Measured Performance of a Varied Airflow Small-Diameter Duct System
In this study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America team IBACOS built on research previously done in two new-construction unoccupied test houses-one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Poerschke and Stecher 2014) and one in Fresno, California (Stecher and Poerschke 2013). Specific traditional central air distribution systems were installed in each of these low-load homes. For this study, the cold-climate new-construction unoccupied test house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was modified to test the performance of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system with varied airflow and small-diameter ducts.
The main goal of the small-diameter duct system is to simplify the task of bringing ductwork inside conditioned space, particularly on the single-story slab-on-grade type of home that is prevalent in the South and Southeast. Guidance is provided here to homebuilders and HVAC contractors on cost and performance tradeoffs between the conventional duct system and the small-diameter duct system.
Comparisons were made between variable-capacity heat pump operation modes with three constant airflow rates to determine the ideal tradeoff between maximizing thermal comfort and minimizing fan energy consumption.
ASHRAE Standard 55 (ASHRAE 2010a) was used to set limit metrics for temporal temperature variation; Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual RS (Rutkowski 1997) was used to set a limit on spatial temperature uniformity (room-to-thermostat uniformity). The small diameter duct system was able to meet the temporal temperature variation limits much better than the spatial temperature uniformity limits.
TO4 2.1.2: High Velocity Space Cond. Systems
Citation Formats
TY - DATA
AB - In this study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America team IBACOS built on research previously done in two new-construction unoccupied test houses-one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Poerschke and Stecher 2014) and one in Fresno, California (Stecher and Poerschke 2013). Specific traditional central air distribution systems were installed in each of these low-load homes. For this study, the cold-climate new-construction unoccupied test house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was modified to test the performance of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system with varied airflow and small-diameter ducts.
The main goal of the small-diameter duct system is to simplify the task of bringing ductwork inside conditioned space, particularly on the single-story slab-on-grade type of home that is prevalent in the South and Southeast. Guidance is provided here to homebuilders and HVAC contractors on cost and performance tradeoffs between the conventional duct system and the small-diameter duct system.
Comparisons were made between variable-capacity heat pump operation modes with three constant airflow rates to determine the ideal tradeoff between maximizing thermal comfort and minimizing fan energy consumption.
ASHRAE Standard 55 (ASHRAE 2010a) was used to set limit metrics for temporal temperature variation; Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual RS (Rutkowski 1997) was used to set a limit on spatial temperature uniformity (room-to-thermostat uniformity). The small diameter duct system was able to meet the temporal temperature variation limits much better than the spatial temperature uniformity limits.
TO4 2.1.2: High Velocity Space Cond. Systems
AU - Poerschke, Andrew
DB - Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI)
DP - Open EI | National Renewable Energy Laboratory
DO - 10.25984/2204230
KW - building america
KW - HVAC
KW - bulkhead
KW - residential
KW - small diameter duct
KW - static pressure
KW - cold
KW - new construction
KW - hot dry
KW - varied airflow
KW - variable capacity heat pump
KW - ACCA Manual RS
KW - temperature
KW - BuildingAmerica
KW - low load
KW - unoccupied house
KW - comfort
KW - airflow
LA - English
DA - 2016/04/27
PY - 2016
PB - Ibacos Innovation
T1 - Measured Performance of a Varied Airflow Small-Diameter Duct System
UR - https://doi.org/10.25984/2204230
ER -
Poerschke, Andrew. Measured Performance of a Varied Airflow Small-Diameter Duct System . Ibacos Innovation, 27 April, 2016, Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI). https://doi.org/10.25984/2204230.
Poerschke, A. (2016). Measured Performance of a Varied Airflow Small-Diameter Duct System . [Data set]. Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI). Ibacos Innovation. https://doi.org/10.25984/2204230
Poerschke, Andrew. Measured Performance of a Varied Airflow Small-Diameter Duct System . Ibacos Innovation, April, 27, 2016. Distributed by Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI). https://doi.org/10.25984/2204230
@misc{OEDI_Dataset_5492,
title = {Measured Performance of a Varied Airflow Small-Diameter Duct System },
author = {Poerschke, Andrew},
abstractNote = {In this study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America team IBACOS built on research previously done in two new-construction unoccupied test houses-one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Poerschke and Stecher 2014) and one in Fresno, California (Stecher and Poerschke 2013). Specific traditional central air distribution systems were installed in each of these low-load homes. For this study, the cold-climate new-construction unoccupied test house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was modified to test the performance of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system with varied airflow and small-diameter ducts.
The main goal of the small-diameter duct system is to simplify the task of bringing ductwork inside conditioned space, particularly on the single-story slab-on-grade type of home that is prevalent in the South and Southeast. Guidance is provided here to homebuilders and HVAC contractors on cost and performance tradeoffs between the conventional duct system and the small-diameter duct system.
Comparisons were made between variable-capacity heat pump operation modes with three constant airflow rates to determine the ideal tradeoff between maximizing thermal comfort and minimizing fan energy consumption.
ASHRAE Standard 55 (ASHRAE 2010a) was used to set limit metrics for temporal temperature variation; Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual RS (Rutkowski 1997) was used to set a limit on spatial temperature uniformity (room-to-thermostat uniformity). The small diameter duct system was able to meet the temporal temperature variation limits much better than the spatial temperature uniformity limits.
TO4 2.1.2: High Velocity Space Cond. Systems},
url = {https://data.openei.org/submissions/5492},
year = {2016},
howpublished = {Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI), Ibacos Innovation, https://doi.org/10.25984/2204230},
note = {Accessed: 2025-07-25},
doi = {10.25984/2204230}
}
https://dx.doi.org/10.25984/2204230
Details
Data from Apr 27, 2016
Last updated Nov 1, 2023
Submitted Apr 27, 2016
Organization
Ibacos Innovation
Contact
Andrew Poerschke
Authors
Research Areas
Keywords
building america, HVAC, bulkhead, residential, small diameter duct, static pressure, cold, new construction, hot dry, varied airflow, variable capacity heat pump, ACCA Manual RS, temperature, BuildingAmerica, low load, unoccupied house, comfort, airflowDOE Project Details
Project Name Building America
Project Number FY14 AOP 1.9.1.19
