VENTILATION

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Toilet Ventilation Example

Design a ventilation system for the toilets in an Auditoria as shown in the accompanying drawings.
The Male Toilet and Female Toilet should each have separate extract ventilation systems to avoid cross-talk and spread of smoke
within the ductwork system.
The mechanical ventilation rate from Table 3.1 CIBSE Guide B2 (2001) is at least 3 air changes per hour.
For the purposes of this exercise use a value of 8 AC/h.

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VENTILATION

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MALE TOILET
4.5 x 3.0 x 2.7 m = 36.45 m3

The volume of the Male Toilet is:

The ventilation rate in m3/h is:
Ventilation Rate (m3/h)

Room volume (m3) x air change rate (ac/h)

Ventilation Rate (m3/h )

36.45 m3

291.6 m3/h.

The ventilation rate is

Divide by 3600

= 0.081 m3/s.

A simple method of duct sizing would be:

Duct area = volume flow rate / air velocity.

An appropriate maximum air velocity for a toilet is 4 m/s.

Therefore duct area

8 AC/h

0.081 / 4 =

If a square duct is used then the duct size is:

(See Ventilation - Ventilation Design section)

0.02025 m2.
( 0.02025 )0.5

0.142 m x 0.142 m

The nearest standard size is 0.150 m x 0.150 m

or, 150mm x 150mm.
The drawing below shows the ductwork layout for the Toilets.

The flexible ductwork may be sized using the same technique as above.
Volume flow rate through each flexible
=
0.081 m3/s / 2
=

0.041 m3/s.

A simple method of duct sizing would be: Duct area = volume flow rate / air velocity.
An appropriate air velocity for a flexible in this situation is 4 m/s
Therefore duct area
Cross sectional area

=
=

0.041 / 4 =
. d2 / 4

0.01025 m2.
d
=
( 4 . CSA / )0.5

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VENTILATION

Page 3 of 3

Therefore flexible diameter

( 4 x 0.01025 / )0.5

0.114 m

114 mm diameter.

The nearest standard size of PVC flexible is 125mm.

The flexible size should be smaller than the duct to which it is attached to enable a boot or branch to be spot welded into position,
as shown below.
Round neck for fixing
flexible with jubilee clip

Branch or pop for

circular flexible

Flange is spot welded

into position

Branch

Section Through Duct

Side Of Duct

BRANCH CONNECTION TO DUCT

The Female Toilet may be sized using the same method but since the physical dimensions are so close to the Male Toilet then the
same duct sizes can be used, this also standardizes the complete ventilation system so that the two fans are also identical.
Fans
To choose suitable fans for this example the duct pressure drop and fittings pressure drop would be calculated.
If the total pressure drop is assumed to be 200 Pa and the flow rate is 0.081 m3/s (81 litres/s) then a suitable catalogue can be used
to pick the fan.
See http://www.flaktwoods.com. Go to Other Fans section.
A tube fan or boxed fan can be used for this project.

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06-09-2016