Can Airius Fans Successfully Replace Ductwork in an air-Conditioned Space?

Airius Conditioning

Using Airius fans in place of air conditioning ductwork

The cost of air conditioning a space is driven by the method used to cool or heat the air, as well as the mixing and distribution infrastructure, commonly known as ductwork.

The use of ductwork to mix and distribute air does not just add a large amount of cost to a project in its own right. It also requires more energy to push air through the ductwork and mix it around the space. This means more pressure, more electrical energy and therefore higher running costs.

With air conditioning ductwork, there are also implications for floor-to-ceiling heights, aesthetics, suspended ceilings, building costs, commissioning and maintenance. Ductwork can also create constraints around lighting positions, plantroom size and overall design flexibility.

For some time, Airius fans have been used to mix and distribute conditioned air in large facilities without ductwork, including projects in the UK and India where cooling is a key driver.

Recently, Airius installed a duct-free solution for a small retail space in Perth, Western Australia. The space was approximately 300 sqm and 4.5 metres high.

99 Bikes using Airius fans in lieu of A/C ductwork

The client was refurbishing their building and Gareth Halliday, General Manager from Eco Climate Solutions in Perth, had seen Airius publications about the efficacy of duct-free air distribution. He was keen to implement the solution for his client, 99 Bikes, a nationwide bicycle retail chain.

View the full 99 Bikes case study

Gareth’s business specialises in energy-efficient cooling and heating outcomes, so the Airius solution held great interest for both his company and his client.

Eco Climate Solutions removed the existing suspended ceiling and ductwork while leaving the four 14 kW Panasonic ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning systems in the ceiling space.

Using just seven small, quiet, lightweight and unobtrusive Airius S1 Pearl fans and one speed controller, the system was designed by Airius engineers and installed in August 2018. The Pearl fans use only 14 watts each, with the system costing approximately $3,000 in total.

Across spring and summer, this unique solution proved to be very effective, with the client experiencing no issues around comfort or any other concerns relating to the fans during that time.

Four Airius fans were suspended horizontally adjacent to the air conditioning units, near their discharge register, to circulate the cooler air and mix it across the space. The other three fans were mounted vertically up under the roof and located evenly around the space, to capture stratified warm air during winter and push it back down to the floor.

Gareth advises that significant energy and cost savings have been achieved through the removal and non-replacement of ductwork, reduced static pressure issues, and a substantial reduction in capex, materials, maintenance, coordination, commissioning and plant size expenditure.

The results

• No complaints from customers or the client regarding comfort inside the store across a very hot summer.
• Very low supply and installation costs.
• Significant expected energy savings, with monitoring of energy savings due to begin after installation.

Due to the unique Airius airflow methodology, Airius fans can provide this type of air conditioning support by helping to mix and distribute conditioned air without relying on traditional ductwork.

Airius has also shown the efficacy of this solution through CFD modelling work by Dr Colin Allison from Similitude. His report indicates that this concept, pioneered by Airius, is a cost-effective solution for mixing and distributing air-conditioned air.

Please contact Airius if you would like to see the report.

The opportunities for architectural and engineering freedom, as well as installation and running cost savings, are worthy of further investigation for interested parties.

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