BO-75-06-5 -- Acoustical Considerations in Air Distribution

These comments are intended to assist the mechanical engineer in the air diffusion and air distribution design of representative commercial systems that will permit reasonable application of the fundamentals outlined in Chapter 35 of the 1973 Systems Volume of ASHRAE Handbook & Product Directory. These facts relate to previously unpublished experiences with similar type jobs combined with back-up test results in the air distribution laboratory that verify the fundamental principle that "good acoustics go hand in hand with good air distribution". (Obviously then, these remarks will supplement the data available to both the air conditioning engineer and the acoustician to assure optimum choice of equipment and its arrangement in the system as has been outlined in Chapter 35.)

An examination of the basic facts concerning the relative performance of elemental air distribution equ1pment within the laboratory will help relate theory to practice and provide an understanding of basic acoustic phenomenon to the design mechanical engineer. These data are indicative of the relative performance for the tests and conditions described and, more especially, are intended to illustrate the relative difference in the arrangements, rather than absolute values.