"SUPERMIZER"
Direct Contact Stack Economizer
TEA "Supermizer" Stack Economizer
Gravity-feeding a TEA Direct Contact Water Heater
The Biggest Heat Loss in a Gas-fired Steam Boiler Is What Goes up the Stack
Recovering this heat loss is what Thermal Engineering’s DC-2 "SUPERMIZER" Direct Contact Stack Economizer does. When large volumes of hot exhaust gases from a gas-fired boiler are discharged to the atmosphere, substantial quantities of valuable heat are needlessly lost. This heat can be easily recaptured and added to the incoming fresh water make-up as pre-heating. The hot exhaust gases are directed, by way of a diverter selector valve on the boiler stack, into the lower heat transfer chamber and starts moving upward through the "packed mass" heat exchanger. When fresh water is needed, automatic controls start the regulated flow of water into the Supermizer. The incoming water enters the flow distributor where it is evenly spread out over the packed mass heat exchanger. It now starts to flow downward through the torturous path of the packed mass heat exchanger. The large surface area of the packing causes the water to spread out into a very thin film. The hot gases traveling upward through the packing readily releases its heat to the water film, rapidly raising the water temperature. Just as quickly, the hot gases cool. The efficiency of the heat transfer is dramatic – under normal operating conditions and maximum water flow rates, the hot gases are normally cooled to within 10 to 15 degrees, or less, of the incoming water temperature before discharge to the exhaust stack. In a gas-fired boiler, this could amount to 10 - 20% energy recovery of the on-line boiler load.
How the "SUPERMIZER" Works
Thermal Engineering’s "SUPERMIZER" Direct Contact Water Heating Stack Economizer is a highly efficient, atmospheric type water heater. The unique packed mass heat exchanger has proven itself in thousands of installations to be safe, efficient and requires a minimum of maintenance.
The heater itself is a vertical stainless steel vessel, which consists of the following:
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Exit cone which discharges the cooled boiler gases to the exhaust stack and then to the atmosphere after releasing its heat to the water. |
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Inlet water flow distributor, which spreads the incoming water evenly over the packed mass heat exchanger. |
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The "Packed Mass" heat exchanger. |
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Lower heat transfer zone where the boiler hot gases make initial contact with the water droplets falling through. |
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Bottom heated water collection and transfer reservoir. |
TEA’S "SUPERMIZER" is a very simple piece of machinery. Unlike other units, which have troublesome spray nozzles, the "SUPERMIZER" has a flow distributor. This uses the leveling effect of water and dozens of flow orifices to insure equal distribution of water over the heat exchanger regardless of the incoming flow rate or pressure fluctuations. The incoming water flowing downward through the packed mass heat exchanger keeps it cool and protects it from the high temperatures of the boiler exhaust gases. The water then falls through the lower heat transfer chamber where it picks up even more heat and then is collected in the reservoir. This heated water is then supplied to the hot water storage tank either by pump or gravity feed.
The Energy Bonus
The normal combustion process of natural gas combines hydrogen and oxygen chemically to form water, which is instantly vaporized by the heat of combustion. This process absorbs about 12% of the total heat released by the fuel and it is normally lost to the atmosphere with the boiler exhaust gases. The "SUPERMIZER" ends this loss. As the hot exhaust passes through the packed mass heat exchanger, the gases cool so much that the water vapor in the combustion gases condense out, releasing the heat it took to vaporize it initially.
Thermal Engineering’s DC-2 "SUPERMIZER" can be installed either hanging from the ceiling, mounted on the roof or on the floor.
The following describes each option:
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Style 1 – Ceiling Hung. Support lugs are provided for customer supplied rods to hang the unit. Pre-heated water flows by gravity to a water storage tank, or a TEA Direct Contact SuperHeater. |
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Style 2 – Roof Mounted. Identical shape to Style 1 except support legs are supplied for mounting. Pre-heated water flows by gravity to hot water storage tank, or a TEA Direct Contact SuperHeater. Unit and services must be protected from freezing. |
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Style 3 – Floor Mounted. Water transfer pump is supplied. Pre-heated water is transferred from the internal reservoir to the water storage tank by a transfer pump. The unit and services must be protected from freezing if installed outdoors. |