High capacity storage tanks with large heat exchanger surfaces
Maximal flexibility for water heating with patented flat heating coils and tube heat exchangers. Up to 20m2 heat exchanger surface area possible with internal heating coils.
ECOTHERM – specialized in solar, hot water and steam systems – manufactures high capacity storage tanks with large internal heat exchanger surfaces up to 20m2. One the one hand this is based on the individual production of up to 3-fold wound tube heat exchangers made of stainless steel. On the other hand ECOTHERM uses the self-developed and patented flat heating coils for generating domestic hot water and heating water. This special heating coil has a height of only a few centimetres, and can thus be installed horizontally at the very bottom of the storage tank. For high capacity storage tanks it is possible to mount several flat heating coils on top of each other, or to combine with tube heat exchangers or to use only tube heat exchangers. “We can install large heat exchanger surfaces up to 20 square meters in small storage tanks with, for example, an output of 350 kW. The heat exchanger surface is thus up to four times bigger than at conventional products,” explains Herbert Bremstaller, founder and CEO of ECOTHERM Austria GmbH. At the beginning of this year the Austrian company based in Hartkirchen has started to program the sizing software ECOSIZE. This program should enable registered users to quickly and easily configure storage tanks and even small compact systems – up to a complete offer.
Patented flat heating coils
Due to its horizontal design, the ECOTHERM flat heating coil is installed in hot water storage tanks entirely in one level of constant temperature. Therefore the heat transfer rate increases compared to conventional spiral coils. “The storage tank is heated up almost entirely to the desired final temperature. The standby capacity is 97 percent,” says Herbert Bremstaller. Additionally the time for heating up the water in the storage tank is reduced. Conventional spiral coils are located in a mixing temperature zone between 10 and 60 degrees centigrade. This circumstance decreases the efficiency of the coil and – due to the installation height – additionally the standby capacity to 70 percent. This increases the risk of the formation of Legionella bacteria.
High capacity storage tanks
Using an ECOTHERM flat heating coil, about 2.4 square metres heat exchanger surface are available at just a few centimetres height for heating up the water in the storage tank. Thus ECOTHERM can install very big heat exchanger surfaces in small storage tanks. The heating water coming for example from a heat pump or a boiler can therefore better transfer the heat to the water in the storage tank. “Thus the water can be heated up with low primary temperatures. This saves energy and money,” explains Herbert Bremstaller.
Design software ECOSIZE
ECOTHERM is currently developing its own design software ECOSIZE for solar, hot water and steam systems. With this program also high capacity storage tanks can easily and quickly be configured. It will also be possible to dynamically generate a specification text and an offer for saved configurations. “We plan to finish ECOSIZE until the end of 2013. The software will then be available on our website for registered users” Bremstaller looks into the future.
The company
ECOTHERM is the leading brand for turnkey solar, hot water and steam systems for hotels, hospitals and the industry in the Middle East. The product portfolio consists of individual turnkey systems, high capacity water heaters, electric water heaters, hot water and combination tanks, clean steam generators, solar thermal systems, photovoltaic systems, high capacity heat exchangers, industrial products and fibre-fleece insulation.
More than thousand systems have been installed in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and Central America. ECOTHERM inspires its clients with “Individual Heat Transfer Solutions” – individual systems in premium quality, with innovative products and premium service from the planning up to implementing.
ECOTHERM is a brand of ECOTHERM Austria GmbH with its headquarters in Hartkirchen, Austria. Additional branches of the ECOTHERM Group are in the United Arab Emirates (2), Kuwait, Hungary, Mexico and China. ECOTHERM Austria GmbH was founded by company owner Herbert Bremstaller in 1996. The origin of the family company dates back to 1880. The ECOTHERM Group employs worldwide 110 employees, 52 of them in the headquarters in Hartkirchen.
ECOTHERM Austria GmbH is a TÜV tested welding company to ISO 3834-2 and ISO 9001 : 2008 for calculation, design, production and sale of pressure vessels, heat exchangers as well as for solar, hot water and steam systems.
