10 HVAC Components, Sheet Metal Designers are Cautious with in Ductwork Projects

If spoken of delivery and removal of air in heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, duct pipes are the most visible aspect of it. However, we would say that the long, curving silver pipes are just one piece of the ductwork architecture required to create a comfortable and healthy atmosphere. So then why not take a close look at all the potential options at the very start of the design phase.

While choosing the main pipeline, the most likely choices are the ducts made from galvanized steel and aluminum. The reason for being the first choice is that galvanized steel is the most common material used in fabricating ductwork, whether rectangular, round, oval or spiral. Aluminum is used extensively when a lightweight pipe is required, and also it gives the advantage of prompt installation.

Usually designing an HVAC system is very complicated. A look at the below diagram of all the pipes and ducts that are needed, will give you a fair idea of the complexity. Choose more efficient material, like spiral ducting to make the whole system run more smoothly. It may sound like the less friction the system has to slow it down, the faster it will go.

The diagram may seem complicated, but the purpose of putting it here is to portray the wide variety of components that exist in a duct system. HVAC system with multiple complexities is not new, especially in larger buildings or industrial facilities with specific ventilation regulations. However, systems can be made much simpler and it all depends on what’s most efficient for the site.

Upon successful selection of the duct, contractors can go ahead to choose its components. Engineers at Hitech, are equipped to assist you through the long list.

Enlisted are some of the key fittings required to meet your design requirements:

Plenum is the central distribution and collection units for an HVAC system. Air is carried from several large vents into a central Air Handler and directed to a single large space, or to individual rooms, which needs heating or cooling.

As and when the design calls for the main duct to feed into branch ducts, fittings also known as take-offs enable the correct amount of the flow in the main duct to be diverted into each branch. Irrespective of the shapes including, rectangular, oval, round is and can be accommodated. Often the air is pumped through Diffuser, Grille, and Register outlets.

Canvas Connector, also fondly known as Vibration Isolator, is the Air Handler which has the capacity to generate loud noise and vibrations. To avoid this, a rubberized, canvas-like material is inserted into the duct before and after the Air Handler.

Coil functions with the air conditioner or heat pump to cool and condition indoor air, which flows over it by drawing out heat and moisture.

Stack boots and stack heads are the vertical branch ducts designed to allow air to travel vertically within relatively thin walls. They are fondly known as furnace tin or wall stack.

Turning Vanes are installed inside of the ductwork at changes of direction, mostly at 90° turns, so as to minimize the turbulence and resistance to the air flow.

Cleats are used to connect two lengths of duct together.

Damper, the duct fitting, serves two main purposes of air volume control and smoke & fire detector. Air VCDs – volume control dampers can be manual or automatic, whereas the smoke & fire detectors are designed and programmed to seal ducts and shut off the systems.

Spiral Pipe is the extension of round ductwork, and is formed from a coil of metal into a rigid tube, featuring a smooth interior for low friction loss with the grooved seam entirely on the outside.

Zoning is the system which divides a home, office or space into different regions to effectively control the temperature and efficiency of a heating and cooling system.

Here we have enlisted just the 10 items from the HVAC dictionary. But there’s a guaranteed solution that answers all your questions. Hitech has been advising on all design aspects of ductwork based on more than 20 years of experience. Line up all the ducts in a row to start, but we promise to assist you across the the entire design phase to ensure a successful business model.

About Author :

Kashyap Vyas is an Engineer at Hitech and holds a Master’s degree in Thermal Engineering with several research papers to his credit. He covers CAD and CAE topics for the engineering industry. His contributions are primarily focused on encouraging manufacturers and suppliers to adopt virtual product development tools to build efficient products with reduced time-to-market.