©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development.

May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006

(Supersedes ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-1991)

ASHRAE STANDARD
Method of Testing
the Performance
of Air Outlets
and Air Inlets
Approved by the ASHRAE Standards Committee on June 24, 2006; by the ASHRAE Board of Directors on June 29,
2006; and by the American National Standards Institute on June 30, 2006.

ASHRAE Standards are scheduled to be updated on a five-year cycle; the date following the standard number is
the year of ASHRAE Board of Directors approval. The latest copies may be purchased from ASHRAE Customer
Service, 1791 Tullie Circle, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329-2305. E-mail: orders@ashrae.org. Fax: 404-321-5478. Tele-
phone: 404-636-8400 (worldwide) or toll free 1-800-527-4723 (for orders in US and Canada).

© Copyright 2006 ASHRAE, Inc.

ISSN 1041-2336

www.ansi.org

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating

and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
1791 Tullie Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
www.ashrae.org
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 70

Cognizant TC: TC 5.3, Room Air Distribution
SPLS Liaison: Roger L. Hedrick
James Dale Aswegan, Chair* Julian Rochester*
Douglas P. Baker Frank J. Spevak*
Norman H. Bay Jack L. Stegall*
Norman Broner* Richard T. Swierczyna*
Ted N. Carnes* Paul R. VanderMeulen
Alfred T. Dyck* Alexander M. Zhivov
Kenneth J. Loudermilk*

*Denotes members of voting status when the document was approved for publication

ASHRAE STANDARDS COMMITTEE 2005–2006

Richard D. Hermans, Chair Jay A. Kohler
David E. Knebel, Vice-Chair James D. Lutz
Donald L. Brandt Merle F. McBride
Steven T. Bushby Mark P. Modera
Paul W. Cabot Cyrus H. Nasseri
Hugh F. Crowther Stephen V. Santoro
Samuel D. Cummings, Jr. Stephen V. Skalko
Robert G. Doerr David R. Tree
Hakim Elmahdy Jerry W. White, Jr.
Roger L. Hedrick James E. Woods
John F. Hogan William E. Murphy, BOD ExO
Frank E. Jakob Ronald E. Jarnagin, CO
Stephen D. Kennedy
Claire B. Ramspeck, Assistant Director of Technology for Standards and Special Projects

SPECIAL NOTE
This American National Standard (ANS) is a national voluntary consensus standard developed under the auspices of the American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Consensus is defined by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI), of which ASHRAE is a member and which has approved this standard as an ANS, as “substantial agreement reached by
directly and materially affected interest categories. This signifies the concurrence of more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity.
Consensus requires that all views and objections be considered, and that an effort be made toward their resolution.” Compliance with this
standard is voluntary until and unless a legal jurisdiction makes compliance mandatory through legislation.
ASHRAE obtains consensus through participation of its national and international members, associated societies, and public review.
ASHRAE Standards are prepared by a Project Committee appointed specifically for the purpose of writing the Standard. The Project
Committee Chair and Vice-Chair must be members of ASHRAE; while other committee members may or may not be ASHRAE members, all
must be technically qualified in the subject area of the Standard. Every effort is made to balance the concerned interests on all Project
Committees.
The Manager of Standards of ASHRAE should be contacted for:
a. interpretation of the contents of this Standard,
b. participation in the next review of the Standard,
c. offering constructive criticism for improving the Standard,
d. permission to reprint portions of the Standard.

DISCLAIMER
ASHRAE uses its best efforts to promulgate Standards and Guidelines for the benefit of the public in light of available information and accepted
industry practices. However, ASHRAE does not guarantee, certify, or assure the safety or performance of any products, components, or
systems tested, installed, or operated in accordance with ASHRAE’s Standards or Guidelines or that any tests conducted under its Standards
or Guidelines will be nonhazardous or free from risk.

ASHRAE INDUSTRIAL ADVERTISING POLICY ON STANDARDS

ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines are established to assist industry and the public by offering a uniform method of testing for rating
purposes, by suggesting safe practices in designing and installing equipment, by providing proper definitions of this equipment, and by providing
other information that may serve to guide the industry. The creation of ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines is determined by the need for them,
and conformance to them is completely voluntary.
In referring to this Standard or Guideline and in marking of equipment and in advertising, no claim shall be made, either stated or implied,
that the product has been approved by ASHRAE.
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

CONTENTS

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006

Method of Testing the Performance of Air Outlets and Air Inlets
SECTION PAGE
Foreword ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
1 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
2 Scope ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
3 Definitions....................................................................................................................................................... 2
4 Instrumentation and Facilities......................................................................................................................... 5
5 Test Procedures ............................................................................................................................................. 6
6 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
7 Appendix A: Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 9
8 Appendix B: Room Test Heaters .................................................................................................................. 10
9 Appendix C: Throw Data Analysis and Application ...................................................................................... 10
10 Appendix D: Sound Rating Determination .................................................................................................... 10

NOTE

When addenda, interpretations, or errata to this standard have been approved, they can be downloaded
free of charge from the ASHRAE Web site at http://www.ashrae.org.

