FHG Story (What Does that FHG Stand For?)

I’m about to fill my oil tank again. This will be the fourth filling in 11 years. The idea of calling the oil company fills me with dread. At the rate I’ve been using fuel, about 1/10^th of a gallon per day, that new 200 gallons of oil will only last until about 2014 and then I’ll have to call the oil company again. Adding insult to injury, I’ll crawl out on a limb and guess that oil will be more expensive in 2014. I just can’t win!

Dad taught me that wood is good so last November we installed the new Froling FHG wood boiler in our house. We’ve been using gasifying wood boilers in our home basically since it was built in 1997, but in an effort to take our wood burning to the next level, the Froling was the only way to step up. We are using the boiler in conjunction with thermal storage. It provides heat to the home through the same baseboard convectors and radiant floor heat that the oil boiler uses. The FHG also heats our domestic hot water during all seasons. By now you are probably wondering what FHG stands for, right? Beats me too, but so far there isn’t another residential boiler on the market with any sort of name that can match the FHG.

I’m not the most experienced wood burner as I wasn’t born with a match in my hand like all those folks I speak to that have been burning wood their whole lives, but I’ve run a few wood boilers. To me the FHG represents a sea change in wood boiler technology available in the US. More importantly, talk about a sea change, my wife doesn’t mind filling and lighting this boiler. Now, my wife is no prissy, but she’s a busy woman and frankly, she was intimidated by the steps required for lighting the other boilers we’d used in the past. You see, the FHG has a unique fire ignition port that allows us to fill the boiler with all of the wood we need, no kindling required, and by using paper only, with zero smoke roll out, light the boiler, and walk away in a couple minutes. The result is that this whole new lighting process is going to save me another few gallons of oil because the wood boiler is running even when I’m away. I haven’t had the guts to ask my mother in law to light the boiler when we’re all away yet, but…awe, never mind that idea.

Hang on, you won’t believe this: The FHG splits your wood for you too! That’s actually a lie, but it does have a smoke extraction passage to keep smoke in the boiler during loading. It also has a handy external heat exchange tube cleaning lever. Unlike most other wood boilers, this boiler only needs tube brushing once a year! For the air quality regulator in your life, the FHG offers the most precise combustion technology of any residential wood burning boiler in the US. It uses an oxygen sensor and thermometer to measure the exhaust and adjust the combustion air mixture automatically. Sound complicated? To you and me it is, but not to the engineers who built it. It works flawlessly and requires no intervention at all. With this boiler it doesn’t matter if you’re burning your kid’s broken balsa wood glider or an 8” round piece of oak, the FHG will burn with virtually laboratory accurate combustion. That doesn’t mean you can start burning old tires. The boiler still burns best with relatively dry split wood. However, it does mean that given any sort of reasonable wood for fuel, this boiler does a great job keeping the air clean and wringing every last British Thermal Unit out of the fuel.

With the Froling FHG I’m feeling good about wood!

Multi-Heat Programming, Start-up, and Cleaning Videos

Below is a step by step video for programming the Multi-Heat Pellet Boiler.

Multi-Heat Programming Video

Below is a step by step video for starting and cleaning the Multi-Heat boiler.

Multi-heat Starting and Cleaning

Green Heat Hero

Here is a link to Alliance For Green Heat’s first profile for their Green Heat Heroes. A great read.

http://www.forgreenheat.org:80/resources/hero.html

Show Us Your Woodpile Contest

Submit a Photo of your Woodpile for a Chance to Win!

First Place: HS-Tarm Solo Innova Wood Gasification Boiler ($8200.00 Value).

Second Place: Three winners will receive a Loveless Ash Vacuum ($235.00 Value).

Third Place: Five winners will receive a Moisture Meter ($125.00 Value)

First 50 Entries will receive a free woodpile poster from submitted woodpile photographs.

Photographs submitted will be used to create a poster. This poster will be sold with all of the proceeds donated to a Fuel Assistance Program

Please click here for contest entry form and contest rules.

