Sultanate of Oman

University of Technology and Applied Sciences

Higher College of Technology

Department of Engineering
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Section

MIAC 2110/ Airflow Dynamics

Semester I AY 2020-2021

Hafiz Zafar Sharif

ENGG_CC_PPT Notes_01Sep2020_V01 MIAC 2110 Air Flow Dynamics 1

Learning objective: outcome No 4,5 and 6

• Categorize the air flow through ducts of various

shapes and sections.
• Calculate the change of pressure of airflow
through an air conditioning system.
• Select the proper sizing of the duct.

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Pressure drop in fittings
• An air-handling system consists of straight duct and fittings. In the
fittings the air undergoes changes in areas and directions. These
fittings include enlargements, contractions, elbows, branches, filters,
and registers.
• The air pressure drop in these fittings must be known in order to
design a system properly.
• In actual system design, pressure drop in these fittings may be of
more concern than that in the straight duct that connects them. For
example, pressure drop in an elbow may be the equivalent of 3 to 12
m of straight duct and could be as high as 20 m.
• Care in estimating the pressure drop in fittings is therefore justified,
although unfortunately the type and quality of construction have a
pronounced influence on the pressure drop of a given fitting.

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Examples of fittings

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The V2ρ/2 Term. (Pressure loss for an
Incompressible fluid)
• The V2ρ/2 Term, a grouping that has already
appeared in Eq.2.3 will recur in the calculation of
pressure drops. The pattern that will emerge is that
the pressure loss for an incompressible fluid is the
product of the V2ρ/2group and a term that
characterizes the geometry of the duct or fitting.
Thus from Eq.2.3

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• When air flows frictionless through a converging or diverging nozzle,
as in fig. 2.5, the Bernoulli equation 2.1

Flow Through converging duct section

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Sudden enlargement
• Pressure loss in a sudden enlargement, as shown in figure 2.6. There
is a change in area, as in the converging section of fig 2.4, but
because of losses that prevail the Bernoulli’s equation no longer
applies. It can be amended to the revised Bernoulli’s equation.

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Sudden enlargement : Expression for Ploss

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Example.2.5
• Air at standard atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 20°C
flowing with a velocity of 12 m/s enters a sudden enlargement where
the duct area doubles. What is the increase in static pressure of the
air as it passes through the enlargement?

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• Given:
• Temperature of entering air = 20 °C
• Velocity of air = 12 m/s
• Change in area of duct is double.
• Required:
• Increase in static pressure?
• Solution:
• We will use revised Bernoulli’s equation
•

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Duct design methods

• The most common methods of air duct system are as follow:

• Velocity reduction.

• Equal friction rate.

• Static regain
Velocity reduction method
• The velocity reduction method of the duct design
requires an arbitrary assignment of velocities to the
various sections of the duct system. The highest
velocity is chosen at the entrance to the duct
system immediately following the fan outlet.
• The velocities in succeeding sections are reduced as
various branches are taken off the main duct. The
velocity will be the lowest at the end of the duct. A
more direct method would be to use the flow
volume (cfm) and assumed velocity (fpm).
Velocity reduction method
• The velocity reduction method is empirical and
requires good judgment by the designer to select
appropriate velocities. The modified method
sometimes called balanced-pressure-loss method,
which considers total pressure losses, make it
possible to design each branch run to have the
same pressure loss from the fan in order that
minimum dependence on dampering would be
required.
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/sizing-ducts-d_207.html

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Equal friction rate method

• In this method of the duct design the designed friction rate

(WG per 100ft) is maintained constant throughout the
system. The designed friction rate depends upon the
allowable velocity in the duct system. In the commercial
installation this is determined wholly by the consideration of
the noise.
• Determine the uniform designed friction rate.
• Construct result table for the problem data.
• Tabulate flow quantities (cfm) and designed friction rate.
• Find round duct diameters and insert in the duct table
Equal friction rate method

• Convert the round duct to the equivalent sizes and insert results in
the result table.

• Calculate the air flow velocity in each section of the duct system.

• Determine the greatest pressure loss for the system.

What is friction rate

• Friction rate (FR) is the pressure drop between two points in a duct
system that are separated by a specific distance. Duct calculators use
100′ as a reference distance.

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Static regains method
• This method is used to maintain the static pressure at
practically a constant value throughout the system.
The advantage of this is; static pressure determines
the discharge through the outlet; hence if the static
pressure remains constant, the size of outlet for the
given volume of discharge would be constant.
• The static regain method utilizes the velocity
reduction at the end of each section of the duct; the
magnitude of reduction being sufficient to provide a
loss of velocity pressure equal to the loss of total
pressure that occur in the preceding section of duct
Static regains method
• Determine the friction loss.
• Calculate the static pressure loss in the given length
of duct.
• For the known velocity in the duct system calculate
the velocity pressure.
• Calculate the required velocity pressure in the
downstream section.
• Calculate the required velocity in the downstream
section and thus the required duct diameter.
Example 2.6

• The load calculation indicates a heat gain of 28,000 BTUH.

Therefore a 2-1/2 ton A/C unit is needed. The total system
CFM is 1000 cfm. Measure length of duct A to B is 65 feet.
Equivalent lengths of turns and fittings between A to B is 190
feet. Total available static pressure is 0 .19” W.C. Use the
Equal Friction rate method to size first & second section of
supply trunk and outlet C.
•Given:
•Measure length of duct A to B = 65 feet

•Equivalent lengths of turns and fittings

between A and B = 190 feet

•Total Effective length = 255 feet

•Total available static pressure = 0 .19” W.C

• Solution:
• Friction Rate = (Available Static Pressure X 100) / Total Effective Length

• Friction Rate = 0.19 *100/ 255

• Friction Rate = .075” W.C.

• Use the Friction rate (.075) to size first section, second section of supply
trunk and outlet C.
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Example 2.7
• The following figure shows a typical duct layout. Design the
duct system (find duct diameter) using a Velocity reduction
method. Use Velocity of air 8 m/s in main duct (Segment A),
5 m/s in downstream and branches. Hint: Flow rate at main
duct segment A is sum of all the flow rates at the air
terminals.

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•End of chapter 2

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