Week 3 - Basic Components of Ahu and Fcu, Fan and Duct System 2020-2021 - 2t

BASIC COMPONENTS OF AHU AND FCU,
FAN AND DUCT SYSTEM

ME116P
INDUSTRIAL PLANT
ENGINEERING
WEEK 3
2020-2021/2T
Prepared by:
Engr. Manuel B. Rustria
December 12, 2020
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Objectives
 Differentiate AHU from FCU, direct expansion refrigeration
system from chilled water system;
 Enumerate the components of AHU and FCU;
 Draw the schematic diagrams of AHU and FCU showing the
different components;
 Explain filter MERV rating and the different applications of the
MERV ranges;
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Objectives
 Define clean room, enumerate its application in the industry, and
draw a schematic diagram of a clean room air conditioning
system;
 Identify the classifications of ducts system; and
 Solve problems on duct system.
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Difference between AHU
and FCU
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Difference between AHU and FCU
 AHU (air handling unit) and FCU (fan coil unit) are both included
in the HVAC systems. However, AHU differs in many ways from
FCU.
 AHUs are usually connected to a central HVAC system; whereas,
FCU can function or be installed independently. Thus, the AHUs
are used to ventilate an entire building whereas FCUs are used in
smaller and often local spaces only.
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 AHU is the bigger HVAC system, while the FCU is regarded as the
smaller version of the AHU.
 Hence, the smaller FCUs can be called as terminal units.
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 Because of the magnitude of the AHU system, it usually makes
use of the air from the outside environment.
 Thus, it treats outside air and brings it inside the vicinity with the
use of special ducts while an FCU system on the contrary just
circulates the inside air.
 The latter usually does not have any duct system that’s why it is
obviously smaller in size as previously mentioned. It is only
composed of a simple coil and fan.
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 Ordinarily, AHUs have certain features that are not present in the
FCU type.
 AHUs have several sections for reheating and even humidifying.
FCUs don’t have sections such as these.
 Perhaps the only advantage that the FCU has over the AHU is
that generally, FCUs can also handle water while the AHUs
basically handle air.
 AHUs can have several fans or blowers installed in its system.
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 The AHU’s blowers are placed at the point where the ducts
originate or at the terminal end of the air handler unit. FCUs
have a different approach to blowers.
 Because of their small size, fans are usually placed within the
same space as the units themselves.
 The result is a minor uncomfortable noise that can be heard
within the vicinity. This could be regarded as the single most
advantageous flaw of the FCU system.
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 In summary,
1. AHU is generally a bigger system than FCU.
2. AHU is more complex than the FCU; consequently, AHU is
often used in bigger establishments or spaces.
3. The AHU system usually channels air through ducts, whereas
the FCU doesn’t have any ductworks.
4. AHU system treats outside air while FCU system basically
recycles or re-circulates the air.
5. AHU has sections for reheating and humidifying, whereas the
FCU does not have such system.
6. FCU is often observed to be noisier than the AHU.
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DX and Chilled Water
Systems
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DX and Chilled Water Systems
DX CENTRAL AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM VS. CHILLED WATER
SYSTEM
 In the DX type of central air conditioning plants, the air used for
cooling the room is directly chilled by the refrigerant in the
cooling coil of the air handling unit.
 In case of the chilled water system, the cooling effect from the
refrigerant is first transferred to the chilled water, which is then
used to chill the air used for cooling the room.
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SYSTEM
 There is some loss of the cooling effect when it is being
transferred from the refrigerant to the chilled water and from
there to the air. Thus, the chilled water systems have lesser
cooling efficiency.
 The chilled water acts as the secondary medium for cooling the
room air in air handling unit.
 Further, the chilled water has to flow long distance along the
whole building.
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SYSTEM
 Thus, the chilled water flowing along the line gets heated due to
flow friction and also due to surrounding heat absorption.
 The chilled water also has to be pumped by the pump, which
adds more heat to it.
 Thus, as the chilled water flows from the chiller to the air
handling unit and again back to the chiller, apart from the heat
from air, it also absorbs lots of additional heat, which leads to
high increase in its temperature.
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SYSTEM
 The chiller has to remove this additional heat from the water due
to which its efficiency decreases or rather additional power is
required to remove this additional heat.
 In the DX type of central air conditioning plants, the refrigerant
travels only through the small distances and there is no pump
involved so the additional heat absorption is less, which makes
the DX plants even more efficient.
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SYSTEM
 In the direct expansion types of the central air conditioning plant,
the refrigerant like R22 flows through the whole air conditioning
system including the air handling unit.
 When the refrigerant flows in the refrigeration piping there is lots
of drop in its pressure.
 Thus, the length of the refrigeration tubing and the distance
between the condenser and the air handling unit should be kept
as minimum as possible.
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SYSTEM
 If the air handling unit is kept at the height more than the
condenser, the loss in pressure is pronounced since refrigerant
travelling from the condenser to the air handling unit is in liquid
state.
 As the distance between the air handling unit and the condenser,
the loss in pressure also increases.
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SYSTEM
 At certain point the losses may be so high that the refrigerant
may not be able to reach the air handling unit, leading to
complete failure of the system.
 At the larger height difference there is also oil return problem
from the refrigerant to the compressor.
 The height difference between the condenser and the air
handling units has to be quite reasonable so that they can
function well.
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SYSTEM
 Due to these reasons, in direct expansion type of the central air
conditioning, there is limitation on the distance between the
condenser and the air handling unit.
 The distance between the two cannot be too high. This limits the
application of the direct expansion type of central air
conditioning systems to the small buildings or a number of rooms
on the single floor. In such cases, the plant room and air handling
room and the rooms to be cooled are located on the same floor.
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SYSTEM
 One of the solutions to increase the capacity of the DX systems
could be to increase the number of air handling units on upper
floors.
 But with this arrangement, there will be additional number of
joints in the refrigerant tubing from which there will be higher
chances of leakage of highly expensive refrigerant.
 This leads to too many operational and maintenance problems.
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SYSTEM
 It is suggested to employ compressor of very high capacity to
increase the refrigerant pressure, but this will lead to highly
excessive capital and running costs of the plant.
 This arrangement requires installation of compressor whose
capacity is much higher than needed.
 Thus, the direct expansion air conditioning systems are used only
for smaller buildings or various rooms on the same floor.
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SYSTEM
 There are no pressure loss problems in the chilled water system.
 In this system, chilled water is pumped by the pump at very high
pressure, which is good enough to carry it to various floors of the
multi-storey building.
 The losses in the pressure of water are accommodated by the
sufficient capacity of the pump, which has low capital and
running cost.
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SYSTEM
 Further, the water doesn’t carry any oil so there are no oil return
problems.
 In case of the chilled water system, compressor, condenser,
expansion valve and chiller are all kept at the same level in the
single plant room.
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SYSTEM
 Further, there is no problem concerning the height difference
between the condenser and the air handling unit since the
refrigerant does not flow to the air handling unit.
 The flow of the refrigerant is limited to the chiller plant.
 The water chilled in the chiller flows to the various air handling
units kept on different floors of the building.
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SYSTEM
 The whole arrangement and the structure of the chilled water
type of central air conditioning plant makes it more suitable for
cooling the large multi-storey buildings and even for very long
distances along the same floor level.
 This makes the chilled water central air conditioners more
popular than the direct expansion type ones.
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Components of AHU and
FCU
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Components of AHU and FCU
AIR HANDLING UNIT
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 The definition of air handling unit from ANSI/AHRI Standard 430-
2009 states that it is "A factory-made encased assembly
consisting of a fan or fans and other necessary equipment to
perform one or more of the functions of circulating, cleaning,
heating, cooling, humidifying, dehumidifying and mixing of
air....“
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 The AHU is used to control the following parameters of the
space.
 Temperature
 Humidity
 Air Movement
 Air Cleanliness
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Draw-Through or Blow-Through
There are basically two types of air handling unit that are in used
and they are the "Draw-Through" or "Blow-Through".
 In the Draw-Through type, the fan pulls the air through the

