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Hot eau chauffage système conception

Conception guidelines et calculations pour hot eau chauffage systems.

hotwaterheatingsystem

Overview

Hot water heating systems circulate heated water through pipes to radiators, convectors, or radiant panels to provide space heating. They are widely used in residential and commercial buildings.

System types:

  • Two-pipe system — separate supply and return pipes
  • One-pipe system — common supply/return loop (series connection)
  • Reverse return — equalized flow resistance across all terminals

Heat Output Calculation

The heat carried by hot water:

Q=m˙cpΔTQ = \dot{m} \cdot c_p \cdot \Delta T

where:

  • QQ = heat output (kW)
  • m˙\dot{m} = mass flow rate (kg/s)
  • cpc_p = specific heat of water ≈ 4.18 kJ/(kg·K)
  • ΔT\Delta T = temperature difference between supply and return (K)

In terms of volume flow rate:

Q=V˙ρcpΔTQ = \dot{V} \cdot \rho \cdot c_p \cdot \Delta T

where V˙\dot{V} = volume flow rate (m³/s) and ρ\rho ≈ 983 kg/m³ (at 60°C).

Flow Rate for Required Heat Output

V˙=QρcpΔT\dot{V} = \frac{Q}{\rho \cdot c_p \cdot \Delta T}

For a ΔTT of 20°C (80/60°C system):

10 lignes
Water flow rates for given heat outputs (ΔT = 20°C)
Heat Output (kW)
Flow Rate (L/h)
Flow Rate (L/min)
Flow Rate (gpm)
1430.720.19
2861.430.38
52153.580.95
104307.161.89
2086014.33.79
50215035.89.47
100430071.618.9
200860014337.9
5002150035894.7
100043000716189

Pipe Sizing

Pipes are sized based on:

  • Flow velocity — typically 0.5–1.5 m/s for quiet operation
  • Pressure drop — typically 100–400 Pa/m for small systems
ApplicationVelocity (m/s)
Residential branches0.5 – 0.8
Residential mains0.8 – 1.2
Commercial branches0.8 – 1.2
Commercial mains1.0 – 1.5
High-rise risers1.5 – 2.5

Pipe Pressure Drop

The Darcy-Weisbach equation for pressure drop in a pipe:

Δp=fLDρv22\Delta p = f \cdot \frac{L}{D} \cdot \frac{\rho v^2}{2}

where:

  • ff = friction factor (dimensionless)
  • LL = pipe length (m)
  • DD = pipe inner diameter (m)
  • vv = flow velocity (m/s)

Expansion Vessel Sizing

Water expands when heated. An expansion vessel absorbs this volume change:

Vvessel=eVsystem1p0pfV_{vessel} = \frac{e \cdot V_{system}}{1 - \frac{p_0}{p_f}}

where:

  • ee = expansion coefficient of water over the temperature range
  • VsystemV_{system} = total system water volume (L)
  • p0p_0 = pre-charge pressure (bar absolute)
  • pfp_f = safety valve set pressure (bar absolute)

Design Temperatures

System TypeSupply (°C)Return (°C)ΔT (°C)
Conventional radiator806020
Low-temperature radiator554510
Underfloor heating35 – 4525 – 3510
Fan coil units45 – 6035 – 5010

Applications

  • Residential central heating
  • Commercial building HVAC
  • District heating networks
  • Industrial process heating
  • Snow melting systems