Absorption-Heat-Pump/

Boiler Systems
Defrosting valve
Using renewable energy
tor
to achieve thermal p ora
Eva

Absorber/regenerator
122˚F
efficiencies of up to Generator

Condenser/absorber
145 percent in

Pipe in pipe
commercial buildings
Burner

By JAMES PETTIFORD and ERIN SPERRY,

Fulton Heating Solutions,
Pulaski, N.Y.; 104˚F
MELISSA WADKINSON,
Fulton Thermal Corp., Solution
pump
Pulaski, N.Y.;
and FABIO SPREAFICO,
Robur SpA,
Zingonia, Italy Concentrated Water/ammonia Ammonia Ammonia Warm to
water/ammonia mixture gas liquid hot water

C
mixture
Condensing gas-fired hydronic boil-
ers have become increasingly popular The gas-fired-absorption-heat-pump cycle.
in commercial heating applications
during the last 20 years. Several models of condensing
boilers now have thermal efficiencies approaching
100 percent at low firing rates and return-water tempera-
tures. However, the 100-percent level remains the funda-
mental efficiency limit for hydronic heating systems in the
commercial-buildings sector.
Gas-fired absorption heat pumps can be used in
commercial heating applications and achieve thermal-
efficiency levels as high as 145 percent by drawing heat
from renewable energy resources, such as the ground,
water, or ambient air. Absorption heat pumps use natural
ammonia-water refrigerant and offer energy and carbon-
dioxide- (CO2-) emissions savings of up to 30 percent or
more, compared with condensing boilers.
Absorption heat pumps have gained significant market
share in Europe and recently were introduced to North
America. They offer new opportunities to significantly im-
prove energy efficiency in schools/universities, hospitals,
office buildings, and manufacturing facilities.
The Absorption Thermodynamic Cycle
The absorption thermodynamic cycle incorporates
several stages of temperature and pressure change that
enable ammonia-water working fluid to absorb heat
from a gas-fired burner, ambient air, or geothermal heat
sources and transfer it to a hydronic distribution loop.
• The first stage of the absorption cycle includes heat-
ing the working fluid in a gas-fired-generator component.
The ammonia portion of the working fluid boils into vapor
under high pressure and passes through a partially cooled

James Pettiford is the director of engineering for Fulton Heating Solutions’ new-product development group and has 15 years
of experience in the design and development of advanced commercial and industrial boilers. The commercial-heating-product
manager for Fulton Heating Solutions, Erin Sperry is responsible for modular hydronic heating products and has extensive experi-
ence in applications engineering for activities surrounding the design and installation of commercial heating systems. The chief
engineer for Fulton Thermal Corp., Melissa Wadkinson has 16 years of experience and is involved in the design and application of
commercial and industrial boilers. A product manager at Robur SpA, Fabio Spreafico is responsible for gas-absorption products
(heat pumps and chillers) for North America.

30 HPAC EnginEEring SEPTEMBER 2010

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Circle 169
ABSORPTION-HEAT-PUMP/BOILER SYSTEMS

