Engineering Guide

VAV Diffusers
Please refer to the Price Engineers HVAC Handbook
for more information on VAV Diffusers.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Ceiling Diffusers

Diffuser Types
Conventional air distribution systems typically group several rooms
into a zone that is controlled by a single thermostat. Because rooms
within the zone can have different heating/cooling requirements, the
systems response to heating/cooling loads within the zone may not
be consistent with load requirements. The result can be a system
that compromises the comfort of the occupants in each room by
providing a blanket response to individual needs. As well, there is
resulting system inefficiency due to the overheating/overcooling
of rooms within the building.
Self-modulating Variable Air Volume (VAV) diffusers allow for
smaller, comfortable zones. They monitor local space conditions
and regulate air flow to satisfy the occupants selected level of
comfort. As air flow varies, the unique design of VAV diffusers
adjusts an integral damper to maintain face discharge velocities
and excellent throw characteristics. VAV diffusers can help solve
the inconsistent throws or dumping that may occur with some
overhead diffusers due to varying supply conditions.
Several different types of VAV diffusers exist, however most can be
grouped into two models: Thermally Powered and Electronically
Powered.
Thermally Powered VAV Diffusers
Thermally powered VAV diffusers, shown in Figure 1, commonly
use thermal actuators to modulate the flow rate of supply air into
a room according to a desired temperature setting. The diffuser
works independent of a BAS and does not require external power.
Based on this, the unit provides system flexibility and a low-cost
installation. Each occupant or small group of occupants can adjust
their local diffuser to their desired temperature, ensuring tailored
comfort levels for all occupants in the building.
A thermally powered VAV diffuser installs much like any other ceiling
diffuser. Once the supply duct is connected and air is flowing, the
thermally powered VAV diffuser begins to operate. Temperature setpoint adjustments and minimum air flow settings can be adjusted
on the diffuser core. The diffuser measures the room temperature
by inducing room air into the diffuser core and passing it over a
thermal actuator. Linkage contained within the core adjusts the
damper based on the difference between room and desired setpoint temperatures.Typically, diffusers are available for VAV cooling
and VAV cooling/heating with automatic changeover.
Electronically Powered VAV Diffusers
An electronically powered VAV diffuser, shown in Figure 2, uses
an electric modulating damper inside the diffuser core assembly.
The electronics to control the device are mounted on the top of the
backpan, out of sight from the occupied space. The analog or DDC
controller with proportional integral control will provide stable,
precise control with fast response. Space temperature control
within 1 F of set-point, true VAV cooling and heating, activation
of perimeter heat, and optional BACnet interface are all possible
with these types of units.
An electronically powered VAV diffuser will require an electrical
connection. Temperature set-point adjustment can be made in a
variety of ways:on board the unit, wall mounted thermostat, remote
control, or a building management system such as BACnet. The
room temperature is measured either by inducing room air into
the diffuser core or by the use of a wall thermostat. For a zone
larger than one diffuser, a master diffuser can drive several drone
diffusers. The drone units will adjust their dampers in unison as
dictated by the master unit.

C-188

Figure 1: Thermally powered VAV diffuser

Figure 2: Electronically powered VAV diffuser

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Conventional Design vs. VAV Diffuser Layouts

