Multiple boiler systems have been used for decades. They allow full heating capacity to be delivered when necessary, while also retaining high efficiency under partial load conditions compared to a single large boiler.
I’m still seeing plenty of steam systems out there in our older cities, so knowing about dry steam will help you if you’re replacing a steam boiler. Dry steam is your goal.
When a fixed output heat pump supplies a highly zoned heating or cooling distribution system, a buffer tank is typically used to prevent the heat pump from short-cycling under very low load conditions.
ades of dealing with hydronic systems, I’ve confirmed two characteristics that always govern their operation. Both are rooted in the tenants of thermodynamics. Neither should be thought of as mysterious.
Those who evaluate the performance of HVAC source equipment such as boilers, furnaces and heat pumps have to work with a wide variety of acronyms. Some of them were spawned by government bureaucrats, mostly the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Others were created through a consensus process based on input from manufacturers and other industry stakeholders.
The very first installation of the Mikrofill 3 hydronic pressurization unit in North America took place recently in a mechanical room of an assisted- and independent-living community in Southwest-suburban Chicago. You might say the flower of this innovation grew from the soil of an old industry friendship.
Over the years I’ve had opportunities to work with several architects. They’re interesting people who have the ability to meld art with building technology. Sometimes the result is more “art,” and sometimes it’s more “building.” In either case, their designs typically get handed off to engineers with the simple request: Figure out how to heat my creation…
Given the current upward trend and volatility of fossil fuel pricing, there’s renewed interest in heating using wood pellets. Federal incentives that currently cover 26% of some qualified equipment adds enticement toward purchasing pellet-burning stoves.
When designing hydronic circuits, most engineers focus on what’s necessary for that circuit to absorb thermal energy at a heat source, carry it along like a conveyor belt and drop it off at one or more heat emitters.
Most hydronic systems have the boiler running up to 180° F with water returning from the system at 160°. This rarely happens in real life, but it’s the traditional way we do things.