Please click here for downloadable contest flyer.

Some woodpile examples:

Seasonal Sculpture by Alastair Heseltine

Best Use of Biomass is for Heat

Letter written to the editor of Hearth and Home from Jon Strimling-President of PelletSales.com

To the Editor:

As state and federal policymakers work to stimulate jobs in renewable energy and give the economy a much-needed boost, we would be wise to heed the lesson of Germany.  After substantial investment in wind and solar energy, Germany actually created more jobs in biomass than in either solar or wind.

According to a recent Heinrich Boll Foundation study, Germany created 75,000 jobs in solar photovoltaic, 84,000 jobs in wind and 96,000 jobs in biomass - with fewer public funds invested in biomass than in either solar or wind.  German policymakers focused on using biomass as efficiently as possible - for the greatest measures of carbon emissions reduction, for energy independence and economic growth.  By any of these metrics, using biomass as a heating fuel provides greater returns than electricity generation or transportation.

Installing a biomass heating system grows perennial jobs and infrastructure. Unlike solar or wind energy, the energy in biomass is harvested and transported by Americans year after year.  However, we must be careful to use biomass in the most efficient manner. Using biomass fuels, such as wood pellets, for heat is 85-92% efficient, while using it for electrical generation is only 25-35% efficient.

Despite that, the Markey-Waxman Renewable Electricity Standards Bill (RES), which Congress is currently debating, would provide incentives to use biomass for electricity rather than its ideal use: heat.  That can actually be counter-productive by depressing the adoption of more efficient biomass heating systems.

Fortunately, awareness of this issue is mounting.  Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) have each introduced new legislation which recognizes the benefits of using biomass to generate heat - and American jobs. Victories here will help biomass fuel manufacturers keep their feed stock pricing from increasing, strengthening the economic and environmental advantages of hearth appliances.

So jobs in our industry do grow on trees - but how we harvest those jobs is worthy of careful consideration.

Jon Strimling

Co-Chairman, Biomass Thermal Energy Council

President & CEO PelletSales.com

84 Daniel Plummer Road, Goffstown NH

603-623-1150

Lambda Controlled Wood Combustion in Gasification Boilers

Lambda controlled combustion in wood burning boilers combines modern computer processing and control with the ancient use of wood as fuel.

The problem: A traditional problem with wood burning is the emission of unburned, yet energy rich gasses as smoke. Burning smoke enhances efficiency and decreases harmful emissions. If wood is heated and turned into charcoal without active flame, about ½ of the energy content in the wood will be released as smoke. The combustion of wood involves three phases- drying (evaporation of water), smoke production, and charcoal. All three phases are taking place to some degree simultaneously, however the bulk of a load of wood in a combustion chamber will generally be in one phase or another depending upon how long the wood has been exposed to high temperatures/fire. Combustion of wood smoke is only achieved at very high temperature and with proper combustion air mixing. Because wood is changing phases as it is heated/burned and because wood is an irregular fuel by shape, species, moisture content, age, etc. regulation of combustion air in order to optimize combustion and to minimize emissions of smoke is very difficult to maintain manually.

The solution: Wood gasification boilers typically burn wood in an upper (primary) combustion/wood storage area. This combustion zone is relatively low in temperature and is quite large. The primary combustion chamber is generally supplied by air at the base of the base of the primary combustion chamber. Below the primary combustion chamber there is a secondary combustion zone generally consisting of a ceramic refractory chamber with injected combustion air. The secondary chamber is designed for high turbulence, high temperature and high residence time of the combustible gasses. A lambda control system automatically adjusts primary and secondary combustion air through independent air controls, optimizing combustion as the wood burns. The lambda control system monitors excess oxygen and the temperature of the exhaust, feeds this information to the processor, and adjusts air damper servo motors appropriately. Combustion air is adjusted to automatically match the composition of the wood fuel at any stage of combustion, and for any variation in the wood fuel. Harmful emissions are reduced and efficiency increases.

