Particle deposition in ventilation ducts influences particle exposures of building occupants and may lead to a variety of indoor air quality concerns. Experiments have been performed in a laboratory to study the effects of particle size and air speed on deposition rates of particles from turbulent air flows in galvanized steel and internally insulated ducts with hydraulic diameters of 15.2 cm. The duct systems were constructed of materials typically found in commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In the steel duct system, experiments with nominal particle sizes of 1, 3, 5, 9 and 16 µm were conducted at each of three nominal air speeds: 2.2, 5.3 and 9.0 m/s. In the insulated duct system, deposition rates of particles with nominal sizes of 1, 3, 5, 8 and 13 µm were measured at nominal air speeds of 2.2, 5.3 and 8.8 m/s. Fluorescent techniques were used to directly measure the deposition velocities of monodisperse fluorescent particles to duct surfaces (floor, wall and ceiling) at two straight duct sections where the turbulent flow profile was fully developed. In steel ducts, deposition rates were higher to the duct floor than to the wall, which were, in turn, greater than to the ceiling. In insulated ducts, deposition was nearly the same to the duct 1

Empirical equations were developed and applied to predict losses of 0.01-100 µm airborne particles making a single pass through 120 different ventilation duct runs typical of those found in mid-sized office buildings. For all duct runs, losses were negligible for submicron particles and nearly complete for particles larger than 50 µm. The 50 th percentile cutpoint diameters were 15 µm in supply runs and 25 µm in return runs. Losses in supply duct runs were higher than in return duct runs, mostly because internal insulation was present in portions of supply duct runs, but absent from return duct runs. Single-pass equations for particle loss in duct runs were combined with models for predicting ventilation system filtration efficiency and particle deposition to indoor surfaces to evaluate the fates of particles of indoor and outdoor origin in an archetypal mechanically ventilated building. Results suggest that duct losses are a minor influence for determining indoor concentrations for most particle sizes. Losses in ducts were of a comparable magnitude to indoor surface losses for most particle sizes. For outdoor air drawn into an unfiltered ventilation system, most particles smaller than 1 µm are exhausted from

Exposure to airborne particles is detrimental to human health and indoor exposures dominate total exposures for most people. The accidental or intentional release of aerosolized chemical and biological agents within or near a building can lead to exposures of building occupants to hazardous agents and costly building remediation.Particle deposition in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems may significantly influence exposures to particles indoors, diminish HVAC performance and lead to secondary pollutant release within buildings. This dissertation advances the understanding of particle behavior in HVAC systems and the fates of indoor particles by means of experiments and modeling.Laboratory experiments were conducted to quantify particle deposition rates in horizontal ventilation ducts using real HVAC materials. Particle deposition experiments were conducted in steel and internally insulated ducts at air speeds typically found in ventilation ducts, 2-9 m/s. Behaviors of monodisperse particles with diameters in the size range 1-16 µm were investigated. Deposition rates were measured in straight ducts with 1 2 a fully developed turbulent flow profile, straight ducts with a developing turbulent flow profile, in duct bends and at S-connector pieces located at duct junctions. In straight ducts with fully developed turbulence, experiments showed deposition rates to be highest at duct floors, intermediate at duct walls, and lowest at duct ceilings. Deposition rates to a given surface increased with an increase in particle size or air speed. Deposition was much higher in internally insulated ducts than in uninsulated steel ducts. In most cases, deposition in straight ducts with developing turbulence, in duct bends and at S-connectors at duct junctions was higher than in straight ducts with fully developed turbulence.Measured deposition rates were generally higher than predicted by published models.A model incorporating empirical equations based on the experimental measurements was applied to evaluate particle losses in supply and return duct runs. Model results suggest that duct losses are negligible for particle sizes less than 1 µm and complete for particle sizes greater than 50 µm. Deposition to insulated ducts, horizontal duct floors and bends are predicted to control losses in duct systems. When combined with models for HVAC filtration and deposition to indoor surfaces to predict the ultimate fates of particles within buildings, these results suggest that ventilation ducts play only a small role in determining indoor particle concentrations, especially when HVAC filtration is present.However, the measured and modeled particle deposition rates are expected to be important for ventilation system contamination. ChairDate