© Copyright 2006 American Society of Heating,

Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
1791 Tullie Circle NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
www.ashrae.org
All rights reserved.
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
(This foreword is not part of this standard. It is merely
informative and does not contain requirements necessary
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
standard and may contain material that has not been
subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
FOREWORD
This standard was first published in 1972 and revised in
1991. This current edition of the standard updates the 1991
edition by covering a broader range of air-device types and
sizes, by specifying commercially available test instruments
that have increased accuracy, by defining test facilities and
installation procedures to better reflect the device under inves-
tigation at its intended application, and by clarifying methods
of calculating test data so they apply to the broader range of
air devices now available in the market.
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this standard is to define laboratory meth-
ods of testing air outlets and air inlets used to terminate ducted
and unducted systems for distribution and return of building air.
2. SCOPE
2.1 This standard includes the specifications for test instru-
ments, facilities, installations, and procedures and methods of
calculation for determining aerodynamic performance and
sound generation of air outlets and air inlets.
2.2 The test methods in this standard apply to both isother-
mal and non-isothermal conditions.
3. DEFINITIONS
The following terms are defined as they are used in this
standard. For definitions of all other terms, refer to ASHRAE
Terminology of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, &
Refrigeration.
air inlet: a device through which air is removed or returned
from a conditioned space. Grilles, registers, diffusers, and
slots may be used as air inlets.
air outlet: a device or opening through which air is discharged
into a conditioned space. In this standard, all accessories,
connecting duct adapters, or other mounting airways may be
considered part of the outlet device being tested and, when
they are so considered, shall be reported as a unit or assembly.
Some specific outlet designations are defined below.
grille: a louvered or perforated face over an opening.
register: a combination grille and damper assembly.
diffuser: an outlet designed to distribute air in varying
directions and planes.
slot: a long, narrow air outlet, generally one for which the
aspect ratio is greater than 10:1.
2 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
airflow rate (Q): the volume of standard air per unit of time
that moves past a given plane, expressed in cubic feet per
minute (cfm) or liters per second (L/s).
airstream patterns: airstream patterns are characterized by
the following terms:
drop (D): the maximum distance, in ft (m), that the verti-
cal isovel of a horizontally projected (non-isothermal)
airstream drops below the centerline of the outlet for the
terminal velocity of interest (see Figure 1a).
envelope: the boundary surface of points of equal termi-
nal velocity that describe the air diffusion profile. Enve-
lope is also referred to as isovel (see Figure 1b).
rise: the maximum distance, in ft (m), that the vertical
isovel of a horizontally projected (non-isothermal)
airstream rises above the centerline of the outlet for the
terminal velocity of interest (see Figure 1c).
spread: the distance, in ft (m), measured parallel or
perpendicular to the mounting plane of the outlet between
the extremes of the terminal velocity envelope (see
Figure 1d).
terminal velocity (Vt ): an arbitrarily specified air veloc-
ity that is the highest sustained velocity in the mixed
airstream from an air outlet.
throw: the distance, in ft (m), from the center of the outlet
perpendicular to a point in the mixed airstream where the
velocity has been reduced to a specified terminal velocity
(see Figure 1b).
area factor (Ak ): a calculated area, in ft2 (m2), of an air outlet
or air inlet determined from the airflow rate (Q) divided by the
discharge or intake velocity (Vk).
Q
A k = ----- (3-1)
Vk
aspect ratio: the ratio of the nominal length to width of a rect-
angular outlet.
core area: the area of a register or grille pertaining to its frame
or border, whichever is less (see Figure 1e).
discharge or intake velocity (Vk ): the air velocity, in fpm
(m/s), determined from measurements taken with a speci-
fied instrument at specified locations and with a specified
orientation on the air outlet or air inlet.
equivalent diameter (De ): the diameter of a circular-duct
equivalent that will have a cross-sectional area that is equal to
that of a particular square or rectangular duct. The equivalent
diameter is calculated by the following equation:
4×A
De = ------------ (3-2)
π
face area: the area, in ft2 (m2), of the exposed surface of an air
outlet or air inlet (see Figure 1e).
free area: the total minimum area, in ft2 (m2), of the openings
in an air outlet or air inlet through which air is able to pass. Free
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

Figure 1a Airstream drop distance.

