Variable and two speed central heat and air conditioning systems, now on the market, can save energy by matching their operating speed more closely to the heating or cooling demand on a structure. However, current installation practices necessitate installing a duct system large enough to handle the (often infrequent) maximum air output of this equipment. At the more typical lower speeds or reduced air output, the heated or cooled air moves slower and stays longer in the duct system, leading to tremendous energy losses. This project will develop a sleeve type, air-inflated duct bladder that can selectively modulate duct capacity and provide increased insulation value. Phase 1 will develop and test a sleeve bladder equipped duct system, with an associated inflation pump and control system. Preliminary testing and measurement of duct BTU losses and air performance in a controlled environment will then be conducted.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The sleeve bladder duct system should encourage the use of energy saving variable speed equipment. Significant energy savings should be realized for the moderate additional cost of the sleeve bladder system
