Damper 5.09SR883 Form; MODULAR VAV SYSTEMS BULLETIN acutherm™ Subject: Loop Duct Design Advantages of using a low velocity supply air loop ducts are: 1. Balances or equalizes static pressure around the loop at varying air flows. 2. Tenant change flexibility - additional Therma-Fusers can be installed in a system by using a spin in connection. 3. Easy balancing. 4, Low noise. The basic loop is as shown on page 13 of the Systems Recommendation manual and in Figure 1 of this bulletin, It supplies Therma-Fusers both in perimeter offices and in interior spaces. Note that a balancing damper is in each take off. Balancing dampers may not be shown in all figures in this bulletin but should be used with each Therma-Fuser. Static pressure control for the basic loop is achieved with a sensor located half way down the duct which is monitored by a controller usually set to measure between .15 to .20 inches wg. The controller is connected to an operator which varies a control damper per Figure 1 or varies a fan per Figure 2. Several means are available for varying fans which include variable inlet vanes, two motors and drives, two speed motor, A.C. inverter, mechanical speed control drive, variable pitch vane axial fan, variable outlet or wheel width fan or variable scroll diameter fan. Fans can be used where ‘static pressure controllers are shown in most of the remaining figures of this bulletin, The static pressure controller can be a damper per Bulletin 10.01EB482 or a VAY box. Keep the pressure drop over the damper as low as possible to avoid excessive noise or in the alternative use a acoustical damper or a sound trap immediately downstream from the damper. Depending on the acoustical characteristics of the damper a rule of thumb is to keep the pressure drop over the damper below 1 inch wg. rehng-pusue (TYPICAL) ‘Damnan (TyPicaL) : — FEmee FIGURE / eee FIGURE 2 Acutherm + 1766 Sabre 8 website: hi ce Lota eel + Hayward, CA 94845 + (610) 7 510 + Fax (610) 785-2517 p://www.acutherm.com * e-mail: in fo@acutherm.com20f 4 Most basic loops are shown with a constant cross section over the complete length. Some contractors prefer to install one cross section only and yet in some jobs cost savings can be gained by reducing the cross section as the air volume decreases, Where the air volume for each Therma-Fuser is established, the easiest and fastest (faster than a floppy disc) method of designing a reducing cross section loop 1) Use a good duct calculator. A round slide rule type is preferred over the linear type because it can be operated with one hand while writing with the other. An easy to read round version is the Trane Ductalator which can be purchased for $6.00 plus $2.00 postage from SNIPS Book Dept., 407 Manheim Road, Bellwood, IL 60104, phones 312/544-3870 and 3871. 2) Mark the velocity scale between 1300 and 700 fpm. 3) Mark the pressure drop per 100 feet scale between .1 and .06 inches wg. 4) Select the duct size for the cfm to be carried by staying in the range of 2) and 3) above. The air entering the loop should be at the higher velocities working down toward the far end of the loop. Occasionally velocities higher than 1300 fpm will be required to stay below .1 inch wg per 100 feet pressure drop. 5) Size the end of the loop the same as used before the last Therma-Fuser. Figure 3 is an example of this method of designing a reducing cross section loop. Although not shown reducing cross section loops can be used with all the various loop approaches illustrated in this bulletin. —pesr_size__ Run recreate cer Cac, USED SALE, USED 200 as nie” ast 1900s" ’ Bet 1350 oe 2x12" adit oo ete” 650 iat vo reéxet soo B10 sda zo FEF FIGURE 3 Diversity occurs in systems designed where 100% peak load will never happen simultaneously in all areas of the building served by the system. This is usually the result of the load on the east side of the building peaking before the loads on the south and west sides peak, Diversity allows the selection of a smaller fan - sized to handle the largest sum of the loads at a given time which can be as much as 20 to 30% less than the sum of the peak loads. If the system is designed for diversity it is not necessary to size each side of the loop for peak air flow provided the end of the loop is sized to handle additional air. A cross over may also be used to bring air from one side of the loop to the other during times of diversity. See Figure 4.3 0f 4 An additional use of a cross over duct is to reach interior areas not easily reached from the basic loop. When there will be almost no air movement through the end of the loop a small duct is sufficient to balance the pressure between the sides. See Figure 5. This occurs when no Therma-Fusers are attached to the end of the loop and there is no diversity or the front and the sides of the loop are sized to handle any diversity. With almost no air movement velocities through the end are very low resulting in low friction losses. This approach is particularly useful in a retrofit situation for converting two existing ducts into a loop. “FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 Low velocity ducts have larger cross sections which on large systems may be harder to fit in where the space above the ceiling is limited, In these instances rectangular ducts with higher aspect ratios may be necessary. They will not, however, significantly increase pressure drop in a low velocity system. In addition, three or more runs can be used if the cross section of two ducts becomes too large for the space as shown in Figure 6. Where an upward discharge fan is located in the center of each floor of a square building, a very economical loop per Figure 7 can be used, The fan can be in an air handling unit or water cooled packaged cooling only or heat pump unit. This design goes well with water cooled VAV package units. (VAV units are defined as having some form of unloading, some form of fan control and having built in controls), eee _f FIGURE 7Sof 4 A common building plan is a rectangular floor with both supply and return in the core per Figure 8. A two inlet loop can be used with a static controller for each inlet. Normally static controllers are slow acting to prevent hunting which should also reduce concern for the controllers not working in concert, SUPPLY FIGURE 8 Larger building may require several loops working off from one fan, This can occur when several loops are used for one floor to provide additional zones or resolve irregular building shapes or when one fan serves several floors per Figure 9. The fan and drive should be selected to provide only a small pressure drop across the loop controllers and the fan controlled to prevent static buildup in the riser or main duct. If the system is to be used for heating, installation of a second drive and smaller motor will allow the fan to be used economically to provide the lower air volumes for night heating. FIGURE 9 One or two of the approaches in this bulletin may appear unusual to some but it is hoped that they will provoke thought about this very useful approach, Variations of the low velocity supply air loop are only limited by the imagination of the designer, we magazine published an article on page 61 of the August 1983 issue titled "The Economics of VAV Duct Looping". giving more details on sizing reducing cross section loop ducts for diversity. This same magazine also has an article on page 107 re "Supply Fan Volume Control in a VAV System."