I thought this had been asked before but was unsuccessful bringing it up in
the archives.
For a steam baseboard system, is there a way to model a loss factor due to
faulty steam traps? I could see using the SUPPLY-LOSS-DT keyword as a
means to model this, but my input there would be based on a guess at the
system loss due to the steam trap.
This is for a calibrated model, as an FYI. Thanks!
Jeremy R. Poling, PE, LEED AP+BDC
Since the program is based around hot water flow and steam is kind of a work around in the first place, I don't know if the loss factor there would be accurate for steam losses. Or at least not any more than if you came up with your own estimate and plugged it in as a process load.
In the case of the trap failed open the loss will be pretty significant, and could be more than the calculated end-use load during low load periods, where the Supply-Loss-DT is some percentage of the energy delivered. On the other hand, the Supply-Loss-DT would also apply to the whole loop which would tend to overestimate.
Overall, I'd say plug in your calculated number from excel as a process load, that way your assumptions will be easier to document instead of "a factor times a factor times a weighted average"...Plus then you can see the losses as a separate end-use in the reports which may be useful.
David
David S. Eldridge, Jr., P.E., LEED AP BD+C, BEMP, BEAP, HBDP
I have done is as process load - if the estimate is that 5-10% of the
heating is because of this, I iterated a few times - do not remember what I
did for schedule.
-Rohini