Figure 1b Airstream envelope (isovel) and throw distance.

Figure 1c Airstream rise distance.

Figure 1d Airstream spread distance.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006 3

©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

Figure 1e Neck, core, and face areas of grille (for two types of duct connections).

area shall not be used for system balancing or for determining
air outlet or air inlet performance.
neck area (An ): the nominal area, in ft2 (m2), of the duct
connection to the air outlet or air inlet (see Figure 1e).
neck velocity (Vn ): the velocity, in fpm (m/s), of air traveling
through the duct connected to the air outlet or air inlet. Neck
velocity is calculated by dividing the airflow rate (Q) by the
neck area (An), or it can be measured using an air velocity
meter or pitot tube traverse in the duct.
pressure: the force per unit area exerted by a homogeneous
liquid or gas, expressed in inches of water (in. w.c. or in. w.g.)
or pascals (Pa).
delta static pressure: in this standard, delta static pres-
sure is defined as the difference in static pressure across
the test item.
standard air: in the I-P system of units, standard air is dry
air at 70°F and 14.696 psia. Under these conditions, dry
air has a mass density of 0.075 lb/ft3. Note that I-P stan-
dard air is not the same as SI standard air. In the SI system
of units, standard air is dry air at 20°C and 101.325 kPa
absolute. Under these conditions, dry air has a mass
density of 1.204 kg/m3.
static pressure (Ps ): the normal force per unit area that
would be exerted by a moving fluid on a body immersed