mixing box, filters and cooling coil before discharging it from
the fan outlet to the space to be conditioned or to the ducting
network. The design can be vertical or horizontal. In this case,
the section before the fan has negative pressure.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Draw-Through or Blow-Through
 In the Blow-Through type, the fan blows the air through the
mixing box, filters and cooling coil before discharging them to
the space being conditioned or the ducting system. In this
case, the section after the fan has positive pressure.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Components of Air Handling Unit
Here are some of the air handling unit components that may be
contained in the equipment.
 Housing
• The housing that contains all the other components of an
AHU is usually make of metal, some are painted to prevent
corrosion.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
Here are some of the air handling unit components that may be
contained in the equipment.
 Housing
• The housing that contains all the other components of an
AHU is usually make of metal, some are painted to prevent
corrosion.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Housing
• In sections where the fans and the coil are located, 1-2
inches of polyurethane foam or PU is used to insulate them
to prevent the condensation on the panel. Drain pan is also
used as a precaution in the event of condensation of water.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Fan
• Centrifugal fan is used to circulate the air to the various
parts of the sections in the building.
• The typical types of fan available are
a) Backward Inclined,
b) Backward Curved,
c) Forward Curved and
d) Airfoil.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Fan
• The selection of the fan will depend on the air volume and
the static pressure required of the system.
• Usually, the designer of the system will use a specialized
software to do this selection.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Fan
• In order to reduce the effect of vibration on the panel, the
motor and the fan are usually installed on the vibration
isolator except when the drive assembly is external to the
fan casing.
• In recent years, the use of variable air volume (VAV) system
is becoming more popular as the volume of the air being
discharged can be varied depending on the load condition.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Fan
• If the load is high, the fan speed will be higher and if the
load is lower, the speed of the fan will be lower.
• The speed of the fan is varied by using frequency inverter
instead of conventional motor such as PSC motor.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Fan
• Frequency inverter provides better control of the fan speed
as a whole range of fan speed from super low to super high
can now be utilized based on the load conditions required.
• This technology has enabled better use of energy and is in
tandem with the move to go for greener energy.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Cooling Coil
• Cooling Coil is used to cool and dehumidify the air.
• Both DX (direct expansion) cooling and CW (chilled water)
cooling coils are available for use depending on the system
design.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Cooling Coil
• These coils are arranged in rows with different fin spacing.
Aluminium fins and copper tubes are used in the design of
the coils.
• The corrosion resistance hydrophilic fins are also used due
to its lower cost and lower resistance to the air velocity.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Filters
• Filters are to remove particles and contaminants of various
sizes from the air. The type of air filter being used will very
much depend on the application of the system.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Filters
1) Panel Filter is a flat and rectangular in shape and
provides a minimum low efficiency filtration which is
acceptable to the air conditioning industry. The high
velocity filter is arranged vertically whereas the low
velocity filter is arranged in V shape. Typical air velocity
that moves through the filters is in the range of 2-3 m/s.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Filters
2) HEPA Filter is very efficient and is able to achieve
efficiencies up to 99.97%, removing minute particles and
airborne bacteria from the air. It is usually used in clean
room applications such as semiconductor production
floor, operating theaters and critical processes.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Filters
3) Electrostatic Filter is used to remove particles from the
air by using highly charged electrodes that ionized the
air. Bag Filter is able to remove dust particles and is
thrown away after use. Roll Filter is used for high
velocity filtration where the used part is rolled up
automatically/manually.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Humidifiers
• During winter, the humidity level of the air can be low
hence causing discomfort to the occupants. The humidity of
the air is increased by using the humidifiers. Here are the
commonly used humidifiers:
1) Spray Type has a header and spray nozzles that spray
water with a pressure of 15 psi or more.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Humidifiers
2) Steam Pan Type has a pan and a heating coil to heat up
the water of the pan. The evaporation of water caused
by the heating will increase the humidity level of the
surrounding air.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Humidifiers
3) Steam Grid Type has tiny holes on the pipe to distribute
the steam that flows through it. In this case, the water
that is heated up to produce the steam to be supplied to
the grid is conditioned to prevent odor being discharged
to the room.
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AIR HANDLING UNIT
 Mixing Box
• This box has air inlets that is attached to the dampers.
• This is the place where the outside air and the return air
are mixed to provide the correct proportion of air to be
distributed to the space that is to be conditioned.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Components of