In ventilation ducts the turbulent flow profile is commonly disturbed or not fully developed and these conditions are likely to influence particle deposition to duct surfaces.Particle deposition rates at eight S-connectors, in two 90° duct bends and in two ducts where the turbulent flow profile was not fully developed were measured in a laboratory duct system with both bare steel and internally insulated ducts with hydraulic diameters of 15.2 cm. In the bare steel duct system, experiments with nominal particle diameters of 1, 3, 5, 9 and 16 µm were conducted at each of three nominal air speeds: 2.2, 5.3 and 9.0 m/s. In the insulated duct system, deposition of particles with nominal diameters of 1, 3, 5, 8 and 13 µm was measured at nominal air speeds of 2.2, 5.3 and 8.8 m/s. Fluorescent techniques were used to directly measure the deposition velocities of monodisperse fluorescent particles to duct surfaces.Deposition at S-connectors, in bends and in straight ducts with developing turbulence was often greater than deposition in straight ducts with fully developed turbulence for equal * Address correspondence to Prof. William W Nazaroff, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 661 Davis Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1710 USA. Tel.: +1-510-642-1040. Fax: +1-510-642-7483. E-mail: nazaroff@ce.berkeley.edu. 1 particle sizes, air speeds and duct surface orientations. Deposition rates at all locations were found to increase with an increase in particle size or air speed. High deposition rates at Sconnectors resulted from impaction and these rates were nearly independent of the orientation of the S-connector. Deposition rates in the two 90° bends differed by more than an order of magnitude in some cases, probably because of the difference in turbulence conditions at the bend inlets. In straight sections of bare steel ducts where the turbulent flow profile was developing, the deposition enhancement relative to fully developed turbulence generally increased with air speed and decreased with downstream distance from the duct inlet. This enhancement was greater at the duct ceiling and wall than at the duct floor. In insulated ducts, deposition enhancement was less pronounced overall than in bare steel ducts. Trends that were observed in bare steel ducts were present, but weaker, in insulated ducts.

This report reviews published experimental and theoretical investigations of particle deposition from turbulent flows and considers the applicability of this body of work to the specific case of particle deposition from flows in the ducts of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Particle deposition can detrimentally affect the performance of HVAC systems and it influences the exposure of building occupants to a variety of air pollutants.The first section of this report describes the types of HVAC systems under consideration and discusses the components, materials and operating parameters commonly found in these systems. The second section reviews published experimental investigations of particle deposition rates from turbulent flows and considers the ramifications of the experimental evidence with respect to HVAC ducts. The third section considers the structure of turbulent airflows in ventilation ducts with a particular emphasis on turbulence investigations that have been used as a basis for particle deposition models.The final section reviews published literature on predicting particle deposition rates from turbulent flows.A large quantity of experimental data regarding particle deposition from turbulent flows has been collected using a range of techniques of varying quality. Nearly all of these data have been collected from straight tubes or ducts with a fully developed turbulent flow profile and the data are widely scattered. Most of the data of acceptable quality have been collected from tubes or ducts with hydraulic diameters much smaller than ducts in typical HVAC systems. Particle deposition from turbulent flow with a developing flow profile has not been systematically investigated and only two investigations of particle deposition from turbulent flow through bends have been published. Developing turbulent flow profiles and bends are common in HVAC ducts.Owing to the large number of investigations into particle deposition from turbulent flow, much is known; however, the direct applicability to the case of particles in HVAC ducts is limited. Particle size, turbulence intensity and the roughness and orientation (horizontal or vertical) of the deposition surface are the parameters that control particle deposition rates and all of these factors are likely to be pertinent in HVAC ducts. Particle diameters of concern in HVAC ducts range from about 0.003 to 30 µm and deposition rates are known to vary strongly in this range. Friction velocities in HVAC ducts are iii likely to be in the range 0.1-1 m/s and variations of turbulence intensities in this range are likely to influence deposition rates. Both microscale surface roughness (from less than 1 micron up to hundreds of microns) and macroscale roughness (about 1 mm and larger) have been demonstrated to enhance particle deposition relative to the case of a smooth surface. Microscale roughness intrinsic to the duct material, or due to corrosion or previous deposition of particles, and macroscale roughness from thermal insulation, joi...