Bahir Dar Institute of Technology(BiT)

Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Department

Thermo-Fluid System Design

MEng4231
By: Tereche Getnet

Chapter One
Air Duct Systems

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 Air duct Systems

Contents of the Chapter

 Fluid Mechanics Review
 Air Duct Sizing
 Air Duct System Design
 Standards and Industry Guidelines
 Fans
 Fan Selection

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 Introduction
Engineering Design—Definition; Process of devising a system, subsystem,
component, or process to meet desired needs.
Analysis Design

Application of fundamental Application of fundamental

principles to a well-defined principles to an undefined, open
problem problem.
All supporting information is All supporting information may
normally provided not be available. assumptions may
need to be made
one closed-ended solution is Several alternatives may be
possible. possible
No single correct answer exists
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 Air duct Systems

Design May be
• Modification of an existing device
• Selection of existing components for the design of a subsystem or a
complete system
• Creation of a new device or system.

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 Fluid Mechanics—A Brief Review
1. Internal Flow
Flow is laminar: smooth streamlines; highly ordered motion OR Flow is
turbulent: velocity fluctuates with time; highly disordered motion.

Note: For noncircular pipes or ducts, ReD is based on the hydraulic diameter, Dh:

where Ac is the cross-sectional area and p is the perimeter wetted by the fluid.

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 …..cont’d
2. Frictional Losses in Internal Flow—Head Losses
For fully developed laminar flow, the volume flow rate is related to the pressure drop
via Poiseuille’s law:

Head losses are the frictional losses that occur in ducts/pipes due to flow. There are two types of
head losses:
 Major head losses, Hl: These are due to viscous effects in fully developed flow in constant area
pipes or ducts.
 Minor head losses, Hlm: These are due to entrances, fittings, valves, and area changes. In
addition, for ductwork this could be caused by filters, cooling or heating coils, and volume
dampers, to name a few.

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 ….cont’d
For a constant area pipe/duct, V1 = V2. For a horizontal pipe/duct, z1 = z2.
Hence,

3. Major Head Loss in a Run of Pipe or Duct—Pipe/Duct Sizing

Head loss is given by

To find fturbulent
• Moody chart
• use appropriate correlation equations; Colebrook Equation

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 …cont’d
Swamee–Jain Formulae

Haaland’s Equation

Blasius Correlation

Churchill’s Equation

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 ….cont’d
4. Minor Head Loss in a Run of Pipe or Duct
Minor losses are defined as;

where K is the loss coefficient.

OR

where Lequiv is the additional equivalent length of straight pipe/duct,

which corresponds to the component (i.e., source of the minor loss).

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 Duct Sizing Method
There is no design method that will automatically provide the most economical
duct system for all conditions. Duct systems have been designed using one
or more of the following methods or their variations.
1. Equal Friction
where the pressure loss per foot of duct is the same
for the entire system(constant “Friction Rate”). It is probably
the most universally used means of sizing lower pressure supply air, return
air and exhaust air duct systems.
 "automatically" reduces air velocities in the direction of the airflow.
 thus reducing the possibility of generating noise

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 Duct Sizing
 It normally is not used for higher pressure systems.
 It is the most appropriate method for constant air volume (CAV)
systems
 The major disadvantage of the equal friction method is that
there is no provision for equalizing pressure drops in duct
branches (except in symmetrical layouts). Balancing dampers
must be installed to balance the system.
A very common friction rate for a reasonably well designed system is
0.1 in.-wc per 100 ft. of duct length.

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 The methodology

a. Select maximum air velocity in main duct after fan outlet.

b. Enter the friction chart knowing the cfm and velocity to
determine the
friction rate per 100 feet of duct length and select the diameter
(refer to chart below).
c. From the friction rate obtained in the previous step, use the
same value to
determine diameters for all other sections of the ductwork.

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 The methodology

d. The total friction loss in the duct system is then calculated by

multiplying the friction loss per 100-foot of length to the
equivalent length of the most critical path of the ductwork having
maximum resistance.

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 …Cont’d

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 …Cont’d

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 2. Static Regain
Static regain is the process of converting velocity pressure
(VP) to static pressure (SP). The Static Regain method of duct
sizing is based on Bernoulli's equation, which states that
when a reduction of velocities takes place, a conversion of
velocity pressure into static pressure occurs.
• Duct velocities are systematically reduced, allowing a
large portion of the velocity pressure to convert to static
pressure
• which offsets the friction loss in the succeeding section
of duct.
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 …cont’d

• There is the same static pressure near all the branches and
all the diffusers and, therefore, the system design requires
little or no balancing.
• All duct sections have uniform static pressure at all
branches and outlets, thereby simplifying outlet selection
and correct air quantity at each outlet.
• The duct system will stay in balance because the losses and
gains are proportional to a function of the velocities.
Therefore, it is an excellent method for designing variable
air volume systems (VAV).

