Converting to a Paul system..

Bob W._2

Boilerpro has me thinking about what it would take to convert my single pipe steam to a Paul system. I know it would take the Paul system vents and 1/4" copper returns but what is the injector that the returns were connected to? What did it do, how was it piped, can you still do this? Dan H. indicated a savings of up to 35% on fuel. Was that for coal or gas? Steamhead? Noel? Others?

Steamhead

Interesting Idea

The Paul system was originally used on systems using exhaust steam from a steam engine. The ejector used a steam jet to draw air from the system. I believe the 35% savings (on coal) included the fact that the greater pressure differential across the system made the engine as well as the heating system more efficient.

But there's no reason you couldn't get hold of a small electric vacuum pump to do the same thing on a modern system. You could even control the pump with a reset controller to vary the vacuum (and the steam temperature with it) acording to outside temperature.

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Unknown

Electric Vacuum Pumps

You can get a small vacuum pump for use on steam from a compant called Gast.

What you need to to determine is the cfm you need for air removal.

Typically in a tight system you would use .3 cfm removed for each 1000 EDR.

An EDR is equal to 240 BTUH or 1000 X 240 BTUH=240,000 BTUs per hour.

So you are looking at a small vacuum pump (air removal pump)

Aside from installing a vacuum switch you will need a vacuum breaker on the boiler.

Do not run the system at more than 2" Hg.


Jake

Boilerpro

Could just use an venturi...

type ejector like on the Moline Vapor/vacumn systems...they are still available, I believe.

Boilerpro