𝒗 𝜋∗𝑣
Where:
A Duct area [m²]
Q Air flow rate [m³/s]
v air speed [m/s]
D diameter [m]
15 m 12 m D 18 m F
6m
A C E
Fan
Solution:
Solution:
0,022243 ∗ 𝑄1,852 ∗ 𝑙
∆𝑝𝑓 =
𝑑4,973
- Graph (Ashrae)
- Dynamic losses:
- formula
- Equipment losses: outlets
5. Balancing:
- Is used for supply, exhaust & return air duct systems and
employs the same friction loss per unit of length for the entire
system
- Advantages:
- Straight forward and simple
- It reduces the air velocities in the direction of the air flow, which
reduced the potential air flow generated noise
- Most appropriate method for Constant Air Volume (CAV) systems.
- Limitations:
- There is no equalization of pressure drops in duct branches unless the
system has a symmetrical lay-out. Balancing dampers must be installed
to balance the system.
- Not recommended for Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems. If used for
VAV supply duct design, the terminal unit require pressure
independent control capability to avoid excessive flow rates when duct
pressure is high.
- Not flexible and adaptable for future lay-out changes.
Exercise:
Exercise:
e.g.
1,852
𝑄𝐵 4,973
Duct Q [m³/s] d [m]
𝑑𝑒𝑞,𝐵 = 𝑑𝑒𝑞,𝐴 ∗
𝑄𝐴
1,852 A 4,00 0,798
4 4,973 B 1,00 0,476
𝑑𝑒𝑞,𝐵 = 0,798 ∗ C 3,00 0,717
1
D 2,00 0,616
𝑑𝑒𝑞,𝐵 = 0,476 m E 1,00 0,476
F 1,00 0,476
Exercise:
Exercise:
Exercise:
Exercise:
4. Balancing:
- Due to the larger ducts in the velocity method, the required fan
power is lower than for the equal friction method.
𝒑𝒕 = 𝒑𝒔 + 𝒑𝒗
- The objective of the static regain method is to obtain the same
static pressure at diverging flow junctions by changing the
downstream duct sizes.
- The static regain method applies to supply systems only.
Selection procedure:
1. Select the velocity in the main duct.
2. The velocities in the successive runs are reduced so that the gain in
static pressure due to the reduction in velocity pressure equals the
frictional pressure drop in the next duct section.
Selection procedure:
3. If section 1 is the outlet of the fan, the flow and the velocity
(see 1.) are know. In section 2 both flow and velocity are
unknown. A trial and error method needs to be followed to
give the dimensions of section 2.
4. The procedure is followed in the direction of the airflow, and in
the same way all the dimensions for the downstream ducts are
obtained.
5. The total pressure drop is obtained from the pressure drop in
the longest run and is used for the fan selection.
- Advantages:
1. All duct sections have uniform static pressure at all branches and
outlets: simple outlet selection & correct air quantity at each
outlet.
2. The duct system will stay in balance because the losses and gains
are proportional to a function of the velocities: excellent method
for designing Variable Air Volume systems.
3. Less material
4. Less noisy.
- Disadvantages:
1. Calculations ay become difficult in case of many dynamic losses.
2. In systems with a large pressure drop in a section near the fan
outlet, the velocity could be reduced to the minimum within a
few sections in such a way that all the ductwork downstream
would be sized using minimum velocity.
3. Another disadvantage could stem from specifying a very low
minimum velocity. Ducts would then tend to be very large at the
end of long branch runs. The velocity at the end of long duct runs
may become too small for proper air distribution in the space to
be conditioned.
Designer:
- Building thermal load
- Comply with Building regulations
Supply ducts:
• Insulation reduces the rate of thermal loss to the surroundings.
• Due to the relative small temperature difference between supply
air and the space through which the ducts are routed, a 25 mm
fiberglass blanket is almost always sufficient.
Exterior insulation:
• Contact with hangers, supports, … .
Interior insulation:
• Do not apply for clean rooms, laboratories, … .
Ducting on roofs:
• In cooling load dominated areas, ducts should be covered with
highly reflecting coating.
Duct liner:
• Is used “to line” the inside of rectangular metal ductwork.
• 25 mm material is used for thermal protection of
ductwork that passes through unconditioned spaces
• 13 mm material is frequently used as acoustical insulation
for reducing air and equipment noises.
Duct wrap:
• Is a blanket insulation used on metal ductwork passing through
un-conditioned spaces.