Approaches to heating spaces continue to change due to a combination of government mandates, concerns around energy use and advancements in heating technology.
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These changes in heating technology are certainly not a new phenomenon for society. Heating technologies have evolved from campfires in caves to boilers and furnaces in basements with the capacity to heat skyscrapers.
The current heating trend is towards more efficient and eco-friendly solutions, with ventless heaters rapidly becoming one of the most popular options on the market.
Ventless heaters are revolutionizing heating. They offer a new solution for keeping warm and are extremely efficient at minimizing energy consumption.
Much like a traditional heater or sophisticated HVAC system, ventless heaters are subject to one of the underlying principles of design and function: a unit is only as good as the sensor technology that underpins it.
Ventless Heaters: A Brief Overview
Ventless heaters (also known as vent-free heaters) function without the need for external venting. Conventional heating systems expel excess heat and combustion by-products outside of a space, but ventless heaters work by using the air within the room and releasing heat directly back into the space being heated.
These heaters are able to achieve efficiency rates of 99 % by harnessing an almost complete combustion process. This is primarily due to their capacity to maximize heat output from the fuel consumed, irrespective of whether this is gas, electricity, or other fuels.
Ventless heaters can be loosely categorized into three types based on the fuel source employed:
- Gas-powered ventless heaters are fuelled by natural gas or propane.
- Electric ventless heaters provide heat by drawing air over heated electrical elements. These heaters are often utilized as a supplemental heat source or in areas where gas is not readily available.
- Alternative fuel ventless heaters operate using fuels such as bioethanol derived from agricultural products. These heaters offer distinct aesthetic and environmental benefits but tend to be less common.
Ventless heaters offer several advantages over vented models, even beyond their high efficiency.
For example, ventless heaters are cheaper and easier to install because they do not require ductwork or chimneys. This makes them ideally suited to retrofitting in older buildings or for use in spaces where it is impractical to install traditional venting.
Ventless heaters’ compact size and lack of external venting afford them greater flexibility in terms of their placement. This makes them a good option for both commercial and residential spaces.
Common Ventless Heater Usage Scenarios
Non-vented heaters are frequently employed as supplemental heating solutions in residential settings, particularly in rooms such as basements and sunrooms that are difficult to heat.
In commercial spaces, these heaters offer primary or supplementary heating in locations like workshops, restaurants, and small offices, where installing traditional heating systems may prove to be too expensive or disruptive.
Core Sensor Technologies in Ventless Heaters
It is important to remember that a ventless heater is only as good as the sensor technology that it makes use of.
While they are among the smallest components in a vent-free heater in terms of their footprint, the sensor technology integrated throughout the heater has arguably the most significant impact on the device’s functionality.
A number of advanced sensors are essential in vent-free heater design in order to ensure peak performance, a long useful life, and the safety of building occupants.
Temperature Sensors
Temperature sensors have a simple yet critical function—they monitor the heater’s heat output to prevent overheating and maintain a comfortable ambient temperature.
These sensors provide real-time feedback to the heater’s control system, allowing precise adjustments to be made to the heating output and ensuring optimal energy efficiency and occupant comfort.
Temperature sensors integrated via the Internet of Things (IoT) allow users to remotely control temperature using smart devices, enhancing user convenience and optimizing energy use further.
Oxygen Depletion Sensors (ODS)
ODS sensors are used to detect any reduction in a room’s oxygen levels. A reduction in oxygen can indicate incomplete combustion, signaling a potential safety risk.
ODS sensors are vital in preventing the build-up of harmful gasses, but this technology presents a number of limitations; for example, it is sensitive to environmental variables and subject to potential delays in detection.
Despite these issues, ODS technology provides an important and necessary safety net, ensuring that the heater is automatically shut down if oxygen levels drop too low.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Sensors
CO and CO2 sensors primarily serve as proxies for the detection of oxygen depletion by monitoring the stoichiometry of the combustion process.
The combustion of fuels like natural gas or propane results in minimal CO production in a well-ventilated area with sufficient oxygen, but if oxygen levels are insufficient, CO levels will increase. Should this occur, these sensors can reliably and repeatedly detect those changes.
Non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors are the most commonly used sensors for these applications due to their accuracy and their capacity to measure gas concentrations at parts-per-million (ppm) levels.
When used in conjunction with ventless heaters, a typical setup would likely involve a single-channel NDIR sensor that has been configured to shut down the heater or trigger an alarm should CO levels reach or exceed thresholds around 8000 ppm or lower. This would provide an effective measure against any potential CO poisoning.
Ventless Heater Sensor Tech 2.0
Out-of-the-box and custom sensor technology is highly advanced, but extending its functionality even further is possible. Many heating and cooling applications already leverage advanced IoT-enabled sensors to exert better control over energy use and user comfort.
IoT sensors can be connected to a building management system (BMS) to transmit performance data in real-time, allowing immediate adjustments to be made and alerts to be issued as appropriate.
This integration offers a higher safety standard while ensuring improved energy management and more efficient maintenance scheduling via continuous performance analytics.
Heat Pump Options
Heat pumps are widely regarded as close cousins to vent-free heaters, and these innovative devices are being used in a wide range of climate control applications.
Like ventless heaters, heat pumps represent a sustainable alternative to conventional heating and cooling systems.
Heat pumps leverage natural energy from water, air, or the ground to regulate indoor temperatures. They do this by transferring heat from one place to another via a refrigeration cycle, in a similar fashion to devices like air conditioners and refrigerators.
Unlike traditional heating systems, however, heat pumps transfer existing heat rather than generating heat themselves. This change in approach makes them incredibly energy efficient.
Heat pump technology is not limited to commercial or residential buildings. It is also seeing increasing use in electric vehicles (EVs), where it is used to heat and cool the vehicle with minimal impact on battery life.
Heat pumps’ popularity has surged for a number of reasons.
- Energy efficiency: Heat pumps reduce overall energy consumption, use less electricity than traditional HVAC systems, and help reduce utility bills and limit environmental impact.
- Sustainability: As renewable energy becomes more prominent and demand for this increases, heat pumps are seeing increased popularity due to their capacity to integrate with solar power and other green technologies.
- Technological improvements: Heat pumps’ effectiveness was historically limited in colder climates, but advances in heat pump technology have expanded their usability in these areas.
Core Sensors for Heat Pump Design
Sensors used in heat pumps are largely the same as those employed in vent-free heaters. A number of advanced sensors form integral elements of a typical heat pump's design.
- Temperature sensors monitor and regulate output to maintain desired indoor conditions efficiently. Heat pump temperature sensors can respond to temperature changes, ensuring optimal heat transfer.
- Pressure sensors are used to track refrigerant pressure. This is essential for system safety and efficiency, as well as in helping avoid mechanical failures.
- CO2 sensors monitor CO2 concentrations in the discharge line. This helps detect potential issues like inefficient combustion or leakage that could impact the performance and safety of the heat pump.
- Humidity sensors help control indoor comfort and energy efficiency by managing the dehumidifying process in cooling mode, ensuring that comfortable humidity levels are maintained, preventing mold, and ensuring air quality.
Advanced Sensors for Advanced Heating Solutions
Approaches to heating and cooling spaces are changing, with new advances in heating technology offering the potential to achieve significant heating performance with minimal requirements.
Ventless heaters and heat pumps offer new solutions in indoor climate control, but it continues to be advanced sensor technology that makes their performance possible.
Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by Amphenol Sensors.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Amphenol Advanced Sensors.
For more information on this source, please visit Amphenol Advanced Sensors.