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

Figure 3: Conventional diffuser system layout

Pressure Control Valve

VAV Terminal

Static Pressure Tubing

T-stat Wiring
Static Pressure Sensor

ZONE

T-stat
ROOM
1

ROOM
2

ROOM
3

Figure 4: System layout with thermally powered VAV diffusers

Static Pressure Tubing

T-stat Wiring
Static Pressure Sensor

Pressure Control Valve

Rooftop
Controller
ZONE
1

ZONE
2

ZONE
3

Figure 5: Networked system layout with electronically powered VAV diffusers

Static Pressure Tubing

T-stat Wiring
BACnet MS/TP Network
Static Pressure Sensor

Pressure Control Valve

Rooftop
Controller

ZONE
1

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

ZONE
2

ZONE
3

C-189

CEILING DIFFUSERS

Conventional Diffuser System Layout

In Figure 3, a zone thermostat controls the
conditions for a zone, which can include
several rooms. In this illustration, the VAV
terminal will supply air to the zone based on
the feedback from the thermostat. When the
load has been satisfied, the damper limits
the downstream air flow. A pressure control
valve monitors the upstream static pressure
and allows air to bypass the supply duct.
The disadvantage to this design is that the
one thermostat is controlling multiple rooms
within a zone. The loads within each of the
three rooms will vary throughout the day
and will require different supply conditions.
The zone thermostat will dictate the amount
of cool or warm air necessary to keep its
room temperature at the occupants desired
set-point. Therefore, this system will
provide inadequate comfort control to all
other rooms in the zone since the demand
is generated based on the conditions at the
thermostat. Overcooling or overheating
will likely occur in other rooms.
System Layout with Thermally
Powered VAV Diffusers
In Figure 4,thermally powered diffusers are
used to regulate the air flow within each room.
Thethermallypowereddiffuserhasanintegrated
thermostat that reacts to the conditions in that
room. A pressure control valve monitors
duct static pressure and allows air to bypass
the supply duct. This system design gives
the occupant the ability to control local space
comfort within each room. Because the damper
is regulated by a thermal actuator, reaction time
to changing conditions will be gradual and
stable. The standalone unit is self powered,
thus allowing for future layout modifications
and requirements. Due to the simple operation
of this diffuser, no special training is required for
installation and maintenance.Thermal comfort
and diffuser performance also are maintained
at lower flows.
Networked System Layout with
Electronically Powered VAV Diffusers
In Figure 5, electronically powered VAV
diffusers are used to regulate the air flow
within each room. A thermostat or an
integrated temperature sensor is located in
each space.The electronically powered VAV
diffuser actuates based on feedback from
the thermostat. A pressure control valve
monitors duct static pressure and allows
air to bypass the supply duct. BACnet may
be utilized for electronically powered VAV
diffuser output management and control.
Occupants of each room can control their
temperature set-point, thus creating an
acceptable space for almost all occupants.
As shown in Figure 5, an RTU controller
can be integrated into the system to allow
for polling and heating/cooling strategies
to increase energy efficiency and enhanced
comfort control.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Ceiling Diffusers

Operating Principles
Coanda Effect
When air passes over a static surface it will
follow the surfaces profile, providing there
are no sharp edges or abrupt changes.This is
what is known as the Coanda Effect (Figure
6) (ASHRAE, 2009) (Nevin, R. G., 1976). The
aerodynamic diffuser backpan ensures that
the supply air has a smooth transition from
the duct to the room. Supply air leaves the
diffuser, adhering to the ceiling as it flows
into the space, where it mixes with room air,
minimizing air pattern drop. By design, the
VAV diffuser backpan and internal damper
generate a tight high velocity jet pattern
with the Coanda Effect attaching it to the
ceiling surface. Without this design, the air
flow patterns may detach from the ceiling
prematurely and cause thermal discomfort.
Room Air Induction
Induction is the phenomenon of air being
drawn towards air in motion. As the speed
of air movement increases, the static pressure
in the local zone at the diffuser decreases,
pulling the surrounding air towards it. This
principle is important to the performance of
mixing systems; it is the elevated discharge
velocity that draws in room air and mixes it
with the supply air, as illustrated in Figure 7
(ASHRAE, 2007b). VAV diffusers rely on high
induction to effectively mix the supply and
room air to provide uniform room temperature
distribution with low room velocities.
No Turn-Down Effects
Conventional systems typically respond
to changes to the heating/cooling load by
varying the flow of air to the diffusers at
low loads. At low loads this can create low
velocity air streams at the diffuser, creating
the potential for unwanted drafts in the
occupied zone (ASHRAE, 2009).VAV diffusers
vary the volume of air supplied to a space
by modifying the diffuser outlet area. Face
velocities are maintained at a more consistent
level; high enough to maintain the Coanda
Effect and prevent diffuser dumping.Thus, the
performance of VAV diffusers is maintained
at all load levels due to the consistent face
velocities promoting increased room air
induction as illustrated in Figure 8.
Minimum Air Volume
To meet ventilation rate requirements, the
VAV diffuser must be set for a minimum
air volume. Both thermal powered and
electronically powered VAV diffuser, typically
have a means of setting this minimum air
volume which can be preset in the factory
or adjusted in the field. In some cases, this
minimum air volume setting may exceed the
cooling load, overcooling the space.To prevent
overcooling, some method of introducing
heat must be applied. With electronically
powered VAV diffusers, the control board can
activate perimeter radiation, radiant panels or
an upstream duct heater.Thermally powered
VAV diffusers will require an additional
thermostat to activate heat.

