Again, we seem to be interleaving posts.
On Apr 16, 2011, at 11:26 AM, Jed Rothwell wrote:
Let me emphasize that the techniques used by Levi, Essen et al. are
industry standard. They are written into regulations world-wide.
They were developed by the ASME and other professional
organizations. They are mandatory: you have to test any large
boiler with these techniques on a regular basis, or the local
government inspector will shut down your apartment or factory.
Horace Heffner believes these techniques are "amateur" "shabby" a
"Barnum and Bailey act" and -- in short -- not reliable for some
reason. He has described the test he would do instead, sparging
steam into a barrel. Any HVAC engineer knows how to do that. It has
some practical limitations, as I described. After the Jan. 14 test
was published, I myself recommended a sparge test to Rossi, Levi et
al., but only in addition to the main test, not as a replacement,
because it is so limited in time and capacity. (No matter how big
you make the barrel, it is limited in time unless you use a highly
insulated tank, because it cools down.)
I think it is unlikely that Heffner knows more about how to test
boiler performance than the committees at the ASME and elsewhere
who have written the regulations and designed the tests that have
been standard for the last 150 years. Hundreds of thousands of
engineers perform these procedures. They probably know what they
are doing. It isn't likely they are bumbling amateurs making huge
mistakes, and Heffner the only person in the world who knows how to
do this right. That's my guess.
- Jed
Well, aren't you snide today? Forget to take your metamucil? 8^)
Best regards,
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
