Air Conditioning Equipment Technology

Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1

Equal friction loss method
Advantages:
1. The equal friction method is straightforward and easy to use and
gives an automatic reduction of the air flow velocities throughout the
system. The reduced velocities are in general within the noise limits of
the application environment.
2. The advantage of this design method is its simplicity: calculations
can be made using simple tables and duct calculations.
3. A design flow, each 100 feet of duct has roughly the same total
pressure drop that requires less balancing for symmetrical layouts.
4. System velocity may be readily checked at any point. This method
is most appropriate for constant air volume (CAV) systems.
Limitations:
The method can increase the numbers of reductions compared to other
methods, and often a poorer pressure balance in the system require
more adjusting dampers. This may increase the system cost compared
to other methods.
Equal friction duct design is not recommended for VAV systems and
is better suited for CAV systems. In constant volume system, static
pressures throughout the duct system can be balanced at design flow
using balancing dampers, but are no longer balanced at part load
flows. For this reason, equal friction duct designs are better suited for
constant volume systems than for VAV systems. If the equal friction
method is used for VAV supply duct design, the terminal units require
pressure independent (Pi) control capability to avoid excessive flow
rates when duct pressure is high. Duct systems designed using the
equal friction methods are not flexible and adaptable to future layout
changes. In buildings with large areas of open plan space, the main
duct size shall be increased for revisions in the future.
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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1
Static Regain Method
This method refers to increase or regain of static pressure in the
ductwork when the air velocity decreases. 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 dynamic pressure
into static pressure occurs.
With this method, the air speed in the duct is reduced near each branch
or diffuser so that the dynamic pressure conversion obtained exactly
balances the pressure drop of the air in the trunk of the next duct. This
means there is the same static pressure near all the branches and all the
diffusers, thereby obtaining an intrinsically balanced air distribution
system without having to use throttling devices.
Compared to the two previous methods, this method usually involves
a larger surface area of the panels, but lower electric fan power and
easier balancing of the plant.
For complex plants, it may be advisable to apply two methods
simultaneously; the constant pressure loss method for sizing the main
trunk, with insertion of adjustment air locks on the branches; the static
pressure recovery method for sizing the branches fitted with terminals
to obtain the same operating pressure in the latter.
Advantages:
1. Static regain calculations help to adjust duct size to obtain equal
static pressure and correct air quantity at each outlet.
2. 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. 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 design.

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1
Ducts Insulations
The need for duct insulation is influenced by
(1) Duct location, whether indoors or outdoors.
(2) The effect of heat loss or gain on equipment size and operating cost.
(3) The need to prevent condensation on low-temperature ducts.
(4) The need to control temperature change in long duct lengths.
(5) The need to control noise with interior duct lining.

All ducts exposed to outdoor conditions, as well as those passing through

unconditioned spaces, should be insulated. While analyses of temperature
change, heat loss or gain, and other factors affecting the economics of
thermal insulation are seldom made for residential installations, they are
essential for large commercial and industrial projects.
The U-factor for un-insulated sheet metal ducts is affected by air velocity,
the emittance of the metal, and the shape of the duct. An approximate
value of 5.7 W/(m2·K) may be used. For insulated ducts, U-factors of 1.4
and 0.74 W/(m2·K) represent 25 and 50 mm thick rigid insulation with a
thermal conductivity of 0.039 W/(m·K) at 24°C mean temperature.

Materials for Ducts, Insulations, and Liners

Ducts within buildings can be of insulated sheet metal or fibrous glass,
both of which provide combined air barrier, thermal insulation, and sound
absorption, shown in figure 1. Ducts embedded in or below floor slabs
may be of compressed fiber, ceramic tile, or other rigid materials.

Figure 1

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1
Duct insulations include semi rigid boards and flexible blanket types,
composed of organic and inorganic materials in fibrous, cellular, or
bonded particle forms. Insulations for exterior surfaces may have attached
vapor barriers or facings, or vapor barriers may be applied separately.
When applied to the duct interior as a liner, insulation both insulates
thermally and absorbs sound. Duct liner insulations have sound-permeable
coatings or other treatment on the side facing the airstream to withstand air
velocities without deterioration.
Fibrous glass ducts are available in preformed round ducts or in board
form for fabrication of rectangular ductwork. Round and rectangular ducts
have a minimum density of about 48 kg/m3, with a thermal conductivity of
0.033 W/(m·K) at 24°C mean temperature.
Round ducts with a diameter of up to about 760 mm and boards in various
thicknesses and sizes are used to form required sizes of rectangular ducts.
The maximum recommended velocity is 10 m/s, although tests at
velocities exceeding 50 m/s show no fiber erosion. Primary use is for low-
pressure systems tested at 1.5 times the recommended static pressure.
Maximum recommended air temperature is 120°C. A complete system
provides greater decibel attenuation than is usually provided by standard
duct liners, with greater reduction in airborne equipment noise and
crosstalk. Higher design velocities are also possible.
Heating Ducts
The effect of duct insulation on residential heating system equipment
size can be marginal. However, insulation can reduce operating costs
significantly, depending on unit costs for heating and the extent of duct
exposed to outside conditions. In addition, duct insulation maintains the
supply air temperature, which may keep the air entering the conditioned
space within a more comfortable range.
Vapor retarders are not required on exterior insulation of ducts used for
heating alone, but they must be provided for ducts used for alternate
heating and cooling.

