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Dual-duct constant-volume system analysis:

C Cold air (55F or 13C)
C

F/A H Hot air

C

MIXING MIXING MIXING

BOX BOX BOX
T T T
R/A
ZONE 1 ZONE 2 ZONE 3

E/A

Design loads (Btu/hr)

Zone Heating (winter) Cooling (summer)
1 20,000 15,000

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2 30,000 18,000

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3 40,000 24,000

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Thermostat setpoint = 71F for heating

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= 76F for cooling
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Design cold duct temperature = 55ºF
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Based on the given information, determine the following:
A) Determine the required design hot duct air temperature.
B) On a day at a certain time, the intermediate conditions are given below:
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Zone Heating load (Btu/hr) Cooling load (Btu/hr)

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1 - 8,000
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2 12,000 -
3 - 18,400
Without discriminator control, calculate the amounts of hot and cold air flows supplied to Zone 1
and 2, as well as the amounts of reheat provided by the hot air.
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Solution:

A) Assumptions:
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1. Steady-state conditions.
2. Both heating and cooling loads are dominated by sensible heat.
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3. Constant dry air properties at standard conditions (14.7 psi and 70F) throughout the system:
  0.075 lb ft 3 , c p  0.24 Btu lb   F

Thus, q Btu hr   1.08CFM t F  (energy balance equation for an air flow)

First find zone supply air temperature requirements for design heating loads:
Since q H  1.08 CFM  t  1.08 CFM t S / A'  71 F 
q H
 tS/A’ =  71F
1.08Q

Zone 1: tS/A’,1 = 20000/[(1.08)(660)] + 71 = 99ºF

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Zone 2: tS/A’,2 = 30000/[(1.08) (790)] + 71 = 106ºF
Zone 3: tS/A’,3 = 40000/[(1.08) (1060)] + 71 = 106ºF

Therefore, the hot duct air temperature should be 106ºF (highest among the three). In this
case, at design heating load, Zones 2 and 3 will not get any air from the cold duct, whereas
Zone 1 will need some hot and cold air mixed.

B) Zone 1: in cooling mode with cooling load = 8000 Btu/hr

Mass balance at Zone 1:

m H 1  m C1  m 1   H Q H 1   C Q C1  1Q1
Due to constant air properties assumption: Q H 1  Q C1  Q 1  660 cfm (I)

Energy balance at Zone 1:

q C1  q H 1  q cooling1

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 1.08Q C1 76  55  1.08Q H 1 106  76   8000 Btu / hr (II)

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      

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to provide cooling to provide reheat of cold air cooling load

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Solve (I) and (II) simultaneously to get Q C1 = 533 CFM and Q H 1 = 127 CFM; i.e. in
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order to satisfy the cooling load of Zone 1, we need to supply a mix of 533 CFM of cold
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air and 127 CFM of hot air.

The amount of reheat: q RH 1  1.08Q H 1 106  76   4110 Btu / hr

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Check: The supply air (mixing of hot and cold air) temperature to Zone 1 is
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Q t  Q C1t C
t S / A',1  H 1 H  64.8 F
Q H 1  Q C1
q cooling1  1.08660 CFM 76  64.8F  7980 Btu / hr  8000 Btu / hr (due to
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rounding error)
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Zone 2: in heating mode with heating load = 12000 Btu/hr

Q H 2  Q C 2  Q 2  790 cfm
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Mass balance at Zone 2: (I)

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Energy balance at Zone 2: 1.08Q H 2 106  71  1.08Q C 2 71  55  12000 Btu / hr (II)
     
to provide heating & reheat to be heated by hot air heating load

Solve (I) and (II) simultaneously to get Q C 2 = 324 CFM and Q H 2 = 466 CFM; i.e. in
order to satisfy the heating load of Zone 2, we need to supply a mix of 324 CFM of cold
air and 466 CFM of hot air.

The amount of reheat: q RH 2  1.08Q C 2 71  55  5600 Btu / hr

Check: The supply air (mixing of hot and cold air) temperature to Zone 2 is

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Q t  Q C 2 t C
t S / A', 2  H 2 H  85.0 F
Q H 2  Q C 2
q heating 2  1.08790 CFM 85  71 F  11900 Btu / hr  12000 Btu / hr (due to
rounding error)

Note: The calculation for Zone 3 can be done similar to the calculation for Zone 1.

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