Heating of industrial premises occupies a tangible share in the estimated costs and costs of industrial products. This is especially true of Russia with its very harsh and cold winters. Unscrupulous breeders in every possible way strive to save costs on this article and force people to work in the cold. This is the road to nowhere. Such an enterprise is doomed to ruin: if the production personnel do not run away, then you will have to pay large sums to pay off sick leave. In addition, a person who is forced to work in poor conditions does not think at all about the quality of his products. Ultimately, this will lead to the loss of sales markets and the deterioration of the performance of the enterprise. Therefore, at present, competitiveness correlates with the installed heating system of the production room.
Requirements for the temperature regime of industrial premises
In accordance with legislative acts in the field of labor protection and labor law, personnel should not work (indoors or outdoors) for more than two hours in conditions when the temperature is below the established norm. As an exception, a deviation from the norm is allowed in those rooms in which the person is not for long, and if this is due to the requirements of the technological process of production. An example of such a premises is the freezer of a meat storage and processing enterprise.
In accordance with the norms of the organization of labor in the room where the work is carried out, there should be a comfortable temperature (about 20 degrees). Heating and ventilation of industrial premises should be controlled, that is, it is necessary that at any time it is possible to set the temperature value. Particular attention should be paid to clean air by dust and impurities harmful to human health (this problem is acute in foundries and paint shops). Heating of industrial premises must be implemented together with effective forced ventilation of the workshop (or more precisely, taking into account its needs). In addition, the installed heating system must necessarily comply with all the norms and rules of fire safety. It is also very important to initially design a heating scheme for industrial premises so that its maintenance does not require significant resources and the involvement of third-party specialists.
Features of steam heating
The steam heating system allows you to warm the building to a comfortable temperature in the shortest possible time. This type of heating of industrial premises is considered one of the most effective. All the equipment necessary for networking is compact and does not take up much space. And if earlier the operation of steam boilers was associated with a huge risk of an accident, then at present such equipment works flawlessly and does not pose a threat to people. Improving the reliability of steam boilers is due to the use of new materials with high properties, as well as the development of welding technologies.
It is advisable to use a steam boiler for heating industrial premises if the production cycle is not continuous. This schedule is typical for most industrial enterprises.
Disadvantages of steam heating of industrial premises
If steam heating is so efficient, then why are production facilities increasingly equipped with air and infrared heating systems? The fact is that this method also has drawbacks, because of which it is not used everywhere when heating industrial premises. The gas problem is the most acute. A steam boiler requires a large amount of natural gas to be burned. Compared to other countries, gas in Russia is relatively inexpensive. But it is far from always brought to the place of consumption. This applies especially to remote regions of the country.
Air heating of industrial premises
Air heating is currently operating in many enterprises. Such an approach to the organization of heating cannot be called effective. Currently, this method of heating industrial premises is dying off, but is still used in many factories built during the Soviet Union. At the same time, in comparison with convection systems, airborne systems win in many respects.
Air heating: principle of operation
If we briefly outline the essence of the air heating system, then all the processes and technological operations can be reduced to the following. Air is pumped from the street, passed through a filter and a heater, after which the air mass heated to the required temperature enters the workshop through a pipeline system. To ensure that the air evenly heats the entire volume of the room, distribution holes are mounted around the perimeter. Everything is extremely simple and clear. In some cases, to save time and money, instead of designing and installing a complete system, heat guns are placed in the workshop. However, this is far from the best option. First of all, for working personnel, since such equipment burns air, and it becomes difficult for a person to breathe. Also, such devices consume a lot of electricity. Therefore, it is much better (from all points of view) to use a centralized air heating system.
What are the benefits of air heating?
Such a system, if it is designed by specialists and meets all building standards, can be very effective and allows you to heat large areas of industrial buildings with minimal financial costs. In addition to logistics warehouses and production facilities, air heating is used in indoor sports arenas and concert halls, which were built according to modern projects.
An important advantage is the fundamental possibility of integrating such a system with a ventilation shaft. Firstly, it will allow you to effectively control the microclimate, as well as save significant money on laying communications.
It should be noted and a fairly high efficiency of air heating systems. It is at least 90%.
The warm-up time is very short, and if you just turn on the system, people in the workshop will instantly feel a surge of heat. This allows you to turn off the heating at night and on weekends, saving considerable money on this.
Characteristic disadvantages of air heating
The main disadvantage of this solution is the high cost of equipment, as well as design work, installation and maintenance of ventilation shafts and devices. In addition, air heaters consume quite a lot of electricity. Therefore, maintaining a comfortable temperature in old buildings that are inefficient in terms of energy saving requires significant costs for paying electricity bills (especially during periods of severe frost).
Another significant drawback is the dependence on electricity. Power outage for one reason or another is, unfortunately, a very common phenomenon. After a few minutes after a shutdown, the temperature in the workshop drops sharply. To avoid such unpleasant situations, it is necessary to install a backup power source or generator.
Infrared heating
The costs of heating residential and industrial premises with air and infrared devices are completely incomparable and clearly not in favor of the first method. For this reason, more and more business owners are investing in infrared heating equipment. Such investments beat off quite quickly, and the equipment works reliably and for a long time, without requiring expenses for maintenance and repair.
Features of heating by radiation in the infrared spectrum
The waves that are emitted by infrared burners have a good cross and overcome obstacles well. This creates the prerequisites for uniform heating of indoor air throughout its volume. The emitter is a porous ceramic surface on which the process of combustion of air takes place. The use of such a heating system for industrial premises provides comfortable working conditions for staff.
Benefits of using infrared heating systems
Such solutions against the background of the same air heating systems in a production building are much more competitive in many respects. Most of all, businessmen are attracted by low energy consumption with high heating capacity. In addition, the equipment has a high efficiency and compact dimensions that allow you to organize efficient heating of industrial premises with any ceiling height. Of no small importance is the ability to heat not a whole room as a whole, but a specific workplace, directing radiation to it using a system of reflectors. Sometimes this helps to save significant financial resources. This technique is often used on night shifts, when only a few operators and a shift master often work for the entire workshop.
The use of infrared heating
An interesting fact is that in addition to heating workshops and other industrial buildings, this method is actively being introduced into the agricultural sector and is used for heating cribs and other outbuildings. Increasingly, infrared emitters are installed in cafes, shopping centers and exhibition venues, and indeed in public places.
For many ordinary people, the word "radiation" does not cause the most pleasant associations with radioactive contamination. This is a profound error. In fact, such devices do not pose any threat to human life and health and are absolutely safe.
How to avoid mistakes when choosing a heating system?
To date, the choice of options for heating systems for industrial purposes is simply huge. And if you approach the organization of heating frivolously, then you can then pay dearly for it. And it is good if the received problems can be eliminated only with money. Most often, the whole business is at risk: all sorts of regulatory authorities (from firefighters to epidemics with industrial supervision) can shut down production in the event of gross violations. And ventilation and heating are very serious. Therefore, the work on the design and installation of these systems must be entrusted to specialists who are ready to provide all the necessary project documentation. This gives a certain guarantee that all work will be carried out in accordance with applicable standards and regulations in the construction industry and that in the future there will be no problems with inspectors.