rectifier to remove residual water. Certain analogies between the can be transferred into the hydronic
• During the second stage of the absorption cycle and the compres- loop for each unit of fuel input, thus
cycle, the ammonia vapor enters the sor-driven Rankine cycle commonly achieving the described overall
condenser, where it is changed back used in electrically driven heat-pump thermal efficiency of 145 percent.
into a liquid state while transferring systems exist. The liquid-solution Figure 1 shows heating-perfor-
heat to the hydronic loop. pump and gas-fired-generator com- mance characteristics of represen-
• During the third stage, the ponents perform the same function tative air-source and geothermal/
ammonia liquid passes through a as the compressor in the Rankine water-source absorption heat
throttling device and undergoes a cycle by producing high-pressure pumps. Air-absorption heat pumps
substantial pressure reduction. ammonia vapor. Also, the absorber exhibit lower efficiencies at low out-
• During the fourth stage, the low- component draws the ammonia va- door temperatures, but still maintain
pressure liquid ammonia enters the por from the evaporator component significantly higher efficiencies than
evaporator component and changes and is analogous to the suction side condensing boilers under nearly all
back to vapor as it absorbs heat from of a refrigerant compressor. Finally, ambient-temperature conditions.
the air or geothermal/water heat the throttling device and evaporator Geothermal absorption heat pumps
source. component in the absorption cycle tend to show relatively constant
• During the fifth stage, the ammo- perform the same pressure-reduc- energy performance vs. outdoor tem-
nia vapor continues to the absorber tion and heat-absorption functions perature.
component, which contains a weaker as in the Rankine cycle. Absorption heat pumps operate
solution (i.e., a lower ammonia con- For each unit of fuel used in the most efficiently when the heat source
centration) of the original ammonia- gas-fired-generator component, 0.85 is at least moderately warm (e.g., geo-
water working fluid, and is absorbed units of heat are transferred directly thermal) or when the heating supply
into the working fluid through an through the condenser component temperature is relatively low (e.g., ra-
exothermic reaction that increases into the hydronic distribution loop. diant-heat or water-loop heat-pump
the temperature of the working fluid Additionally, the ammonia refriger- applications). Low-temperature (140˚F
and releases additional heat into the ant draws up to 0.60 units of low- or less) thermal-distribution systems
hydronic loop. temperature heat from the ambient enable absorption heat pumps to
• During the sixth stage, the liquid- air or geothermal/water source while achieve the greatest energy savings.
solution pump increases the pressure in the evaporator component and Designers should size thermal-distri-
of the ammonia-water working fluid transfers it to the hydronic distribu- bution components (e.g., baseboard/
to meet the high pressure of the gen- tion loop during its absorption into convector units, heating coils for
erator component. The absorption the weak ammonia-water solution ventilation/supply air, etc.) to ensure
cycle then repeats itself, beginning located in the absorber component. that supply- and return-water tem-
with the first stage. Therefore, a total of 1.45 units of heat peratures are as low as possible.

150 150
145
140 145
135
130
Thermal efficiency (percent)

140
Thermal efficiency (percent)

125
120
135
115
77˚F RWT, 95˚F LWT
110 86˚F RWT, 104˚F LWT
68˚F RWT, 86˚F LWT
130 95˚F RWT, 113˚F LWT
105 95˚F RWT, 113˚F LWT
104˚F RWT, 122˚F LWT 104˚F RWT, 122˚F LWT
100 113˚F RWT, 140˚F LWT 113˚F RWT, 131˚F LWT
113˚F RWT, 149˚F LWT
95 125
RWT = Return-water temperature
LWT = Leaving-water temperature RWT = Return-water temperature
90
LWT = Leaving-water temperature
85 120
77 68 59 50 45 36 19 14 5 -4 -13 -20 86 77 68 59 50 41 32
Ambient temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) Cold-water-circuit inlet temperature (degrees Fahrenheit)

FIGURE 1. Typical heating-efficiency data for air-source (left) and geothermal/water-source (right) absorption heat pumps.

