Ventilation and industrial ductwork airflow modeling

Duct flow models for exhaust and ventilation systems that show where pressure is lost and what the fans, filters and dampers are actually doing.

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Industrial stacks releasing vapor above plant roofs

When the fans run but the air does not move

Ducted systems are flow networks too. Branches get added, filters load up and dampers get set by feel, until the fan is working hard and the hoods at the far end still are not pulling their design airflow.

  • Hoods or branches that do not draw the airflow they were designed for
  • Fans at full speed with poor capture at the extraction points
  • Airflow falling as filter bags load between change-outs
  • New branches or a fan or drive change being planned

What the study covers

The duct system is modeled from layouts and fan data, then used to compare the options before any change is made.

  • Duct flow model

    Airflow and pressure loss through every branch, fitting and piece of equipment in the network.

  • Fan and system curves

    Where the fan actually operates, and how much margin it has left for added branches.

  • Filters and dampers

    How filter loading and damper settings change airflow to each branch.

  • Variable-speed operation

    Fan VFD operating points evaluated across the range the system really runs in.

Process plant structure with piping and platforms
Power plant exterior with stacks and red piping

Midwestern industrial exhaust system

A duct flow model was built for an industrial exhaust system and used to evaluate fan VFD operation and the effect of filter-bag condition on airflow through the system.

Work performed by our team members before FSPG, shown as project experience.

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Adding branches to an exhaust system?

Find out whether the existing fan can carry them, and what happens to the branches already in service, before the duct is fabricated.

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Ductwork airflow questions

Duct layouts or isometrics with sizes and lengths, fan curves and nameplate data, details of filters, dampers and other equipment, and any airflow or static pressure readings taken in the field.

Yes. The fan and system curves show where the fan operates today and how far that point moves when branches are added, so the effect on the existing branches is known before the duct is installed.

Yes. Fan VFD operating points can be evaluated across the range of conditions the system runs in, including the change in airflow as filters load.

Send the duct layout and fan data you have, along with the branches that are underperforming.

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