C-190

Figure 6: Coanda Effect

Ceiling

Coanda Effect

Figure 7: Room air induction

High Velocity
Discharge Air
Induced Air

Supply Air

Maintained ADPI
By definition, the air diffusion performance
index (ADPI) is the statistical percentage
of the points, when measured uniformly
within a space, whose local draft velocities
and temperatures fall within acceptable
comfort limits (ASHRAE, 2007b). An
explanation of the ASHRAE method for
estimating ADPI and selection procedures
can be found in Chapter 9Mixing
Ventilation in the Price Engineer's HVAC
Handbook (Table 1).
VAV diffusers are designed to maintain a
higher ADPI over the full range of movement
of their integral dampers within the
published operating range. As the damper
closes, the air volume discharged from the
diffuser is decreased; however, the velocity
of the air remains virtually constant due
to the resulting reduction in open area.
By maintaining the discharge velocity,
VAV diffusers ensure good induction and
mixing of the room through their operating
range. Furthermore, by maintaining the
velocity, the throw to 50 fpm is not reduced
as much as it is for a conventional air outlet
with a constant outlet area, which means
theT50/L ratio is not as significantly affected.
Therefore, the ADPI value should remain
acceptable as the integral diffuser damper
modulates.

Figure 8: Face velocities

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Operating Principles
Figure 9: Thermally powered diffuser
with minimum air flow adjustment

Figure 10: Electronically powered

diffuser with heat output on control board

Table 1: Air diffusion performance index (ADPI) selection guide (ASHRAE, 2007b) - IP
Terminal
Device

High Sidewall
Grilles

Circular Ceiling
Diffusers
1

Sill Grille
Straight Vanes

Sill Grille Spread

Vanes

Ceiling Slot
Diffusers (T100 /L)

Light Troffer
Diffusers
Perforated &
Louvered Ceiling
Diffusers

Room
Load Btu/
hft2

T50 /L for
Maximum
Max. APDI ADPI

ADPI
Greater
Than

Range
of T50 /L

80

1.8

68

60

1.8

71

70

1.5-2.2

40

1.6

78

70

1.2-2.3

20

1.5

85

80

1.0-1.9

80

0.8

76

70

0.7-1.3

60

0.8

83

80

0.7-1.2

40

0.8

88

80

0.5-1.5

20

0.8

93

90

0.7-1.3

80

1.7

61

60

1.5-1.7

60

1.7

72

70

1.4-1.7

40

1.3

86

80

1.2-1.8

20

0.9

95

90

0.8-1.3

80

0.7

94

90

0.8-1.5

60

0.7

94

80

0.6-1.7

40

0.7

94

20

0.7

94

80

0.3

85

80

0.3-0.7

60

0.3

88

80

0.3-0.8

40

0.3

91

80

0.3-1.1

20

0.3

92

80

0.3-1.5

60

2.5

86

80

<3.8

40

1.0

92

90

<3.0

20

1.0

95

90

<4.5

11.51

2.0

96

90

1.4-2.7

80

1.0-3.4

Includes square cone diffuser (SCD) and square plaque diffuser (SPD). Since VAV diffusers
are based on the geometry of a square plaque diffuser, they will be included in this
category as well.
1

