The calculation of the heating system of a private house (and not only a private one) is a very important stage on which the success of the entire project depends. It determines how energy-efficient and comfortable the home will be. Similar calculations are classified as complex. But if you wish, you can independently develop a draft heating system. The calculation will require certain knowledge and skills from the contractor. Have to delve into the specifics of the subject, study regulations and building codes. It will also be necessary to master some software products. This will greatly accelerate the design and calculation of heating systems, as well as select the optimal configuration of equipment.
Designing heating systems is a more creative process than a purely mechanical one. The exception is, perhaps, only typical apartment buildings in which the parameters of the heating system have long been calculated. And even then, many people prefer to install autonomous heating in their apartments: this significantly reduces costs and significantly improves the microclimate of the home.
The boiler is the main element of the heating system
The central node of the system, its heart, is the boiler. And the calculation method and the parameters of the system as a whole largely depend on how the fuel will be used.
Boilers are:
- electrically heated water;
- working on a solid type of fuel (coal, firewood, wood briquettes, etc.);
- working on a liquid type of fuel (gasoline, fuel oil, kerosene, etc.);
- gas boiler equipment.
Description and general characteristics of electric boilers
Such equipment consumes a lot of electricity, the prices of which are quite high and continue to grow regularly. For this reason, not many owners prefer to install this type of boiler. In addition, there is a possibility in the winter for several days, or even for a week (especially in the countryside), to remain without heat, one on one with the elements: power lines are often cut off by fallen trees.
However, when using an electric water heating boiler, installation and calculation of the heating system of a private house is many times easier and faster. And this fact is one of the main, in addition to low cost, competitive advantages of such boilers.
The final decision will be made by the owner himself, having weighed all the pros and cons.
Description and general characteristics of solid fuel boilers
Solid fuel can include peat, coal, all kinds of wood materials.
All these substances during combustion emit a different amount of thermal energy. This is due to the complexity of calculating the water heating system of the house. But this type of boiler is considered the most economical: solid fuel is inexpensive, and in some cases it can even be obtained for free. Among other things, such a system is truly considered autonomous: it is not afraid of either river spills, breaks in power lines, or any other manifestations of the raging elements.
On sale there are special devices that capture and automatically supply fuel to the furnace. However, such a solution will significantly increase the cost of the entire project.
The most effective among solid fuel boilers are the so-called pyrolysis plants. The essence and principle of operation of boilers equipped with this type of device is as follows: solid fuel emits gas, which is burned and heats water throughout the heating circuit. The calculation of such devices is rather cumbersome and complex. Nevertheless, recently more and more people are installing such boilers. The fact is that such a technology is very economical and allows achieving an efficiency of 85%, which is a very good indicator and significantly exceeds the efficiency of traditional equipment.
Description and general characteristics of oil-fired boilers
Diesel fuel is used as a carrier of thermal energy. Also, boilers operating on used industrial oil have recently gained popularity.
Waste oil boilers are effectively used for heating industrial buildings, car repair shops and service centers for servicing heavy equipment, that is, where this oil is present in excess. Thermal calculation of an oil-based heating system can only be carried out by qualified engineers with the appropriate education and extensive experience.
As for private housing, oil-fired boilers, not to mention boilers using expensive diesel fuel, are almost never used. Firstly, you need to store large volumes of fuel somewhere, and secondly, it is an extremely expensive pleasure.
Such installations are also sources of harmful emissions hazardous to human health and the environment.
Sometimes such boilers are still installed. The fact is that in the future, a liquid fuel boiler can be converted to gas. And therefore, in remote villages where it is only planned to run a gas pipeline, people install similar boilers: the calculation of the heating system and the purchase of all equipment can be done once, and then not spend money.
Description and general characteristics of gas boilers
Calculation of a heating system with a gas boiler will not cause difficulties even for beginners: reference tables with all the necessary data have long been developed. All information is reliable and proven in practice countless times.
Natural gas boilers are the most sought after on the market. The operation of such equipment is relatively cheap, and due to the small size they can ideally stand in any room. Modern automation equipment makes the operation of gas equipment safe and extremely efficient.
Types of heating elements (batteries)
Previously, heating radiators were cast exclusively from gray cast iron, but today the market offers a wide range of products from a wide variety of structural materials: steel, cast iron, aluminum, composites. But, despite the external attractiveness and flashy gloss, hardly modern batteries are inferior to the "ancient" cast-iron in terms of the most important indicator for them - heat capacity and thermal conductivity. So, they much more efficiently heat the room.
The specific type and size of the radiator depends on the amount of heat loss and on the area of the heated room
General characteristics of steel and cast iron batteries
Steel heating radiators are extremely rare and not popular among the population. The reason for this is their rather high cost. In addition, due to poor casting properties, steel batteries cannot be obtained by casting. More often, such batteries are obtained by welding low-carbon pipes into a radiator. But such batteries have a low heat capacity and cool quickly if the water supply has been suspended for some reason.