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.	Exhaust Stack
2.	Lambdatronic S3200 Control
3.	Draft Fan
4.	Server-Controlled primary and Secondary Air Dampers
5.	Combustion Chamber

Boiler Demo Sale

Scandtec Solo Plus 30 (100,000Btuh) with analog control panel. Used for less than one heating season. Only$6,500.00

Properly Sizing PEX Pipe for Remote Boiler Connection When Long Runs will be Necessary

BioHeatUSA recommends installing solid fuel boilers in the basements or utility areas of homes whenever possible. Heat losses from boilers located within the home are reduced. Furthermore, heat escaping the boiler will diffuse into the home rather than to the outdoors.

Recently, we have seen a trend toward locating boilers in locations remote from the buildings they will be heating. Outdoor water stoves, which demand remote locations due to their tendency to smoke profusely, have popularized the use of PEX tubing buried underground between the heat source and the heat load. While the use of PEX tubing for remote, underground applications has become commonplace, information about properly sizing the tubing to adequately meet heating demands is not readily available. We are concerned that many customers are burying tubing, at a sizeable expense that may be too small to carry an adequate volume of hot water to properly meet their heating needs. Undersized tubing can often be compensated for by very large circulators, but this can lead to piping noise, high electric bills, and premature erosion of plumbing components.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that most of the underground PEX tubing that is now being installed, whether pre-insulated or not, is 1” in diameter. It is not clear whether cost, availability, or marketing is more influential, but 1” underground PEX tubing has become “the pipe to use” despite its limitations. BioHeatUSA wants its customers to understand these limitations prior to installing the wrong size tubing.

In order to avoid complications due to undersized tubing when installing a BioHeatUSA wood burning boiler remotely, generally the following tubing sizes should be used between the boiler and the heat source:

Category	BioHeatUSA Boiler Models	One way Pipe Length	Use “X” Diameter Tubing
1	Solo Plus 30/Excel 2000/Solo Innova 30/ FrÖling 20/30	<50’	1”
1	Solo Plus 30/Excel 2000/Solo Innova 30/ FrÖling 20/30	>50’/<100’	1”
1	Solo Plus 30/Excel 2000/Solo Innova 30/ FrÖling 20/30	>100’/<150’	1¼”
1	Solo Plus 30/Excel 2000/Solo Innova 30/ FrÖling 20/30	>150’/<200’	1½”
1	Solo Plus 30/Excel 2000/Solo Innova 30/ FrÖling 20/30	>200’/<250’	1½”
2	Solo Plus 40/Excel 2200/FrÖling 40	<50’	1¼”
2	Solo Plus 40/Excel 2200/FrÖling 40	>50’/<100’	1½”
2	Solo Plus 40/Excel 2200/FrÖling 40	>100’/<150’	1½”
2	Solo Plus 40/Excel 2200/FrÖling 40	>150’	AVOID
3	Solo Innova 50/ FrÖling 50	<50’	1¼”
3	Solo Innova 50/ FrÖling 50	>50’/<100’	1½”
3	Solo Innova 50/ FrÖling 50	>100’	AVOID
4	Solo Plus 60	<50’	1¼”
4	Solo Plus 60	>50’/<100’	1½”
4	Solo Plus 60	>100’	AVOID

These suggested tubing sizes are based on a 20 degree temperature drop using a 50/50 water/glycol blend. Flow rates are assumed to be 10 gpm for the category 1 boilers, 14 gpm for the category 2 boilers, 18 gpm for the category 3 boilers, and 20 gpm for the category 4 boilers (See the formula at the end of this document to see how these flow rates are derived). In all cases these recommendations enable the use of readily available and reasonably sized circulators such as the Grundfos 15-58 Superbrute (3 speed) or the Taco 0014 by keeping head losses below 20 feet through the tubing itself. Of course there are other sources for head loss such as flat plate heat exchangers, fittings, and/or fan coils. These other sources for head loss are not inconsequential and should always be considered when calculating head loss.

