Duct design

King Abdulaziz University

Air flow in ducts
College of Engineering

Major and Minor Losses in Ducts

Loss coefficient for some fittings

Mechanical Engineering

Equivalent length for a fittings

Duct accessories

MEP 451 Refrigeration & Air Conditioning

Pressure diagram
Duct Design

Duct design
Equal friction method

June 2009

Balanced Capacity method

1

Air Flow in Ducts

2

Modified Bernoulli equation

Velocity air pressure, Pv

1

1 V12
1 V22 gl f
p1 + 2 g = p2 + 2 g + g
c
c
c

g c p1 1 V12 p2 1 V22

=
+
+
+ lf
g 2 g g 2 g

V2 V
=
Pv =

1097 4005

Major and minor losses

V2 V
=
Pv =

1.414 1.29

Ps1 + Pv1 = Ps 2 + Pv 2 + Pf
P01 = P02 + Pf

Pf =

gl f
gc

Pv in in water and V in ft/min

Pv in Pa and V in m/s

Pressure loss between 1 and 2

3

Moody Diagram

Major losses in duct

Pf = f

L V2

D 2g

f friction factor = f(Re, e/D)

12e
1
2.51
= 2 log10
+
f
3.7 D Re D f

F = friction factor=f(Re, roughness)

e is the pipe roughness
5

Duct Design

Uses of pressure loss charts

Equivalent of a circular duct

1-In English unit chart (Fig. 12.21), the y-axis is the pressure
drop per 100 ft length of the duct
2-The chart has 4 parameters: pressure drop, air flow rate,
air velocity, and duct diameter

De = 1.3

3-Knowing two of these parameters, one can get the other

two parameters

(ab )5 / 8
(a + b )1/ 4

4-The given duct size is for circular pipe. Use the equivalent
table or equation to find the size of the rectangular duct
De equivalent diameter
a and b are the dimension of a rectangular duct

10

Figs. 12.21 and 12.22 correction factors

A) Correction factor for density and viscosity when T >100F (38 C)

C = a
s

0.9

a

s

0.1

subscript a refers to actual and s refers to standard condition

P0 a = CP0 s

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12

Duct Design

B-Correction due to duct liners

Non-circular duct

f for typical galvanized duct is 0.02

Dh =

f for liners is between 0.03 and 0.06

4(Cross sec tion area )

Wetted Perimeter
Re D =

VD VD
=

Re Dh =

VDh VDh
=

Roughness correction factor

for commercial duct liners 13

Notes on using pressure

loss chart

14

Minor losses (losses in fittings)

P = C0

You can enter the chart knowing the CFM and

pressure loss to get duct size in diameters and air
velocity
If you know the flow rate and rectangular cross
section velocity, then calculate V and enter the chart
using V and Dh

V 2
2g

= C0 Pv

Tables to finds Co for different fittings

15

16

Table 12.8 C

17

18

Duct Design

19

20

21

22

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Duct Design

Example 12.8
Compute the pressure loss due to a round 90 diverging section. The common
section is 12, and the straight through section is 10 . The flow rate in the
common section is 1100 cfm, the flow rate in the branch is 250 cfm.
c

Straight section
Vs =

Qs
= 1558 ft/min
As
Qs 850
=
= 0.77
Qc 1100

As
= 0.69
Ac

Branch section
Vb =

Qb 250
=
= 0.23
Qc 1100
Ab
= 0.25
Ac

P0 = C

Cb =1.55

L V2

D 2g

Minor losses (losses in fittings)

From fig. 12.11B

V
P0 s = Cs s = 0.021 in H 2O
4005

Major loss

PL = f

Qb
= 1273 ft/min
Ab

Cs=0.14

Equivalent of a minor loss in terms of

straight pipe length

V2
2g

L C
=
D f

V
P0b = Cb b = 0.16" H 2O
4005
25

26

27

28

Example 12.9

Duct accessories

Compute Le for duct system

shown in figure

1- Dampers (Parallel blades and opposed blades)

2-Fire dampers
3-Turnning vanes (linear and aerofoil)

Fittings

Description

Loss
coefficient Co

Le (ft)

Le (m)

Entrance

Conical =0 Table
12.10A
f=0.022 for D=10

0.5

19

5.8

45 Diverging
branch

Cb=0.6, Table 12.11A,

D=6

0.6

11

3.4

Straight 45
diverging

Cs=0.13, Table 12.11A,

f=0.0225 for D=9

0.13

1.22

90 elbow

C=0.43, Table 12.8A,

f=0.028, D=9

0.43

7.7

2.35
29

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Duct Design

Pressure diagrams

Pressure
diagram

Energy grade line EGL=Total

pressure=Po

-0.04

Hydraulic grade line EGL=static

pressure, Ps

31

32

Pressure diagrams
Duct design methods

1-Equal friction method

2-Balanced capacity method
3-Static regain method

33

34

Example 12.11

Equal friction method

1-Select the run with the anticipated max. flow resistance
2-Calculate the duct equivalent length (Le)
3-From the known pressure available for the supply duct, calculate the pressure loss
in inches of water per 100 feet (P/L)

Size the duct system shown using equal friction method.

Total pressure available fro duct is 0.12 water. The
pressure drop for each diffuser is 0.02 water

4-Size each duct section using the pressure drop and the flow rate in that section
5-Calculate the total pressure drop for each run. Use dampers when necessary

35

36

Duct Design

Summary of results for Example 12.11

Example 12.11
Section

Q (cfm)

D (in)

V (ft/min)

P0 / L

Le

Available pressure is 0.12 in

H2O (30 Pa). Loss in diffuser
is 0.02 in H2O (5 Pa).

500

12

650

0.058

50

0.029

350

10

650

0.07

23

0.016

150

440

0.045

87

0.039

L123 = ( L1 + Lent ) + ( L2 + Lst ) + ( L3 + Lwye + L45 + L90 + Lboot )

200

590

0.075

73

0.055

150

440

0.045

80

0.036

L123 = (20 + 30) + (15 + 8) + (25 + 13 + 6 + 10 + 33) = 160 ft

Pressure losses in each run

Run P0 ( inches water)

P0 / L = 0.1* (100 / 160) = 0.063 in H 2 O per 100 ft

37

123

0.029+0.016+0.039=0.084

124

0.029+0.016+.055=0.010

15

0.029+0.036=0.065

38

Example 12.12

Balanced Capacity method

For section 4

P04 = P03 = 0.039 inches of water

Example 12. 12

P04 / L = 0.039(100 / 74) = 0.053

From Fig. 12.21 D4=8.7 or 9 inches V4=469 ft/min
For section 5

P05 = 0.084 0.029 = 0.055

From Fig. 12.21 D5=7.4 or 8 inches V5 =440 ft/min
The difference between the two solution is minor
section Equal friction method Balanced Capacity method
4

D4=8

D4=9

D5=8

D5=8

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40

Recommended air velocities (f/m)

Recommended velocity
Residence

Schools, public
areas

Industrial areas

Outside air
inlet

500

500

500

Fan outlet

700

800

1000

Main ducts

700-900

1000-1300

1200-1800

Branch duct

500-600

500-600

800-1000

Recommended velocities regions

41

1 m/s 200 ft/min

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Duct Design