Professional Documents
Culture Documents
&
Refrigeration Technology
CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT
Air has to be conditioned in most cases for us
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
Supply duct
Air handler
100
cfm
200
cfm
50
cfm
Living Room
9,000 btu (cooling)
18,000 btu
(heating) 300 cfm
100
cfm
100
cfm
100 cfm
50 cfm
200 cfm
Supply
registers
Supply duct
Air handler (blower)
THE BLOWER
Provides the pressure difference to force the
air into the duct system, through the grilles
and registers, and into the room
Typically 400 cfm of air must be moved per
minute per ton of air conditioning
Pressure in the ductwork is measured in inches
of water column (in. W.C)
Air pressure in the ductwork is measured with
a water manometer
Probe
located on
the surface
Airflow of the duct
Duct
Static pressure
Probe located in
the duct, facing
into the
direction of
airflow
Total pressure
Velocity pressure
Total
pressure
Static pressure
Velocity pressure = Total pressure Static pressure
PROPELLER FAN
Used in exhaust fan and condenser fan
application
Will handle large volumes of air at low
pressure differentials
Set into a housing called a venturi
The venturi forces airflow in a straight
line from one side of the fan to the other
Makes noise and is used where noise is not
a factor
Propeller fan
Venturi
SQUIRREL CAGE OR
CENTRIFUGAL FAN
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
Very quiet when properly applied
Can be used in very large high-pressure systems
Centrifugal Blower
BLOWER
Belt-driven
Assembly
BOTH THE DRIVE
AND DRIVEN
PULLEYS MUST BE
PERFECTLY
ALIGNED
MOTOR
Plenum system
Supply plenum
Return
duct
Branch
ducts
100
cfm
200
cfm
50
cfm
Living Room
9,000 btu (cooling)
18,000 btu
(heating) 300 cfm
100
cfm
100
cfm
100 cfm
50 cfm
200 cfm
100
cfm
200
cfm
50
cfm
Living Room
9,000 btu (cooling)
18,000 btu
(heating) 300 cfm
100
cfm
100
cfm
100 cfm
50 cfm
200 cfm
100
cfm
200
cfm
50
cfm
Living Room
9,000 btu (cooling)
18,000 btu
(heating) 300 cfm
100
cfm
100
cfm
100 cfm
50 cfm
200 cfm
DUCT MATERIALS
Ductwork must meet local codes
For years, galvanized sheet metal was
used exclusively
Other ductwork materials
Aluminum
Fiberglass ductboard
Spiral metal duct
Flexible duct
Drive cleat
Slip
Slip
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
FLEXIBLE DUCT
Comes in sized up to about 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 inside it than metal
duct
Flex duct should be stretched as tight as
possible
Floor Register
Return
Damper
Flexible Duct
Supply
Takeoff fitting
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
Branch duct
Balancing damper in
the closed position
DUCT INSULATION
A 15F temperature difference from the
inside of the duct 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
Central Return
Supply plenum
Return plenum
One central return grill in the common
area
S
R
1 foot
Average
air
velocity is
400 fpm
Cross-sectional area =
1 ft x 1 ft = 12 x
12 = 144 square
inches =
144 in2 / 144 in2 = 1ft2
1 foot
Cross-sectional area =
18 x 18 = 324 in2
18
Average
air
velocity is
400 fpm
18
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
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
SUMMARY
Typically, 400 cfm of air must be moved
per minute per ton of air conditioning
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 crosssectional area of the duct in square feet
SUMMARY
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
The supply duct system can be configured as a
plenum, extended plenum, reducing extended
plenum or perimeter loop system
SUMMARY - 4
SUMMARY - 5
Friction in the duct slows the air flowing in
it
Slower air experiences less friction
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