Fan Coil Unit
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 A fan-coil unit is a terminal unit installed inside the conditioned
space or in the ceiling plenum just above the conditioned space.
 A fan-coil unit includes a small motor driven centrifugal fan or
two small centrifugal fans connected in parallel a finned coil filter
and outer casing and controls sometimes a cooling coil or a
heating coil may be connected in series along the airflow.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 A fan-coil unit can be horizontal unit installed inside the ceiling
plenum, a vertical unit mounted on the floor under windowsill or
a stack unit installed vertically along the two sides of the window.
 Vertical and stack units are usually used to offset the cold draft
on the inner surface of window glass or on the external wall
during cold weather.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Cold draft often flows downward along the glass because it is
heavier than the surrounding air.
 Warm air discharged from a fan coil during winter heating rises
the inner surface temperature of window glass.
 Horizontal and vertical fan-coil unit are available in standard sizes
of 02, 03, 04, 06, 08, 10, 12, 16, and 20.
 The 02 means a nominal flow rate of 200 cfm, 04 means 400 cfm
and so on.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Components of Fan Coil Unit
 Fan
• Double-width, double-inlet, forward-curved centrifugal fans
are usually used because of their compact size and lover
level.
• The fan wheels are usually made of aluminum or galvanized
steel with a diameter less than 10 inches (250 mm) in most
cases fan housing are die-formed with integral scrolls and
inlets.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Fan Motor
• Permanent-slip capacitor (PSC) motor and shaded-pole (SP)
motors are used.
• PSC motors have an efficiency f 55 to 70 percent which is
considerably higher than that of SP motors, which have 30
to 40 percent efficiency.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Coil
• Coils are usually made from copper tubes and aluminum
fins.
• Cooling-heating coil usually have two, three, or four rows of
fins, depending on the coil on the coil’s cooling capacity and
the sensible heat ratio of the cooling and dehumidifying
process.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Coil
• SHR, two-row coil and widely used four-row coil have a
greater dehumidifying capacity.
• Usually, there is only one coil for both heating and cooling.
• A separate electric heating coil is sometimes used with two-
stage step control in location where the heating season is
short or energy rates are low in winter.
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Coil
• Manual air vents are installed to prevent the formation of
air pockets inside the water circuit.
• A galvanized—steel pan with an insulating liner is often
used to drain the condensation on the fan-coil unit.
• To reduce the air side pressure loss, the face velocity of the
air flowing through the coil is usually from 200 fpm (1m/s)
to 300 fpm (1.3 m/s)
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FAN-COIL UNIT
 Filters
• Usually low-efficiency, low-pressure drop permanent filter
are used.
• They are easy to clean and replace periodically.
• Sometimes disposable low efficiency fiberglass are used.
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
 MERV is the Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, which is the
scale designed by the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to rate
the effectiveness of air filters.
 Basically, the higher MERV rating indicates higher filtering
performance.
 The most recommended MERV ratings for residential filters are
between MERV 7 and MERV 13.
 In fact, filters with these MERV ratings perform as efficiently as
true HEPA filters.
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MERV
 They all basically trap the same range of particulates, particulates
such as dust particles, mold spores, dust mite debris, tobacco
smoke, pet dander, and pollen, but each filter has a higher
capturing capacity the higher the MERV.
 There are really two different components of a MERV rating.
 One is the ability to remove large airborne particles, or
particles that are between 1 and 10 microns. These “large”
particles include pet dander, pollen grains, dust mite debris,
etc. However, the bulk of indoor air pollutants are in a smaller
size range.
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MERV
 MERV also rates the filter’s ability to remove submicron
particles, those that are smaller than 1 micron; this rating is
called the Microparticle Performance Rating (MPR), and some
filters are given just this rating.
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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MERV
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Clean Room
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Clean Room
 A cleanroom or clean room is
an environment, typically used
in manufacturing, including of
pharmaceutical products or
scientific research, as well as
aerospace semiconductor
engineering applications with a
low level of environmental
pollutants such as dust,
Cleanroom used for the production of microsystems.
airborne microbes, aerosol The yellow (red-green) lighting is necessary for
particles, and chemical vapors.
12/12/2020
photolithography, to prevent unwanted exposure
of photoresist to light of shorter wavelengths.
72
Clean Room
 More accurately, a cleanroom
has a controlled level of
contamination that is specified
by the number of particles per
cubic meter at a specified
particle size.
Cleanroom from outside
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Clean Room
 To give perspective, the ambient air
outside in a typical urban
environment contains 35,000,000
particles per cubic meter in the size
range 0.5 μm and larger in diameter,
corresponding to an ISO 9 cleanroom,
while an ISO 1 cleanroom allows no
particles in that size range and only 12
particles per cubic meter of 0.3 μm
and smaller.
12/12/2020 Entrance to a cleanroom with no air shower 74
Clean Room
AIR FLOW PRINCIPLES
Air flow pattern for Air flow pattern for

