Variomat, a new concept of pump controlled pressurization

Author: Willem Tieleman, Technical Manager International Reflex Winkelmann GmbH

Introduction

The reflex brand name is well known in Europe and throughout the world as a major
leader in pressure control technology for heating, chilled and drinking water
applications. The reflex `variomat´ pressure maintaining unit opens totally new
dimensions in heating and cooling circuits.

Expansion vessels do have important functions to fulfil:

1. to restrict the pressure fluctuation in the system to a well determinated level
(otherwise loss of water may occur via a responding safety relief valve)
2. to prevent a negative pressure at the highest points of the installation in order
to avoid the intrusion of air into the piping network
3. to avoid steam building or the evaporation of the system liquid, for example in
circuits with superheated water, solar systems
4. to avoid cavitation inside pumps and fittings
(preventing pump damage)
5. to keep a water reserve in order to avoid a pressure drop caused by
occasional losses of volume, e.g. due to deaeration after the initial starting up
of the system
6. to compensate for the variations of volume due to the changes of temperature
of the system

The use of classic expansion vessels is restricted; depending on the situation (in
relation to the static height and opening pressure of the safety relief valve) mainly
only 10 to 45% of the total vessel volume can effectively be used to fulfil these
purposes. Also pressure variations in the system of more than 2 bars are not
exceptional.
The reflex `variomat´ is permitting the use of the almost complete vessel
volume (the vessel acceptance factor is independent from the system
parameters always 90%), in this way reducing considerably the required floor
surface when compared with a traditional system. Moreover the operational
pressure variation in the system will be reduced to max. ± 0,2 bar.

Heating and chilled water systems do always contain air. Before the initial fill of the
system, the circuits are completely filled with air. This air quantity is not easily
removed from the circuits at the first fill operation. Think of underfloor heating, fan
coils or ceiling cooling systems. When the system is filled, it will still be loaded with
important quantities of free air bubbles and also with air which is dissolved into the
water. The moment the system will be heated up, this air will be liberated out of the
water consequently causing bubble noises in circulating pumps and radiators.
This quantity of gas bubbles, bigger or microscopic small, are preventing constant
heat transfer and committing to successive interventions and time-consuming air
bleeding of the circuits. It is also too little known that chilled water systems may even
contain much more dissolved air than drinking water circuits. This is caused by the
fact that, according to Henry’s law, water at low temperature has the ability to absorb
high quantities of dissolved air and oxygen (this physical phenomenon is preventing
a satisfactory deaeration result with air separators in chilled water systems).
Regarding the aspects of corrosion prevention, hydraulic balancing, pump wear and
caloric transmission, degassing of chilled water systems has even more importance
than in case of heating systems.
The reflex `variomat´ guarantees a completely free of air system. Its integrated
degassing function makes air removal out of hvac circuits no longer
necessary. In this aspect inefficient performing mechanical air separators or
micro bubble deaerators did become completely superfluous.

In order to prevent corrosion in heating and chilled water circuits, water loss has to be
avoided as much as possible. Nevertheless sometimes industrial systems may have
structural water losses or existing leakages may be difficult to locate. Many times
installed make-up units are supplying unceasingly and uncontrolled (e.g. the in many
projects applied two pump fill unit combined with static expansion vessels which are
sized too small or which are inoperative due to lack of periodic check of gas pre-
charge), consequently resulting in even more corrosion problems and leakages.
The reflex `variomat´ offers completely monitored water make-up. Running
time and make-up sequences within a period are restricted and the water
supply will be interrupted if a malfunction occurs. In case of the use of the
reflex `fillset´ with contact water meter the control unit will even evaluate the
quantities of supplied water. An important extra is that the refilled water will be
partially degassed before it enters the circuits, in this way contributing to a
better corrosion proof system.

Product description and working functions

1. pressure maintaining, expansion – volume compensation

A control unit with pump(s) and actuated spill valve(s) guaranties that the pressure
remains constant within the preset limits (max pressure fluctuation 0.2 bar above or
below set point). In case of pressure increase, e.g. caused by higher system
temperature, the spill valve will open and the expansion water will be conveyed into
the presureless `VG primary vessel´. In case of pressure drop, due to lower system
temperature, the pump(s) will transfer water out of the `VG primary vessel´ back to
the system.

2. deaeration
A part of the system water is time-dependently circulated in bypass through the `VG
primary vessel´ (standard setting is 12 hours continuously at commissioning,
afterwards during 90 sec at each interval time of two hours). Inside the bladder of the
`VG primary vessel´ the system water will be automatically degassed and will
release dissolved gases due to the decompression to atmospheric pressure
(according to Henry’s law the ability of water to keep gases in solution at zero gauge
pressure is much lower than at system pressure). System water that has been
degassed at atmospheric pressure gets the property to be able to absorb all free gas
and air bubbles present in the system circuits the moment it is brought back into the
circuits at higher system pressure. As a result all free gas and micro bubbles will
disappear completely out of the system circuits in no time. It should be noted here
that it is physically impossible to achieve an equivalent result with air separators for
reason that this kind of equipment will only evacuate air in case of the presence of
excessively large quantities of air in the system and only if installed on low pressure
pipe sections in the systems.

3. water make-up
The water make-up is subject to the filling level of the `VG primary vessel´ and not
system pressure dependent. A vessel load cell with pressure transmitter enables the
evaluation of the vessel’s weight and thus the determination of the water volume
inside the tank. In case of water insufficiency in the expansion vessel the monitored
water make-up is activated. Make-up water which is in general provided via a
connection to the mains will then be feeded directly into the expansion vessel and not
into the system as in case with technically outdated pump fill units.

Variomat applications

 In medium sized, up to 8MW heating and 20 MW chilled water systems.

 Where in addition to the pressurization function, total installation degassing
and fully automated water make-up are to be incorporated in one compact
unit.
 In replacement of former open systems which have never been submitted to
higher pressure than the static pressure and often suffer of corrosion problems
due to excess of oxygenation, the constant pressure combined with the fact
that the `Variomat´ is permitting to operate the system sealed from the
ambient atmosphere is offering great advantages.
 When a quiet method of operation is required in noise sensitive areas.
 In hvac systems with glycol mixtures up to 50%.
 Where interconnection with a building management system is required, the
almost unlimited possibilities of his control unit will prove the `Variomat´ to be
your best suitable partner.