4 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006

©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
in it if the body were carried along with the fluid. Practi-
cally, it is the normal force per unit area at a small hole in
a wall of the duct through which the fluid flows.
total pressure (Pt ): the sum of the static and reference
velocity pressures.
velocity pressure (Pv ): the pressure capable of acceler-
ating a fluid from rest to the velocity of the moving fluid
with complete conversion of pressure into kinetic
energy. The velocity pressure is found from the follow-
ing equation:
V 2
P v = ρ ⋅ ⎛ ------------⎞ (3-3)
⎝ 1096⎠
where
Pv = velocity pressure, in. w.c. (Pa)
ρ = air density, lbm/ft3 (kg/m3)
V = air velocity in the plane of measurement, fpm (m/s)
4. INSTRUMENTATION AND FACILITIES
4.1 Temperature Measurement. Temperature-measuring
instruments shall meet the requirements of ANSI/ASHRAE
Standard 41.11 and the requirements of Sections 4.1.1 and
4.1.2 below.
4.1.1 The accuracy of the temperature-measuring instru-
ments shall be 0.2°F (0.1°C). In no case shall the smallest
scale division of the temperature-measuring instrument
exceed 0.2°F (0.1°C).
4.1.2 Temperature-measuring instruments shall be cali-
brated by comparison with a certified standard in the range of
use, or the instruments themselves shall be certified as to
accuracy on an annual basis.
4.2 Pressure Measurement. Pressure-measuring instru-
ments shall meet the requirements of ASHRAE Standard
41.32 and the requirements of Sections 4.2.1 through
4.2.4 below.
4.2.1 Pressure-measuring instruments shall have a scale
no less than the values shown in Table 1.
4.2.2 Calibration standards shall be as follows:
a. For instruments with the range 0.005 to 0.100 in. w.c.
(1.25 to 25 Pa): a micromanometer or another instrument
calibrated to ±0.001 in. w.c. (0.25 Pa).
b. For instruments with the range 0.1 to 2.0 in. w.c. (25 to
500 Pa): a micromanometer or another instrument cali-
brated to ±0.01 in. of water (2.5 Pa).
TABLE 1 Maximum Scale Interval
Range, Maximum Scale Interval,
in. w.c. (Pa) In. w.c. (Pa)
From 0.005 to 0.1 (1.25 to 25) 0.005 (1.25)
From 0.1 to 1.0 (25 to 250) 0.01 (2.50)
From 1.0 to 2.0 (250 to 500) 0.02 (5.0)
Above 2.0 (500) 0.10 (25)
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
c. For instruments with a range greater than 2.0 in. w.c.
(500 Pa): a manometer or other instrument calibrated to
±0.1 in. of water (25 Pa).
4.2.3 Atmospheric pressure shall be measured with a
barometer having an accuracy within 0.05 in. Hg (169 Pa).
4.2.4 Temperatures shall be maintained to within ±2.0°F
(1.0°C) during pressure measurements.
4.3 Airflow Rate Measurement. Airflow rate shall be
measured in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 41.2.3
Accuracy shall be no less than ± 5.0% of the reading or 1 cfm
(0.5 L/s), whichever is greater.
4.3.1 Alternately, other means of airflow rate measure-
ment may be used if the measuring instrument is calibrated by
comparison with a certified standard to the above accuracy.
Orifice meters, if used, shall be constructed in accordance
with ASME Performance Test Code 19.5 and shall be sized for
a throat velocity not less than 3000 fpm (15 m/s) or more than
7000 fpm (35 m/s).
4.4 Air Velocity Measurement. Air velocity measure-
ments shall be made with mechanical or electrical anemome-
ters having an accuracy shown in Table 2 and in accordance
with Sections 4.4.1 and 4.4.2.
4.4.1 Throw, Spread, and Drop. An omnidirectional
anemometer shall be used to measure air velocity; a direc-
tionally sensitive anemometer may be used if it is carefully
oriented to indicate the true airspeed at any test position.
Note: This may require a smoke test to determine the primary
flow direction.
4.4.2 Discharge or Intake Velocity. An omnidirectional
anemometer shall be used to measure air velocity; a direction-
ally sensitive anemometer may be used if it is carefully ori-
ented to indicate the true airspeed at any test position. A
revolving vane or propeller anemometer shall not be used.
4.5 Sound Measurement. The equipment and facility for
the determination of sound power levels shall be in accordance
NAIS Standard 12.51,4 which specifies the instrumentation,
acoustic test facilities, and the uncertainty of the measurements.
Locations within the test facility with air velocities greater than
50 fpm (0.25 m/s), such as where air is discharging from the
equipment being tested, must be avoided to prevent aerody-
namic noise against the microphone being included in the mea-
surement.
Sound tests shall be performed to at least Engineering
Grade 2 as defined in NAIS Standard 12.514 with the excep-
tion that the test room must be qualified as Precision Grade 1
as defined in its Section 5, “Acoustic Environment,” Subsec-
TABLE 2 Velocity Measurement Accuracy
Measure Range Accuracy
≤ 200 fpm (1 m/s)
Throw, spread, ±10 fpm (0.05)
200 (1 m/s) to 1000
and drop ±5%
(5 m/s) fpm
Discharge or intake 100 fpm (0.5 m/s) to
±10%
velocity 2000 fpm (10 m/s)
5
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
tions 5.2 and 5.3, and/or qualified according to its Annex E to
meet the requirements in Table 2 of the NAIS standard.
5. TEST PROCEDURES
5.1 Air Outlet Static and Total Pressure. The test for out-
let static and total pressure shall be conducted in accordance
with the following sections.
5.1.1 The test system shall comprise at least a fan, a means
for controlling the airflow rate, an airflow rate measuring
device, and one of the test installations described in either
Section 5.1.3 or Section 5.1.4.
5.1.2 Pressure measurements shall be clearly referenced
to any position or adjustment of any flow equalizing, damp-
ing, or deflecting components on the device.
5.1.3 Ducted Method
5.1.3.1 The air outlet shall be mounted in a duct with
cross-sectional dimensions equal to the nominal size of the
device or to the duct dimensions normally recommended by
the manufacturer. The duct shall be straight for a minimum
length of three equivalent diameters with any required flow
straightener at least three diameters from the air outlet.
5.1.3.2 The test installation should be constructed in
accordance with Figure 2 to provide uniform and unidirectional
air velocities. The plane of measurement shall be located 1.5
equivalent diameters upstream of the device. The validity of a
measurement point within this plane shall be confirmed with a
Figure 2
Figure 3 Pressurized plenum test installation.
6 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
velocity pressure pitot traverse to be within 10% of the highest
and lowest reading. The static pressure shall be measured with
either a wall static tap or a static pressure probe.
5.1.3.3 Tests for pressure shall be conducted at a mini-
mum of four evenly spaced airflow rates.
5.1.3.4 The total pressure in the plane of measurement is
the sum of the measured static pressure and the calculated
velocity pressure.
5.1.4 Plenum Method
5.1.4.1 The test installation should be constructed in
accordance with Figure 3 to provide uniform and unidirec-
tional air velocities. Equalizing devices may be required to
accomplish this.
5.1.4.2 The velocity profile at the entrance plane of the
test device must be uniform within 10%.
5.1.4.3 The required pressure shall be measured with at
least one wall static tap located within 2 in. (0.05 m) of the
inside surface of the mounting plane of the device.
5.1.4.4 Tests for pressure shall be conducted at a mini-
mum of four evenly spaced flow rates.
5.1.4.5 For the plenum method, the measured pressure
is equal to the total pressure. The test unit static pressure is the
difference between the measured total pressure and the calcu-
lated velocity pressure in the test duct, as shown in Figure 3.
Ducted test installation.
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
5.2 Air Inlet Static and Total Pressure. The test for air
inlet static and total pressure shall be conducted in accordance
with the following sections.
5.2.1 The test system shall comprise at least a fan, a means
for controlling the airflow rate, a flow-rate measuring device,
and one of the test installations described in Section 5.2.3 or
5.2.4. The device shall be mounted in a simulated wall or ceil-
ing surface using the method recommended by the manufac-
turer. This surface shall extend on all sides to at least two
equivalent diameters from the boundaries of the device.
5.2.2 Pressure measurements shall be clearly referenced to
any position or adjustment of any flow equalizing, damping, or
deflecting components on the device.
5.2.3 Ducted Method
5.2.3.1 The test installation shall be constructed in
accordance with Figure 2. The test air inlet shall be mounted
in a test duct with cross-sectional dimensions equal to the
nominal size of the device or to the duct dimensions normally
recommended by the manufacturer. The duct shall be straight
for a minimum length of 1.5 equivalent diameters (De)
beyond the plane of measurement.
5.2.3.2 The plane of measurement shall be determined
by measuring static pressure along the duct centerline at inter-
vals of 1.0 equivalent diameter and is defined as the location
at which successive measurements do not change by more
than 10%.
5.2.3.3 Tests for pressure shall be conducted at a mini-
mum of four evenly spaced flow rates.
5.2.3.4 The total pressure in the plane of measurement is
the sum of the measured static pressure and the calculated
velocity pressure.
5.2.4 Plenum Method
5.2.4.1 The test installation shall be constructed in
accordance with Figure 3.
5.2.4.2 The required pressure shall be measured with at
least one wall static tap located within 2 in. (0.05 m) of the
inside surface of the mounting plane of the device.
5.2.4.3 Tests for pressure shall be conducted at a mini-
mum of four evenly spaced flow rates.
5.2.4.4 For the plenum method, the measured pressure is
equal to the total pressure. The test unit static pressure is the dif-
ference between the measured total pressure and the calculated
velocity pressure in the test duct.
5.3 Area Factor (Ak)
5.3.1 Area factor is an empirical value determined by
Equation 3-1. The discharge and intake velocities shall be
found by direct measurement.
5.3.2 For direct measurement of the discharge and intake
velocities, any of the apparatuses shown in Figures 2 and 3
may be used along with a velocity-measuring instrument
complying with Section 4.4.
5.3.3 When measuring discharge and intake velocities
directly, the instrument(s), orientation, and location(s) of
measurement relative to the test unit shall be specified.
5.3.4 Tests for determining the area factor shall be con-
ducted at a minimum of four evenly spaced flow rates.
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
5.3.5 The area factor can be considered a single value for
the range of airflow rates tested if a single value does not dif-
fer more than 5% from the mean effective area. If a single
value differs more than 5%, each effective area will need to
relate to a specific airflow rate.
5.4 Throw, Spread, and Drop
5.4.1 Test Room
5.4.1.1 All measurements shall be made within an
enclosed space.
5.4.1.2 All surfaces of the test room shall be normal to
one another at the corners of the room, and any surfaces over
which the supply air path flows shall be smooth and flat.
5.4.1.3 The highest airflow rate for an air outlet that may
be utilized in a given test room shall be such that the maxi-
mum air jet velocity does not exceed the terminal velocity
under investigation at a distance of 3 ft (1 m) from the perpen-
dicular boundary in the direction under investigation. For a
free jet, this encompasses boundaries both parallel and per-
pendicular to the airstream under investigation.
5.4.1.4 Return air shall be exhausted from the test room
at a location away from the supply path and out of the planes
of measurement.
5.4.1.5 The air system supplying the test room shall be
composed of a fan, a means of controlling the airflow rate, an
airflow rate measuring device, and any test apparatus that will
provide a uniform velocity profile at the entrance plane of the
test device within 10%.
5.4.2 Installation of the Air Outlet Test Unit
5.4.2.1 The air outlet shall be installed using the method
recommended by the manufacturer in the location classes
shown in Figure 4.
5.4.2.2 Location Class I. Air outlets shall be mounted
in such a way that they provide throw with a minimal effect
from adjacent boundaries.
5.4.2.3 Location Class II. Air outlets shall be installed
so that the top of the outlet is 9 in. (0.2 m) from the ceiling
(high side-wall mounting) or floor (low side-wall mounting)
or other adjacent surface. Optional tests may be conducted
with air outlets placed in other locations as long as the loca-
tion is specified in the test data.
5.4.2.4 Location Class III. Air outlets shall be mounted
in a ceiling to provide throw with a minimum effect from the
ceiling surfaces.
5.4.2.5 Location Class IV. Air outlets with a vertical air
pattern shall be mounted in a ceiling, sill, or floor. The air out-
let location, position of adjacent side walls, and distance to the
ceiling shall be specified in the test data.
5.4.2.6 Air outlets shall be installed on the surfaces as
described in the sections above in accordance with their appli-