32 HPAC EnginEEring SEPTEMBER 2010

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Circle 170
ABSORPTION-HEAT-PUMP/BOILER SYSTEMS
Integration With Hybrid Systems
Absorption heat pumps can be
used as lead components within hy-
brid heat-pump-plus-boiler systems
to cost-effectively maximize seasonal
energy performance. A heat pump is
the first component to respond to a
call for heat by a building control sys-
tem. Boiler components operate only
when a heating load exceeds the ca-
pacity of the absorption heat pump.
Figure 2 shows geothermal/
water-source and air-source versions
of the hybrid absorption-heat-pump-
plus-boiler system. System piping
should be configured to allow cool
return water to flow to absorption
heat pumps when possible to maxi-
mize efficiency. Air-source versions
of absorption heat pumps should be
located either outdoors or in a me-
chanical room with ample exposure
to ambient air.
Absorption-heat-pump-plus-
boiler systems should include smart
controls to optimize performance
under part-load and design-load
conditions. Improved reliability and
reduced installation costs also can be
achieved through the factory design
and manufacturing of fully assembled
“plug-and-play” absorption-heat-
pump-plus-boiler systems.
Based on typical load
profiles and temperature
bin-hour data for many com-
mercial heating applications
in northern climate zones, most
operating hours occur under part-
load conditions.
Even if the absorption-heat-pump
portion of a hybrid system is sized
for only 25 percent of the peak heat-
ing load, it will provide more than
half of the total heating-system out-
put because it will operate through-
out nearly the entire heating season.
On the other hand, if the heat-pump
portion is sized for 50 percent of the
peak load, it can provide more than
90 percent of the total heating-system
output.
An absorption-heat-pump-plus-
boiler system with equal proportions
of heat-pump and boiler capacity can
34 HPAC EnginEEring SEPTEMBER 2010
Outdoor-air
temperature sensor T
Outside wall
Hydronic-loop
temperature
sensor
Gas-absorption
Gas-absorption
heat pump
heat pump
T
hydronic boiler
Main
hydronic boiler
Condensing
Condensing
system
pump
1 2 3 4
Heating zones
Boiler
sequencing
control
system
FIGURE 2. Air-source (above) and Remote
monitoring/
geothermal/water-source system access
(below) hybrid
absorption-heat-
pump-plus- 60˚F in the circulating wa-
boiler systems. ter loop of a water-source
(run-around-type) heat-
pump system. The absorp-
tion-heat-pump and boiler
components each have a
capacity of 1 MMBtuh.
Table 1 compares a hybrid
system with a traditional
condensing-boiler system
that has a capacity of
2 MMBtuh. For evaluation
purposes, the design heat-
ing load of the example com-
mercial building also is 2 MMBtuh.
Table 1 incorporates bin-hour
weather data, calculated heating
achieve loads for each temperature bin, and
essentially the respective heating outputs for the
same seasonal ef- absorption and boiler components.
ficiency as a heat-pump-only system. Th e ta bl e sho w s tha t s iz in g a n
Depending on building-owner pref- absorption heat pump for 50 percent
erences, the heating capacity of the of a hybrid system can achieve sub-
absorption-heat-pump portion of a stantial energy savings on a seasonal
hybrid system usually will be within basis. Although the table utilizes
25 to 50 percent of total hybrid-system Chicago weather data, many other
capacity. geographic locations would show
Table 1 includes calculations similar results. Just over 90 percent
of heating loads and system per- of a hybrid system’s total heating
formance for a hybrid air-source output is provided by the absorption-
absorption-heat-pump-plus-boiler heat-pump component.
system with a total heating capacity The design choices and calcula-
of 2 MMBtuh. The system is intended tions in the table can be adapted to
to provide supplemental heat to evaluate other sizing options for a hy-
maintain a minimum temperature of brid system. For example, the relative
 ABSORPTION-HEAT-PUMP/BOILER SYSTEMS

size of the heat-pump component can
be increased or decreased to meet
the desired criteria for energy and
economic performance. Heat-pump-
efficiency data also could be modified
to reflect geothermal vs. air-source
performance.
The air-source version of the
hybrid absorption-heat-pump-
plus-boiler system achieves about
24-percent energy savings in water-
loop heat-pump applications by in-
creasing seasonal thermal efficiency
from 95 percent (for traditional con-
densing boilers) to 125 percent. An
air-source hybrid system also can
increase the seasonal efficiency of
conventional hydronic (baseboard/
convector) heating from 89 percent
to 105 percent, depending on distri-
bution temperature.
Hybrid Systems in Geothermal
Applications
Geothermal electrically driven
heat-pump systems have gained
market interest because of their
ability to use ground-coupled heat
exchangers to provide efficient heat-
ing and cooling in commercial build-
ings. Geothermal-heat-pump systems
are effective in reducing electricity
consumption and peak electricity
demand for summer cooling, but
incur substantial energy costs
for heating in northern climates.
Additionally, the capital costs of geo-
thermal borewell fields and ground
loops have presented a considerable
barrier to market acceptance.
When used in geothermal mode,
absorption heat pumps offer an
innovative design alternative to
traditional geothermal electrically
driven heat pumps. The coefficient of
performance (COP) of a geothermal
electrically driven heat pump
should be multiplied by the average
30-percent efficiency garnered
by fuel-fired power generation to
determine a primary-energy-utiliza-
tion factor (i.e., the ratio of heat-pump
thermal output to power-generation
fuel input), which often is similar to
that of condensing boiler systems.
Absorption heat pumps can
achieve thermal efficiencies of 120 to
almost 150 percent in several types
of geothermal heating applications.
The primary-energy performance
of a geothermal absorption heat
pump can be equivalent to that of an
electrically driven geothermal heat
pump with a heating COP of approx-

Gas- 2 MMBtuh Hybrid system 2 MMBtuh boiler

absorption
Temp- heat pump Total Btuh MMBtu per year MMBtu per year
erature bin Boiler (GAHP) heating
(degrees Bin efficiency coefficient of Heating in bin GAHP Boiler GAHP Boiler GAHP Boiler Boiler Boiler
Fahrenheit) hours (in bin) performance load (Btuh) (MMBtu) load load output output input input output input
-5/-1 6 0.93 1.05 1.92 million 12 1 million 917,000 6 6 6 7 12 13