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

C-191

CEILING DIFFUSERS

Room Temperature Measurement

Commonly VAV diffusers are designed
to operate without a room thermostat,
reducing cost, field labor and wiring. Room
temperature is measured and controlled
based on inducing room air into the diffuser
core. During cooling this induced air will
be very representative of the occupied zone
temperature as the entire room is well mixed
due to the high induction characteristics
of the VAV diffuser. During heating some
stratification of room temperature will exist
due to the buoyancy of the warm air, causing
a difference in temperature reading between
the induced room air and the temperature in
the occupied zone. This difference will vary
depending on the supply air temperature.
The higher the supply air temperature
the greater the difference. To correct this
temperature difference an offset is often
applied to more accurately estimate the
occupied zone temperature.With a thermally
powered VAV diffuser a constant offset is
applied in the thermal actuator linkage.
Since the actual temperature error varies
with air flow and supply air temperature
this constant offset will provide limited
room control accuracy. An electronically
powered VAV diffuser can be programmed
to calculate a room temperature offset based
on the duct temperature reading to more
accurately determine the room temperature
in the occupied zone. For applications
with limited heating requirements, or for
morning warm up sequences the above
control strategy will provide acceptable
room temperature control. For applications
requiring significant hours of heating and
where room temperature control is critical
an electronically powered VAV diffuser
with wall mounted thermostat would be
recommended.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Example 1

Ceiling Diffusers

In the following example, the ADPI will be evaluated for an electronically powered VAV diffuser and standard perforated diffuser
at the same room condition. Consider a 18 ft x 18 ft x 9 ft room with a 24 in. x 24 in. outlet centered in the ceiling.

Space Considerations
Some of the assumptions made for the space are as follows:

Maximum cooling load = 6900 Btu/h or 21 Btu/h/ft2

Minimum cooling load = 3100 Btu/h or 10 Btu/h/ft2
Maximum flow rate = 376 cfm
Minimum flow rate = 169 cfm
A 10 in. inlet neck is selected
The VAV diffuser will operate at 0.30 in. inlet static pressure
Characteristic length, L, is 9 ft
Throw at 50 fpm terminal velocity(T50) is determined from
product catalogs

Determine the ADPI at maximum flow from Table 1

L

T50

T50 /L

ADPI

Perforated 4 way

Model

9 ft

15 ft

1.7

90

VAV

9 ft

12 ft

1.3

90

Determine the ADPI at minimum flow from Table 1

L

T50

T50 /L

ADPI

Perforated 4 way

Model

9 ft

8 ft

0.9

<80

VAV

9 ft

8 ft

0.9

90

Both diffusers provide good ADPI at the maximum flow. At minimum flow, the VAV diffuser has a much greater ADPI compared to the
perforated diffuser, which does not achieve the minimum acceptable ADPI level of 80.

VAV Diffusers and LEED

Incorporating VAV diffusers into building
design may contribute to LEED credits.
Two credits available when using VAV
diffusers are:
Controllability of Systems Thermal
Comfort IEQ Credit 6.2
The intent of this credit is to provide a high
level of thermal comfort system control
by individual occupants or groups to
support optimum health, productivity and
comfort conditions. In order to qualify for
this credit, 50% of occupants must have
the ability to make adjustments to meet
their individual space comfort condition
preferences.

C-192

VAV diffusers allow personal control

of a zone by allowing the user to set
the temperature set-point locally, by
manually adjusting the diffuser or, in the
case of the electronic versions, with the
use of an optional thermostat or infrared
remote control. These diffusers are the
ideal solution for providing personal
control in an office environment.
Thermal Comfort Design IEQ Credit
7.1
To qualify for this credit the system
must provide a thermally comfortable
environment that supports the productive
and healthy performance of the building

occupants in accordance with ASHRAE

Standard 55 (ASHRAE, 2004). Under
ASHRAE 55, 80% of the occupants must
be comfortable in their environment.
VAV diffusers create high room air
induction at all cataloged air flow ranges.
The increased induction at low air flow
eliminates turn-down effects as seen in
some standard overhead ceiling diffusers
and maintains an acceptable ADPI rating.

