DAMPER SELECTION AND SIZING
DAMPER PRESSURE DROP
If the duct size, damper size, and the airflow are known, use
the method in Table 6 to determine the actual pressure drop
across the damper:
Step
1
a. Determine the number of sections required.
The area of the damper must not exceed the maximum size for a single section. If the damper area exceeds the
single section area:
b. Divide the area of the damper, the area of the duct, and the airflow by the number of damper sections.
c. Use the values from Step b in the following Steps.
2
Calculate the free area ratio
For parallel blade dampers, the free area ratio is found:
Ratio = (0.00005149 x damper area in
For opposed blade dampers, the free area ratio is found:
Ratio = (0.00001159 x damper area in
3
Using the ratio from Step 1, calculate the pressure drop at 1000 fpm.
For ratios ≤ 0.5:
Pressure drop (in. wc) = –0.04689 x (1 – ratio –2.562 )
For ratios > 0.5:
Pressure drop (in. wc) = –0.01254 x (1 – ratio –4.274 )
4
Calculate the approach velocity:
Approach velocity (fpm) =
5
Using the approach velocity from Step 3, calculate a correction factor:
Correction factor =
6
Calculate the pressure drop across the damper:
Pressure drop (in. wc) =
a
The free area of a damper is the open portion of the damper through which air flows. The free area ratio is the open area in
a damper divided by the total duct area.
ENGINEERING MANUAL OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL
Table 6. Damper Pressure Drop Calculation Procedures
a :
) 0.1007 x
2
) 0.0849 x
2
Airflow (cfm)
144 in
x
2
Duct Area (in
)
1 ft
6
10
2
[Approach velocity (fpm)]
Pressure drop (in. wc) at 1000 fpm (Step 2)
Correction factor (Step 4)
For example, for a 2304 in
2
in
duct with an airflow of 20,000 cfm, determine the pressure
drop across the damper as shown in Table 7.
Procedure
2
Damper area (in
)
2
Duct area (in
)
2
Damper area (in
)
2
Duct area (in
)
2
2
468
2
parallel blade damper in a 2600