Syska Hennessy launches ‘Ductulator’ app for simpler duct sizing

Syska Hennessy Group, the international engineering firm, has launched an app called the Ductulator, which helps architects, owners, contractors, and mechanical engineers easily determine and specify duct dimensions for HVAC systems.

The Ductulator, now available for free on the Apple app store and Google Play, enables users to accurately size ductwork by calculating the optimal friction loss and air-flow velocity for HVAC systems in design. Based on equations and recommendations published by the American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRAE), the app ensures precision and energy efficiency.

Syska anticipates that architects and contractors will use the Ductulator to facilitate their collaborations with mechanical design professionals, ensuring that HVAC systems are not only correctly sized, but that they also function as intended with optimal energy use.

“Design professionals and contractors need access both in the field and office to modify duct dimensions, and the Ductulator provides these numbers quickly and precisely,” says Rob Ioanna, Syska Executive Principal and Chief Technical Officer. “After speaking with our architecture clients about the challenges they face in fitting ductwork into ever-shrinking spaces and the lack of simplicity they’ve encountered with existing tools, we decided to develop a user-friendly alternative.”

The Ductulator’s differentiators include the capability to size rectangular, round, and flat oval ducts. It also takes a duct’s location into account, adjusting for placements in high-pressure versus low-pressure systems and shafts versus plenums, for example. Finally, the app alerts users when they select a size that would exceed the maximum pressure-drop or velocity.

Chris Wescott, Associate Principal and Technical Manager in Syska’s New York office, developed the initial concept. He created a downloadable visual basic app, and shared it with Syska Innovations, a subsidiary whose mission is to drive innovation within Syska and throughout the industry. Syska Innovations then organized a team across three offices to take the concept from ideation to launch.

“The Ductulator is exactly the sort of project we had in mind when we established Syska Innovations in 2020,” says Cyrus Izzo, Syska’s CEO and President. “We know our professionals are highly creative, and we wanted to support them in identifying and solving common problems in the AEC industry. The Ductulator demonstrates the success of this approach.”

He continues: “We have plans to expand the Ductulator to the web and make further iterations to it. Meanwhile, we have several other innovations projects in the works, and we look forward to rolling them out soon. These efforts are generating great enthusiasm within Syska, and we anticipate that they will also drive progress in the AEC industry.”

About Syska Hennessy Group
Syska Hennessy Group is a leading global, full-service MEP, information and communication technology (ICT), vertical transportation, and commissioning engineering firm. With more than 500 professionals across 20 offices, the company provides a full range of engineering services for projects of every size and budget. Since 1928, Syska has been designing smarter, safer, and more efficient buildings by integrating essential systems that respond and adapt to a changing world.