Section 7: Air Conditioning

(Cooling)

Unit 37: Air Distribution and

Balance
 Conditioning Equipment
• Air has to be conditioned to be comfortable
• Equipment includes cooling coil, heating
device, device to add humidity, and device
to clean air
• Forced air systems use the same room air
over and over again
• Fresh air enters the structure by infiltration
or by mechanical means
Conditioning Equipment
(cont’d.)

Figure 37–1 Ventilation using fresh air

 Correct Air Quantity
• The forced air system delivers the
correct quantity of conditioned air to the
occupied space
• Different spaces require different air
quantities
• Same structure may have several
different cooling requirements
Figure 37–3 This floor plan has the heating and cooling requirements for each
room indicated
 The Forced-Air System
• Components that make up the forced-
air system
– The blower
– Air supply system
– Return air system
– Grilles and registers
• Occupants should not be aware if the
system is on or off
Figure 37–5 Duct fittings
 The Blower
• Provides the pressure difference to force
the air into the duct system, through the
grilles and registers, and into the room
• Pressure in the ductwork is measured in
inches of water column (in. W.C)
• Air pressure in the ductwork is measured
with a manometer
 System Pressures
• Duct system is pressurized by three
pressures
– Static pressure: air pressure in the duct
– Velocity pressure: pressure generated by
the velocity and weight of the air
– Total pressure
• Static pressure plus velocity pressure
equals total pressure
System Pressures (cont’d.)

Figure 37–12 A manometer connected to measure

the total air pressure in the duct
System Pressures (cont’d.)

Figure 37–10 A manometer connected to measure the static pressure

System Pressures (cont’d.)

Figure 37–11 A manometer connected to measure

the velocity pressure of the air moving in the duct
Air-Measuring Instruments for
Duct Systems
• Velometer: measures actual air velocity
(how fast the air is actually moving in
the duct)
• Air volume in cfm can be calculated by
multiplying the air velocity by the cross-
sectional area of the duct in square feet
• Pitot tube: used with special
manometers for checking duct pressure
Types of Fans and
Blowers
 Types of Fans and Blowers
• Propeller fan
– Used in exhaust fan and condenser fan
applications
– Will handle large volumes of air at low
pressure differentials
– Set into a housing called a venturi, which
forces airflow in a straight line from one
side of the fan to the other
Types of Fans and Blowers
(cont’d.)

Figure 37–18 A propeller-type fan

 Types of Fans and Blowers
(cont’d.)
• Squirrel cage blower or forward
curved centrifugal blower
– Desirable for ductwork
– Builds more pressure from the
inlet to the outlet
– Has a forward curved blade and a
cutoff to shear the air spinning
around the fan wheel
– Can be used in very large high-
pressure systems
Types of Fans and Blowers
(cont’d.)

Figure 37-19 A centrifugal blower

 Types of Drive Assemblies
• Belt-drive blowers have two bearings on
the fan shaft and two bearings on the
motor
– Motor pulleys and fan motor pulleys can be
adjusted to change fan speeds
• Direct-drive motors use no pulleys or
belts and can be multi-speed motors
– Speeds can be changed by changing
motor wire leads
Types of Drive Assemblies
(cont’d.)

Figure 37–21 This blower is driven with a motor using a belt

and two pulleys to transfer the motor energy to the fan wheel
Types of Drive Assemblies
(cont’d.)

Source: Delhi

Figure 37–23 The wiring diagram of a multiple-speed motor

 The Supply Duct System
• Distributes air to the terminal units,
registers, or diffusers in the conditioned
space
• Duct systems
– Plenum system
– Extended plenum system
– Reducing plenum system
– Perimeter loop
 The Plenum System
• Suited for a job where the room outlets
are all close to the unit
• Supply diffusers are normally located on
the inside walls
• Work better on fossil-fuel systems
• Fossil-fuel supply air temperatures
could easily reach 130°F
The Plenum System (cont’d.)

Figure 37–26 Using a plenum system

The Reducing Plenum System
• Reduces the trunk duct size as branch
ducts are added
• Has the advantage of saving material
and keeping the same pressure from
one end of the duct system to the other
The Reducing Plenum System
 Duct Materials
• For years, galvanized sheet metal was
used exclusively
• Other ductwork materials
– Aluminum
– Fiberglass ductboard
– Spiral metal duct
– Flexible duct
 Galvanized Steel Duct
• Gauge is the measurement of the
thickness of galvanized steel duct
• The gauge size means how many
pieces of that material would need to be
stacked together to make a one-inch
stack
• Metal duct can be round, square, or
rectangular
 Fiberglass Duct
• Styles: flat sheet or round prefabricated
cut
• Duct is normally 1 in. thick with
aluminum foil backing
• Special knives are used to make special
cuts to turn duct board into ductwork
• All duct seams should be stapled and
taped
 Spiral Metal Duct
• Used more on large systems
• Comes in rolls of flat narrow metal
• Runs can be made at the job site
• Can be located within the occupied
space for a more contemporary look
 Flexible Duct
• Comes in sized up to 24 in. in diameter
• Some have a reinforced aluminum foil
backing; some come with vinyl or foil
backing and insulation on it
• Keep duct runs as short as possible
• Has more friction loss than metal duct
• Flex duct should be stretched as tight
as possible
Flexible Duct (cont’d.)