By increasing temperature drop to 40 degrees, flow rates can be cut in half, which reduces head loss by a power of 1.75. So if flow is cut from 20 gpm to 10 gpm head loss is found by multiplying the head loss at 20gpm X .5 ^1.75. Some applications will be acceptable with a 40 degree drop, others such as fan coils may not. When a larger temperature drop is not possible, it is possible to increase flow rates through undersized tubing to improve heat transfer, however, as flow rates increase past 20 gallons/ minute head loss begins to increase dramatically. Keep in mind that if a person is planning to connect a remote wood boiler to a storage tank in another location, high head losses may be encountered. As head losses increase, flows will decrease. When the temperature differential between the boiler and tank is high the tank will still absorb all of the heat the boiler can make. However, as boiler and tank temperatures get with 15 degrees of one another for instance, it may be impossible to add any more heat to the tank. Consider the following example:

A Solo Plus 60 is installed in a shed 100’ from a home and a 20 degree temperature drop is required. A 50/50 glycol/water mix will be used. A 20 gpm flow is required. One inch PEX is the tubing. Head loss is 47.94’ through the tubing alone. Two Grundfos UP 43-70 F circulators will almost provide the necessary performance, 44’ of head @ 20 gpm (by placing identical circulators in series we can double the head produced at each flow rate). There is simply not a good “single circulator” solution for this amount of head loss as circulators that can handle these head loss conditions provide enormously high flow rates. For demonstration purposes only, these circulators draw 6.8 amps together (800Watts). Assuming that electricity costs $0.10 per Kw/hr. and that the circulators will operate 3000 hours/year, total electrical costs not adding for inflation will be $4,800.00 over a 20 yr period.

If we took the same example, but now used 1 ½” tubing, we could use two Grundfos UP 26-64F circulators. These circulators draw a total of 3.4 amps (370 Watts). Electrical costs over 20 years with this arrangement would be $2,220.00. The larger pipe in this example saves only $2,580.00 over 20 years.

Below you will find similar electricity cost scenarios, but in table format. The following examples involve a 50/50 water/glycol mix and 20 degree temperature drop:

Flow	Pipe Length	Pipe Diameter	Head Loss	Circulator	20Year Power $
14	100’	1”	36.4	UP 26-99F x 2	$2,940.00
14	100’	1¼”	10.36	UP 26-64F	$1,110.00
14	100’	1½”	4.68	UPS 15-58FC	$522.00
10	100’	1”	14.5	UP 26-64F	$1,110.00
10	100’	1¼”	4.34	UPS 15-42F	$390.00
10	100’	1½”	1.96	UPS 15-42F	$390.00

HEAD LOSSES AT VARIOUS FLOW RATES, PIPE LENGTHS, PIPE DIAMETERS, AND ANTIFREEZE MIXTURES

Flow (Gal/Min)	Temperature	Water Mix	Pipe Dia.	Pipe Length	Head Loss
10	180	H20	1”	100’	11.72
10	160	H20	1”	100’	11.96
10	180	H20	1”	50’	5.86
10	180	H20	1¼”	100’	4.58
10	160	H20	1¼”	100’	4.56
14	180	H20	1¼”	100’	8.19
14	160	H20	1¼”	100’	8.35
14	180	H20	1½”	100’	3.69
14	160	H20	1½”	100’	3.77
20	180	H20	1½”	100’	7.03
20	160	H20	1½”	100’	7.17
10	180	50/50	1”	100’	14.64
10	160	50/50	1”	100’	15.25
10	180	50/50	1¼”	100’	5.85
10	160	50/50	1¼”	100’	6.81
14	180	50/50	1¼”	100’	10.22
14	160	50/50	1¼”	100’	10.63
14	180	50/50	1½”	100’	4.61
14	160	50/50	1½”	100’	4.80
20	180	50/50	1½”	100’	8.76
20	160	50/50	1½”	100’	9.11

Above data courtesy of Wirsbo, Inc. Pressure loss for hePEX and AQUAPEX were converted to head loss by multiplying by 2.37.

