Liquid biofuel boiler for city-centre development
A liquid biofuel boiler was selected as the greenest heating option for a mixed-use development in Hoxton, east London. A Hamworthy Ensbury steel boiler using B100 biodiesel and a high-low 3-phase Dunphy burner specifically matched to the fuel was specified by M&E consultant Fox Curtis Murray to provide space heating for this city-centre development of 16 flats and a commercial unit.
Because of the city-centre location, the London Borough of Hackney insisted on the provision of a site-specific dispersion modelling impact assessment to identify any problems the proposed system might cause to surrounding properties — particularly a block of flats close to the fuel-discharge point.
The report commissioned from Enteck UK showed that the emissions from burning biodiesel were unlikely to have significant impact on local air quality and did not exceed the Air Quality Standard for NOx and PM10.
The report also showed biofuel fuel to be superior to the biomass solution that the planner had originally wanted. There is no grit or other particulate matter in the flue gases, and much less storage space is required.
The biofuel is stored in the ground-floor plantroom in a double-skinned bunded steel tank. Deliveries are expected on a bi-monthly frequency.
The 260 kW boiler installed permits close load matching, low NOx emissions and is designed for operating at low flow conditions, with the ability to accommodate fluctuating temperature and load conditions.
A Hamworthy Wessex ModuMax condensing boiler was supplied as a standby boiler for services or maintenance periods. There is also a Chesil wall-mounted pressurisation unit with matched expansion vessel to ensure there is enough pressure in the system to reach the highest heating point.