12/12/2020 "Turbulent Cleanroom" "Laminar Flow Cleanroom"
75
Clean Room
AIR FLOW PRINCIPLES
 Cleanrooms maintain particulate-free air through the use of
either HEPA or ULPA filters employing laminar or turbulent air
flow principles.
 Laminar, or unidirectional, air flow systems direct filtered air
downward or in horizontal direction in a constant stream
towards filters located on walls near the cleanroom floor or
through raised perforated floor panels to be recirculated.
 Laminar air flow systems are typically employed across 80% of a
cleanroom ceiling to maintain constant air processing.
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Clean Room
AIR FLOW PRINCIPLES
 Stainless steel or other non shedding materials are used to
construct laminar air flow filters and hoods to prevent excess
particles entering the air.
 Turbulent, or non unidirectional, air flow uses both laminar air
flow hoods and nonspecific velocity filters to keep air in a
cleanroom in constant motion, although not all in the same
direction.
 The rough air seeks to trap particles that may be in the air and
drive them towards the floor, where they enter filters and leave
the cleanroom environment.
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Clean Room
AIR FLOW PRINCIPLES
 US FDA and EU have laid down guidelines and limit for microbial
contamination which is very stringent to ensure freedom from
microbial contamination in pharmaceutical products.
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Clean Room
Personnel contamination of cleanrooms
 In the healthcare and pharmaceutical
sectors, control of microorganisms is
important, especially microorganisms
likely to be deposited into the
air stream from skin shedding.
 Studying cleanroom microflora is of
importance for microbiologists and
quality control personnel to assess
changes in trends.
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Clean Room
PERSONNEL CONTAMINATION OF CLEANROOMS
 Shifts in the types of microflora may indicate deviations from the
“norm” such as resistant strains or problems with cleaning
practices.
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Clean Room
PERSONNEL CONTAMINATION OF CLEANROOMS
 In assessing cleanroom microorganisms, the typical flora are
primarily those associated with human skin (Gram-positive
cocci), although microorganisms from other sources such as the
environment (Gram-positive rods) and water (Gram-negative
rods) are also detected, although in lower number. Common
bacterial genera include Micrococcus, Staphylococcus,
Corynebacterium, and Bacillus, and fungal genera include
Aspergillus and Pencillin.
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Clean Room
CLEANROOM CLASSIFICATION AND STANDARDIZATION
 Cleanrooms are classified according to the number and size of
particles permitted per volume of air.
 Large numbers like "class 100" or "class 1000" refer to FED-STD-
209E, and denote the number of particles of size 0.5 µm or larger
permitted per cubic foot of air. The standard also allows
interpolation; for example SNOLAB is maintained as a class 2000
cleanroom.
 A discrete, light-scattering airborne particle counter is used to
determine the concentration of airborne particles, equal to and
larger than the specified sizes, at designated sampling locations.
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Clean Room
 Small numbers refer to ISO 14644-1 standards, which specify the
decimal logarithm of the number of particles 0.1 µm or larger
permitted per m3 of air.
 So, for example, an ISO class 5 cleanroom has at most
105 particles/m3.
 Both FS 209E and ISO 14644-1 assume log-log relationships
between particle size and particle concentration.
 For that reason, zero particle concentration does not exist. 9.[10]
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Clean Room
 Some classes do not require testing some particle sizes, because
the concentration is too low or too high to be practical to test for,
but such blanks should not be read as zero.
 Because 1 m3 is about 35 ft3, the two standards are mostly
equivalent when measuring 0.5 µm particles, although the
testing standards differ.
 Ordinary room air is around class 1,000,000 or ISO 9.
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Clean Room
ISO 14644-1 and ISO 14698
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Fan and Duct Systems
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DESIGN OF DUCT SYSTEMS
 A duct system consists of necessary sections of straight duct,
elbows, branch outlets and inlets, dampers, and such terminal
units as registers and diffusers.
 In designing the duct system, the pressure drop contributed by
heat-transfer coils and filters must also be included.
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 The chief requirements of duct system are:
1) that it conveys specified rates of airflow to prescribed
locations,
2) that it be economical in combined first cost, fan-operating
cost, and cost of building space occupied , and
3) that it not transmits or generates objectionable noise.
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 Since there are so many decisions to make in selecting the size of
ducts and fittings, and since each decision affects the remainder
of the system, the design of duct system is (or at least could be) a
sophisticated operation.
 The design procedures outlined next are simply methodical
procedures for arriving at duct sizes that are reasonable with
respect to space requirements and velocities.
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 There are three major design techniques in use:
1) velocity method,
2) equal-friction method, and
3) static-regain method.
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VELOCITY METHOD
 In this method of duct design, the velocities in the mains and
branches are selected and the pressure drops in all runs
calculated.
 The fan is selected to provide a pressure sufficient to meet the
requirements of the run with the highest pressure drop.
 Standard practice calls for installation of a balancing damper in
each branch line, and the damper in the run calling for highest
pressure difference is left completely open while the other
dampers are throttled to reduce the flow rate to the design value.
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VELOCITY METHOD
 No fixed recommendations can be given for the velocity to be
selected because the choice is a function of the economics,
space limitations, and type of acoustic treatment.
 High velocities result in high pressure drops that are costly in fan
power if they occur in the critical run.
 High velocities also result in increased noise generation.
 On the other hand, high velocities permit small ducts, which are
lower in first cost and require less space in the building.
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VELOCITY METHOD
 For air-duct system in public buildings with no extensive acoustic
treatment, typical velocities in the main duct are of the order of
5 to 8 m/s and in the branch ducts 4 to 6 m/s.
 Typical velocities for residential systems are lower and velocities
for industrial buildings are higher than those quoted for public
buildings.
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VELOCITY METHOD
Figure 6-13 Multibranch duct system