H= (144ΔP)/D

H= head added or lost from the liquid

ΔP= pressure change

D= density of the liquid at its current temperature (approximately 60.75lbs/ft³ @180deg.)

In piping, as flow rates increase, head loss increases by a factor of 1.75. This means that if we double flow rates, head loss increases by 3.36 times (H X 2 ^1.75). If we triple flow rates, head loss increases by 6.84 times (HX 3 ^1.75). Using the Solo Plus 60 example from above: We have a Solo Plus 60 installed in a shed 100’ from a home. A 20 degree temperature drop is necessary. A 50/50 water/glycol mix will be used to prevent freezing. One inch PEX will be used between the buildings. Because we have a supply and return we are faced with 200’ of tubing overall. Head loss for 1” pipe at 10gpm is 14.64. If we double the flow rate to 20 gpm head loss becomes 49.19. IT IS NOT A LINEAR RELATIONSHIP!

Flow requirements can be calculated with a simple formula:

f=q/(kXΔT)

f= flow

q= rate of heat output in BTUs

k= a constant based on the concentration of antifreeze

ΔT= temperature drop of the loop in degrees F.

k factors to be used in the above equation:

100% water = 500

70% water, 30% propylene glycol = 477

60% water, 40% propylene glycol = 465

50% water, 50% propylene glycol = 449

These k factors courtesy of Ipex “Manual of Modern Hydronics 3^rd Edition”

European Union to North American Wood Boiler Efficiency Conversion

Background(for the technical savvy):

Thermal Efficiency

For an energy conversion device like a boiler the thermal efficiency is:

So, for a boiler that produces 30KW (100,000 Btu/h) output for each 40KW (140,000 Btu/h) heat-equivalent input, its thermal efficiency (n) is 30/40=0.75, or 75%. This means that 25% of the energy is lost to the environment.

Fuel Heating Values and Efficiency

In Europe the usable energy content of fuel is typically calculated using lower heating value (LHV) of that fuel, i.e. the heat obtained by fuel combustion (oxidation), measured so that the water vapor produced remains gaseous, and is not condensed to liquid water. In North America, the higher heating value (HHV) is used, which includes the latent heat for condensing the water vapor.

Definition of Fuel Heating Values

The lower heating value (LHV) of a fuel is defined as the amount of heat released by combusting a specified quantity (initially at 25 degrees Celsius or another reference state) and returning the temperature of the combustion products to 150 degrees Celsius.

The LHV assumes that the latent heat of vaporization of water in the reaction products is not recovered. It is useful in comparing fuels where condensation of the combustion products is impractical, or heat at a temperature below 150 degrees Celsius cannot be put to use.

By contrast, the higher heating value (HHV) includes the heat of condensation of water in the combustion products but primarily not on the moisture content of the fuel.

Relation Between Higher and Lower Heating Value

The difference between the two heating values depends on the chemical composition of the fuel (dry basis).  For example, with hydrocarbons the difference depends on the hydrogen content of the fuel. For gasoline and diesel the higher heating value exceeds the lower heating value by about 10% and 7%, respectively, for natural gas about 11%.

The source of the text above was condensed from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/energy_conversion_efficiency Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Fuel Heating Values for Firewood

Chemically analyzed wood (dry mass) is a “hydrocarbon oxide”, as its major contents are carbon, oxygen and hydrogen with small variations of concentration. Higher concentrations of hydrogen content increases the heating values.