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Zoning Solutions
Figure 11: Solution 1 - Zones call for heating and cooling. Rooftop supplies either
cool air or warm air.
North

AHU

CEILING DIFFUSERS

Building with Multiple Demands

Buildings often have multiple zones with
different air conditioning needs due to local
equipment, solar loads, room locations, the
number of occupants and the activity level
in this space.
A building in the winter can experience
varying exterior loads. For this discussion,
we will assume the rooftop does have
heating capability and three rooms have
been identified as needing supplemental
heat as shaded blue in Figure11. The south
side can be primary cooling, while the north
side has a heating load.
Solution 1
If this set of offices only has one rooftop
unit and one thermostat, the system can
only satisfy one of the cooling/heating
requirements. A VAV diffuser can be
incorporated into each room to improve
individual comfort without additional
heating strategies, such as baseboard heat.
Solution 2
Perimeter heat or radiant panels offer
another solution to the multiple demand
spaces example. The system can be
designed so that the Air Handling Unit
(AHU) supplies cool air to all diffusers and
the perimeter radiation system responds to
any requirement for heat (Figure 12). If the
zone requires no further cooling, the VAV
diffusers will move to minimum position,
and perimeter heat is activated on a call for
heating.

Figure 12: Solution 2 - Perimeter heat or radiant panels, cool supply.

North

Radiant Panels

AHU

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

C-193

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Ceiling Diffusers

Example 1
Solution 3
Duct heater stations, an alternative to
Perimeter Radiation or Radiant Panels,
allow for thermal and ventilation demands
in a larger multiple demand zone system
(Figure13). For zones that require heating,
specific duct heater stations can energize
to supply heat to the specific zones rather
than supplying hot air from the rooftop to all
zones. The zones in which VAV diffusers are
located will automatically switch to heating
mode (if the option is selected) ensuring that
there is adequate zone ventilation for each
specific zone demand, and allowing other
zones to continue to function in cooling
mode. A major drawback for duct heater
station design is the additional energy costs
required to cool then reheat the air.
Solution 4
By using a rooftop unit with both cooling
and heating coils and a DDC rooftop unit
controller, BACnet networked VAV diffusers
can control the system to supply cooling or
heating based on the demand in the various
zones or rooms. Weighted and average
polling strategies can be used to determine
the overall building need for heating and
cooling, and control the rooftop unit directly
to ensure that these needs are met.
In the example shown in Figure14, the red
diffusers require 85% heating, the green
diffusers are 100% neutral, and the blue
diffusers require 30% cooling.
Under the polling average strategy, the total
system demand for the building is shown
in Table 2.
In this case, it would not make sense
to supply cooling to the blue diffusers
since they are a minority with respect
to the buildings overall heating/cooling
requirements. Under this control method,
the rooftop would supply heated air until
the demand was satisfied.
The advantage of this solution is that it takes
into account the size of the demand for
either heating or cooling, where the other
solutions simply energize heat when there
is a demand for heat. This method is more
energy efficient.
A drawback of this system design is that
not everyone is satisfied as the polling
scheme determines when the system is
in heating and cooling. However, this
can be adjusted through the addition of
reheat stations, perimeter heat or multiple
AHUs depending on the size of the space.
This method of measuring load can be
more energy efficient and comfort can be
addressed through proper polling schemes.

C-194

Figure 13: Solution 3 - Duct heater stations

North

Duct Heater

AHU
AHU

Figure 14: Solution 4 - BACnet network VAV diffusers

North

AHU

Table 2: Total System Demand for Solution 4

System Demand
5 x 85%

425% Heat

3 x 30%

90% Cooling

3 x 100%

300% Neutral

Total Demand

815%

Heating makes up 425/815

52% of the total

Cooling makes up 90/815

11% of the total

Neutral makes up 300/815

49% of the total

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Selection Procedure
Selection of a VAV diffuser is dependent
on two main criteria: noise and pressure
dependent flow rate.
1. Determine the duct pressure for the
system based on pressure drop between
the fan discharge and the farthest
outlet. The static pressure should be
a maximum of in. w.g. entering the
VAV diffuser inlet to minimize the noise
generation.
2. Determine the maximum and minimum
flow rate to the diffuser based on the
room load and ventilation rate.
3. Select the VAV diffuser size from the
Modulated Flow Selection Table (see

Table 3). Under the appropriate design

duct pressure column, select the inlet
size which will meet the specified sound
criteria at the maximum design air
volume.
4. Check the cataloged throw values to
ensure they match the space requirements.
Refer to Chapter 9Mixing Ventilation in
the Price Engineer's HVAC Handbook for
further selection information.
5. Once the VAV diffuser size has been
selected, note the lowest air volume
cataloged under the duct pressure
column. This is the minimum limit of the
VAV diffuser at the listed static pressure.

