Energy Efficiency and Cost Reduction Through Precisely Sized Heat Exchangers

Katronic’s portable heat meters help a leading British provider of large-scale steam heating systems accurately measure and monitor heat flows in hospitals, large food processing plants, and other major energy consumers as an integral part of their offerings and the pre-sales process. The information recorded by the meters gives the company confidence that total energy demand is captured and peak demand is measured, ensuring that the new systems it proposes precisely meet customers’ requirements and enable them to achieve significant energy and cost savings that justify the investment.

Katronic’s KATflow 230 is a non-invasive clamp-on ultrasonic flow and heat meter. A compact pair of stainless-steel transducers is simply attached to the outside of the hot water pipe, as close as possible to the main heat exchanger. Ultrasonic signals are emitted across the pipe’s width both upstream and downstream to measure the flow velocity, which is then converted into a flow volume. The recorded temperature is combined with the flow measurement to provide a direct measurement of the heat in the system, total heat consumption, and, most importantly, peak demand across the entire network.

A sales engineer at the company used a KATflow 230 on a number of projects. He says, “The flow meter is a really important tool for me. We had several projects where it was really difficult to assess boiler room operations, but with the KATflow meter, we were able to record the flow rates, see the numbers and the peak demand, and make accurate recommendations.” 

Since the proposals are backed by relevant data, the heating manufacturer can demonstrate to its customers that the systems it offers are based on actual heat demand. In many cases, this has led to significant savings in energy consumption, amounting to annual savings of more than £500,000 in at least one instance.

This company has now used KATflow 230 measurements in nearly twenty large-scale heat exchanger studies across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare and general hospitals, food and beverage factories, confectionery, and dairy plants. They offer customers significant opportunities to achieve real cost and carbon savings that benefit everyone.