Investigating the efficiency of mechanical filtration in restoring the efficiency of a corroded closed looped heating and cooling system

Corrosion has been an ever-present issue facing hydronic heating systems which leads to significant plant failure as well as financial and energy costs. This has become especially important as there has been a need to improve plant efficiency to reduce energy use and increase the lifecycle of the system. This research investigates the ability of mechanical filters in restoring system efficiency by improving the quality of the thermal fluid. A purpose-built experimental rig was constructed to replicate a closed looped hydronic system able to simulate different parameter conditions and water qualities and understand their impact in the system performance. To simulate the amount of corrosion in the system, magnetite powder was used in order to maintain realism. The results found that the pump energy can be reduced by over 80% by filtering the water.