Need Help With an Experiment

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Need to confirm or deny something..

Required:

1) Fully TRVd system with iron, steel panel radiators or combination. VERY small radiant areas OK.

2) System must have originally been designed for forced flow (no gravity conversions).

3) Condensing/modulating boiler.

4) No primary/secondary or low-loss header.

5) Single temperature system.

(This may have limited the boiler to a Vitodens but perhaps someone has done this with another modulating/condensing boiler.)

Experiment will only require a simple inexpensive device that many may well already own. Little time required as you only have to note time and a very few number of readings, most of which will be available from the boiler itself. Will have to be done over a reasonable period of time with some outdoor temp variance, but no rigid schedule and only a couple minutes for each log entry.

Would greatly appreciate any help. Certainly no such system in my immediate area.

Brad White_10

Mike,

My home system meets most of the requirements but that would be invalid as an experiment.
I have TRV's on all radiators, it is all new copper forced HW, a Monitor MZ condensing boiler and runs at a single temperature. (I do have the outdoor re-set add-on but de-activate it in milder weather it because of cycling.) The primary loop splits at the 3-way valve to heat domestic water. The main house loop is secondary but I keep the flows nearly equal (using B&G in-line flow meters) so the effect is that the boiler temperature is what the radiators see. I have limited floor radiant (100 SF of bath and laundry room on the second floor). Curious what this is about. Does anything of what I describe help you in any way?

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Awfully close but it needs to be a modulating boiler.

Want to investigate the "buffer effect" in the mains. Very noticeable in my gravity system--want to get an idea of the magnitude in systems with less volume in the mains.

Believe the effect can be used as part of a fairly simple and quite effective "auto boost" and "auto curve". Highest possible efficiency while maintaining space temp; high level boost when called for by moving TRV(s).

Brad White_9

You are right Mike

you did say modulating. I am still in denial and momentarily forgot that I have on-off. Another point lost...sorry cannot help you but sounds interesting!

This is science....

Merry Christmas!
Brad