Equipment for heating greenhouses from VIESSMANN

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How to reduce the energy consumption of the greenhouse complex?

Production of greenhouse vegetables is one of the most energy-intensive. The bulk of the cost structure is represented by heat costs - 35–40%, and in greenhouses built using old technologies, they can reach 80%. It is not surprising that the optimization of heating budgets has always been and remains at the forefront. Until recently, the state helped the agrarians by providing subsidies for the construction of new energy-efficient complexes and the modernization of obsolete ones, but since 2019 these measures have been discontinued. Now everything is at your own expense. In such conditions, sequestration of costs for the greenhouse energy center is crucial for the survival of the business. But is it possible to reduce them?

The energy consumption indicator of the greenhouse can be safely called critical for assessing the commercial feasibility of production. But so far, the share of modern farms that use efficient heating technologies in the total volume of greenhouses in Russia is only 25%.

Three quarters are still outdated. The heat and carbon dioxide necessary to increase the yield of plants are provided by bulky boilers with a large water volume and low efficiency. They take up a lot of space, are non-functional and are able to cover the needs of greenhouses, working only at peak loads and consuming large amounts of energy. Undoubtedly, it is necessary to modernize such energy centers, but it is necessary to select equipment so as not to “fly into the pipe” of your own boiler room.

We save on equipment selection

Modern boiler houses of greenhouse complexes are designed on the basis of heat generators that are created specifically for such farms, taking into account the requirements and characteristics of growing vegetables in greenhouses. “When choosing a heating system for greenhouses, it is necessary to take into account the so-called“ rule of three E ”(cost-effectiveness, efficiency, operating costs),” advises Alexey Tuleninov, head of the engineering support team at Viessmann, a world leader in innovation in the field of heating. “That is, the boiler design must be such that, in addition to specific requirements (for example, nitric oxide emissions of not more than 70 mg / m3), ensure cost optimization at each stage of the creation of an energy center, including design, installation, operation, maintenance.”

The specialist cites the Vitomax LW MA4A type greenhouse boiler as an example. This hot water heat generator with a capacity of 10.0 to 14.0 MW for supply temperatures up to 110 ° C is a joint development of Russian engineers at the Viessmann plant in Lipetsk and German designers. The heat exchange surfaces and smoke tubes in it are arranged in such a way that it allows you to refuse additional pumps of the boiler circuit, due to this, optimization of means for equipping the boiler room is ensured.

We save on design and construction of a boiler room

The huge dimensions of the energy center of the greenhouse, due to the size of the bulky obsolete boilers used, do not add to the investment attractiveness of the project. But they and, consequently, construction costs can be reduced through the use of solutions that use battery tanks with a sufficiently large water volume in the thermal cycle.

Such systems are more compact in comparison with traditional ones. This allows you to reduce the size of the boiler room, and hence the cost of building materials, reducing the investment load on the project. The solution is becoming more and more popular in Russia: for example, in LLC “TK“ Michurinsky ”, which is located on the territory of Russia's only agronomic science city, five Vitomax LW boilers with a capacity of 14 MW each were installed this year. The technology has been successfully used in the difficult climatic conditions of the Urals and Siberia - in the greenhouse complexes Tyumen Agro and Tolmachevsky, respectively.

Another saving point is equipment for protection by circuit breakers included in the factory set of the heating system. This solution reduces design costs and further maintenance costs.

Save on operation

It should be noted right away: the reliability of the heating system of the greenhouse should always be in the first place, saving in the second. After all, boiler failure or failure in their operation can lead to the death of the crop. And whether the heat generator will be reliable and economical in operation, it is possible to determine by its design and materials from which it is made.

High-quality boiler steel ensures long-term operation, modern thermal insulation - insignificant radiation losses. Large water filling and wide passages between the pipes will contribute to efficient circulation of the coolant and reliable heat dissipation. “The design of the burner mouth is also of great importance,” says Alexey Tuleninov, Viessmann. - Often it is performed using chamoto-concrete mixtures, and then when replacing this unit, equipment shutdown is required. When developing greenhouse systems, our designers took a different path - the burner mouths on them are water-cooled. In addition to eliminating equipment downtime when replacing a burner, this allows its fiery head to be operated without overheating and to reduce heat loss, and hence energy consumption. ”

A separate item is the temperature and humidity of the flue gases. Condensation of vapors in the greenhouse complex will inevitably lead to a blockage of the flue gas distribution system necessary for plant growth. Losses from this can be irreparable. Therefore, the design of modern greenhouse boilers necessarily includes a condenser. Its task is to cool flue gases to 60 ° C and to remove water vapor as much as possible, increasing the efficiency of the entire installation. Incidentally, it reaches 96.5% in high-tech solutions for greenhouses.

Save on maintenance

Any, even the most modern equipment needs to be serviced. And service costs are also subject to optimization. The less time and effort it takes, the better. Such, at first glance, a trifle, like revision hatches in the lower frontal and lateral parts of the boiler, provides unhindered control of the state of heating surfaces during maintenance work. This gives a reduction in time costs when servicing the boiler.

Another example: if a burner device, as in the same Vitomax LW type MA4A, is mounted directly on the body of the heat generator, the unit is serviced without dismantling the burner and gas line through double-leaf doors. Otherwise - only a shutdown of equipment and a significant increase in service time.

Experts sound the alarm: in the next five years, up to 800 hectares of greenhouses may be out of order in Russia. Small greenhouse complexes have already begun to close, unable to withstand competition with holdings, and the lack of state support negatively affects the latter. Investors are leaving the industry. This forces the business to embark on the path of optimization: to increase the financial attractiveness of projects and sequestrate the most expensive item - heating costs.

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Sourse - Viessmann Press Office

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