MEC E 463 Fall 2019 Dr.

Lexuan Zhong

Problem Set 1 - Solutions

2.3 For most building design projects, the architectural trade tends to be the consultant (i.e. the lead
consultant for the project) who hires the mechanical and the electrical trades as sub-consultants on
the project. In most cases, the mechanical engineering sub-consultant has expertise in the design
of ductwork to transport air for the purposes of heating and/or cooling an occupied space. The
following section of a second-floor tenant plan of an office building has been given by an architect.

An HVAC engineer has determined the amount of air (shown in the following table) required to
maintain a comfortable space. However, the engineer missed the fact that ASHRAE Standard 62
requires that 20 cfm per person of fresh outdoor air from a duct system must be provided.

Office Space Heating Air Requirement

Office 204 310 cfm
Office 205 450 cfm
Office 206 170 cfm
Office 207 500 cfm

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MEC E 463 Fall 2019 Dr. Lexuan Zhong

a) To ensure an aesthetically pleasing finish in the space, the architect has requested the design
of a ductwork system based on round ducts. Due to the fact that most of the occupants of this
section of the floor are managers and/or directors in the complex hierarchy of the client’s
company, the architect would like to have a dedicated fan installed with the ductwork for this
section of offices. The fan is to be located on the roof above the offices, and it will be fitted with
a plenum section.
b) Based on the design of the ductwork, specify the minimum operating condition of the fan. To
be closer to reality, pressure losses from a filter and heating/cooling coils prior to the plenum are
suggested to be considered here.

a) Possible Solution:
Objective
To determine the duct material, sizes of round duct, and necessary fittings in a ductwork system, and
show the system layout.

Data Given or Known

i. Office 204 has a length of 18 ft and a width of 10 ft.
ii. The fan is complete with a plenum section.
iii. The amount of air, less the fresh air required by code, is provided by the HVAC engineer in tabular
format.
iv. 20 cfm per person of fresh outdoor air is required.

Assumptions/Limitations/Constraints
i. Limit the friction loss everywhere in the duct system to approximately 0.1 in. wg. per 100 ft
duct. This is a standard industry guideline.
ii. Limit the air velocity in the ductwork to 1200 fpm. Since this is an office space, a noisy, high-
velocity duct system may not be desired. Therefore, a low-velocity duct system will be designed
where the maximum velocity should be 1200 fpm.

iii. Galvanized sheet metal will be used to fabricate the duct since this is typically the material of
choice for these types of applications.

iv. Diffusers will be needed for discharge into the office spaces. Assume that the pressure loss
across the diffuser is 0.05 in. wg (Table 2.2). Note that this really depends on the selection of
the diffuser.

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v. Pleated 90-degree elbow is used as the fitting 5.

Sketch
The following sketch shows the tentative layout, complete with numbering of the branches.

Analysis
The total flow rates to each of the offices shall be determined to find the duct sizes. Based on the titles
for the offices, it is clear that each office will have a single full-time occupant. Including the
requirement of ASHRAE Standard 62, the total flow rates for the offices are:

Office Space Total Air Requirement

Office 204 330 cfm
Office 205 470 cfm
Office 206 190 cfm
Office 207 520 cfm

It was assumed that the pressure loss in the ductwork would be on the order of 0.1 in. wg. per 100 ft
duct. The friction loss chart (Figure A.1) for round, straight galvanized steel ducts will be consulted to
determine the round duct sizes. For verification, the actual pressure loss per 100 ft duct and the duct

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velocity will be provided to ensure that the design constraints were not violated.

Duct Section Duct Diameter Air Velocity Air Flow Pressure Loss
in. fpm cfm in. wg./100 ft
1-2 16 1090 1510 0.1
2- Office 204 8 900 330 0.18
2-3 14 1150 1180 0.13
3- Office 205 10 860 470 0.125
3-4 12 920 710 0.11
4- Office 206 7 750 190 0.15
4- Office 207 10 980 520 0.14

In all the sections, the pressure loss in the ducts is on the order of 0.1 in. wg. per 100 ft duct and the air
velocities are less than 1200 fpm.

