Hydronic

Systems

BASIC HYDRONIC SYSTEM

DESIGN
Terminal Units
FCU FCU FCU FCU FCU FCU
Fan Coils, Chilled Beams,
Finned Tube, Radiant, etc.

Distribution
Piping AS-1

P-1
Decoupler
Primary Pumps ET-1
P-B-1
Closely Spaced Tees
P-1 & P-2
P-2
B-1

P-B-2

Expansion Generation Equipment

Tank Air / Dirt B-2

Secondary Pumps Boilers, Chillers, Cooling

Separator
P-B-1 & P-B-2 Towers, WWHPs, etc.

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 REFERRING TO PUMPS
FCU FCU FCU FCU FCU FCU
FCU FCU FCU FCU FCU FCU

AS-1
AS-2

P-1
P-3
P-B-1
ET-1 P-CH-1
ET-2

P-2
P-4
B-1 CH-1

Primary P-B-2
Secondary P-CH-2

Pumps B-2
Pumps CH-2

Secondary Primary
Pumps Pumps

HEATING COOLING

AIR/DIRT SEPARATORS
ƒ Air Vents at High Points
ƒ Reduce Fluid Velocity
ƒ Change Fluid Direction
ƒ Reduce Pressure (Tangential)
ƒ Coalescence (Microbubble)

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 EXPANSION TANKS
ƒ Control pressure, control problems
ƒ Expansion tanks control thermal expansion and
contraction of system fluid
z Establish the point of “no pressure change”.

Full Acceptance Partial Acceptance Partial Acceptance

Bladder type Bladder type Diaphragm type

DECOUPLING
ƒ Eliminate pump interference
z Avoid pumping through another pump

ƒ Different flows needed in same piping system

z Chillers and condensing boilers require min flow rates

ƒ Different temperatures needed in same piping system

z 180F for DHW
z 120F for radiant

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 DECOUPLERS

TERMINAL
UNIT
Head = 10' - 20'

PRIMARY FLOW
DECOUPLER
Head = 0'

Closely Spaced Tees Hydraulic Separator Buffer Tank

(depends)

CLOSELY SPACED TEES

Distance Between Tees as Short as Possible (Tee to Tee).

Pressure Drop Between Tees Will Determine Flow to Terminal Unit

WATER ALWAYS FOLLOWS PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE

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HYDRAULIC SEPARATORS

Hydraulic Separator Hydraulic Separator

with air/dirt media

Increasing pipe size reduces velocity and creates area

of very low pressure drop

“BUFFER” TANKS

CLEANOUT

Buffer Tank Multi-Purpose Tank

Two connections – Four connections –
Volume Mixing / Decoupling

Purpose: increase the amount of fluid in a system to

prevent the short cycling of chillers, boilers, etc.

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 END SUCTION PUMPS
ƒ End Suction Pumps
z Most Popular Style
z Suction / Discharge at 90º
z Split coupled allows servicing without disturbing
pipe connections

Base Mounted, Split Coupled Foot Mounted, Close Coupled

IN-LINE PUMPS
ƒ In-Line Pumps
z Suction / Discharge are In-Line

z Differentiated by shaft orientation

z Pipe supported, not fixed to structure

Horizontal In-Line Vertical In-Line

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 SPLIT CASE PUMPS
ƒ Split Case
z Two sets of bearings to support shaft

z Allows Access to both seals without moving motor or

disturbing piping
z Up to 1,500 HP

Horizontal Split Case Vertical Split Case

VERTICAL TURBINES
ƒVertical Lineshaft Turbine
ƒDesigned to Lift Liquid from Sump / Tank
ƒMotor and Impeller are separated
ƒImpellers “Push” better than “Pull”
ƒCooling Tower Sumps

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 NEW “SMART” PUMPS
ƒ Speed varies without sensors
ƒ High Efficiency ECM
z Electronically Commutated Motor
z A.k.a. DC Brushless Motor
ƒ Integral VFD
ƒ Sophisticated Electronics
ƒ Residential to Light Commercial

CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
AFFINITY LAWS
The Pump Affinity Laws are a series of relationships
relating:

Flow (GPM)
Head (HEAD)
Horsepower (BHP)
RPM Speed (RPM)
Impeller Dia. (DIA)

Allow designers to estimate pump performance under

different conditions

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 AFFINITY LAW #1
• GPM varies with RPM
• Pump speeds up, flow increases
• Pump slows down, flow decreases

• GPM varies with DIA

• Large diameter impellers move more flow
• Small diameter impellers move less flow

AFFINITY LAW #1

1760 RPM
60 Hz

1170 RPM
40 Hz

580 RPM
20 Hz

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 AFFINITY LAW #2
• HEAD varies as the square of the RPM
• Pump speeds up, head increases exponentially
• Pump slows down, head decreases exponentially

AFFINITY LAW #2

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 AFFINITY LAW #3
• BHP* varies as a cube of RPM
• Pump speeds up, BHP increases by cube
• Pump slows down, BHP decreases by cube

BHP = Brake Horsepower is the actual power required to rotate the pump
shaft. It is the portion of the motor HP that does the work.

AFFINITY LAWS
Reducing Speed by Half:
Change in RPM Change in Change in
Change in BHP
(or DIA) GPM HEAD
x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/4 x 1/8

Doubling Speed:
Change in RPM Change in Change in
Change in BHP
(or DIA) GPM HEAD
x2 x2 x4 x8

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 AFFINITY LAWS
How much HP is required to operate a 100 HP, 1760 RPM
motor at half speed?