0/4 58 0.93 1.06 1.75 million 101 1 million 750,000 58 43 55 46 101 109

5/9 66 0.94 1.10 1.58 million 104 1 million 583,000 66 38 60 40 104 111

10/14 125 0.94 1.14 1.42 million 177 1 million 417,000 125 52 110 53 177 188

15/19 243 0.94 1.20 1.25 million 304 1 million 250,000 243 61 202 65 304 323

20/24 354 0.95 1.25 1.08 million 383 1 million 83,000 354 29 283 31 383 403

25/29 511 0.95 1.28 917,000 468 917,000 - 468 - 365 - 468 493

30/34 957 0.95 1.31 750,000 718 750,000 - 718 - 548 - 718 756

35/39 720 0.96 1.34 583,000 420 583000 - 420 - 313 - 420 438

40/44 636 0.96 1.37 417,000 265 417000 - 265 - 193 - 265 276

45/49 577 0.96 1.40 250,000 144 250,000 - 144 - 103 - 144 150

50/54 585 0.97 1.41 83,000 48 83,000 - 48 - 34 - 48 49

Totals 4,838 3,144 2,915 229 2,272 242 3,144 3,309

Notes:
1 million Btuh air-source GAHP (base load) plus 1 million Btuh condensing boiler (peak load) vs. 2 million Btuh condensing boiler (for entire heating load)
Peak heating load = 2 million Btuh at -5˚F
Heating load = 0 Btuh at 55˚F
Total heating output = 3,144 MMBtu for both system options
Total fuel input for hybrid system = 2,272 MMBtu (GAHP) plus 242 MMBtu (boiler) = 2,514 MMBtu
Total fuel input for 2 MMBtuh boiler = 3,309 MMBtu
Annual fuel savings = 795 MMBtu or 24 percent
Seasonal efficiency = 3,144/2,514 = 125 percent for hybrid GAHP/boiler system
Seasonal efficiency = 3,144/3,309 = 95 percent for 2 MMBtuh boiler (only) system

TABLE 1. Heating analysis of air-source supplemental heat for a water-loop heat-pump system.

SEPTEMBER 2010 HPAC ENGINEERING 35

 ABSORPTION-HEAT-PUMP/BOILER SYSTEMS

Seasonal Energy
Heating application efficiency savings
Air-source absorption-heat-pump/boiler system with conventional 105 percent 16 percent
hydronic distribution (140˚F/120˚F)
Air-source absorption-heat-pump/boiler system for water-loop 125 percent 24 percent
heat-pump supplemental heating (86˚F/68˚F)
Geothermal absorption-heat-pump/boiler system with conventional 119 percent 25 percent
hydronic distribution (140˚F/120˚F)
Geothermal absorption-heat-pump/boiler system with radiant 143 percent 35 percent
hydronic distribution (95˚F/77˚F)

TABLE 2. Representative energy savings for hybrid absorption-heat-pump-plus-boiler systems.

imately 4 or 5 and, therefore, will source. A 1-million-Btuh geothermal

equal or exceed the performance
of most electrically driven systems
under real-world northern-climate
conditions.
An absorption heat pump can
reduce CO 2 emissions by about 25
to 60 percent compared with an
electrically driven heat pump using
electricity produced by coal-fired
power generation, which provides
more than 60 percent of the electric-
ity produced in the United States.
Additionally, a gas-fired absorp-
tion heat pump can achieve size and
capital-cost reductions of 30 to 40 per-
cent for geothermal borewell fields/
ground loops. When an absorption
heat pump is in heating mode, ap-
proximately 60 percent of the total
heat output is derived from fuel com-
bustion, while approximately 40 per-
cent is drawn from the geothermal
gas-fired absorption heat pump in
heating mode procures approxi-
mately 400,000 Btuh of heat extrac-
tion from the geothermal borewell
field/ground loop. Comparatively, a
traditional electric geothermal-heat-
pump system derives approximately
70 percent of its total heat output
from the geothermal field, based on
characteristics of the Rankine ther-
modynamic cycle. Thus, the electri-
cally driven heat pump would require
a geothermal borewell field/ground
loop with approximately 700,000
Btuh of heat-extraction capacity.
Geothermal-borewell-field/
ground-loop expenses typically range
from $2,000 to $5,000 per ton of ca-
pacity, depending on location, which
translates to substantial capital-cost
savings for prospective geothermal
heat-pump users.

