AT-19-001 -- A Review of Prior ASHRAE Research Efforts to Characterize Noise Propagation in Ducts

Over the last several decades, ASHRAE has sponsoredseveral research efforts in an effort to better understand noisepropagation in heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning(HVAC) ductwork. Much of this work is the basis for the ductinsertion loss and breakout noise information in the ASHRAEHandbook—HVAC Applications. Though this information iswidely used in the building industry, the Handbook provideslittle information about the basis for the equations and potentiallimitations. This paper reviews the past work supported byASHRAE, provides context for the information in the ASHRAEHandbook, and examines shortcomings of which designersshould be aware. In addition, more recent research efforts arereviewed, including a recently completed measurementcampaign in ASHRAE RP-1408 (Reynolds et al. 2018) and afinite element simulation approach for simulation of HVACcomponents. ASHRAE Handbook results are compared to themore recent measurement and the finite element results so thatthe limitations of the handbook are better understood. Futureresearch directions are recommended at the conclusion of thepaper.