DUCT DESIGN

INTRODUCTION

 A DUCT IS AN ENCLOSED PASSAGE OR CHANNEL USED FOR

TRANSFERING AIR.

 DUCT DESIGN REFERS TO PLANNING, SIZING, OPTIMIZING,

DETAILING AND FINDING PRESSURE LOSS THROUGH A DUCT
SYSTEM.
HEAD AND PRESSURE
 Head is the height of a fluid column supported by fluid flow.

 Pressure is the normal force per unit area.

 For liquids, it is convenient to measure head in terms of the

flowing fluid. With a gas or air, however, it is customary to
measure pressure on a column of liquid.

 Total pressure is the sum of static pressure and velocity pressure:

pt = ps + pv (12)
where
pt = total pressure, Pa
ps = static pressure, Pa
 DUCT WORK CLASSIFICATION
 LOW PRESSURE – CLASS A
STATIC PRESSURE LIMIT – POSITIVE PRESSURE – 500Pa
– NEGATIVE PRESSURE – 500Pa
MAXIMUM AIR VELOCITY – 10m/s
APPLICATION – LOW PRESSURE RISERS.

 MEDIUM PRESSURE – CALSS B

STATIC PRESSURE LIMIT – POSITIVE PRESSURE – 1000Pa
– NEGATIVE PRESSURE – 750Pa
MAXIMUM AIR VELOCITY – 20m/s
APPLICATION – MAIN FLOOR DISTRIBUTION.

 HIGH PRESSURE – CLASS C

STATIC PRESSURE LIMIT – POSITIVE PRESSURE – 2000Pa
– NEGATIVE PRESSURE – 750Pa
MAXIMUM AIR VELOCITY – 40m/s
APPLICATION – PLANT ROOMS AND RISERS.
DUCT MATERIAL
 ZINC COATED STEEL:
DUCTWORK WILL NORMALLY BE CONSTRUCTED FROM HOT DIP
GALVANIZED STEEL TO BS.EN10142:1991, Grade DX51D+Z, coating type Z275.

 MILD STEEL:
WHEN MILD STEEL IS SPECIFIED IT SHALL BE COLD-REDUCED STEEL
TO BS.EN10130:1991, GRADE FEP01A.

 STAINLESS STEEL:
WHEN STAINLESS STEEL IS SPECIFIED. IT WILL BE THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DESIGNER TO INDICATE THE TYPE MOST SUITABLE
FOR THE CONDITIONS TO WHICH THE DUCT- WORK WILL BE EXPOSED. THE
FACTORS BELOW SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. IN THIS CONNECTION,
REFERENCE MUST BE MADE TO BS 1449: PART 2.
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 PRE COATED STEEL:
PRE-COATED STEEL MAY BE SPECIFIED FOR AESTHETIC OR
OTHER REASONS. THE DESIGNER MUST THEN CONSIDER THE
AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE MATERIALS AND THE RESTRICTION ON
FABRICATION METHODS.

 ALUMINIUM:
WHERE ALUMINIUM IS SPECIFIED, IT WILL BE THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DESIGNER TO DEFINE THE TYPE MOST SUITABLE
FOR THE CONDITIONS TO WHICH THE DUCT-WORK WILL BE EXPOSED.
REFERENCE MUST BE MADE TO BS.EN485, BS.EN515 AND BS.EN573 FOR
ALUMINIUM SHEET AND BS.EN755 PARTS 3-6 FOR ALUMINIUM SECTION.
TYPES OF DUCTS
 SUPPLY AND RETURN AIR DUCT
 KITCHEN EXTRACT DUCT
 TOILET EXTRACT DUCT
 SMOKE EXTRACT DUCT
 GENERAL EXTRACT DUCT
 FRESH AIR DUCT
 PRESSURISATION DUCT
SHAPE OF DUCTS
 RECTANGULAR DUCT
 CIRCULAR DUCT
 OVAL DUCT
 FLEXIBLE DUCT
DUCT DESIGN METHODS
 EQUAL FRICTION METHOD:
In this method, ducts are sized for a constant
pressure loss per unit length.
When energy cost is high and installed ductwork
cost is low, a low friction rate design is more economical.
For low energy cost and high duct cost, a higher
friction rate is more economical.
After initial sizing, calculate total pressure loss for
all duct sections, and then resize sections to balance
pressure losses at each junction.
 STATIC REGAIN METHOD
 T-METHOD
 DUCT SIZES WITH AN ASPECT RATIO GREATER THAN 4:1 ARE NOT
RECOMMENDED. ALTHOUGH THEY OFFER NO PROBLEMS OF
CONSTRUCTION, THEY INCREASE FRICTIONAL RESISTANCE AND THE
POSSIBILITY OF NOISE.
TURNING VANES
 Where specified, or shown on drawings, square throat bends with
either duct dimension greater than 200 mm shall be fitted with
turning vanes which are illustrated in Figures 30a and 30b.

 Turning vanes at 60 mm maximum centres shall be fixed at both

ends either to the duct or compatible mounting tracks in accordance
with manufacturer’s instructions, the whole bank being fixed inside
the duct with bolts or mechanically closed rivets at 150 mm
maximum spacing.

 The maximum length of turning vane between duct walls or

intermediate support shall be 615 mm for single skin vanes and
1250 mm for double skin vanes.

 Typical examples of fitting turning vanes when the maximum

permitted vane lengths are exceeded are shown in Fig. 30c.
CHANGE OF SHAPE
 Where a change shape is necessary to accommodate the duct and
the cross-sectional area is to be maintained, the slope shall not
exceed 22½° on any side (See Figs 99 to 103). Where a change in
shape includes a local reduction in duct cross- sectional area, the
slope should not exceed 15° on any side and the reduction in area
should not exceed 20 per cent.
 Where these are required, an expansion shall be made upstream of
a branch connection and a contraction downstream of a branch
connection. The slope of either an expansion or a contraction
should not exceed 22½° on any side. Where this angle is not
practicable, the slope may be increased, providing that splitters
are positioned to bisect the angle between any side and the centre
line of the duct.
STANDARD COMPONENT DRAWINGS
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DUCT LEAKAGE
 As there is no direct relationship between the volume of air
conveyed and the surface area of the ductwork system required to
match the building configuration it is difficult to express air leakage
as a percentage of total air volume.

 However, it is generally accepted that in typical good quality

systems the leakage from each class of duct under operating
conditions will be in the region of:

 Class A low pressure 6%

 Class B medium pressure 3%
 Class C high pressure 2%
DUCT LEAKAGE RATE
LEAKAGE RATE VS PRESSURE