System with gas-absorption heat pump System with electrical heat pump

Equal-heating-capacity geothermal fields for gas-fired absorption heat pumps and electrically
driven heat pumps.

36 HPAC ENGINEERING SEPTEMBER 2010

 ABSORPTION-HEAT-PUMP/BOILER SYSTEMS
Energy Savings in Commercial
Heating Applications
Table 2 shows representative
energy savings associated with four
hybrid absorption-heat-pump-plus-
boiler systems. Each representative
system incorporates the same 50/50
relative absorption-heat-pump/
boiler-size ratio used in the analyses
described previously.
The energy savings noted in Table
2 are relative to traditional condens-
ing-boiler systems with seasonal
energy efficiencies that depend on
average supply-/return-water-tem-
perature combinations and typically
range from 88 to 90 percent for
hydronic applications and 90 to
95 percent for water-loop-heat-pump
applications.
Cooling Options
Gas-fired absorption heat pumps
also can provide cooling and be
used in combination with electrically
driven chillers to help meet peak air-
conditioning loads. Electricity-cost
savings can be significant, especially
where utility-rate structures include
high demand charges, real-time
pricing, or ratchet clauses that
include continuing monthly charges
for one-time peak electrical-demand
occurrences.
Reducing size requirements for
electric chillers and using a three-
way absorption-heat-pump/boiler/
electric-chiller heating-and-cooling-
system design can help reduce the
net capital cost of absorption-heat-
pump systems. Similarly, combin-
ing gas-fired absorption heat pumps
(operating in air-source mode during
summer) with geothermal electrically
driven heat pumps can substantially
reduce the size and capital costs of
geothermal fields.
A hybrid absorption-heat-pump/
boiler/electric-chiller system can
achieve essentially the same cooling
efficiency as an all-electric system—
whether air-source or geothermal—
because the electric chiller can oper-
ate in base-load mode and provide
more than 90 percent of the total
cooling output over the course of the
cooling season.
Gas-fired absorption heat pumps
also can produce simultaneous heat-
ing and cooling outputs. Commer-
cial-building applications that require
concurrent heating for perimeter
zones and cooling for interior office
zones or computer systems or that
have auxiliary heating loads (e.g.,
domestic hot water or swimming
pools) can be served by absorption
heat pumps during the cooling sea-
son with especially favorable energy
performance.
Conclusion
Able to draw heat from renewable
energy resources such as the ground,
water, or air, hybrid absorption-
heat-pump-plus-boiler systems offer
seasonal efficiency levels as high as
145 percent and energy savings of
up to 30 percent or more for heat-
ing schools/universities, hospitals,
office buildings, and manufacturing
facilities. Based on temperature bin-
hour data and typical load profiles
for many commercial buildings, most
operating hours occur under part-
load conditions. Therefore, even if
the absorption-heat-pump compo-
nent of a hybrid system is sized for
only 50 percent of the peak heating
load, it can provide more than
90 percent of the total thermal output
during the heating season in most
applications.
Absorption heat pumps also pro-
vide increased flexibility by enabling
building owners to use natural gas
instead of electricity to achieve high
efficiency in heating mode and meet
peak cooling loads. Absorption heat
pumps also can achieve substantial
capital-cost savings for geothermal
applications because they can oper-
ate with 30- to 40-percent smaller
borewell-field/ground-loop compo-
nents.
Did you find this article useful? Send
comments and suggestions to Associ-
ate Editor Megan Spencer at megan
.spencer@penton.com.
Circle 171
SEPTEMBER 2010 HPAC EnginEEring 37

