Hydronic Heating
Putting It Into Perspective
2
• 400,000 commercial/industrial boilers
• Consume 33 Quads
• 25% of world’s energy
• Importing 40%
• 60% over 20 years old (75% efficient)
• Waste 400,000,000 brls @10%
• Tough economic times
• Competition is fierce no matter what
the business…
• We burn less, we pollute less. (Gas,
oil, solid, renewables)
• What about the 5th fuel?
Large Commercial / Industrial Boilers
160,000 boilers
Hydronic = 115,000 boilers
69,000 over 20 years old
Average size 1,200,000 BTU
(36 BHP)
@ $1.00 X 6480 hrs = $78,000/yr
Hydronic Heating
Putting It Into Perspective
Hydronic Heating
Putting It Into Perspective
What do I do with my product price
when the cost of fuel escalates?
Fuel expense is CASH for
the business!
The Hydronic System Optimization
6
• Efficiency
• Excellent fuel/air ratio control
• Burner Turndown
• Maximize optimum firing rate
control
• Limit cycling
• Space Comfort
• Reliability
• Safety
Dual Return Effect
Efficiency versus Firing Rate: Single and Dual Return Comparison
(130F Single Return, 80F/150F Dual Return)
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%% Firing Rate
% E
ffic
ien
cy
Blended Single Return
10% Cold (low)-90% Hot (high)25% Cold (low)-75% Hot (high)
11
15
Circulating Pumps
To system
From system
From system
To system
The Prime Mover
• Centrifugal
Base Mounted In-Line Mounted
Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec % Total Cumm
%
DB (F) Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs
60-65 1012 3 38 150 157 10
0
105 120 156 120 43 20 16.4 16.4
55-60 711 16 39 128 119 53 25 43 79 111 72 26 11.5 28.0
50-55 610 15 15 79 110 87 33 3 8 58 110 64 28 9.9 37.9
45-50 578 61 29 94 101 39 4 21 90 114 25 9.4 47.2
40-45 497 39 37 78 63 16 22 82 89 71 8.1 55.3
35-40 776 137 86 138 70 9 22 94 103 117 12.6 67.9
30-35 760 145 142 123 19 24 93 214 12.3 80.2
25-30 566 108 128 95 2 8 91 134 9.2 89.4
20-25 231 75 64 26 2 34 30 3.7 93.2
15-20 233 108 64 24 3 34 3.8 96.9
10-15 91 18 30 43 1.5 98.4
5-10 64 31 31 2 1.0 99.4
0-5 29 7 22 0.5 99.9
-5-0 5 5 0.1 100.0
6163
26
Columbus, OH
Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec % Total Cumm %
DB (F) Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs
60-65 679 16 26 72 135 134 139 118 39 9.3 9.3
55-60 707 23 58 134 124 52 141 102 73 9.7 19.0
50-55 653 15 4 25 75 119 120 27 73 92 109 8 1 9.0 27.9
45-50 854 61 27 74 149 140 61 24 26 117 169 45 22 11.7 39.7
40-45 922 21 74 183 148 95 23 8 2 73 126 89 81 12.6 52.3
35-40 1280 152 143 211 171 68 5 30 116 265 119 17.5 69.8
30-35 981 140 226 168 68 11 61 174 133 13.4 83.3
25-30 544 168 101 32 8 26 73 136 7.5 90.7
20-25 472 158 69 12 1 42 190 6.5 97.2
15-20 133 38 27 14 54 1.8 99.0
10-15 34 15 1 10 8 0.5 99.5
5-10 6 6 0 0.1 99.6
0-5 19 19 0.3 99.8
-5-0 12 12 0.2 100.0
7296
27
Spokane, WA
Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec %
Total
Cumm %
DB (F) Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs Hrs
60-65 627 7 35 81 157 136 175 121 58 1 9.3 9.3
55-60 401 4 29 73 91 44 73 117 49 6 4 6.0 15.3
50-55 639 16 43 145 101 33 75 190 115 15 4 9.5 24.8
45-50 721 39 128 147 32 6 20 116 197 61 4 10.7 35.5
40-45 341 15 2 23 71 72 11 4 21 65 58 8 5.1 40.6
35-40 606 38 48 97 125 54 5 4 18 69 134 17 9.0 49.6
30-35 1051 95 104 214 176 16 4 64 239 145 15.6 65.2
25-30 698 100 46 138 68 22 108 203 10.4 75.6
20-25 314 62 71 56 2 5 63 53 4.7 80.3
15-20 258 53 77 50 1 13 64 3.8 84.1
10-15 330 117 87 37 8 88 4.9 89.0
5-10 288 86 92 28 4 75 4.3 93.3
0-5 160 69 37 11 41 2.4 95.7
-5-0 102 24 50 8 28 1.6 97.3
-5 - -10 114 46 37 6 12 1.6 98.9
-10 - -15 72 49 21 1.1 100
6722
28
Green Bay, WI
Designing to handle micro-loads
30
Hydronic Boiler Sizing
Always choose smallest boilers first
Design for 30 minutes of run time under zero load conditions
The formula for proper system sizing:
Min MBH = 2(SV x 8.33 x ΔT)
Where:
Min MBH = Minimum desired input
SV = System volume in gallons
8.33 = The weight of water in lbs./gal.
ΔT = The maximum allowable deviation
from the set-point (above and below).
Example
31
Hydronic Boiler Sizing
System Volume = 1,000 gallons
Maximum allowable temp from set-point is +5/-5
Smallest boiler must have the ability to turndown to 166,600
BTU/HR or there will be cycling during low load times
1,000 x 8.33 = 8,330
8,330 x 10 = 83,300
83,300 x 2 = 166,600 BTU/HR
32
Hydronic Boiler Sizing
Sizing the Hybrid System – Size the condensing boilers so
they can handle 1/3 of design load
For most buildings you should be able to handle 60-80% of
the heating load
Also note...
33
Hydronic System Control
• Approximately 1/3 less cost
•Two independent loops of control
• Condensing
• Non-Condensing
• Best option for legacy buildings and many
news designs
Hybrid System
35
Hydronic System Control
Set Point based on Outside Air Temperature
Boilers (intelligently based on firing rate)
Boiler Pumps
System Pumps
VFD
Automatic Valves
3-way valves
Injector Pumps
Dampers
DHW
Modbus Open Protocol to interface with BAS systems
The optimum system must be able to control / modulate:
36
Retrofit or Replace?
• Temperature
• Optimum Firing Rate (Threshold)
Two Control Concepts:
System Load (Gallons)
39
Hydronic System Control: Hybrid
• Elimination of short-cycling
• Increased life-expectancy of equipment
• Dramatically reduced stack emissions
• Seamlessly connect all equipment in the
mechanical room
What are the results?