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VELOCITY METHOD
 In the duct system shown schematically in Fig. 6-13, the airflow-
rate requirements at outlets 1 to 5 will all be known from the
cooling and heating-load calculation, so the flow rate in each of
the sections A to I can be computed.
 In applying velocity method of duct design, velocities will be
selected for all the sections and the pressure drop in each run
calculated using applicable relations for straight ducts, elbows,
and branch takeoffs and manufacturer’s date for other
components, e.g., coils and filters.
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VELOCITY METHOD
 Suppose that the calculation results in the pressure drops shown
in Table 6-5.
 A fan could be selected to develop 92 Pa at the total flow rate,
the balancing damper left open in run A-C-G-H and the dampers
in the other runs partially closed to provide 92 Pa pressure drop
in all these runs at the desired flow rates.
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VELOCITY METHOD
 An improved design results if one or more sections of run A-C-G-H
are enlarged to reduce the critical pressure drop.
 It is also possible to reduce the size of sections in the other runs
while staying within velocity constraints, since excess pressure
drop available.
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EQUAL-FRICTION METHOD
 There are several versions of the equal-friction method but one
that often results in a superior design is to select the pressure
drop to be available in the duct system and size the ducts to
dissipate this pressure.
 The steps in this design method are as follows:
1. Decide what pressure drop will be available.
2. Compute the equivalent length of all runs (the sum of the
length of straight duct plus the equivalent length of fittings).
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3. Divide the available pressure drop by the equivalent length of
the run having the longest equivalent length.
4. With the pressure gradient from step 3 and the flow rate in
each section of the longest run, select the duct size of all those
sections, using Fig. 6-2.
5. For the remaining sections, select the size to use in available
pressure drop but stay within velocities appropriate for noise
restrictions.
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 In step 2 the equivalent length can be computed by dividing the
coefficient of the V2/2 term in the equation for the pressure loss
of the fitting by f/D for duct of the same size.
 Elbows might be equivalent to 3 to 12 m and branch takeoffs 20 m
of straight duct.
 In step 5 some sections of the main duct might have been
selected in sizing sections in the critical run.
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 If the critical run in the system shown in Fig. 6-13 is A-C-G-H, for
example, the size of A will be specified in step 4, so the pressure
available to section B should be computed and the size of B
chosen to dissipate the available pressure.
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PROBLEMS
6-1 Compute the pressure drop of 30°C air flowing with a mean
velocity of 8 m/s in a circular sheet-metal duct 300 mm in
diameter and 15 m long, using (a) Eqs. (6-1) and (6-2) and (b) Fig.
6-2. Ans. (a) 36 Pa
6-2 A pressure difference of 350 Pa is available to force 20°C air

