Minimum Leakage/Low Cost Duct Connections

Leaky and disconnected joints in HVAC air distribution systems are extremely widespread. The average efficiency of duct systems in homes in the US is approximately 55% with approximately 60% of the loss due to duct leakage. Beyond the energy and emissions penalties caused by these leaks, leaky systems have detrimental comfort, health, and safety effects. The health and safety effects include the delivery of combustion products into the homes due to leakage induced depressurization. Current duct installation practice does not attempt to address the problem. This project developed a prototype Professionally Engineered Duct System that will virtually eliminate air leakage and that can be applied in new and replacement installations at the same labor cost as current designs. It uses snap-together duct fittings that will not come apart, can be applied to all types of duct systems, and cannot be separated without exceptional force. its use would require minimal changes to current installation practice. The research team developed the prototype through a multi-step process beginning with a functional analysis of duct connections. This was followed by identifying duct sealing and attachment methods offering potential to meet design objectives, evaluating the designs in terms of function and economic feasibility, and building and testing the most promising design option. Two versions of this design were developed through a test, revise, retest process. One application was to a rigid sheet metal duct, the other was to a helix core flex duct. The process produced a sheet metal application with 1/20th the leakage of a standard connection and a flex duct application with 1/10th the leakage of a standard connection. A patent search has found that the design will not infringe on existing patents and is patentable