Okuzeka
Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · HVAC

Ductwork

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/ˈdʌktwɜːrk/nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, ductwork means: The system of metal or plastic ducts that carries air from fans and air handling units to rooms and back, including bends, branches, dampers and grilles.

In Turkish: kanal sistemi, hava kanalları, kanal tesisatı

How it is used

Used in HVAC design, installation and maintenance. Engineers size ductwork for air velocity and pressure drop; contractors install and insulate it. Most ductwork is galvanized sheet metal, rectangular or round. Ductwork is uncountable; for one piece, say a duct.

Example sentences

  1. The ductwork above the ceiling is undersized, which makes the system noisy.

  2. All supply ductwork must be insulated to prevent condensation.

Common collocations

  • supply ductwork
  • return ductwork
  • duct insulation
  • galvanized ductwork
  • duct sizing
  • air handling unitA large HVAC unit that filters, heats or cools, sometimes humidifies, and moves air through a building's ductwork, using fans, filters, coils and dampers.
  • ventilationSupplying fresh outdoor air to a space and removing stale or polluted air, either naturally through openings or mechanically with fans.
  • pressure dropThe loss of pressure as a fluid flows through a pipe, filter, valve or other component, caused by friction and by changes in direction or cross-section.
  • sheet metalMetal made into thin, flat sheets, usually less than about 6 mm thick, and the parts made from it by cutting, bending and joining.
  • HVACShort for heating, ventilation and air conditioning: the systems that control temperature, humidity and air quality in buildings, vehicles and industrial spaces.

More terms: HVAC

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: