H i g h v e l o c i t y ductwork i s n o r m a l l y t e s t e d f o r l e a k s b e c a u s e e f f i c i e n t and s a t i s f a c t o r y performance i s aff e c t e d by l e a k s to a greater e x t e n t than i n l o w p r e s sure s y s t e m s as f o l l o w s : 1. More air i s l o s t through a g i v e n s i z e d leak o p e n i n g as the pressure difference increases.

segments, to s i m p l i f y t e s t i n g , a l l o w a b l e leakage must be apportioned to each s e c t i o n . T o f a c i l i t a t e the t e s t i n g of segments of large s y s t e m s , the a l l o w a b l e leakage can be e x p r e s s e d in C F M as a percentage of the v o l u m e of the segment i n c u b i c f e e t . A C F M leakage e q u a l to 10% of the v o l u m e of a s y s t e m i s n o r m a l l y s a t i s f a c t o r y . T h u s , a d u c t segment 24" x 24" that i s 100 feet l o n g would h a v e a volume of 400 c u b i c feet and would be a l l o w e d a l e a k a g e of 40 C F M . I n any event, a i l a u d i b l e l e a k s m u s t be r e p a i r e d no matter how s m a l l the l e a k a g e .

2. I n s u l a t i o n a p p l i e d over l e a k i n g h i g h pressure d u c t s w i l l o f t e n b a l l o o n or f a i l i n other w a y s when the vapor barrier i s s u b j e c t e d to a b u i l d up t h a t approaches duct o p e r a t i n g p r e s s u r e . ' 3. L a r g e l e a k s i n a high p r e s s u r e generate n o i s e . 4. In high pressure induction systems using system will

it
T e s t Procedure

secondary

water c o o l i n g c o i l s , the c o o l i n g ef-

A complete system or a p a r t of a s y s t e m such a s ,

ar^^

f e c t l o s t at the unit i s greater than the c o o l i n g l o s t by the absence of some of the c o l d primary air. This is caused by r e d u c t i o n of i n d u c e d secondary air over c o i l when p r i m a r y a i r i s decreased. Allowable Leakage A top q u a l i t y h i g h pressure duct s y s t e m i s not necess a r i l y h e r m e t i c a l l y t i g h t . T h e r e f o r e , t e s t s are n o t made by p r e s s u r i z i n g a s y s t e m , v a l v i n g i t o f f and o b s e r v i n g p r e s s u r e drop as w o u l d be done i n a p i p i n g s y s t e m . It i s d e s i r a b l e to test h i g h p r e s s u r e d u c t w o r k at 25% above i t s o p e r a t i n g p r e s s u r e . A t t h i s test p r e s s u r e , a t o t a l s y s t e m leakage of 1 % of the t o t a l system C F M i s r e a s o n a b l e . When a system is broken i n t o c o n v e n i e n t

r i s e r , i s completely s e a l e d o f f to p r e p a r e i t for r e s t i n g . O p e n i n g s , branch take o f f s , e t c . , are sealed off u s i n g m e t a l heads, p l u g s , b a l l o o n s , or any other c o n v e n i e n t device. A p o r t a b l e h i g h pressure b l o w e r i s used to b u i l d up the p r e s s u r e to 25% above o p e r a t i n g p r e s s u r e ( d i s c h a r g e pressure n o t - f a n t o t a l p r e s s u r e ) . A s p e c i a l o r i f i c e meter i s p l a c e d between the blower and the system to measure the amount of air e n t e r i n g the system to m a i n t a i n the t e s t pressure. T h e air e n t e r i n g the s y s t e m i s equal to the l e a k a g e o u t . T h e air leakage i s measured by a manometer a c r o s s the o r i f i c e . The s y s tem pressure i s measured by another manometer. C o n s t r u c t i o n of T e s t A p p a r a t u s A t y p i c a l test apparatus for an average s i z e system i s shown i n F i g . 19. (

~^fX/

/SYSTEM < F L E X I B L E DUCT

STRAIGHTENING VANES OR PERFORATED PLATE 3 0 % F.A.

NO. I INDICATOR TEST PRESSURE

FIG.

NO. 2 INDICATOR DROP ACROSS ORIFICE

C
S M A C N A Balancing Manual

19 T y p i c a l t e s t r i g for an average s i z e d system

22

7 iie u p s : -"am pressure downstream pressure diameter table. Diameter of O r i f i c e D i a m e t e r of tube

tap s h o u l d

e Iocs

1 a dis-

The

f l o w t! .ough s ch

a n

t r i g i s determined as

tance from the o r i f i c e equal to the tube diameter. T h e tap s h o u l d be X times the tube ;s shown i n the ollowing .rom the o r i f i c e

follows: Fix .v across, a sharp e d g e or; i c e i s c a l c u l a t e ; , u s i n g t h e f o l l o w i n g formal a:

Q = 4005 C A V P "
X Q = CFM C = O r i f i c e c o e f f i c i e n t * (See T a b l e b e l o w ) A = A r e a of o r i f i c e i n s q u a r e feet P = Pressure difference in inches of water Area of O r i f i c e Area of T u b e 3" 4 tube 12" 4 tube C

0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8

.74 .71 .66 .60 .53 .45 .36

.1

.2

.3

.4

.5

.6

.7

.619 .631 .653 .684 .728 .788 .880 .610 .620 .637 .663 .700 .756 .846

LEAK

TEST

CURVE TUBE

| " 0 I A . ORIFICE 3"D!A. C.FM. = 10 TP

100 80 60

40

20

10 8

.8

I PRESSURE IN INCHES H 0
2

IO

20

40

60

FIG. 20
L e a k t e s t curve shows g r a p h i c a l l y t h e f o r m u l a - Q
=

4005 CAVp"

S M A C N A Balancing Manual

23

F o r the F i g . 19 test t i g , the formula Works o u t to b e : C F M = 10 V F ~ T h i s i s mo; easily

:

a test blower c a p a b l e

of deliv ring a C M to

equal to

the maximum l e a k r a t e w h e n o p e r a t i n g at a s t a t i c presg r a p h i c a . l y on o f ap; r o x i m a t e l y 30 i n c h e s . H o w fc. the system t e s t pi essure p l u s t h e drop w i t h . a t h e te. t apparatus, D e t e c t i o n and R e p a i r s o f L e a k s

sed when show:

the p r e c e e d i n g page, . i g . 20. T e s t apparatus of the f o r e g o i n g s i z e i s s a t i s f a c t o r y for l e a k a g e rates up to a p p r o x i m a t e l y 20 C F M , w h i c h i s e q u a l to 4 inches of p r e s s u r e d i f f e r e n c e a c r o s s the orifice. F o r l a r g e systems a l a r g e r t e s t apparatus u s i n g a l a r g er tube and a larger o r i f i c e s h o u l d be b u i l t . T h e c u r v e can be c a l c u l a t e d as s h o w n above. B e sure to o b t a i n

After the system i s s e a l e d o f f , u s e the test apparatus to b u i l d up the s y s t e m t o t e s t p r e s s u r e . Read the leakage on the manometer a n d refer to c u r v e . Most l e a k s can be found a u d i b l y . Sometimes i t w i l l be n e c e s s a r y to use soap suds to f i n d l e a k s . L e a k s s h o u l d be marked and then r e p a i r e d a f t e r s h u t t i n g down the b l o w e r . Do not retest u n t i l t h e s e a l e r has set.

FIG. 21
T y p i c a l h i g h pressure t e s t i n g r i g .

24

S M A C N A Balancing Manual