Super Boiler

Unknown

The barriers that the manufacturers have to be able to bridge regarding developmental technology involve two things in my opinion. The first is price and the second is simpicity. When the two basic (to be unnamed) Euro equipment manufacturers first came to this country, they had a boiler that was not only unaffordable to the general public of this country, but extremely complicated to learn how to program and control. They also came in with a selected distribution program with one basic source or provider in any given geographical area.

The US based equipment manufacturers came out with their own affordable and easy to control high efficiency equipment and as if by some miracle, the pricing of the Euro equipment began to fall and the control systems and burners became more simplistic. Now you see the Euro eqipment in virtually every other supply house. Isn't marketing a peculiar thing???

As far as development of a high efficiency steam boiler for residential applications goes, it is not so much a matter of Return on Investment for the manufacturer as it is an issue of simplicity and affordability to your customer. I'm sure Steamhead can attest that with residential steam systems, it is the "System" that will establish that efficiency and not so much the boiler. In the old days, the folks that could afford efficiency had either Vapor or Vapor-Vacuum systems. I've walked into basements with boilers and systems operating in a Vacuum state with as much as 7"w.c. of vacuum. That my friends is "system" efficiency.

If some of the devices that were used in these older systems could be had again, there could be no end to the ability to "trick out" an old steam system to maximum efficiency. All we have to work with as far as controls and devices today are vents, piping and vaporstats.

Glenn Stanton

Manager of Training

Burnham Hydronics

U.S. Boiler Co., Inc.

Gary Hayden_2

Super Boiler - And we are talking STEAM

Google "Super Boiler" - neat product in development. I just found this reading the "News and Notes" section in ASME Magazine for September 2006.

- 40 to 50 % smaller foot print, half the weight of conventional boilers.

- The goal is fuel to steam efficiency greater than 94%
while maintaining NOx and CO levels below 5 parts per million.

Steamhead (in transit)

That's encouraging

though it's being applied to power boilers. Steam heating boiler manufacturers need to get on board with this. You listening, Burnham, ECR, MESTEK, Peerless, Weil-McLain and anyone else I forgot to mention?

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Mark Hunt

That'd be nice


but I just can't believe that it will happen Frank.

I work in an area with LOTS of steam systems but I can't see manufacturers spending much money on bringing residential steam boilers into the 21st century. No ROI for them.

Now if new homes were still using steam, it would be a different story.

It is a lost art.

Mark H



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Mike T., Swampeast MO

American companies don't even seem to be working to develop their own high-efficiency water "boilers" for residential to fairly large commercial use. I seriously doubt they'd even consider doing so for steam in anything but industrial quantities.

Are the Ultra and the Knight the "twins" that I suspect? Same turndown ratio (best I've seen BTW), similar appearance and similar control philosophy.

Steamhead (in transit)

All it takes is one

then the rest will follow. Burnham is on the right track with the upcoming Mega-Steamer but we all know that's not the limit to steam boiler efficiency.

The pre-World War 2 housing stock in older cities like Baltimore was about half steam, half hot water. That's a huge replacement boiler market. The ROI would be there, but they must first make the investment.

And if 90%+ steamers were available, I bet I could give the radiant folks some serious competition in new construction. No glycol needed!

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Wouldn't such have to recover flue gas heat to the condensate (not feed) in non-industrial systems? I'm an optimist, but such sounds extremely problematic considering the amazing variety of residential/commercial steam systems.

Steamhead (in transit)

They use recirculation

of the heat from the flue gases, back into the burner air feed.

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Mark Hunt

Well


I hope you are right and I am wrong.

That would be something though!!!

Mark H

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Weezbo

Gary ....

Check the Miura steam boiler out on a google search.

if they would make one of them for residential ,that would seem to be the ticket ....

Ken_40

Glenn,

Your first two paragraphs are the quintessential answers to the euro-snob's absurd claims of "superiority."

I have always contended great marketing overcomes inferior products every time.

I just never said it as well as you did.