Drawings
The layout, including the sizes of the ducts, is shown below.

900 fpm 860 fpm 750 fpm 980 fpm

1090 fpm 1150 fpm 920 fpm

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Conclusion
The ductwork system has been designed as specified with round ducts (see the final drawing with
primary design parameters). The velocities in all the duct sections were less than 1200 fpm. The
friction losses were on the order of 0.1 in. wg. per 100 ft duct. Some odd duct sizes are present.
These may be increased to even numbers, if desired. However, to balance the systems, dampers may
be needed in the branches at the diffusers.

b)
Objective
Specification of the minimum operating condition of the fan: the minimum airflow rate and static
pressure at the fan will be provided.

Data Given or Known

The total airflow rate required for this system is 1510 cfm.

Assumptions/Limitations/Constraints
i. It was assumed that the pressure drop across the filters was similar to that across a 30/30 pre-
filter.
ii. It was also assumed that both heating and cooling coils were present (ΔPheating =ΔPcooling =
0.35” wg).
iii. the entrance to the duct from the plenum is an abrupt 90° entrance. This will ensure that the
fan is a bit larger.

Analysis

*Assume the longest branch creates the largest pressure drop in this project. The longest branch is
labelled 1-2-3-4-5-Office 207. Determine the total length (straight duct length, plus equivalent lengths
of fittings) of this branch (LLB).

L1-207 = Lentrance + L1−2 + Ltee,thru,2 + L2−3 + Ltee,thru,3 + L3−4 + Ltee,thru,4 + L4−5 + Lelbow,90,5 + L5-207

*Assumptions will be made regarding the length of the duct sections. These lengths (see the final
drawing) are based on the length and width of Office 204, given in the problem statement. For duct
sizes larger than 12 in., the Le/D ratio will be used to find the equivalent lengths. Duct contractions
typically produce low losses and are negligible.

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Method-1 (this method has limited applications): Using the 0.1” wg/100 ft to quickly check the total
length (this is not an accurate way, but helpful to get a quick answer). Additional pressure will be
considered.
Therefore,
L1-207 = (40 + 5 + 10.7 + 10 + 9.3 + 10 + 8+ 15 + 13 + 14) ft ≈ 135 ft.
Hence,
0.1 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑔
∆𝑃𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 = × 135𝑓𝑡 = 0.135 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑔
100𝑓𝑡
There is also a pressure loss across the diffuser to Office 207. Thus, the total pressure (refer to Table 2.2)
required at the fan and plenum is
ΔPstatic,fan = ΔPduct + ΔPdiffuser + ΔPplenum + ΔPfilter + 2ΔPheating/cooling coil
ΔPstatic,fan = (0.135 + 0.05 + 0.50 + 0.30 + (2)*0.35) in. wg.
ΔPstatic,fan = 1.69 in. wg.
Check other side branch pressure drop:
L1-204 = Lentrance + L1−2 + Ltee,thru,2 + Ltee,br,2 + L2-204 = 40 + 5 + 10.7 + 27 + 14 = 96.7 ft < L1-207
L1-205 = Lentrance + L1−2 + Ltee,thru,2 + L2−3 + Ltee,thru,3 + Ltee,br,3 + L3-205 = 40 + 5 + 10.7 + 10 + 9.3 +
33 + 14 = 122 ft < L1-207
L1-206 = Lentrance + L1−2 + Ltee,thru,2 + L2−3 + Ltee,thru,3 + L3−4 + Ltee,thru,4 + Ltee,br,4 + L4-206 = 40 + 5 +
10.7 + 10 + 9.3 + 10 + 8+ 24 + 14 = 131 < L1-207

Hence, the assumption of longest run duct owning the largest pressure drop is correct.

Method-2 (wider applications, recommended to be used for all air/liquid system design in this course):
Accurately check the total pressure from the design parameters in the table above.

