Fans and Building Air Distribution

Lecture 7

1
Forced-air distribution system design
Bldg. design loads Determine design
Select system type airflow required

Vmax
Room loads Diffuser and return grille selection:
Diffuser type • Location
Return grille type • Number

V and p for each terminal device

Lay out supply
and return ducts

Duct schematic
Size main and
Duct design method
Branch ducts

2
 First Law applied for air flow in a duct
• SSSF, no heat transfer across boundary except friction loss, no
work across boundary.

p1, v, V1 p2, v, V2

1 2
Q  m  h  KE  PE   W
 P V 2  
 q friction        gz 
   2  
 V 2  
 q friction  Ptot   P     gz  Total pressure lost
  2  
q friction Ptot  P 1  V 2  
  ltot        z  Lost head
g g  g g  2  
3
 Lost head in pipe flow
• For incompressible pipe flow, the lost head is

L V2
ltot  f
D 2g
Friction factor f is given by
1  e 2.51 
 2 log10   
f  3.7 D Re D f 

• For a smooth galvanized duct, absolute roughness e = 0.0005 ft

4
 System Characteristic
• Total pressure lossptot = ltot  g  V 2
• Losses:
– Friction ptot
– Bends
– Elbows
– Transition
– Branches
– Dampers
– Valves V 2

5
 Flows in series; flows in parallel
• Flows in series:

ptot = p i
ptot
V  V i p2
p1
V
• Flows in parallel
p
V tot = ptot,i
tot 
V i

ptot

V 1 V 2 V tot

6
 Air flow in ducts
• The total pressure drop in duct system determines the fan
requirement: (ptot)rise across fan = (ptot)drop in system

ptot = pstatic +  V2/2

• The total pressure drop always increases in direction of flow.
• Depending on the cross sectional area (velocity), the static
pressure may increase or decrease.
7
Pressure changes during flow in ducts

Patm
P velocity
pressure
total pressure

static pressure

8
 Velocity pressure
2 2
 V   V 

EN UNITS : pV      21.84 2  in. wg
 4005   D 
2 2
 V   V 

SI UNITS : pV     97.418  2  Pa
 1.29  D 
where
pressure in in. wg or Pa
mean velocity V in fpm or m/s
volume flow rate V  in cfm or L/s
diameter D in inch or cm

9
 Frictional losses in ducts
• For incompressible flow in ducts, the lost head is
L V2
ltot  f
De 2 g

cubic feet per minute

Equivalent diameter : t er

vel
e
m

oci
 Circular duct : De  D dia
t

ty
c
(ab) 5 / 8 du
 Rectangular duct : De  1.3
( a  b)1/ 4
1.55 A0.625
 Oval duct : De 
P 0.25
friction factor f is given by
p in. wg/100 ft
1  e 2.51 
 2 log10   
f  3.7 D Re D f  Figures 12-21 and 12-22
Pages 419-420
• For a smooth galvanized duct,
absolute roughness e = 0.0005 ft
10
 Dynamic losses
• Dynamic losses in fittings and transitions
ptot = C0 pV,0 = Cx pV,x
– C0 is the loss coefficient (Tables 12-9 to 12-13.)
– Cx = C0 / (Vx /V0)2
– pV,0 is the velocity pressure at reference location for fitting.
• Equivalent length (Table 12-15)
DC0
Leq 
f
• For turbulent flows where f is independent of Re,
f = f (D) and is given in Table 12-14.
11
 Fans
• Centrifugal fans
– Radial
– Forward curved design
– Backward curved design: most widely used, higher
efficiency.
• Axial fans are characterized by higher flow rates,
higher noise level and airfoil shaped blades.

12
 Performance data of fans
• At a given fan speed and airflow:
– Total pressure: ptot inches of water
– Static pressure: ps ≤ ptot inches of water
– Power required at this operating point: hp, kW
• The motor rating should be larger than maximum required power
of all operating conditions.
– Total efficiency
W tot added to air m ptot / 
tot  

Wshaft supplied to fan W shaft
– Static efficiency
W static added to air m ps / 
 static 


Wshaft supplied to fan W shaft

13
Fan laws for aerodynamically similar fans
3
V  V  D2   N2 
 
2 1 
D
 1  N1 
2 2
 D2   N2   2 
ptot,2  ptot,1      
 D1   N1   1 
5 3
 D2   N2   2 
W2  W1  
     
 D1   N1   1 

14
Methods used to control centrifugal fan performance
ptot
Full-speed
ptot Full-open ¾ speed
3/4 1/2
½ speed

V 1 V 2 V 3 V

Variable inlet vanes: Variable fan speed:

• At small flow rate, ptot is the • At part load conditions, the
same. smaller flow rate required is
• Power requirement is slightly established at lower speed  lower
reduced as fan operates from fully- power requirement. i.e. Big
open to partly open. savings!
15
 Air flow control
• Balance point
(ptot)rise across fan = (ptot)drop in system

System characteristic
ptot

balance point

fan characteristic

V
16
 Changing duct system characteristic – damper control
• Parallel blade dampers: for constant air volume.
• Opposed blade dampers: for variable air volume.

System characteristic
ptot new balance
point
2
1 initial balance point

fan characteristic

V 2 V 1 V
Actuate dampers: increase airflow resistance.
V   ptot   W  V ptot  same

17
 Fan speed control
ptot System characteristic

Speed N1
ptot,2
Speed N2 1 initial balance point
ptot,1
2
fan characteristic

V 2 V 1 V

Reduce fan speed: fan characteristic curve shifts down.

  & p   W  V
V  p 
tot tot

18
 Variable Air Volume Operation

When load in
Slow down
zone is satisfied:
fan: N1→N2 pressure
actuate dampers
sensor

ptot System characteristic

• Both dampers
Speed N1
and fan speed ptot,2
are used. Speed N2 1 initial balance point
ptot,1
• Excellent for 2
fan characteristic
part loads.
V 2 V 1 V
19