From pipe sizing to pump selection, tips
for applying this proven technology
By JOHN VASTYAN
V
Common Ground
Manheim, Pa.
Variable-speed hydronic circulation has been around
for years. With the advent of packaged controls on pumps,
it is easier than ever to implement.
To take a closer look at the concept of variable-speed
pumping, I asked professional engineer and manager of
application engineering for Taco Inc. Greg Cunniff and
Warwick, R.I.-based plumbing and heating specialist
William J. Riley to explain the best applications and key
benefits of the technology.
Convection-Heat-Transfer Equation
The speed of a variable-speed pump is adjusted auto-
matically based on heating- or cooling-load demand. To
understand how, let’s take a quick look at the convection-
heat-transfer equation, which, for water, is:
gpm = Btuh ÷ (∆T × 500)
John Vastyan is president of Common Ground (www.seekcg.com), a specialist in marketing communications and business-to-
business public relations serving the hydronic, geothermal, radiant-heat, HVAC, and plumbing-and-mechanical industries.
38 HPAC ENGINEERING SEPTEMBER 2010
The Art of
Variable-
Speed
Pumping
to a (delta-) T
where:
gpm = the flow rate, in gallons per minute, needed to
meet heating- or cooling-load demand
Btuh = the heat or cooling, in British thermal units per
hour, required for a zone
∆T = the delta-T, or designed temperature drop, across
a piping circuit (for heating, design delta-T typically is
20°F; in many radiant-floor-heating and chilled-water-
cooling systems, however, it usually is about 10°F)
500 = the specific heat of water, in British thermal units
per minute per gallon per hour per Fahrenheit degree
(8.33 lb per gallon times 60 min per hour times 1 Btu per
pound per Fahrenheit degree)
Sample Project
Consider the example of a small restaurant with a heat
gain of 75,000 Btuh and an outdoor design temperature
of 95°F. Three zones of fan coils, each with a cooling
load of 25,000 Btuh, are needed. Each zone is designed
to a 10°F delta-T and has a flow rate of 5 gpm. With this
information, the boiler and chiller supply and return
pipes, distribution header, and zone piping can be sized.
Pipe-sizing guidelines are based on minimum and
maximum flow velocity and maximum head loss. Recom-
mended design parameters are velocities of 2 fps to 8 fps
at a head loss of no more than 4 ft per
100 ft. In smaller pipe, head loss of 4
ft per 100 ft rules, resulting in a maxi-
mum velocity of 4 fps, above which
noise is likely. In larger pipe, a veloc-
ity of 8 fps rules, resulting in pressure
drops below 4 ft per 100 ft. Larger
pipe can withstand higher velocities
without noise.
According to Riley, president of
William J. Riley Plumbing & Heating
Company Inc., determining the pip-
ing arrangement is next. He said our
example calls for 1¼-in. pipe and 15-
gpm flow. He said he would branch
into 1-in. lines for each fan-coil zone
at the chiller header before doing the
same, only in reverse, for the return
side of the system.
Next up: estimating the head loss
of the piping system. Riley mea-
sures the longest zone from the dis-
charge side of the pump all of the
way around the system, through the
DELTA-P VS. DELTA-T
Another pump-control concept concerns pressure differential (delta-P). As
a pump changes its speed to maintain a fixed system pressure differential,
system delta-T fluctuates, often decreasing.
How does reduced delta-T affect a system? Consider its impact on a
modulating condensing boiler. If the system is designed for a delta-T of 20°F,
but achieves only 12°F to 15°F, the amount of run time the boiler spends
below the point of flue-gas condensation will be affected.
If a reset control is telling a boiler supplying heat to radiators to fire to a
high limit of 142°F on a 20°F day, a delta-P circulator programmed based on
estimated system head loss may wind up sending 130°F water to the boiler.
That is the condensing point, which makes the boiler work at, say, 86 percent
annual fuel-utilization efficiency (AFUE).
A pump programmed to deliver a 20°F delta-T, on the other hand, will send
122°F water back to the boiler, creating more condensate, allowing a boiler to
operate at an AFUE of 89 percent.
chiller, and back to the suction side multiplies the length of the longest
of the pump. For this application, the run of pipe by 1.5. Returning to our
longest run is 150 ft of pipe, including example, 150 ft multiplied by 1.5
the fan coil. equals 225 ft. That total equivalent
To allow for additional pressure length, then, is multiplied by 0.04
drop through fittings, Riley said he (representing 4 ft of head loss per
Circle 172
SEPTEMBER 2010 HPAC ENGINEERING 39
tHe Art OF VArIAbLe-SpeeD pUmpING

100 ft of straight, properly sized pipe,

based on the maximum pressure
drop of 4 ft per 100 ft), yielding 9 ft of
head loss.
To the head loss of the pipe the
pressure drop of the other compo-
nents in the system is added. The
pressure drop of a chiller may be
5 ft, an air separator 1 ft, a fan coil
2 ft, and control and balance valves
10 ft. The pump, then, must be sized
to provide 15 gpm while overcoming
a head loss of 27 ft (9 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 10).

