Heating Load Calculations | Heat Exchanger Design | Pump Specification | Resistance Network Modeling | Bill of Materials
Bucknell University recently purchased a high-quality greenhouse. They are seeking a way to keep the building warm during the winter months while meeting the living building standard. We were tasked with designing a carbon-neutral compost heating system to warm the greenhouse.
The RHB design uses a single loop, dual heat exchanger system to provide an average of 20 kW load to the greenhouse. The system is composed of a compost shelter, a thermal mass reservoir pond, a small TACO pump, and instrumentation. The system takes water from a reservoir pond inside the greenhouse and pumps it through a compost shelter, where heat generated by aerobic bacteria within the compost pile heat the water to the necessary temperature to recycle through the pond and maintain the greenhouse at proper temperatures throughout the winter.
I gained experience performing engineering calculations to size a heat exchanger system and developing Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams. I also used existing product CAD drawings and weather data to design engineering modifications and additions/enhancements. All of this required learning to leverage novel, sustainable forms of energy generation (bacteria in compost and solar panels).