through a circular sheet-metal duct 450 mm in diameter and 25
m long. Using Eq. (6-1) and Fig. 6-1, determine the velocity.
Ans. 25.6 m/s
12/12/2020 102
PROBLEMS
6-3 A rectangular duct has dimensions of 0.25 by 1 m. Using Fig.
6-2, determine the pressure drop per meter length when 1.2 m3/s
of air flows through the duct. Ans. 0.65 Pa/m
6-4 A sudden enlargement in a circular duct measures 0.2 m

diameter upstream and 0.4 m diameter downstream. The
upstream pressure is 150 Pa and downstream is 200 Pa. What is
the flow rate of 20°C air through the fitting? Ans. 0.467 m3/s
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PROBLEMS
6-5 A duct 0.4 m high and 0.8 m wide, suspended from a ceiling
in a corridor, makes a right-angle turn in the horizontal plane. The
inner radius is 0.2 m, and the outer radius is 1.0 m, measured
from the same center. The velocity of air in the duct is 10 m/s.
To how many meters of straight duct is the pressure loss in this
elbow equivalent? Ans. 15 m.
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PROBLEMS
6-6 A 0.3- by 0.4-m branch duct leaves a 0.3- by 0.6-m main duct
at an angle of 60°. The air temperature is 20°C. The dimensions
of the main duct remain constant following the branch. The flow
rate upstream is 2.7 m3/s. What is the pressure (a) downstream
in the main duct and (b) in the branch duct? Ans. (a) 346 Pa, (b)
209 Pa
12/12/2020 105

