Buying a Satellite Navigation (Satnav) system for your car.
Once they were only for the rich and were only fitted in the very high end cars but today SatNav systems are available to all. You can either opt for the in-car fitted systems that are still quite expensive or you can go for the handheld or protable units. This article is about the latter.
What is SatNav?
SatNav is a system that comprises of 2 elements, a GPS data receiver and a CPU/display unit. The receiver gets information from orbiting GPS navigational satellites and communicates it to the CPU/display unit. This unit is then able to find its exact location on the planet by comparing signals from various satellites.
The unit incorporates road maps of the area and places an indicator on the map showing where the car is on the maps.
Features
The units allow you to plan a journey ahead of time and then the unit will guide you to you destination by displaying a map showing you where you are and the direction you should be heading. Most now have voice instructions so the unit will tell you, when you are approaching a junction, which turning you should take. The units are also capable of making real time adjustments to the route, this means that if you go the wrong way the until will recalculate the route to your destination taking into account the wrong turning you have just made.
Maps
The maps for the unit can be loaded for the different regions you visit, so they may have a map of the UK and another for France and so on. Most modern unit have the maps stored on a removable memory cards like SD cards or similar memory card but some units read directly from a CD or DVD. The display can be set to show the conventional flat map view or the new 3D view that shows a view as if it was above you and looking forward. This view is very good and clear.
Traffic
Some units offer systems that will warn you of road works/traffic jams etc as they happen, and offer suggestion as to how to avoid them.
POI
Most units have POI's (Points of Interest) incorporated into them that will show things like garages, restaurants, historic sites, airport and ferries etc. You can also add your own POI's of your favourite places. One POI that is very popular is the location of all the speed camera and accident black spot locations.
Weather
Another feature that is becoming increasingly available is the weather for a location. The system will tell you the weather at a certain location on the map i.e. at that beach location you are planning to visit.
When you want to plan a journey you will need to enter the start and end destination, this can be done in a number of ways, the city, street and house number. The street intersections, the post codes and a location chosen on the on screen map. The start can be done in the same way with the addition of the present location as the starting point (remember the unit knows where you are). There are then itinerary or way points, these allow you to program destinations along the way. Finally you are usually presented with choices of routes with choices like, Fastest Route, Shortest Route, Scenic Route, Avoid Motorways etc some have the choice to avoid toll charges.
Fitting
The units can be fitted into the car in a number of ways but the 2 most popular ways are with a mounting bracket that has a strong suction cup that sticks to the windscreen. The second way is a bracket that fixed to the cars air vents, this method can be very good but required a fixing for each type of car. The unit is then fitted to the brackets and adjusted to the best viewing angle.
There are dozens of systems available now with a variety of choices of the options available. You need to choose which of the above options are important to you and then choose the until that best suits you or suits you price range.
You can see a large variety of different units at different costs at my favourite comparason site www.wangled.co.uk just type in "Mobile GPS"
The preceding article may be freely reprinted provided:
1. The article is not edited or modified in any way
2. The source is credited: reprinted by permission of Wangled.co.uk
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Home Theater Control – It's The Remote, Stupid!
It’s the one piece of equipment that can really make or break your home theater system; the remote control. It’s no good to have the latest and greatest gear and world’s biggest DVD collection if you can’t figure out how to use anything. True home theater nirvana is a fantastic performing system anyone can use with a single button press.
Many of today’s home theater receivers and surround processors come with a “smart” remote control. Some of these are actually pretty good too. B&K and Denon come to mind. If you know what you are doing, you can get one of these babies programmed to orchestrate your entire system pretty well. If you haven’t the time or inclination for such a project yourself, hire a professional installer to bring everything together for you. A great place to start is CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association). They have member firms in every state, and many foreign countries, that are experts in making complex home theaters easy to use.
Remote controls come in several flavors. The one most people are familiar with comes with almost any electronic component you buy these days. For the most part it does a pretty good job at making the particular component do what you want. Some of these even let you control other components, especially if they are from the same manufacturer. This way, for example, you can use your TV remote to also control your VCR or DVD player.
The next rung up the remote control ladder is the so called “smart remote”. This type of remote is able to control multiple pieces of equipment from different manufacturers. Some can control up to 8 or 10 different components. They are usually set to control each piece of equipment by entering a 3 or 4 digit code. Some of these units will learn control functions from other remote controls. This is helpful if the unit you need to control is not in your remote control’s internal database. You usually accomplish the learning by entering a “learn” mode on the smart remote, pointing the “teaching” remote at the smart remote and pressing the desired button. Viola! Your smart remote has learned the command from the original remote control.
If you want things even easier than using just one remote to control everything, you need a remote that does macros. These are command sequences initiated by pressing one button. For example, you want to watch a DVD. Typically you would have to turn on your TV, DVD player and surround receiver. Then you would have to switch your TV to the component input and your receiver to the DVD input. With a macro capable remote, this sequence is programmed into the remote. The remote then plays back all the commands in the appropriate order so you don’t have to.
