Improving Gas Furnace Performance: A Field and Laboratory Study at End of Life

Brand, L.¹  Yee, S.¹  Baker, J.¹ 

[1] Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit (PARR), Des Plaines, IL (United States)

关键词: residential;    Residential Buildings;    parr;    Building America;    Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit;    furnace;    natural gas;    afue;    annual fuel utilization efficiency;    annualized efficiency;    ae;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1220425
RP-ID  :  DOE/GO--102015-4624
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1220425
Others  :  Other: 7028

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

In 2010, natural gas provided 54% of total residential space heating energy the U.S. on a source basis, or 3.5 Quadrillion Btu. Natural gas burned in furnaces accounted for 92% of that total, and boilers and other equipment made up the remainder. A better understanding of installed furnace performance is a key to energy savings for this significant energy usage. In this project, the U.S. Department of Energy Building America team Partnership for Advanced Residential Retrofit examined the impact that common installation practices and age-induced equipment degradation may have on the installed performance of natural gas furnaces over the life of the product, as measured by steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. The team identified 12 furnaces of various ages and efficiencies that were operating in residential homes in the Des Moines, Iowa, metropolitan area and worked with a local heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor to retrieve furnaces and test them at the Gas Technology Institute laboratory for steady-state efficiency and annual efficiency. Prior to removal, system airflow, static pressure, equipment temperature rise, and flue loss measurements were recorded for each furnace as installed in the house.