Interior design & services

Ac Duct layouts
Prof. Krishna Anand

Rahul Soni
Master of Architecture (Interior architecture) Sem II

Sal School of Architecture

 Air conditioning
ducts
•The purpose of air conditioning ductwork is to
deliver air from
The fan to the diffusers which distribute the air
to the room.
•Air Moves through the ductwork in response to
a pressure difference created by the Fan
Function of Duct
 The function of duct is to transmit air from the air
handling apparatus to the space to be air
conditioned.
 To fulfil the above function, the system must be
designed within the prescribed limits of available
space, friction loss, velocity, sound level and heat
losses.
 Duct system are also used to bring cooled air to the
proper distribution points where several rooms are
to be conditioned.
Classification of Duct
1) According to velocity of air :
 Low velocity duct
 High velocity duct

2) According to pressure :
 Low pressure
 Medium pressure
 High pressure

3) According to type of air :

 Supply air
 Return air
 Fresh air
Economic factors influencing duct layout
1) Heat gain or loss from the duct :

 The heat gain or loss in the supply and return

duct system is considerable.
 This occurs due to the duct passing through the
unconditioned space.
 The allowance must be made for duct heat loss or
gain in load.
3) Duct friction :
 If duct friction rate is higher, higher will be the
size and aspect ratio.
 This will be increase the initial and running cost.

4) Type of fittings :
 The fittings can be divided into class-A and
class-B .
 It is desirable to use fittings of class-A as
fabrication cost of class-A is 1/2.5 to that of
claas-B .
WORKING PRINCIPLES OF DUCTS
Ductwork Considerations

• S ha pe
• Size
• Aspe ct ra tio

• Velocity
• Static
Pressure
Materials
Sheet metal (by gauge)

• Galvanized
• Iron
• Aluminum

Flexible

• Insulated
• Tube (socks)
01
01
01

02
02

03

04
04
05

05

05

06
Shape and
Size
Rectangular

Round

Oval
Rectangular
W
Lower aspect ratios
■ More energy efficient
D
■ Use less ductwork
Velocity and Area have
an inverse relationship
to the CFM (CFM = V x
A)
Velocity and Pressure
1 to 1 Drop have a direct
relationship

Aspect ratio = W / D
2) Aspect ratio of the duct :
 Aspect ratio is defined as the ratio of longer side of the
rectangular duct to shorter side of rectangular duct.
 Mathematically,
Aspect ratio = a/b

a
 This ratio is an important factor to be considered
in the initial design of duct.
Air Distribution Systems
Three Types Services
■ Above Ceiling ■ Supply air
■
■ Return air
■ Displacement
Under floor
■ Ventilation
air
■ Relief air
■ Exhaust air
Above Ceiling
Distribution
System
horizont
retur al heat
n pump
duc
t

return
air grille suppl
diffuser y
duct
Other Design
Consideration
s
Mixed Air Thermal mass
conditions Natural light
Energy in Solar shading
the air
Control strategies
Comfort level of
Life safety issues
the air
Infiltration
The amount of
water in the air
DISPLACEMENT PRINCIPLES

•Conditioned air moves upward past the

persons breathing zone.
•This invisible plume continues an upward
movement toward the ceiling.
•A person will breathe lower contaminant
levels vs. a mixing design.
Displacement Advantages/Disadvantages

•Advantages
■ Moderate supply Disadvantages
air temperature ■ Higher initial
■ Low velocity cost
■ Air delivered to ■ Less well
the comfort zone
without mixing understood
■ ■ Too quiet

Accommodate
more outside air
for same energy
cost
■ Very quiet
Duct design methods

 There are mainly three methods which are

commonly used for duct design.

1) Velocity reduction method

2) Equal friction loss method
3) Static regain method
1) Velocity reduction method :

 In this method the duct designed in such a way that

the velocity decreases as flow proceeds.
 The pressure drops are calculated for this
velocities for respective branches and main
duct.
 The duct size are determined for assumed
velocities and known quantities of air to be
supplied through the respective ducts.
2) Equal friction loss method :

 In this method, the frictional pressure drop per

unit length of duct is maintained constant
throughout the duct system.
 The procedure is to be select a suitable velocity in
the main duct from the sound level consideration.
 Knowing the air flow rate and the velocity in the
main duct, the size and friction loss are determined
from the friction chart.
3) Static regain method :
 For the perfect balancing of the air duct layoiut
system, the pressure at all outlets must be made
same.
 This can be done by equalizing the pressure
losses in various branches.
This is possible if the friction loss in each run is
made equal to the pressure gain due to reduction
in velocity.

Advantages :
 It is possible to design long run as well as short run
for complete regain.
 It is sufficient to design the main duct for
Dynamic losses in duct

1 ) Pressure losses due to Enlargement

2 )Pressure loss due to contraction

3 ) Pressure loss at inlet and outlet of a duct

 Requirement of air distribution system
1) There should be enough entrainment of room air
with the supply air , so that upon reaching the
occupied zone, the air stream attains desired
temperature.
2) The temperature throughout the occupied zone of
the room should be within ± 1ºC of the design
temperature.
3) Only minor horizontal or vertical temperature
variation should be there in occupied zone.
4) Noise level should be below the objectionable
level.
Effect
5) of natural convection and radiation within
the room should be minimum.
 Terms used in air distribution

1 ) Outlet :-
It is an opening through which air is supplied to
the conditioned space.

2 ) Intake :-
It is an opening through which air is return from
the space.

3 ) Grills :-
17
Grills provide decorative covering for an outlet or
 4 ) Diffuser :-
It is an outlet grille designed to
guide the direction of the air.

5 ) Register :-
It is a grille provided with a damper
or control valve.

6 ) Drop :-
It is the vertical distance that the lower
edge of the horizontally projected air stream drops
between the outlet and the end of
18 Its throw
Types of air outlets
1 ) Grill outlet :-
These outlets have adjustable
bar grills which are the most common types
with vertical and horizontal vanes.
2 ) Slot diffuser :- It is an elongated outlet with an
aspect ratio 25 : 1 and maximum height of
7.5 cm. They are used in side walls but at a
higher height of the floor.

3 ) Ceiling outlets :- They are mounted in the

ceiling. Multi-passage round, square or
rectangular are most common type.
4 ) Perforated ceiling :-
In this case, confined space
above the ceiling is used as supply plenum.
 The air from the plenum is supplied to the room
through small holes or slots.
 The air is supplied at the rate of 0.3 to 4.5
m³/m² of the floor area.
 They are specially suited to large zones.
Duct layout
Duct layout