Check the air volume to ensure it meets

the design ventilation rate and also
check the throw and noise levels. In
some cases, the noise level of the VAV
diffuser increases with reduced flow and
damper closure.
6. For more information on NC and air
distribution selection procedures, please
reference Chapter 9Mixing Ventilation
in the Price Engineer's HVAC Handbook.
Note: The VAV diffusers will not operate
below the lowest air volume values listed
in the Modulated Flow Selection Table (see
Table 3). Zero minimum or shut-off is not
available.

In the following example, a VAV diffuser

will be selected referencing performance
catalog data (Table 3).
Space Considerations
Some of the assumptions made for the
space are as follows:
Maximum flow = 350 cfm
Minimum flow = 150 cfm
Duct Static Pressure = 0.20 in. w.g.
Max Room NC = 40

Table 3: Performance Data

Performance Data - VAV, 10 in. diffuser
Inlet Size

0.10 Duct Ps

0.20 Duct Ps

cfm

Throw, ft

NC

cfm

Throw, ft

NC

6 in.

20
54
77
109

0-0-1
0-1-2
0-1-3
1-2-3

15
17

28
79
111
152

0-1-2
0-1-3
1-2-3
2-2-4

16
23
25
27

8 in.

46
112
170
242

1-1-3
2-3-5
3-4-7
4-6-9

20
23
26

64
158
240
342

1-2-4
3-4-7
4-6-9
6-4-10

24
31
33
36

10 in.

95
190
274
365

1-2-4
3-4-8
4-6-11
6-9-12

23
26
28
29

135
268
388
517

2-3-6
4-6-10
6-8-13
8-10-14

33
36
38
39

12 in.

120
202
311
478

2-3-6
3-4-9
5-7-11
8-10-14

27
28
29
30

169
285
441
675

3-4-8
4-6-11
6-9-13
10-12-17

38
38
39
40

14 in.

139
213
370
555

3-4-8
3-5-9
5-8-12
9-11-15

27
28
30
30

197
302
524
785

4-5-9
5-7-11
8-10-15
10-13-18

36
37
39
40

By interpolating the performance data:

Maximum air flow - 350 cfm - 37 NC - 13 ft throw to 50 fpm terminal velocity
Minimum air flow - 135 cfm - 33 NC - 6 ft throw to 50 fpm terminal velocity

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

C-195

CEILING DIFFUSERS

Example 2

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Ceiling Diffusers

Duct Pressure Control

It is important to control the system
pressure for two main reasons. The first is
to maintain design noise levels. When some
rooms or zones are at low load conditions,
diffusers will be forced to throttle off more
air to maintain room temperature, creating
increased duct static pressure. As the duct
static pressure increases, the noise level of
the diffusers will increase proportionally.
Secondly, as diffusers throttle to reduce
air flow to the room or zone, the air flow
over the direct expansion (DX) coil is also
reduced, potentially causing freeze-up on
the coil. Pressure control with a bypass loop
will prevent this situation by maintaining
constant flow over the coil and limiting duct
static pressure to acceptable levels.
The following pressure control methods are
commonly used.
Pressure Relief Collar
Pressure relief collars (Green) are a simple
mechanical method of controlling system
static pressure (Figure 15). These collars
have bypass gates that are forced open by
a predetermined system pressure, shown
in Figure 16.
When they open, air is bypassed into the
ceiling return plenum, thus reducing the
static pressure in the supply duct. This
method is common with retrofit VAV
diffuser applications as installation is simple
and does not require extensive system
modification.
Care must be taken to ensure that the
return air plenum does not over-pressurize
and force the bypassed supply air into the
occupied space (i.e. exhaust fan or rooftop
relief damper).
Discharge Bypass Damper Method
The bypass damper or pressure control valve
(Green) is connected to a static pressure
sensor, which will actuate the valve when
duct system pressure becomes too high,
illustrated in Figure 17. In this method
excess air will be bypassed into the ceiling
return plenum, thereby reducing the static
pressure. Care must be taken to ensure
that the return air plenum does not overpressurize and force the bypassed supply
air into the occupied space (i.e. exhaust fan
or rooftop relief damper).The static pressure
sensor must be placed at least 3/4 of the
way downstream from the control valve to
ensure that all pressure losses induced by
the ductwork are accounted for (ASHRAE,
2007a).