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1
Cooling Ducts
Insulation can reduce operating costs and cooling equipment size
significantly. The advantage of adequate insulation is especially
significant in areas with high dry-bulb and dew-point temperatures.
Ducts for summer air conditioning are insulated with the same materials as
heating ducts. Ducts in any unconditioned space should be insulated and
have vapor retarders to prevent condensation.
Joints and laps in the vapor retarder must be sealed. Flexible closed cell
insulation does not always need a supplemental vapor retarder, but care
must be taken to form vapor-tight seams at joints.

Figure 2 components of duct insulation

Duct insulation can provide many benefits including:
Improved comfort. Duct insulation minimizes conductive heat losses and
gains, allowing supply air to be delivered closer to design temperatures. In
winter, “cold blows” will be reduced in rooms supplied with long duct
runs. This can result in quicker recovery from night-time setbacks and a
more consistent level of comfort throughout a house.
Lower utility bills. The average homeowner spends about $700 per year
on heating and cooling. Duct insulation minimizes conductive heat losses
and gains and reduces heating and cooling systems’ operating time. This
results in lower energy bills, making homes less expensive to operate.

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1
Lower equipment costs. Duct insulation can reduce space conditioning
loads and, and in some cases, allows for the installation of smaller, less
costly heating and cooling equipment.

Duct Insulation calculation:

In all new construction (except low-rise residential buildings), air-
handling ducts and plenums installed as part of an HVAC air distribution
system should be thermally insulated ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Duct
insulation for new low-rise residential buildings. The insulation
thicknesses in these standards are minimum values. Economic
considerations may justify higher insulation levels. Additional insulation,
vapor retarders, or both may be required to limit vapor transmission and
condensation.
Duct heat gains or losses must be known for the calculation of supply air
quantities, supply air temperatures, and coil loads.
To estimate duct heat transfer and entering or leaving air temperatures, use
the following equations:

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1

Figure 1 A

Figure 1 B
Use Figure 13A to determine U-factors for insulated and uninsulated
ducts. Lauvray (1978) has shown the effects of (1) compressing insulation

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1
wrapped externally on sheet metal ducts and (2) insulated flexible ducts
with air-porous liners. For a 50 mm thick, 12 kg/m3 fibrous glass blanket
compressed 50% during installation, the heat transfer rate increases
approximately 20% (see Figure 1A). Pervious flexible duct liners also
influence heat transfer significantly (see Figure 1B). At 12.7 m/s, the
pervious liner U-factor is 1.87 W/(m2 ·K); for an impervious liner, U =
1.08 W/(m2·K).
Figure 1 A,B shows heat transfer coefficients for insulated and uninsulated
ducts. Note that when internal insulation is used, the external duct
dimensions must be increased to compensate. Also, the roughness factor
for internal duct lining may differ significantly from the ‘‘standard’’
roughness of 0.0003. In calling out duct sizes, it is common practice to
present the net free duct size and add the internal insulation thickness to it,
i.e., 24 _ 12 in _ 1 in AL. In some applications code requirements for
indoor air quality may prohibit the use of internal duct insulation.

Example 1.
A 20 m length of 600 mm by 900 mm uninsulated sheet metal duct, freely
suspended, conveys heated air through a space maintained above freezing
at 5°C. Based on heat loss calculations for the heated zone, 8100 L/s of
standard air [cp = 1.006 kJ/(kg·K)] at a supply air temperature of 50°C is
required. The duct is connected directly to the heated zone. Determine the
temperature of the air entering the duct and the duct heat loss.

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 Air Conditioning Equipment Technology
Mr. Dastan Zrar Ghafoor Chapter 1

Example 2.
Same as Example 1, except the duct is insulated externally with 50 mm
thick fibrous glass with a density of 12 kg/m3. The insulation is wrapped
with 0% compression.

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