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 …Cont’d

• A disadvantage of the static regain method is the oversized ducts

that can occur at the ends of long branches, especially if one duct
run is unusually long.

Often, the resultant very low velocities require the installation of

thermal insulation on that portion of the duct system to prevent
unreasonable duct heat gains or losses.

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 3.Velocity Reduction Method

A system velocity is selected at the section next to the fan

and arbitrary reductions in velocity are made after each
branch or outlet.
The resultant pressure loss differences in the various
sections of the duct system are not taken into account and
balancing is attempted mainly by the use of good dampers
at strategic locations.

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 Steps of Velocity Reduction
Step1; Select suitable velocities in the main and branch ducts. The table
below indicates commonly used velocity limits:

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 …Cont’d
Step 2; Find the diameters of the main and branch ducts from air flow rates and
velocities. The velocity in duct can be expressed as:

Step 3; From the velocities and duct dimensions obtained in the previous step, find
the frictional pressure drop for the main and branch ducts using the friction chart
above.

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 Example
Designing a Simple Air Duct System; Miss Cherry is the proprietor of a local
massage-beauty-relaxation spa. She has solicited the services of an engineer to size a
rectangular duct system to deliver air to three private rooms in her establishment. It is
expected that the air will be delivered from the dropped ceiling height directly from
openings in the ductwork. Miss Cherry has some knowledge of mechanical design, and has
provided the following sketch, complete with air requirements per room. A new Greenheck
fan will be located on top of the roof, and the new duct system will be connected to this
fan. The roof is 3 ft above the dropped ceiling. The wall partitions shown in the sketch do
not extend beyond the dropped ceiling. Layout an appropriate rectangular duct system to
deliver the air to the private rooms.

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 …cont’d
Solution
Size an appropriate rectangular air duct system for the given space.
Preliminary Specifications and Constraints
i. The working fluid will be air.
ii. The three rooms in the establishment have the following air requirements: 250,
125, and 450 cfm.
iii. The duct system must be attached to an existing rooftop fan.
iv. The length of the ductwork is constrained by the dimensions of the room.
Objective
To design a rectangular air duct system. The size and material of the duct will be
determined.

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 …cont’d
Data Given or Known
1. Air will be delivered from the dropped ceiling height directly from openings in
the ductwork. This implies that no duct elbows will be needed to deliver the air to
the space. No diffusers will be attached at the duct exit.
2. All the dimensions of the rooms were provided by the client.
3. The air requirements for the three rooms were given as 250, 125, and 450 cfm.
The total air requirement is 825 cfm.
4. The roof is 3 ft above the dropped ceiling.
5. The wall partitions do not extend beyond the dropped ceiling.
Assumptions/Limitations/Constraints
i. Total friction losses available for the ductwork should be about 0.1 in. of water
per 100 ft of ductwork, as per industry standard.
ii. Typically, rectangular duct aspect ratios should be less than 4, as per industry
standard.
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 …cont’d
iii. Galvanized steel is typically used to fabricate air duct systems. It will be chosen as the
material.
iv. Where appropriate, branch fittings will be 45◦ wyes or mitered 90◦ elbows with turning
vanes. This will reduce the minor loss equivalent lengths.
v. Losses due to duct size reductions will be ignored since they are small compared to other
losses.
vi. The entrance to the duct system from the fan will be a bellmouth to reduce frictional
losses.
vii. This is a massage-beauty-relaxation spa. Therefore, a low-velocity ductwork system
would probably be required by the client. The air velocity in the duct should not exceed
1200 fpm (assuming a private residence).

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 …cont’d
Sketch

This sketch will be used to provide estimates of the duct lengths, and will serve as
justification of these estimates. All the fittings are shown (except bell mouth at the
entrance to the duct system). All attempts were made to center the ductwork in the
rooms to promote uniform distribution of air in the spaces.
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 …cont’d
Analysis
Designers of duct systems usually use charts and tables to size the ducts. That
approach will be taken in this design problem.
Estimates of the Lengths of the Sections of the Ductwork
Sections Lengt Flow Rates Diameter Velocity Rectangular Duct Equivalent
h

1-a 7.5 ft 825 cfm 13 in. 900 fpm 12in. × 12 in. (13.1 in. diameter; aspect ratio = 1)

a-2 7.5 ft 150 cfm 8.25 in. 690 fpm 8 in. × 7 in. (8.2 in. diameter; aspect ratio = 1.1)

a-3 10 ft 125 cfm 6.50 in. 580 fpm 6 in. × 6 in. (6.6 in. diameter; aspect ratio = 1)

a-4 32.5 ft 450 cfm 10.25 in. 800 fpm 10 in. × 9 in. (10.4 in. diameter; aspect ratio = 1.1)

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 …Cont’d
The flow rate through each section of the ductwork system is known. It was assumed that the
pressure loss in the system will be constrained to 0.1 in. wg per 100 ft of ductwork. The diameter of
an equivalent circular duct will be found by using the flow rates, pressure losses, and the appropriate
friction loss chart for round, straight galvanized steel ducts (Figure A.1).