System Curve
With flow a function of head
squared, a system curve (parabola)
can be plotted through two points on
a pump curve. The actual operating
point of the system is where the
system curve intersects the pump
curve. The system in our example
requires 15 gpm only when all
zones are calling and the outdoor
A technician completes the wiring for a light-commercial variable-speed-pump installation.
temperature is 90°F. demand will drop to 25,000 Btu,
The building will need less heat meaning flow will be higher than
when zone valves begin to close, needed. This soon will translate
Riley said. If only two zones are to chiller short-cycling and sub-
calling, demand will drop to 50,000 stantially impact overall system
Btu; if only one zone is calling, efficiency.

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• Rush deliveries

A-J Manufacturing offers a complete line of custom

AUTOMATICALLY CORRECTS FOR AIR DENSITY &
BACKPRESSURE
CHOICE OF METERS - AIR FLOW ONLY, OR AIR FLOW,
VELOCITY, PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE
OPTIONS INCLUDE: MEMORY, AVERAGE & SUM TO
2000 READINGS, SEQUENTIAL RECALL, AUTO-READ
REPAIR POLICY - ONE WEEK TURNAROUND OR LESS
CUSTOM TOPS MADE TO ORDER
and standard stainless steel air distribution products, all
designed and manufactured to offer durable, dependable
and low maintenance performance necessary for hospitals,
labs, wash down areas and more.
What’s more, with our state-of-the-art manufacturing
capabilities, we can also offer you the industry’s shortest
lead times for custom orders. So for continuous linear,
security grilles, modular diffusers and much more, contact
A-J Manufacturing today!

Shortridge Instruments, Inc. A-J Manufacturing

7855 East Redfield Road • Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
(480) 991-6744 FAX (480) 443-1267 800-247-5746 • www.ajmfg.com
www.shortridge.com

Circle 173 Circle 174

40 HPAC EnginEEring September 2010
 THE ART OF VARIABLE-SPEED PUMPING

50
The Perfect Hydronic Storm:
Falling Delta-T
A not he r conce rn is pr es su r e

curve
differential within a system. As zone 40
valves close, a system curve inter-

System
sects a pump curve at higher and
higher pressure differentials. Gener-
30
ally, the greater the pressure differ-

Head, feet
ential, the greater the flow velocity,
which quickly can lead to noise.
One method of dealing with noise 20
involves installation of a pressure-
differential bypass valve, which pre-
vents flow when all zones are call-
10
ing. As zone valves close, increasing 1,750
pressure differential, a bypass valve
opens, allowing excess pressure and 584 1,168
flow to pass through on their way to 0
the suction (inlet) side of a pump. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Another solution for noise involves Flow, gallons per minute
use of a variable-speed pump. FIGURE 1. Variable-speed-pump performance curves.
With only two zones calling,
delta-T drops to about 7°F (a 25- deliver the required heat. By main- vary flow as needed to ensure opti-
percent difference), and with only taining a consistent delta-T, we can mal performance and heat transfer.
one zone calling, it drops to about
3°F, a 70-percent decrease.
The dilemma of falling delta-T
can be solved using a fixed-delta- Yes, there are smaller boilers,
T, variable-speed pump, Riley said.
With a fixed delta-T, flow varies au- but there is no smaller
tomatically. So, rather than search-
ing for the point at which a system carbon footprint.
curve intersects a pump curve, we
know the pump curve will self-adjust A amazing 98% efficiency at full fire
An
(Figure 1). to DOE test requirements!
The objective is to satisfy the heat
gain of a structure as efficiently as
Th new Centauri Plus 500 to 1000 MBH
The
possible. The way to do that is to
condensing boilers feature:
co
allow a pump to adjust its speed to
• Up to 7-to-1 turndown
PHOTO COURTESy OF TACO INC.

• Medium-mass design that simplifies piping

and integrates fully into building VFD
pumping systems because there is
no minimum flow requirement
• 10 year condensate corrosion warranty

Centauri® Plus
Gas-fired Condensing Fire Tube Boiler
Modbus and BACnet • Higher input, high efficiency models available
up to 2,000,000 BTU
Commercial Boiler Systems and Controls
An in-line pump with integral variable- www.riversidehydronics.com
frequency drive.
Circle 175
SEPTEMBER 2010 HPAC EnginEEring 41