SCTC-Hot Water Recirculation Hydraulic Behavior

Nov, 2014
Technical Bulletin: Pressure Profile in Closed Loop Hot Water Recirculation System
About
Pressure
For years, we do not suffer any problem from the pressure
distribution of typical hot water recirculating system thus we
seldom look deep inside it. Does it unimportant? Let’s see
some theoretical analysis with experimental result from the
solar hot water system in Shatin Communications and
Technology Centre at Shatin Racecourse (SCTC).
Solar Hot Water System in SCTC solar collector system, water, pipework system,
Solar centralized hot water system is provided for this automatic digital control, hot water storage tanks with
building. All solar connectors are located at upper roof back-up heater, hot water storage heaters, water
and divided as three individual groups for three domestic circulation pumps, expansion vessels, valves and
hot water systems of the building, the domestic hot water accessories. Domestic hot water supply system is
systems include hot water high zone system, hot water provided for the toilet basins, showering facilities and
low zone system and kitchen hot water system. The parties sinks of the building.
details of arrangement is shown in Fig. 1. The system is somehow new to us and we do solve some
A high zone hot water plant is located at Lower Roof faulty design like the wrong pump placement of low zone
Water Tank & Pump Room and the low zone & kitchen hot system where a comprehensive analysis was performed
water plant is located at B/F Water Transfer Tank & Pump and presented previously that we will not discuss in here.
Room. The Solar hot water supply of the building include
Figure 1. Simplified Schematic of Solar Hot Water

Nov, 2014
Recirculation of CLCP-03&04 experiment or computation easily. However, we insisted
This recirculation aims to bring the energy extracted from to over pressurize the system to avoid some serious
solar panel to the storage tank via a set of plat type heat problems like cavitation, vaporization…etc. arise from
exchanger. It looks like a really typical recirculation system negative pressure. Noted that the system pressure shall
except that the expansion tank is placed at pump be pressurized to 1 bar as recommended by supplier
discharge which is recommended by the supplier in order where we found that the system shall be pressurized to at
to avoid vapor enter the tank when the panels are least 2 bar.
overheated. We preserved an attitude of neutrality Before explain the physics of hydraulic behavior, let’s us
on the supplier statement as we cannot proof it through go to the experimental result of the system first:
Before Pump Operated
Suction Pressure:
2.2 Bar
Discharge Pressure:
2.2 Bar
The High Zone CLCP-003&004 with
design flow 0.5L/s @ 17m Head
After Pump Operated
Suction Pressure:
0.5 Bar
Discharge Pressure:
2.2 Bar
It is our common blind spot that discharge pressure shall always increase while the suction pressure shall keep
constant. However, the result is totally opposite!!!

Nov, 2014
Theory Behind Unlike CP-03 & 04, for RP-01 & 02, the system pressure is
The discharge pressure is kept constant and the suction came from potable booster system which typically around
pressure drop exactly the design pump head when the 2.5 bar and the pump head of typical hot water
pump is operated, just like we predicted during our detail recirculation system is around 1 bar that negative
design. The reason behind is simple, the expansion tank is pressure not likely be induced. Thus, we seldom alert of
placed at the pump discharge which act as a “hydraulic this hydraulic behavior.
grounding” of the whole system. In contrast, common recirculation system like chilled
To illustrate better, consider the fluid inside the system, it water system, the expansion tank/ open tank is always
is pressurized that the only way to change the system installed at the pump suction. Thus, it turns to a blind spot
pressure at the expansion tank is to deliver more fluid in to us that the suction pressure never changed.
to it. However, as it is a closed loop system and the fluid

Now, let’s think about what will happen when we only
is somehow incompressible (shh……read Hidden Pages).
charged the captioned system to 1 bar, remember it is
The pressure will not change at that point regardless the
the hot water system!! …….. (END)
operation of the pump. Thus, it acts as the hydraulic
grounding point which the pressure is kept constant.(i.e.
like the earthling in electrical circuit.). As a result, in order
to satisfy the system friction, the only way is having a
pressure drop in suction.
Indeed, similar result obtain as shown below in RP-01&02
where it is a typical hot water recirculation system:
Suction Pressure:
1.5 Bar
Discharge Pressure/
Pressure in static:
2 Bar
Nov, 2014
Hidden Pages: What will happen when we close the For a small section pipe with unit length dL and section
Expansion Tank? area A,
Remarks: The following is only to satisfy my The unit mass=ρ x A x dL
ghoulish curiosity and nothing useful. Integrate the mass of the whole system
It is a problem which perplexed me some time, as I cannot 𝑙

= ∫ ρ x A x dL
find any literature regarding to the problem. With a 0
𝑙
simple recirculation system, △P
=∫ ( 𝐿 + 𝐶) x 𝐾 x A x dL
0 l
△𝑃 2
𝐴 𝑙 𝐿 𝑙
= [ + 𝐶𝐿]
𝑘 2 0
In static condition, the total mass:

P1= Discharge pressure when pump operated
P2= Suction Pressure when pump operated P0

ρ0 x A x l = xAxl
𝑘
P0= System pressure when pump not operated
Since mass conservation:
l= System Pipe Run
△P 2
P1-P2=△P = Pump Head P0 𝐴 l 𝐿 𝑙
xAxl = [ + 𝐶𝐿]
Consider a system with uniform pressure drop and the 𝑘 𝑘 2 0
pipe lay on same elevation, assuming the pump head is C=P0-△P/2

also 17m under design flow, since there is no hydraulic Put △P=1.7 bar and P0 =2.2
grounding point that we may come out with infinity P1= 3.05 bar
solution that satisfy “system friction = pump head”, i.e.: P2= 1.35 bar
Solution P1 P2 △P Experiment Result:
1 17 0 17
2 12 -5 17 Suction Pressure:
. . . . 1.4 Bar
. . . .
. . . .
The problem is, which one correct??
Solution: Discharge Pressure:
dP △ P △P 3.1 Bar
= => P = 𝐿+𝐶
dL l l
Assume in a small pressure range, fluid density is

Result shows that it is quite close to the value we
proportional to Pressure that:
predicted.
P=k xρ
Contact: http://plumbing-man.blogspot.hk/

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Nov, 2014

Figure 1. Simplified Schematic of Solar Hot Water

Recirculation of CLCP-03&04 experiment or computation easily. However, we insisted

Before Pump Operated

After Pump Operated

constant. However, the result is totally opposite!!!

to it. However, as it is a closed loop system and the fluid

grounding point which the pressure is kept constant.(i.e.

like the earthling in electrical circuit.). As a result, in order

to satisfy the system friction, the only way is having a

pressure drop in suction.

Indeed, similar result obtain as shown below in RP-01&02

where it is a typical hot water recirculation system:

Expansion Tank? area A,

Remarks: The following is only to satisfy my The unit mass=ρ x A x dL

It is a problem which perplexed me some time, as I cannot 𝑙

In static condition, the total mass:

P2= Suction Pressure when pump operated P0

pipe lay on same elevation, assuming the pump head is C=P0-△P/2

Solution: Discharge Pressure:

Assume in a small pressure range, fluid density is

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