Note that the velocities of the air in each section of the ductwork system are less than the 1200 fpm
maximum that is allowed for low-velocity duct systems.

Sizing the Rectangular Duct Equivalent

The equal friction and capacity chart (Table A.3) will be used to select an appropriate rectangular
duct equivalent for the circular ducts. The aspect ratio will be 4 or lower. Accordingly,

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 …cont’d
Drawings
The final drawing shows the layout and size of the ducts.

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 …Cont’d
Equivalent rectangular duct

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 …cont’d
Figure A1

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 …cont’d
Conclusion

The rectangular ductwork system has been sized. Galvanized sheet metal will be used to
fabricate the system. The aspect ratios are low (1.1 or lower) to reduce friction losses and
facilitate fabrication. The air velocities in each section of the duct are less than 1200 fpm.
If the total available pressure from the fan was known, then the pressure drops
through the sections of the system would need to be calculated to ensure that the total
pressure would not be exceeded. If the fan or plenum was to be sized, then the pressure
drop in the longest (main) branch would be needed. Dampers will probably be needed
to balance the airflow in the system. The following final duct sizes are recommended to
facilitate further the fabrication of the system and reduce the aspect ratios.
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 Fans—Brief Overview and Selection Procedures
A fan is a fluid machine that is used to move and induce flow of a gas
(gas pumps). The pressure difference of the gas that is generated across
the inlet and discharge of the fan will usually be reported in inches
water gage. Fans that generate pressure differences in excess of 30 in.
wg are known as compressors.
Most fans that are used in other systems such as those found in
commercial or residential buildings tend to generate pressure
differences less than 15 in. wg.

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 Fans—Brief Overview and Selection Procedures
Types of fans
 Axial fans; gas flow enters and leaves the fan in a straight line.
propeller, tubeaxial, and vaneaxial fans.
 Centrifugal Fans; Air enters the fan axially, through one or both
sides (through the “eye”), and is propelled radially through the
impeller and discharge outlet.
i. Backward bladed; curved in the direction opposite to the rotation of
fan.
ii. Forward bladed; curved in the direction of rotation of the fan.

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 ….Cont’d

Some fans with backward-curved blades may have those blades in

the shape of airfoils (shape of a wing). These airfoil fans increase
operational efficiency due to the streamlined flow of the gas over the
blades. However, they are more expensive than typical backward-
curved fans that possess simpler blades.
NOTE
 Forward-curved fans are usually used in low-pressure (less than 5
in. wg) systems found in residential and light commercial
applications.
• For applications that require high pressures and high efficiency,
backward-curved fans may be the more suitable choice, though
they could also be used in low-to-medium-pressure applications.
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 Summary of fan types

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 Fan types

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 Fan types

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 Fan Types

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 Fan Performance

• The design, installation, and inclusion of components in a

duct system will produce pressure losses that the fan must
overcome in order to move the gas through the system.
 Once the design of the ductwork system is complete, the
design engineer will determine the maximum amount of
flow (in cfm) and the total pressure loss (in in. wg) that
will be experienced by the moving gas. That total volume
flow rate of gas and static pressure must be supplied by
the fan.

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 Fan Performance
Given that the static pressure required by the ductwork system is
external to fan and housing, the pressure difference required is usually
referred to as external static pressure.
Manufacturers will present catalogs that specify the performance based
on;
The total volume flow rate of gas
The external static pressure
This data may be provided in either
• Tabular Or
• Graphical (performance curves)forms.

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 …Cont’d

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 …Cont’d

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 ...Cont’d
The figure shows that no flow occurs when the external static pressure is
maximum (i.e., maximum resistance to flow). This point on the curve is known as
the shut-off point.
The point on the curves at which the external static pressure is a minimum and
the volume flow rate is a maximum (i.e., no resistance to flow) is known as free
delivery.

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 …Cont’d

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 …Cont’d

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 Fan Laws
Fan laws may be used to specify the new conditions under which the
fan should operate. The fan laws are relationships among the various
performance parameters
• volume flow rate,
• external static pressure,
• fan speed,
• gas density,
• wheel diameter,
• brake horsepower

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 END
Thank you

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