Evaluating Source and Control Methods for Small Scale Hydronic Heaters

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a new directive for improving air quality standards for hydronic heater wood smoke emissions. Over a five-year period, the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) will prohibit the sale of a majority of existing log wood based hydronic heaters that are used for central heating. As large consumers of wood heat, small and midsize farms are adversely affected by these stricter regulations, significantly more expensive appliances, and the diminished number of products available. Bridging from a successful Phase 1 program where the SBIR Technology reduced particulate matter measured in g/hr by 75 percent, the Phase 2 research program will remove the artificial boundaries of the controlled laboratory environment where the technology was exposed to a fraction of the variables seen in a rural, real-world environment. The Phase 2 research will monitor the real-time performance of the SBIR technology in an environment that will expose it to the full spectrum of unknowns - i.e. operating conditions, fuel quality, demand situation(s), and installation - enabling the research team to more fully evaluate the viability, the impact on cost or maintenance of the appliance, and propose improvements to the technology based on its true operating environment. The project aligns with the current and future EPA mandate to reduce wood smoke in rural markets, while preserving the freedom for rural and farm operators to use the readily available log wood fuel source to heat their homes and businesses.