Typical heating values for wood fuel, based on dry mass (w=0%):

Hardwood (EU):                      LHV (dry) = 18 MJ/Kg (7756 Btu’s/lb)       HHV (dry) = 19.3 MJ/Kg (8316 Btu’s/lb)

Coniferous wood (EU):         LHV (dry) = 19 MJ/Kg (8187 Btu’s/lb)        HHV (dry) = 20.4 MJ/Kg (8790 Btu’s/lb)

Lower heating value LHV can be calculated from higher heating value HHV if hydrogen content of fuel is known, as follows:

                                                     LHV (dry mass) = HHV (dry mass) – 0.22 * h

where:    LHV, HHV =   Heating Values in MJ/Kg,  h = Hydrogen content in dry mass in %, 0.22 = Heat of vaporization of combustion products and stoichiometric factors in MJ/Kg

Water Content and Moisture Content in Fuel

Water content “w” is defined as amount of water mass in relation to total mass of fuel, given in %. Water content primarily is used in EU standards.

Moisture content “u” is defined as amount of water mass in relation to dry mass of fuel, given in %. Moisture content primarily is used in US standards.

                          

Influence of water Content to Heating Values

Depending on water content “w” the both heating values are decreasing as follows:

where:

  =Higher heating value in MJ/Kg, at water content W in % 

=Higher heating value in MJ/Kg, in dry mass (water content W = 0%)

=Water content of fuel (see above) in %

where:

=Lower heating value in MJ/Kg, at water content W in %

=Lower heating value in MJ/Kg, in dry mass (water content W = 0%)

 =Water content of fuel (se above) in %

=Heat of vaporization of water in MJ/Kg, based on 25 degrees Celsius

The source of the text above: European testing material standards, especially Austrian standard ÖNorm M 7132

Influence of Heating Values used to Boiler Efficiency

At same heat output Qout the figure Qin in efficiency quotation at top of this document is calculated differently between EU and US standards.

Efficiency calculation in Europe:

Efficiency calculation in the United States:

Ratio between US and European Boiler Efficiency:

U.S. Efficiency Ratings Based on Moisture Content and Grain Derived from European Test Data

PDF Version of the chart above

Scratch and Dent Tank Sale

We have two Square Thermal Tanks with minor cosmetic damage.

550 Gallon Tank $2250.00

Please give us a call at 1-800-782-9927 or email info@bioheatusa.com for more information.

Link to Tax Credit FAQs

Here is a link to common Tax Credit Frequently Asked Questions http://hpba.org/government-affairs/issues-legislation/economic-stimulus-bill-promotes-renewable-energy.

Certificate of Boiler Efficiency

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for PDF version of certificate.

BioHeatUSA Show Trailer Schedule 2009

 

Date	Event Name	Location	Web Link
May 17-21	NAOHSM 2009 Convention	Hershey, PA	http://www.naohsm.org/trade_show.cfm
May 23rd	CNY Pipeworx Open House	Barnevald, NY	http://www.cnypipeworx.com
May 29-30	REX Experience Conference	Utica, NY	http://www.rpa-info.com/REX09Web/REXexperience.html
July21-26	Clinton County Fair	Plattsburgh, NY	http://www.clintoncountyfair.com
July 31-Aug 1	Old Home Days	Bellow Falls, Vt
Sept 11-13	OC McCuin and Sons Open House	Highgate Center, VT
Sept 19-20	Mainline Heat and Supply Open House	Ashford, CT	http://www.mainlinehs.com/Site/UpcomingEvents.html
Oct 2-3rd	County Plumbing and Heating open House	51 Lepper Rd Morrisville, Vt 05661
Oct 10-11	Mainline Hearth-Fall Kick Off	Ashford, CT	http://www.mainlinehs.com/Site/UpcomingEvents.html
Oct 16-17	E.C. Crosby Open House	49 mill Rd Danby, VT  05739	www.eccrosby.net
Oct 28-29	Renewable Energy Vermont Show	Sheraton Conference Center, Burlington, VT	www.revermont.org
Nov 6-7	Lyndonville Hardware-Open House	Lyndonville, Vt