homemade storage

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tmudd

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Jul 30, 2011
44
Central Missouri Ranch
Since I had no replies from 112 viewings, let me rephrase my question for all my boiler buddies out there. If I mate two 500 gallon propane tanks together horizontally stacked one on top of the other with 3 pieces of 5" schedule 40 pipe in between connecting the top and bottom tank and supply hot water in three differnet spots across the top of the top tank and draw return water from three different ports on the bottom of the bottom tank do you think the tanks will stratifiy properly?
Looking for confidence in anon conventional plan.

T-Boy
 
Sounds like overkill to me, but I don't see why it won't work.
 
I think it will stratify well, just not sure that schedule 40 pipe will hold up to the tank temps.
 
I could understand the three different draw points if the tanks were vertical so you could draw the lowest temp like a euro system. However with a horizontal setup draw from the top return to the bottom should get the job done. All you would really need is a horizontal pipe/fitting/diverter in the return bung so you have minimum mixing happening.
 
IMG_1008.JPG

I did something similar but didn't have the headroom in the basement to space the two tanks apart enough to get in and weld. So I cut 3 holes (about 5" X 5") along the length between the tanks and butted them together. I joined them with a skirt of 6" wide steel but hydraulically it's the same as what you're talking about. I just used a single port for both the supply and return to the boiler but they are 3" pipe so the water will be moving slowly as it goes into the tank to minimize mixing.
While I was tinkering the thing together I found myself fixating on things that were probably trivial in the long run. Heck, there are folks out there using propane tanks horizontally with the vertical-entry stock fittings and they 'work'. They stratify. Others are using two tanks on separate pallet racks joined with flexible hose. They work, too.
Getting the ports closer to actual top and bottom and using larger pipe to make the water slow down before it enters the tank (or using multiple fittings as you are proposing) helps to minimize mixing. And remember that once the supply water from the boiler pushes enough hot water into the tank that whatever turbulence you have is surrounded by water of the same hot temp, mixing is a moot point. It doesn't continue to mix throughout the entire boiler firing cycle.

I don't thing anything about this homemade heat storage stuff is conventional. Some of us have to try these things.

But let's all report back after a few years for the interest of others.
 
View attachment 71575

I did something similar but didn't have the headroom in the basement to space the two tanks apart enough to get in and weld. So I cut 3 holes (about 5" X 5") along the length between the tanks and butted them together. I joined them with a skirt of 6" wide steel but hydraulically it's the same as what you're talking about. I just used a single port for both the supply and return to the boiler but they are 3" pipe so the water will be moving slowly as it goes into the tank to minimize mixing.
While I was tinkering the thing together I found myself fixating on things that were probably trivial in the long run. Heck, there are folks out there using propane tanks horizontally with the vertical-entry stock fittings and they 'work'. They stratify. Others are using two tanks on separate pallet racks joined with flexible hose. They work, too.
Getting the ports closer to actual top and bottom and using larger pipe to make the water slow down before it enters the tank (or using multiple fittings as you are proposing) helps to minimize mixing. And remember that once the supply water from the boiler pushes enough hot water into the tank that whatever turbulence you have is surrounded by water of the same hot temp, mixing is a moot point. It doesn't continue to mix throughout the entire boiler firing cycle.

I don't thing anything about this homemade heat storage stuff is conventional. Some of us have to try these things.

But let's all report back after a few years for the interest of others.
 
View attachment 71575

I did something similar but didn't have the headroom in the basement to space the two tanks apart enough to get in and weld. So I cut 3 holes (about 5" X 5") along the length between the tanks and butted them together. I joined them with a skirt of 6" wide steel but hydraulically it's the same as what you're talking about. I just used a single port for both the supply and return to the boiler but they are 3" pipe so the water will be moving slowly as it goes into the tank to minimize mixing.
While I was tinkering the thing together I found myself fixating on things that were probably trivial in the long run. Heck, there are folks out there using propane tanks horizontally with the vertical-entry stock fittings and they 'work'. They stratify. Others are using two tanks on separate pallet racks joined with flexible hose. They work, too.
Getting the ports closer to actual top and bottom and using larger pipe to make the water slow down before it enters the tank (or using multiple fittings as you are proposing) helps to minimize mixing. And remember that once the supply water from the boiler pushes enough hot water into the tank that whatever turbulence you have is surrounded by water of the same hot temp, mixing is a moot point. It doesn't continue to mix throughout the entire boiler firing cycle.

I don't thing anything about this homemade heat storage stuff is conventional. Some of us have to try these things.

But let's all report back after a few years for the interest of others.
 
Thanks for the response on the home made storage tank question. When you plan and execute things you do for yourself,that are not typical practices, it is real easy to get overwhelmed by details that usually turnout to be insignificant. Dave BP- it sounds likeI I probably owe you some patent fee, because your project mirrors mine with the exception of the skirt joining the two tanks. Space confines were driving my designs.I think all the talk about stratification/ horizontal versus vertical casted doubt on my plan. In the end.,low velocity with multiple and oversized ports seem to matter the most to me. To quote a recent converstion with Mark Schollie at AHONA-(great knowlegable guy) he mentioned at the end of the burn cycle which tank horizontal or vetical has more btu's in it.? It really is a mute point. Your picture Dave will go along way into convincing my wife that I am not totally crazy. Thanks again for the support you guys and I will return to the land of overkill.
To the best of boilermen
T-Boy
 
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