WATER FLOW

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debtfarm

New Member
Oct 7, 2010
13
B.C., Canada
if the water going into the boiler is 140 and the boiler putting out 200,000 btu"s what is the flow rateo of the water in gallons if the water comes out at 170
 
Biomass 80 800 Stainless said:
if the water going into the boiler is 140 and the boiler putting out 200,000 btu"s what is the flow rateo of the water in gallons if the water comes out at 170
Code:
 gpm = ((btu / hour) * ((1 lb * degF) / btu)) / ((8.33333 lb / gal) * (60 min / hour) * (deltaT))
        = btu_per_hour / (500 * deltaT)
        = 200000 / (500 * (170 - 140))
        = 200000 / 15000
        = 13.333 gpm


btu_per_hour = gpm * 500 * deltaT
deltaT = btu_per_hour / (gpm * 500)
gpm = btu_per_hour / (500 * deltaT)

Except water isn't exactly 8 1/3 lb per gallon at boiler temperatures, but we like having the whole lb-per-gallon minute-per-hour term constant to come out as exactly 500, so we let convenience outweigh exactness for all the difference it makes.

--ewd
 
When I first read about your startup, I thought maybe you were just stratifiing your tank so the top was 180 and the bottom was 50. But 22+ hours later the hot water should have reached the bottom.

Is there anywhere else the heat is going? Big pole barn slab maybe? Unless the fire is idleing then you should be making plenty of heat, even if it's half of the rated output.

Since this is a new hookup, you might have water going somewhere you hadn't thought it would.
 
It's possible that the water is flowing even though the pump is off. Unless there is a valve that is closed, I'd just feel the pipes that aren't supposed to be circulating.

Let us know if you figure it out.
 
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