ΔP1-2 = 0.1/100 x (40+5+10.7) = 0.0557 in wg

ΔP2-3 = 0.13/100 x (10+9.3) = 0.0251 in wg
ΔP3-4 = 0.11/100 x (10+8) = 0.0198 in wg
ΔP4-207 = 0.14/100 x (15 + 13 + 14) = 0.0588 in wg
ΔP1-207= ΔP1-2 + ΔP2-3 + ΔP3-4 + ΔP4-207 = 0.159 in wg (0.024 in wg higher than method-1)

ΔPstatic,fan = ΔPduct + ΔPdiffuser + ΔPplenum + ΔPfilter + 2ΔPheating/cooling coil

ΔPstatic,fan = (0.159 + 0.05 + 0.50 + 0.30 + (2)*0.35) in. wg.
ΔPstatic,fan = 1.71 in. wg.

Check other side branch pressure drop:

ΔP2-204 = 0.18/100 x (14+27) = 0.0738 in wg
ΔP3-205 = 0.125/100 x (14+33) = 0.0588 in wg
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ΔP4-206 = 0.15/100 x (14+24) = 0.057 in wg

ΔP1-204= ΔP1-2 + ΔP2-204 =  + 0.0738 = 0.13 in wg < ΔP1-207

ΔP1-205= ΔP1-2 + ΔP2-3 + ΔP2-204 =  +  + 0.0738 = 0.155 in wg < ΔP1-207
ΔP1-206= ΔP1-2 + ΔP2-3 + ΔP3-4 + ΔP4-206 =  +  + 0.0198 + 0.057 = 0.158 in wg < ΔP1-207

Hence, the assumption of longest run duct owning the largest pressure drop is correct.

Conclusion

The minimum operating condition of the fan is 1510 cfm at 1.71 in. wg.

Note that including losses from the duct transition fittings, vertical distances between diffuers and
branches, and 90° elbow fittings would have increased the pressure loss to approximately 1.72-1.80
in. wg. Specifications of the filter, the heating/cooling coils, and diffusors used in this project would
produce more accurate numbers for the fan selection.

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2.6 The National Research Council has decided to pursue research in the area of spray-dried
agglomeration of nano-sized powder particles to produce micron-sized powder particles. Safety and
health regulations permit only a limited amount of these particles to escape into the ambient air of
the space. To that end, the Council has contracted the services of Alliance Engineering Corp. to
design a high-velocity duct system for a Farr® Gold Series 10 dust collector. The dust collector will
draw 4000 cfm of air in an effort to eliminate any powder particles from the space. The air will be
drawn through a hood and filter system, as shown. High efficiency, open-pleat style cartridge filters
with flame-retardant media and average pressure loss of 2.7 in. w.g. were used. A commercial shop
environment will be provided by the Council, in which the maximum duct velocity can be on the
order of 2500 to 6000 fpm. Size and specify the round ductwork between the hood and the duct
collector. The layout, accessories, and fittings that are chosen should be such that losses are kept at
a minimum. Specify an appropriate fan.

Further Information: Given that this is an industrial application, the designer may consider specification
of a utility or industrial centrifugal fan.

Possible Solution:
Objective
To design a round air duct. The size and material of the duct will be determined. The layout, accessories,
and fittings will be chosen on basis of minimum losses.

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Data Given or Known

i. The dimensions of equipment and distances between equipment are given.
ii. The maximum airflow rate is 4000 cfm.
iii. The air pressure loss across the filters is 2.7 in. w.g.
iv. It is a high-velocity duct system.
v. The maximum duct velocity is between 2500 to 6000 fpm

Assumptions/Limitations/Constraints
i. Galvanized steel is typically used to fabricate air duct systems. It will be chosen as the material.
ii. The entrance to the system at the hood will be a Bellmouth entrance. The exit to the dust collector
will also be a Bellmouth shape. This reduces noise and losses.
iii. Pleated 90o elbows will be used.

Sketch
A sketch of the system is not required here for this analysis. The final drawing will show the final duct
layout and size.

Analysis
Determine the maximum air velocity in the system
According to the problem statement, the maximum airflow rate in the duct will be 4000 cfm. From Table
2.3 and for high-velocity duct systems, an airflow rate 4000 cfm will require a maximum air velocity of
3000 fpm. This will be the velocity constraint in this design.

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Size the duct

The total volume flow rate of air and the maximum velocity will be used to guide the sizing of the duct.
The chart shown in Figure A.1 will be used to size the duct. The duct size, air velocity, and pressure loss
are:
16 inches, 2810 fpm, 0.6 in. wg. per 100 ft, respectively.

In this case, the duct velocity does not exceed 3000 fpm.

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Determine the pressure losses in the duct system
The total pressure loss in the duct system will be required to specify the requirements of the dust
collector fan. Therefore,

x (Lstraight + Lentrance + L90o bend + Lexit )

0.60 in. wg.
ΔP = Pfilter +
100 ft

0.60 in. wg.  L  L o   L 

ΔP = Pfilter + x  Lstraight + D entrance  + D 90 bend  + D exit  .
100 ft   D   D   D 

The length of straight duct is approximately,

Lstraight = 50 in. + 24 in. + 20 ft = 27 ft.

Table A.4 presents the equivalent lengths of the fittings for round ducts.
Thus,
0.60 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑔
∆𝑃 = 2.7 𝑖𝑛. 𝑤𝑔 + × [27 𝑓𝑡 + (1.33 𝑓𝑡)(12) + (1.33 𝑓𝑡)(15) + (1.33𝑓𝑡)(12)]
100 𝑓𝑡
ΔP = 3.2 in. wg.

In this case, the fan should be able to move 4000 cfm of air and provide an external static pressure
of 3.2 in. wg.

A Greenheck single-width industrial centrifugal belt drive fan will be selected for this application. The
fan should provide at least 4000 cfm of air over at least 3.2 in. w.g. of external static pressure (project
requirement). From the performance table for the Greenheck 15 BISW fan, 2830 rpm speed and 4.83 hp
motor are possible operational conditions. Based on the performance curves, a nominal 3100 rpm fan
and a capacity of 7.5 hp motor are selected for this project with a fan speed controller (including safe
room).

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Source: Greenheck Fan, Corp. (Reprinted with permission)

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Possible Operational point

Required formance

Drawings
The final drawing, showing the duct size is presented below.

2810 fpm, 4000 cfm

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Conclusions

A round duct (see the final drawing with primary design parameters) has been chosen for this high-
velocity system based on a maximum air velocity of 3000 fpm. Decisions were made throughout the
analysis to ensure that this constraint was not violated and that the system losses were kept low.

Throughout the design, it was decided to avoid the use of any fittings that produced abrupt changes in the
duct or flow pattern. This will prevent the accumulation of powder particles in the duct, which may be
difficult to clean or pose a risk of explosion. Smooth 90° elbow would be a better option in this project to
prevent the accumulation of dust inside.

In this application, the selected fan and motor was slightly oversized.

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MEC E 463 Fall 2019 Dr. Lexuan Zhong

2.9 Hot combustion gases from a large burner are being considered to heat cold water in a heat
exchanger. To facilitate operation and maintenance of the two units, they have been separated and
installed individually. The client failed to provide specific information regarding the heat
exchanger and conduct verification of the presence of electronics and electrical boards on the unit.
As per the 2006 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 31, Section 4.3.6, oil-

burning equipment must be installed so that a minimum 3 ft separation is maintained from any
electrical panel-board. The design strategy will be to connect a duct to the burner and route it to
the bottom of the heat exchanger. It is expected that 25,000 lb/hr of corrosive combustion gases at
600oF will be transported through the duct after combustion with a low air/fuel ratio. The duct will
be routed through the concrete slab of the floor in a trench to provide insulation, support, and
protection. Design and layout a low-velocity rectangular duct system.
Further Information: For the system designed, the maximum length of straight duct will depend
on the fact that the burner blower cannot provide more than 0.35 in. wg. of pressure.

Possible Solution:

Objective
To size a rectangular duct. The material of the duct will be selected. The layout, accessories, and fittings
will be chosen.

Data Given or Known

i. The flow rate of the combustion gases will be 25,000 lb/hr.
ii. The temperature of the combustion gases will be 600oF.
iii. The duct will be connected to the bottom of the heat exchanger.
iv. The burner blower can provide maximum 0.35 in. wg. of pressure.
v. A minimum 3 ft separation is maintained from burning equipment to any electrical panel-board.

