Page 32 - OHS, October 2020

IH: INDOOR AIR QUALITY
columns and ceiling structure required ductwork to be mounted outside the 4,600-square-foot mezzanine and blow cool air into it.
With such a long throw of 30 feet, traditional metal ductwork with registers at 10-foot intervals would have created uncomfortable drafts on occupants. Chapman’s initial thought of installing four evaporative coolers on the roof and letting air drop into the space was viable, but would have been a drafty proposition.
Instead, Chapman specified premium fabric ductwork with a high-throw airflow. The streamlined ductwork has linear diffusion in the form of high-throw orifices running the entire length of the mezzanine, which produces a more even airflow than registers mounted every 10 feet on metal ducts. Chapman’s design also allowed the use of one large 22,500 cfm evaporative cooler versus splitting up the equipment requirement in four units, which saved Venida significant installation costs.
Existing exhaust fans luckily had variable frequency drives which afforded Chapman the opportunity to adjust the exhaust and produce a preferred positive pressure.
“Evaporative cooler output static is rated for scenarios of simply dumping air into a space and no external static,” Chapman said. “Since we designed for a .5 wg static pressure because of the ductwork, the cooler is actually producing around 17,500 cfm.”
The fast-track project’s schedule was squeezed between a two-week off-season period for the fruit packer. The fabric duct and suspension system was installed in less than one day,
according to Chapman.
The plant plans to periodically disassemble and launder the
ductwork with their in-house staff to maintain indoor air quality as well as aesthetics.
“Metal ductwork is immovable, but all we need is a forklift/ manlift cage to take the fabric duct down for cleaning,” said Donkin. Whether for a new building or retrofitting an existing space, fabric air dispersion systems just make more sense than metal ductwork.”
Gerry Flores is a Business Development Manager at DuctSox Corp., Dubuque, Iowa, the leading manufacturer of fabric air dispersion ductwork and accessories for HVAC. Flores has over 13 years of HVAC experience specializing in food grade facilities and agricultural applications. At DuctSox, Flores has helped numerous fortune food 500 companies troubleshoot and improve their air distribution process solving issues such as mold and complying with government regulation with cost effective solutions.
Phil Sloan is a Business Development Manager at DuctSox Corp., Dubuque, Iowa, the leading manufacturer of fabric ductwork and accessories for HVAC. Sloan has a B.S. degree in Electromechanical Engineering from Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa. While at DuctSox for the past 12 years, Sloan has overseen thousands of fabric duct and air dispersion solution applications globally.
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