cation as ceiling, wall, floor, or sill outlets. Air outlets may be
installed in accordance with the following:
a. a plenum that is essentially pressurized and the perfor-
mance of the air outlet is obtained
b. a specific plenum that, in conjunction with the air outlet,
constitutes an integral assembly
7
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
Figure 4 Diffuser locations for testing purposes.
c. a continuous duct fed from one end so that the duct and
air outlet constitute an integral assembly
d. any other specifically recommended or fabricated ducts
that also form an integral assembly in conjunction with
the air outlet
5.4.2.7 Each of the arrangements above, except the pres-
surized plenum, shall constitute an integral air outlet and shall
have a test duct connected to the inlet of the arrangement. The
pressurized plenum shall be considered the test duct in this
arrangement. The type of air outlet connection shall be spec-
ified in the test data. The active length of an air outlet tested
should not exceed 80% of the distance between the bounding
side walls of the test room.
5.4.2.8 The test duct shall be normal to the surface in
which the air outlet is mounted unless otherwise recom-
mended by the manufacturer.
5.4.3 Test Procedure Using Isothermal Air
5.4.3.1 Throw and spread are determined by measuring
air velocities within the airstream at varying distances away
from the test unit. The air velocities shall be measured with an
instrument as specified in Section 4.4 and an exploratory tech-
nique (isovel taken at 150 fpm).
5.4.3.2 The temperature differences between the test
unit supply air temperature and the average room air temper-
ature during the period of air velocity measurement shall not
exceed 2°F (1°C). The temperature of the test unit supply air
shall be measured in the center of the test duct at the plane of
measurement. The average room air temperature is the arith-
metic average of at least four temperature measurements spa-
tially distributed throughout the test space. All temperature
measurements must comply with the requirements of
Section 4.1.
5.4.3.3 The airflow rate shall not vary by more than ±5%
or 1 cfm, whichever is greater, during the air velocity mea-
surement period.
5.4.3.4 Tests for throw and spread shall be conducted at
a minimum of four evenly spaced flow rates.
8 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
5.4.3.5 Air velocity measurements shall be taken at
enough locations within the test room to determine the throw,
spread, and drop to within the nearest 1 ft increment. The
measurements shall begin at a point at which the highest
velocity is at least 100 fpm (0.5 m/s) greater than the terminal
velocity under consideration.
5.4.3.6 See Appendix C for guidance in determining
throw values for other flow rates.
5.4.4 Test Procedure Using Non-Isothermal Air
5.4.4.1 Throw, spread, and drop (or rise) are determined
by measuring air velocities within the airstream at varying
distances away from the test unit. The temperature differential
between the test unit supply air temperature and the average
room air temperature shall be equal to or greater than 5°F
(2.5°C) during the air velocity measurement period. The tem-
perature differential must not vary by more than 10% during
the measurement period. The temperature differential at
which non-isothermal throw, spread, or drop is determined
must be specified in the test data.
Tests with non-isothermal air should be conducted with
the test unit mounted in the horizontal or vertical orientation
of its intended use.
A complete detailed description of the test setup, includ-
ing the method of maintaining thermal loads, shall be provided
with the test data.
It is necessary to provide a heat load into a space where air
distribution tests are being conducted with cold air in order to
be able to maintain steady-state conditions for the duration of
the measurement period. This imposed heat load shall not
create drafts that directly affect the temperature/velocity data
being acquired during the tests, unless the draft from the heat
source is intended as an integral part of the test.
Calculated throw data shall be valid only for the temper-
ature differences (ΔT) of the test. Appendix B provides details
on room test heaters.
5.5 Sound Generation
5.5.1 Sound power levels generated from air outlets and air
inlets shall be determined for the 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000,
and 4000 Hertz octave bands in accordance with Section 4.5.
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
5.5.2 The air outlet or air inlet test unit shall be installed in
accordance with Figures 5 and 6 or as recommended by the
manufacturer. Air shall be supplied to or from the installed
test unit, and the airflow rate shall be measured in accordance
with Section 4.3. All ductwork leading to the test unit may be
lagged with a sound barrier material to prevent the breakout of
sound, which could influence the sound generation measure-
ment of the test unit.
5.5.3 Tests for sound generation shall be conducted at a
minimum of four evenly spaced flow rates.
5.5.4 Any specific settings or adjustments made to the test
unit shall be reported with the test data.
5.5.5 Appendix D provides recommended methods for
quantifying air outlet and air inlet sound generation for a
given acoustical environment.
6. REFERENCES
The following standards are required to conduct testing in
accordance with the standard:
1 ASHRAE. 2001. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 41.1-1986 (RA
2001), Standard Method for Temperature Measurement.
Atlanta: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating
and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
2 ASHRAE. 1989. ASHRAE Standard 41.3-1989, Standard
Method for Pressure Measurement.Atlanta: American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc.
3 ASHRAE. 1992. ASHRAE Standard 41.2-1987 (RA 1992),
Standard Methods for Laboratory Air-Flow Measure-
ment. Atlanta: American Society of Heating, Refrigerat-
ing and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
4 ANSI. 2002. ANSI Standard S12.51-2002 (NAIS), Precision
Methods for the Determination of Sound Power Levels of
Broad-Band Noise Sources in Reverberation Rooms.
New York: American National Standards Institute.
Figure 5 Mounting detail
(test device against a surface).
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
(This appendix is not part of this standard. It is merely
informative and does not contain requirements necessary
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
standard and may contain material that has not been
subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
APPENDIX A
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ADC. 1984. ADC 1062:GRD-84, Test Code for Grilles, Reg-
isters, and Diffusers. Chicago: Air Diffusion Council.
ISO. 1984. ISO 5219-84, Air Distribution and Air Diffusion-
Laboratory Aerodynamic Testing and Rating of Air Ter-
minal Devices. New York: International Organization
for Standardization.
ISO. 1984. ISO 5221-84, Air Distribution and Air Diffusion-
Guidelines to Methods of Measuring Air Flow Rate in
an Air Handling Duct. New York: International Organi-
zation for Standardization.
ISO. 1997. ISO 5135-1997, Acoustics-Determination of
Sound Power Levels of Noise from Air Terminal Devices
by Measurement in a Reverberant Room. New York:
International Organization for Standardization.
ASHRAE. 2005. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 113-2005, Mea-
surement of Room Air Diffusion Performance. Atlanta:
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
ISO. 1994. ISO Standard 7730-1994, Determination of PMV
and PPD Indices and Specifications of the Conditions
for Thermal Comfort. Geneva: International Organiza-
tion for Standardization.
Figure 6 Mounting detail
(test device away from a surface).
9
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
(This appendix is not part of this standard. It is merely
informative and does not contain requirements necessary
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
standard and may contain material that has not been
subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
APPENDIX B
ROOM TEST HEATERS
It is necessary to provide a heat load into a space where air
distribution tests are being conducted with cold air in order to
be able to maintain steady-state conditions for the duration of
the measurement period. This imposed heat load shall not
create drafts that directly affect the temperature/velocity data
being acquired during the tests unless the draft from the heat
source is intended as an integral part of the test.
Some restrictions regarding the use of room test heaters
are excerpted below:
Excerpted from ADC 1062: GRD-84, a.13—Tests of
Terminal Velocity Room Velocity and ADPI.
A.13.3.1 “No measurements will be taken directly over
the room heaters.”
A.13.3.2 “Room heaters shall be designed and con-
structed to have a low profile and be capable of producing the
required energy at low surface temperatures to minimize self-
created convective velocities. In addition, it is recommended
that the space heaters be a type that will permit the maximum
unrestricted passage of test room air through, and between
and around, said devices.”
Based upon these considerations, there are two types of
room heaters that can be used:
1. Uniform heat loads applied to open spaces.
2. Specific load simulations.
Uniform Load Heaters: “Room heaters should be
designed and constructed to be located as close to the floor
as practical and be capable of producing the required energy
at low surface temperatures to minimize self-created convec-
tive velocities. In addition, it is recommended that the space
heaters be a type that will permit the maximum unrestricted
passage of test room air through, and between and around,
said devices.”
Note: Using flat panels on the floor at high heat loads
may produce unexpected intermittent periods of high-veloc-
ity air. Care should be taken to maintain as low a watt density
as possible.
Room air speed and temperature data should not be taken
in the immediate location of a load heater. This may require
temporary movement of a heater during temperature and
velocity measurements.
Spot Load Heaters: Room heaters should be designed
and constructed to have a similar shape and be capable of
producing the required energy at surface temperatures similar
to the load being simulated. Heaters should be located at points
in the room simulating actual room spot loads.
10
(This appendix is not part of this standard. It is merely
informative and does not contain requirements necessary
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
standard and may contain material that has not been
subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
APPENDIX C
THROW DATA ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION
Throw data for nontested airflow rates can be predicted
using the following method.
At a distance X from the device for which the VX velocity
is measured, the nondimensional relationship of the VX/VK and
the corresponding value of X/(AK)1/2 shall be calculated with
the results plotted as a logarithmic function on the graph
shown in Figure 7b (as in the example of Figure 7a).
The plot shall be drawn through the test points with the
slope of the plot equal in angle to the reference slope line
±20% (Zones II, III, and IV) in Figure 7a. For additional infor-
mation, see the 2005 ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals,
chapter 33.
The throw distance X for a given airflow rate may be based
on any appropriate terminal velocity. The VX selected must be
referenced in the recorded data.
Throw from ceiling diffusers determined in accordance
with the above paragraph may be divided by the square root of
2 to determine throw data for exposed duct mounting (without
ceiling effect) if the pattern in the exposed position is shown
to be horizontal.
(This appendix is not part of this standard. It is merely
informative and does not contain requirements necessary
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
standard and may contain material that has not been
subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
APPENDIX D
SOUND RATING DETERMINATION
This standard provides the method to determine the sound
power levels. Historically, these sound power levels have been
used to determine application sound ratings of the devices at
different airflow rates.
A common sound rating procedure makes use of the noise
criteria (NC) descriptor. For comparison purposes, a dB differ-
ence between sound power level and sound pressure level at
each frequency is used in the conversion of sound power to
sound pressure.
The sound power level in decibels (dB) referenced to
10–12 W for each of the 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and
4000 Hz octave bands minus 10 dB shall be plotted on the
NC contour curves to determine the point of tangency with
the highest rank NC curve. This highest protrusion of the
values into the NC curves sets the NC rating.
For additional information on the NC curves reference,
see the 2005 ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals, chapter 7,
or ARI-885-98.
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