C-196

Figure 15: Equipment layout of pressure relief collar method

Return

Supply

Pressure
Relief Collar

Figure 16: Pressure relief collar

Figure 17: Equipment layout of discharge bypass damper method

Static Pressure Tubing

Static Pressure Sensor

Pressure Control Valve

Return

Supply

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Duct Pressure Control

Figure 18: Equipment layout of ducted bypass damper method

Return

Static Pressure Tubing

Static Pressure Sensor

Pressure Control Valve

Supply

CEILING DIFFUSERS

Ducted Bypass Damper Method

This method, illustrated in Figure 18, is
similar to the plenum return method, except
in this case you duct the bypass exhaust
terminal or pressure control valve (GREEN)
straight to the return ductwork. Since the
return ductwork could become pressurized
and bypass into the plenum, methods to
ensure that the return duct does not get
pressurized must be taken (i.e. exhaust fan
or rooftop relief damper).The static pressure
sensor must be placed at least 3/4 of the
way downstream from the control valve to
ensure that all pressure losses induced by
the ductwork are accounted for (ASHRAE,
2007a).
Fan Control Method
There are two possible methods of fan
control that will maintain static pressure in
the system. By using a pressure controller
(Red) to signal a variable frequency drive
(VFD) motor, we can slow down or speed up
the flow of air into the space, as illustrated in
Figure 19. The alternative to the VFD motor
is to use inlet vanes. The pressure controller
can signal an actuator to close or open the
vanes, thus controlling air flow. Fan control
should not be used with DX Coils.
The static pressure sensor must be placed
at least 3/4 of the way downstream from
the control valve to ensure that all pressure
losses induced by the ductwork are
accounted for (ASHRAE, 2007a).

Figure 19: Equipment layout of fan control method

Static Pressure Tubing

Static Pressure Sensor

VFD

Return

Pressure Controller
Supply

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

C-197

Variable Air Volume Diffusers

Engineering Guide

Retrofit Applications
Reduce Thermal Comfort Complaints
When multiple occupants exist in a single
zone, chances are one or more people will be
thermally uncomfortable. VAV diffusers may
be a solution to this problem by subdividing
the zone and allowing the occupants to
adjust their local zone for temperature.
Either thermally or electronically actuated
VAV diffusers can be utilized for this. The
decision is usually made by weighing the
installation requirements versus the type of
temperature set-point control desired.

Facility Renovations
Instead of installing terminal units to
subdivide a large zone, VAV diffusers are
a practical alternative. Both thermally
and electronically powered models may
be used with the decision mainly based
on preference and requirements of the
diffusers. If the building already has or is
being upgraded to a building management
system, the preferred choice would be
the electronically powered models, as
outputs such as room temperature, supply
temperature and damper position would be
useful in troubleshooting the HVAC system.

One point to investigate, in either case, is

how the system will react, as the proposed
VAV diffusers open and close the dampers.
As the damper regulates flow, there will be
a change in system static pressure. Adding
a single VAV diffuser to a large zone may
not have much impact on the system.
However, replacing a large percentage of
diffusers within a zone will cause problems
upstream to equipment capacities without
proper pressure and flow control being
implemented.

Ceiling Diffusers

References
ASHRAE (2007a). Chapter 46. ASHRAE handbookHVAC applications. Atlanta,

GA: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning Engineers.
ASHRAE (2007b). Chapter 56. ASHRAE handbookHVAC applications. Atlanta,

GA: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning Engineers.
ASHRAE (20 09). Chapter 20. ASHRAE handbookFundamentals. Atlanta,
GA: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Nevins, R. G. (1976). Air diffusion dynamics, theory, design and application. Birmingham,

MI: Business News Publishing Company.

C-198

All Metric dimensions ( ) are soft conversion.

Imperial dimensions are converted to metric and rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Copyright Price Industries Limited 2011.