QADUCT is a WATT SAVER!
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Truss-Integrated Thermoformed Ductwork
Steven Winter Associates, Inc.
50 Washington Street
Norwalk , CT 06854-2710
Main 203-857-0200
Mr. Steve Winter, Principal Investigator
Ms. Marie Starnes, Business Official,
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-01ER83325
"DOE Road MAP"
The project was to address issues with pre-2007 construction of air duct systems and as a follow-up on research that was conducted. In that the conclusion was that conventional duct systems in houses have serious deficiencies. In the southern states, ductwork is often located in very hot or very cold attics with little insulation to protect them and will have excessive leaks and construction-caused defects. These problems result in energy losses which cause fluctuating indoor comfort conditions and allow transport of air-borne contaminants from unconditioned to conditioned spaces.
This project will address these problems by developing a prefabricated whole house array of thermoformed plastic ductwork for integration within roof trusses and under insulation layers. Pre-fabricated plastic ductwork can be used in conventional attic configurations as well as basements and crawlspaces.
Phase I investigated the ductwork layout and materials, then designed, built, and tested a full-scale prototype thermoformed duct system. It was demonstrated that large parts using thermoforming can be fabricated easily and duct air leakage can be virtually eliminated.
Phase II will develop modular ductwork and mold designs; customize the thermoforming technology; build whole-house duct systems; and install and test entire ductwork systems in the field. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardees:
The proposed innovation could revolutionize how home heating/cooling distribution systems are configured and installed, and could dramatically improve their performance and cost-effectiveness.
If 20% of the nation’s homes adopted this system, a savings of 1.3 billion Watt-hours of electricity per year would result.
Article prepared for CDC ENTERPRISES, INC by Luciano Management, Published agreement states the information is sourced from Energy Star, DOE, SMACNA