Figure 7a Sample throw-terminal velocity graph for a product series.

Figure 7b Throw-terminal velocity curve for grilles and registers.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 70-2006 11

©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.
POLICY STATEMENT DEFINING ASHRAE’S CONCERN
FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ITS ACTIVITIES
ASHRAE is concerned with the impact of its members’ activities on both the indoor and outdoor environment. ASHRAE’s
members will strive to minimize any possible deleterious effect on the indoor and outdoor environment of the systems and
components in their responsibility while maximizing the beneficial effects these systems provide, consistent with accepted
standards and the practical state of the art.
ASHRAE’s short-range goal is to ensure that the systems and components within its scope do not impact the indoor and
outdoor environment to a greater extent than specified by the standards and guidelines as established by itself and other
responsible bodies.
As an ongoing goal, ASHRAE will, through its Standards Committee and extensive technical committee structure,
continue to generate up-to-date standards and guidelines where appropriate and adopt, recommend, and promote those new
and revised standards developed by other responsible organizations.
Through its Handbook, appropriate chapters will contain up-to-date standards and design considerations as the material is
systematically revised.
ASHRAE will take the lead with respect to dissemination of environmental information of its primary interest and will seek
out and disseminate information from other responsible organizations that is pertinent, as guides to updating standards and
guidelines.
The effects of the design and selection of equipment and systems will be considered within the scope of the system’s
intended use and expected misuse. The disposal of hazardous materials, if any, will also be considered.
ASHRAE’s primary concern for environmental impact will be at the site where equipment within ASHRAE’s scope
operates. However, energy source selection and the possible environmental impact due to the energy source and energy
transportation will be considered where possible. Recommendations concerning energy source selection should be made by
its members.
©ASHRAE. All rights reserved. Courtesy copy for SSPC 55 Committee to exclusively use for standards development. May not be distributed, reproduced nor placed on the internet.

86184
PC 7/06