PROBLEMS
6-7 in a branch entry, an airflow rate of 0.8 m3/s joins the main
stream to give a combined flow rate of 2.4 m3/s. The air
temperature is 25°C. The branch enters with an angle = 30° (see
Fig. 6-12). The area of the branch duct is 0.1 m 2,and the area of
the main duct is 0.2 m2 both upstream and downstream. What is
the reduction in pressure between points u and d in the main
duct?Ans. 95 Pa
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PROBLEMS
Figure 6-20 Duct system in Prob. 6-8

12/12/2020 107
PROBLEMS
6-8 A two-branch duct system of circular duct is shown in Fig. 6-
20. The fittings have the following equivalent length of straight
duct: upstream to branch, 4 m; elbow, 2 m. There is a negligible
pressure loss in the straight-through section of the branch. The
designer selects 4 Pa/m as the pressure gradient in the 12- and
15-m straight sections. What diameter should be selected in the
branch section to use the available pressure without dampering?
Ans. 0.35 m
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References
12/12/2020 109
References
BOOK
 Stoecker, W.F. and Jones, J.W. (2nd Ed.). Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning.
WEBSITES
 http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-
between-ahu-and-fcu/
12/12/2020 110
References
 http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hvac/50414-
comparison-of-dx-and-chilled-water-central-air-conditioning-
plants/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanroom
 https://www.airconditioning-systems.com/air-handling-
unit.html
 http://technicaltheory.blogspot.com/2015/07/components-
of-fan-coil-unit.html
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End
12/12/2020 112

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BASIC COMPONENTS OF AHU AND FCU,

FAN AND DUCT SYSTEM

 In the Draw-Through type, the fan pulls the air through the

Cleanroom from outside

Air flow pattern for Air flow pattern for

Figure 6-13 Multibranch duct system

6-2 A pressure difference of 350 Pa is available to force 20°C air

6-4 A sudden enlargement in a circular duct measures 0.2 m

Figure 6-20 Duct system in Prob. 6-8

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