AMCA Installation Type Sorter¶
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About This MicroSim¶
A catalog rating applies to one AMCA installation type, set by what was connected to the fan during the AMCA 210 test. This sorter practices the classification from Chapter 25. Two questions decide the type: is the inlet ducted, and is the outlet ducted?
| Inlet ducted? | Outlet ducted? | Type |
|---|---|---|
| No | No | A (free inlet, free outlet) |
| No | Yes | B (free inlet, ducted outlet) |
| Yes | No | C (ducted inlet, free outlet) |
| Yes | Yes | D (ducted inlet, ducted outlet) |
A cabinet, plenum or room is open space, not a duct. The fan type does not matter: an exhaust fan, a plug fan or a centrifugal fan can be any of the four types.
The sim shows eight illustrative installations in shuffled order:
| Description | Correct type |
|---|---|
| A plug fan inside an air handler cabinet, drawing from the cabinet and discharging into it | A |
| A propeller wall fan drawing from a warehouse and discharging outdoors, with no ductwork | A |
| A utility set with an open inlet in an equipment room and a supply duct bolted to its outlet | B |
| A pressure blower with an open inlet funnel in a work area, discharging into a process duct | B |
| A roof upblast exhaust fan fed by a kitchen exhaust duct from below, discharging to atmosphere | C |
| A centrifugal fan drawing through a duct from a process hood and discharging directly outdoors with no outlet duct | C |
| An inline fan installed in the middle of a duct run | D |
| A centrifugal fan with an inlet duct from a dust collector and an outlet duct to a stack | D |
For each description you answer the two questions, place the description in one of the four bins and commit it. Only the first committed answer counts toward the score. After an incorrect answer you may move the item once more, as unscored practice. After each commit a schematic draws the correct answer: a grey duct on a ducted side and open dashed arrows on a free side. When all eight are placed, the bins show their correct contents, marked against your first answers. Mastery is 7 of 8 correct on the first attempt.
How to Use¶
- Read the description and answer Inlet ducted? and Outlet ducted? (No, free or Yes, ducted).
- Choose a bin, Type A to Type D, and press Commit. A correct answer reads "✓ Correct: Type letter. Why" in a solid green box. An incorrect one reads "✗ Not quite. Why Correct type: letter." in a dashed red box. The line below compares your two answers with the bin you chose.
- After a miss you may pick another bin and press Commit again (not scored) once. Press Next description to go on. "Correct on first try: n of 8" keeps the running score; each committed item appears in its bin as a numbered chip with ✓ or ✗.
- After description 8, press See the bins. The summary shows the first-attempt score and the mastery line. Start over reshuffles the eight descriptions and clears the score.
Keyboard: Tab reaches the two Yes/No groups (arrow keys change the choice), the bins and the buttons. Keys A, B, C and D choose a bin; Enter commits, then goes to the next description.
Data label: "Illustrative installations", at the bottom left of the drawing.
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Lesson Plan¶
Learning Objective¶
The learner will classify fan installations into AMCA installation types A, B, C and D from a description of what is connected to the fan's inlet and outlet, with at least 7 of 8 correct on the first attempt (Bloom: Understand, verb: classify).
Audience¶
Adult professional development: new application engineers, sales staff, representatives and facilities staff.
Duration¶
10 minutes
Prerequisites¶
- AMCA installation type, free inlet, ducted inlet, free outlet and ducted outlet (Chapter 25)
- System effect (Chapter 10)
Activities¶
- Sort (5 min): Classify the eight descriptions. Say out loud which side is ducted before choosing a bin.
- Review (2 min): Read the end view of the bins. For each ✗, find the word in the description that decides the side (cabinet, funnel, duct, atmosphere).
- Apply (3 min): Name a fan on a current job, state its installation type, and compare it with the type printed on the catalog rating used to select it.
Common Misconceptions Addressed¶
- The installation type depends on the fan type: the two exhaust fans and the three centrifugal fans land in different bins, so the fan name cannot decide the type.
- A short connection to a plenum or cabinet counts as a ducted side: the plug fan in its cabinet is Type A, and the feedback says the cabinet is open space.
- Exhaust fans are always Type C: the propeller wall fan is an exhaust fan with no duct, Type A.
Assessment¶
- The running line "Correct on first try: n of 8" counts first committed answers only. At the end the sim shows "First-attempt score: n of 8" and the mastery line; mastery is 7 of 8.
- Follow-up question: a fan rated as Type D is installed discharging straight into a plenum. What is the job's installation type, and what has to be added to the design pressure?
References¶
- AMCA International - publisher of AMCA 210 (laboratory test methods that define installation types A to D) and AMCA 201, Fans and Systems.
- FanPedia: The Fan & Blower Encyclopedia - Twin City Fan's reference on fan types, inlets, outlets and system effect.
- Chapter 25: Fan Laws, System Effect and Sound - the installation type definitions and the worked example this sorter practices.