Assumptions/Limitations/Constraints
i. Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) will be selected as the duct material, given the corrosive nature of
the combustion gases. Assume FRP has the similar friction feature as the Galvanized Steel, so
Figure A.1 can be used for duct sizing. Another alternative may be to use stainless steel. This may
be expensive, especially to install. Stainless steel duct lined with a Halar coating is also an option.
ii. The entrance and exit to the duct will be a Bellmouth shaped. This will reduce noise and losses.
iii. Any 90o elbows will be mitered with turning vanes. In that case, high-temperature filters should be
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placed in the burner to ensure that ash particulates do not enter and accumulate in the duct.
iv. Let the gas velocity in the duct be no more than 2200 fpm. For industrial applications, the maximum
velocity for low-velocity ducts should be 1300 to 2200 fpm (Table 2.1).
v. Assume that the combustion gases have the same properties as air since the fuel/air ratio is low.
vi. The duct will be connected close to the top of the burner to ensure that the hot, rising gases will enter
the duct.

Sketch
Below is a sketch of the system. The final drawing will show the final duct layout and size.

Analysis
Determine the flow rate of the gases
The flow rate of the gases, coupled with the maximum velocity will be needed to size the duct.
Therefore, from the mass flow rate,
𝑚̇ 25,000𝑙𝑏/ℎ𝑟 1ℎ𝑟
𝑄= = × = 11,132 𝑐𝑓𝑚
𝜌 0.03743𝑙𝑏/𝑓𝑡3 60𝑚𝑖𝑛
The properties are those of air at 600oF.

Size the round duct

The total volume flow rate of air and the maximum velocity will be used to guide the sizing of the duct.
The chart shown in Figure A.1 will be used to size the duct. The duct size, air velocity, and pressure loss
are:

30 inches, 2200 fpm, and 0.18 in. wg. per 100 ft, respectively.

In this case, the duct velocity does not exceed 2200 fpm.

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Determine the size of an equivalent rectangular duct

With the circular duct size known, a rectangular duct with equivalent friction and capacity will be
selected from Table A.3. The dimensions will be chosen so that the aspect ratio will be 4 or less.

Choose: 32 in. x 24 in.

In this case, the aspect ratio is 1.3 and the equivalent circular duct diameter is 30.1 in.

Determine the length of duct

The total pressure available from the blower will be used to specify the total length of duct. With the
total length known, the layout of the system can be fully presented. Hence, based on the sketch,

ΔP =
0.18 in. wg.
100 ft
(
x Lstraight + Lentrance + 4 L90o bend + Lexit )
0.18 in. wg.  L  L o  L 
ΔP = x  Lstraight + D entrance  + 4 D 90 bend  + D exit  .
100 ft   D   D   D 

Table A.4 presents the equivalent lengths of the fittings in round ducts.
Therefore,

0.35 in. wg. =

0.18 in. wg.
100 ft

x Lstraight + (2.5 ft )(12 ) + 4(2.5 ft )(10 ) + (2.5 ft )(12 )

Lstraight = 34 ft .

The length of straight duct cannot exceed 34 ft. For this design, restrict the duct length to 30 ft.

Drawings
The final drawing, showing the duct size and length is presented below. Note that the total length of
straight duct is 30 ft.

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2200 fpm, 11132 cfm

Note that since the dimensions of the duct are on the order of 24 to 32 inches, two pieces of 4 ft sections
of duct were allocated for attachment to the burner and heat exchanger to facilitate installation of some
electrical devices.

Conclusions
A rectangular duct has been chosen for the transport of hot corrosive gases from a burner to a heat
exchanger (See the final drawing indicating layout, fittings, and other design parameters).

An analysis was conducted to determine the maximum length of duct required, while avoiding adverse
impact on the performance of the burner blower in terms of its ability to produce sufficient pressure to
move the gases through the duct. The final lengths of the duct sections in the drawing will need to be
confirmed during the installation stage of the project, especially when additional information regarding
the dimensions of the burner and heat exchanger are known.

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