“Getting Into the Flow”

“the application of VFDs to

constant speed pumps is now the
fastest growing segment of the
commercial pumping industry, a
trend that improves (system)
performance and efficiency…”

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 WHY VFDs on PUMPS
• Soft Start
• Same cost as a motor starter
• Gentler on motors
• Reduces inrush current

• Balancing without multi-purpose valve

• Significant energy saving opportunity

• Variable Flow
• Flow varies according to demand
• Ultimate energy savings

AFFINITY LAWS

RPM GPM HEAD BHP

100% 100% 100% 100%

90% 90% 81% 72%

75% 75% 56% 42%

50% 50% 25% 12.5%

25% 25% 6% 1.2%

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 Variable Speed Pumping
The main goal of the building loop(s) is to distribute the
correct amount of water to satisfy the load.

It must first accurately monitor the system for changes in

load dynamics.

Secondly, it must respond to these load changes with the

“correct” amount of flow.

Variable Speed Pumping

Differential Pressure
System pressure changes as control valves respond to
load. Challenge is to estimate how to respond to maximize
energy savings.
Typical of systems with control valves.

Differential Temperature
Fluid temperatures change precisely as demand rises and
falls.
Typical of One Pipe systems with circulators

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 Differential Pressure
Transmitter Installation
DP Transmitter
may be wall
mounted or pipe
stand mounted.

Orientation of DP
XMTR and pipes
has no effect on
performance.

Gauges can be
rotated for best
viewing.

Determining Set Point

The sensor must keep enough pressure differential across
the supply and return to “push” the design capacity flow
through the coil and control valve.

Setpoint=Sum of coil pressure drop + control valve pressure

drop at design conditions (17’)

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 How Many ∆P Transmitters?
Quantity: Three sensors can provide a very accurate picture of system
demand.

One for the longest run

(Student dorm or remote part of East Campus)

One for the dominant load

(New basketball arena in Central Campus)

One for another zone

(Boss’s office)

For buildings with a very asymmetric layout, other sensors may be

added to monitor each zone.

Location of ∆P Transmitters
TERMINAL
UNIT

DIFF. PRESSURE
TRANSMITTER
CONTROL
VALVE
With the proper
BYPASS
W/VALVE
setpoints, both
PRIMARY
of these
locations are
PUMP

80’
acceptable,
however …
TERMINAL
UNIT

CONTROL
VALVE

BYPASS
W/VALVE

PRIMARY DIFF. PRESSURE

PUMP TRANSMITTER

17’

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Location of ∆P Transmitters
TERMINAL
UNIT

DIFF. PRESSURE CONTROL

VALVE
TRANSMITTER

BYPASS
W/VALVE

PRIMARY
PUMP

80’
TERMINAL
UNIT

CONTROL
VALVE

BYPASS
W/VALVE

PRIMARY DIFF. PRESSURE

PUMP TRANSMITTER

17’
Efficiencies are affected dramatically!

Typical ∆P Transmitters

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 ∆P Transmitters - Example

Differential Temperature
As the Delta-T falls below setpoint, the pumps slow down.
As the Delta-T rises above setpoint, the pumps speed up.
Remember that BTUH = GPM x ΔT x 500

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 Temperature Sensors

Delta-T lends itself to even more cost effective variable

speed pumping.
The issues associated with placement and of Delta-P
sensors are replaced with simplicity of thermisters.
As few as two $20 thermistors can provide even more
energy efficient operation than ∆P

∆T Example

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 Next Generation
Green Piping Systems
ƒ Integrated Piping Systems
z Heating / Cooling / Fire Protection (Condenser Water)
• Trade Names – Tri Water
z Cooling / Fire Protection (Chilled Water)
• Trade Names – Total Comfort Solution, Ultimate Comfort Systems
z Cooling / Domestic Cold Water (Chilled Water)
• Trade Names – Total Comfort Solution
z Heating / Domestic Hot Water (Hot Water)
• Trade Names – Aqua Therm, Hydro Heat, Total Comfort Solution,
Ultimate Comfort Systems
z Less Materials

Next Generation
Green Piping Systems

Single Pipe LoadMatch®

HVAC/Fire Protection
Integrated Piping Main

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 Rouges and Saints
Picture Gallery

No Suction Diffuser
Support

21
 No Pipe Hangers

Suction Diffuser Support,

BUT…

Inertia Base Should Extend Under The Suction

Diffuser

22
Inertia Base Extended Under Suction Diffuser
Suction Diffuser Support

No Piping Support

No Suction Diffuser
Support

No Grout

23
Motor Support Not
Required
Here

Note:
Never support an inline pump motor with a pipe hanger.
Can cause misalignment and coupler failure and eventual
bearing failure.

24
 No Pressure Gauge Across
Pumpp

Not Enough Straight Pipe

Diameters

Weight On Flex/Pump

No Suction Diffuser
Support
No Gauge Across Pump Pump Base Is Grouted

25
2 Separate Gauges

Vertical In-line Installation

26
Weight On Flex/Pump

Pipe not supported.

Weight distorting flex connector.

27
Wrong Coupler in Variable Speed Application

Backup Coupler

Coupler dust

OLD STYLE COUPLER

Woods Sure-Flex Coupler

(old style)

28
Overall good installation but the devil is in the details

Power wiring placing large side load on very tall assembly

29
Cast iron pump installed on domestic water heating system

Result: Electrolysis & Corrosion

What NOT To Do!

ƒ 600 GPM / 30 HP
pump deadheaded
for 30 hours

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What NOT To Do!

Thank You!

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