Solid cast-iron batteries are associated, at least in the adult population, with a happy childhood. Such radiators were installed in houses throughout the entire existence of the USSR. With the development of foundry technologies, the shape and technical characteristics of cast-iron radiators have been optimized, but old batteries still work flawlessly to this day, and a new-fangled product is unlikely to compete with them.
Cast iron is a very durable material, able to withstand enormous pressure, moreover, with temperature extremes, it does not manifest cold brittleness (it does not brittle), it absorbs shock well.
The disadvantages of both cast-iron and steel batteries include their large mass. For this reason, they cannot be mounted on thin walls of partitions.
General characteristics of aluminum batteries
Radiators made of aluminum alloys have recently been popular and are in great demand in the market. They are produced, as a rule, in the form of typesetting units, which can be connected to form radiators of different volumes, depending on the heated room. When calculating the pump for the heating system, it is necessary to take into account how much water circulates through the radiators and connecting pipes. A low-power pump may not cope, as a result of which the heating will not work correctly, or will not function at all.
Modern aluminum-based alloys fully satisfy the safety requirements when operating equipment under high pressure at high temperatures. Moreover, such material weighs a little, has good technological qualities, thanks to which you can get a stylish and beautiful product. It is also important that, upon contact with air, an invisible oxide film forms on the surface of aluminum, which prevents the further development of corrosion phenomena. In other words, such radiators never rust.
Example of calculating a heating system
The accuracy of the calculation will depend on many factors. It is especially difficult to develop and design a heating system for non-standard solutions in housing construction.
The calculation of heating by area or volume is made at choice. The first method is the most common due to its relative simplicity. An effective and accurate calculation of the area is if the ceiling height is standard and is 2.7 meters. The product of the area of the heated room (s) by the coefficient that characterizes the climate zone, as a result, gives the necessary capacity of the boiler equipment. This coefficient is a reference, and for Moscow and the region is taken equal to 150 W / m 2 .
At the same time, the areas of those rooms that border the street through the wall are summed up. All auxiliary and utility rooms are not included in the calculation.
It is customary to choose and purchase a boiler whose capacity exceeds the calculated value by 30%. This will create the necessary power reserve in case of abnormally frosty winters and other unforeseen circumstances.
Thus, the capacity of the boiler needed to power the heating system of a private house with a total area of living rooms of 60 m 2 is calculated as follows:
60 * 150 * 1.3 = 11.7 kW.
Key features of Instal-Therm software product
This program will greatly simplify the calculation of radiators and other elements of the heating system. Implemented the ability to scan design documentation, methods for calculating heat loss. There is a large catalog of materials indicating their thermophysical properties, which greatly simplifies and speeds up the design of a heating system.
There is an insignificant, but still unfortunate drawback: the printing of design documentation has not been implemented. But this problem can be solved by transferring the document to a different format, and only then print it to the printer.
"Instal-Term" will help to correctly and rationally choose the material and diameter of pipes, types and characteristics of batteries, the height at which the pump and other equipment must be fixed, the calculation of temperature indicators and standard fuel consumption rates.
Calculations using Herz software
The licensed version of the program is freely distributed. It must be downloaded on the Internet and installed on a computer. The program will help to design a heating system in a new house, as well as improve the existing one.
Hertz will determine all the technical parameters: heat loss, system pressure, flow rate, the necessary power of pumping equipment, etc.
The results of the calculations are displayed on a computer monitor in a convenient form.
There is good help and user support. If a mistake was made in the inattentive data, Hertz will certainly report it and explain what needs to be fixed.
The program will help to significantly save money on the purchase of excess equipment and components.
Benefits of Using Oventrop Software
This computer program will help to perform calculations very quickly and efficiently. The information necessary for the calculation is entered in the appropriate columns: heating system (two-pipe or one-pipe), radiator material, pipe diameter and material, ceiling height, surface area, etc.
The program will offer a choice of the optimal system configuration, it will automatically calculate the fuel consumption, the speed of movement of water through the pipes. The program implements a comprehensive library of standard elements of the heating system and structures.
The results can be printed, exported to other files for the purpose of their further analysis and study (if necessary).
This program will also determine whether the volume of the water tank built into the boiler will be sufficient, or if additional capacity is required to be purchased and connected. Calculations of single-pipe heating systems for small rooms show that in most cases a built-in tank is enough. If the system is more extensive, designed to heat large areas, then most likely you will have to buy a capacity.
Also, this software product can calculate the warm water floor. And if the installation of the floor will be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the program, then the temperature in the house will always be comfortable, while the energy costs will be the lowest.