Objectives

- Air Distribution Systems

- Diffuser selection
- Duct design

Reading Assignment: Chapter 18

• Near Human Body flow

• Diffuser flow
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFgJn75LhGc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e3gixnmNzM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=550fA39PpbQ
Computational Fluid Dynamics
 CFD in Air Distribution Design

Contaminant concentration in a kitchen

 Buoyancy driven flow:
Example of airflow in a stairway

Heater (radiator)
Forced driven air flow
Diffusers
Grill (side wall)
Linear diffusers
diffusers
Vertical

Horizontal one side

 Diffusers types
Valve diffuser
swirl diffusers ceiling diffuser

wall or ceiling

floor
 Low mixing Diffusers
Displacement ventilation
18.7
 Diffuser Selection Procedure
Q Q
V  tot  sen
Δh Δt
V = maximum volumetric flow rate (m3/s, ft3/min)
Qtot = total design load (W, BTU/hr)
Qsen = sensible design load (W, BTU/hr)
ρ = air density (kg/m3, lbm/ft3)
Δt = temperature difference between supply and return air (°C, °F)
Δh = enthalpy difference between supply and return air (J/kg, BTU/lbm)

• Select and locate diffusers, divide airflow

amongst diffusers
Find Characteristic Length (L)
 Indicator of Air Distribution
Quality
• ADPI = air distribution performance index
• Fraction of locations that meet criteria:
• -3 °F < EDT < 2 °F or -1.5 °C < EDT < 1 °C
• Where, EDT = effective draft temperature
• Function of V and Δt (Eqn 18.1)

• EDT=(tlocal-taverage)-M(Vlocal-Vaverage) , M=7 °C/(m/s)

ADPI considers ONLY thermal comfort (not IAQ)

Ideal and Reasonable Throws
 Select Register
• Pick throw, volumetric flow from register catalog
• Check noise, pressure drop
 Summary of Diffuser Design
Procedure
1) Find Q sensible total for the space
2) Select type and number of diffusers
3) Find V for each diffuser
4) Find characteristic length
5) Select the diffuser from the manufacturer data
 Example 18.3
Q 
Q

V tot
 sen
• Qtot = 38.4 kBTU/hr
Δh C p Δt
• Δh = 9.5 BTU/lbma
 Pressures
• Static pressure

• Velocity pressure

• Total pressure – sum of the two above

Relationship Between Static and Total Pressure

Pt  Ps 

 V1  V2
2 2

2
 Duct Design
• Total and static pressure drops are proportional to
square of velocity
LV 2 LV 2
 f g  f  Ps
D2g D2
• Plot of pressure drop vs. volumetric flow rate (or
velocity) is called system characteristic
Frictional Losses
System Characteristic