Figure 37–44 Flexible duct

 Combination Duct Systems
• Some examples:
– Metal trunk lines with round or flexible branch
ducts, or with or round metal branch ducts
– Ductboard trunk lines with flexible branch
ducts
– Round metal ducts with round metal branch
ducts
– Round metal trunk lines with flexible branch
ducts
 Balancing Dampers
• Used to balance the air in various parts
of the system
• Dampers should be located as close as
practical to the trunk line
• The trunk is the place to balance airflow
• Handles allow the dampers to be turned
at an angle to the airstream to slow the
air down
Balancing Dampers (cont’d.)

Figure 37–57 Balancing dampers

 Duct Insulation
• A 15°F temperature difference from
the inside to the outside of the duct is
considered the maximum difference
allowed before insulation is necessary
• Metal duct can be insulated on the
outside and on the inside
• The insulation is joined by lapping it,
stapling it, and taping it
 Blending the Conditioned Air
with Room Air
• Air should be directed onto the walls
• The diffuser spreads the air to the
desired air pattern
• Place diffusers next to the outside walls
• How far the air will be blown from the
diffuser into the room depends on the
air pressure behind the diffuser and the
style of the diffuser blades
 The Return Air Duct System
• Individual return air system will give the
most positive return air
– The return air duct is normally sized slightly
larger than the supply duct
– A path must be provided for the air to return
to the central return
– The return air grille should be around an
elbow from the furnace
The Return Air Duct System
(cont’d.)

Figure 37-70 Air stratifies even when distributed because

warm air rises and cold air falls
 Sizing Duct for Moving Air
• Friction loss in ductwork
– Due to the rubbing action of the air against
the side of the duct and the turbulence of
the air while moving down the duct
– The smoother the duct’s interior surface is,
and the slower the air is moving, the less
friction there will be
– Each foot of duct offers a known resistance
to airflow
 Measuring Air Movement for
Balancing
• Air balancing is accomplished by
measuring the air leaving each register
• Measuring velocity of the duct in a cross
section of the duct
• Determine the cfm by using the formula:
CFM = area in square feet x velocity in
feet per minute
400 cfm/ton
 Measuring Air Movement for
Balancing (cont’d.)

Figure 37–74 This cross section of duct with airflow shows how to measure
duct area and air velocity
 Residential Duct System
Problems
• Common duct problems
– Excessively long flexible duct runs
– Disconnected duct runs
– Closed dampers
– Collapsed flexible duct
– Loose insulation in the duct
– Blocked grills and/or registers
 Commercial Duct Systems
• Each area has specifications regarding
the required amount of airflow
– Certified testing and balancing company
should verify airflow
– Flow hoods measure air volume at supply
registers; total airflow is measured at the
main duct
• Common problems include dirty filters, partially
closed dampers, and incorrect fan rotation
 Summary
• Forced air systems use the same air
over and over
• Fresh air enters the structure by
infiltration
• Forced air systems deliver the correct
quantity of conditioned air to the
occupied space
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Different spaces require different air
quantities
• Forced air systems are made up of the
blower, supply duct system, return air
system and supply registers or grilles
• Typically, 400 cfm of air must be moved
per minute per ton of air conditioning
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Pressure in the ductwork is measured in
inches of water column (in. W.C)
• Static pressure plus velocity pressure
equals total pressure
• Air volume in cfm can be calculated by
multiplying the air velocity by the cross-
sectional area of the duct in square feet
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Propeller fans are used in exhaust fan
and condenser fan applications and can
handle large volumes of air at low
pressure differentials
• Centrifugal blowers are used in duct
systems
• Motor drives can be direct or belt driven
assemblies
 Summary (cont’d.)
• The supply duct system can be
configured as a plenum, extended
plenum, reducing extended plenum or
perimeter loop system
• Duct systems can be made of
galvanized metal, aluminum, fiberglass
duct board, spiral metal, flexible duct or
a combination of different materials
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Branch ducts deliver the proper amount
of air to remote locations in the
structures
• Balancing dampers are used to help
ensure proper airflow to the remote
locations
 Summary (cont’d.)
• The return air system can be configured
as a central or individual return air
system
• Friction in the duct slows the air flowing
in it
• Slower air experiences less friction
 Summary (cont’d.)
• Air balancing ensures the proper
amount of air is delivered to each
supply register
• CFM = velocity x cross sectional area
• The friction chart is used to properly
size duct systems