If you want a remote that controls everything, you need a remote with a lot of different buttons. This can make the remote a little intimidating. Sure it can do almost anything but make toast, but where to start? If you have the budget, now is the time to get a touch screen remote. With a touch screen, you typically have only a few actual buttons. These are typically the most used functions such as volume up / down, channel up / down, mute and possibly cursor functions.
All other buttons are just icons on a screen that you touch to initiate the desired command. The beauty of this approach is that you only need to have just a few icons on the screen at any one time. This really cuts down on button clutter and confusion. The icons can be graphical representations of the command, which makes everything very intuitive. For example, you can have an “NBC” logo you touch to go to the local NBC station.
Touchscreen remotes come in four basic variations. First there is the choice of color or grayscale. Color looks better and more information can be conveyed more quickly. Grayscale units are much less expensive. Next, the communication with the remote can be one way or two way. Two way communication allows status to be updated on the remote itself. For example you can display album and artist information from a music server or check the status of your security system or thermostats. Two way communication has been provided via a two way radio link, similar to a digital spread spectrum telephone.
The latest two way remote controls being introduced from companies such as AMX and Crestron use WiFi. This allows a whole host of other possibilities. The range is spectacular for one thing. You can roam around your entire home. On some units you can browse the internet too. Imagine, you are watching a game but you want updates from around the league. Just go to ESPN.com on your remote and take a look.
The remote can really make or break your system. You can have an unusable system with 7 different remotes or a slick system that even visitors can use with no instruction. It’s all up to you, your budget and your programmer.
Many of today’s home theater receivers and surround processors come with a “smart” remote control. Some of these are actually pretty good too. B&K and Denon come to mind. If you know what you are doing, you can get one of these babies programmed to orchestrate your entire system pretty well. If you haven’t the time or inclination for such a project yourself, hire a professional installer to bring everything together for you. A great place to start is CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association). They have member firms in every state, and many foreign countries, that are experts in making complex home theaters easy to use.
Remote controls come in several flavors. The one most people are familiar with comes with almost any electronic component you buy these days. For the most part it does a pretty good job at making the particular component do what you want. Some of these even let you control other components, especially if they are from the same manufacturer. This way, for example, you can use your TV remote to also control your VCR or DVD player.
The next rung up the remote control ladder is the so called “smart remote”. This type of remote is able to control multiple pieces of equipment from different manufacturers. Some can control up to 8 or 10 different components. They are usually set to control each piece of equipment by entering a 3 or 4 digit code. Some of these units will learn control functions from other remote controls. This is helpful if the unit you need to control is not in your remote control’s internal database. You usually accomplish the learning by entering a “learn” mode on the smart remote, pointing the “teaching” remote at the smart remote and pressing the desired button. Viola! Your smart remote has learned the command from the original remote control.
If you want things even easier than using just one remote to control everything, you need a remote that does macros. These are command sequences initiated by pressing one button. For example, you want to watch a DVD. Typically you would have to turn on your TV, DVD player and surround receiver. Then you would have to switch your TV to the component input and your receiver to the DVD input. With a macro capable remote, this sequence is programmed into the remote. The remote then plays back all the commands in the appropriate order so you don’t have to.
If you want a remote that controls everything, you need a remote with a lot of different buttons. This can make the remote a little intimidating. Sure it can do almost anything but make toast, but where to start? If you have the budget, now is the time to get a touch screen remote. With a touch screen, you typically have only a few actual buttons. These are typically the most used functions such as volume up / down, channel up / down, mute and possibly cursor functions.
All other buttons are just icons on a screen that you touch to initiate the desired command. The beauty of this approach is that you only need to have just a few icons on the screen at any one time. This really cuts down on button clutter and confusion. The icons can be graphical representations of the command, which makes everything very intuitive. For example, you can have an “NBC” logo you touch to go to the local NBC station.
Touchscreen remotes come in four basic variations. First there is the choice of color or grayscale. Color looks better and more information can be conveyed more quickly. Grayscale units are much less expensive. Next, the communication with the remote can be one way or two way. Two way communication allows status to be updated on the remote itself. For example you can display album and artist information from a music server or check the status of your security system or thermostats. Two way communication has been provided via a two way radio link, similar to a digital spread spectrum telephone.
The latest two way remote controls being introduced from companies such as AMX and Crestron use WiFi. This allows a whole host of other possibilities. The range is spectacular for one thing. You can roam around your entire home. On some units you can browse the internet too. Imagine, you are watching a game but you want updates from around the league. Just go to ESPN.com on your remote and take a look.
The remote can really make or break your system. You can have an unusable system with 7 different remotes or a slick system that even visitors can use with no instruction. It’s all up to you, your budget and your programmer.
Home Theater Control – It's The Remote, Stupid!
It’s the one piece of equipment that can really make or break your home theater system; the remote control. It’s no good to have the latest and greatest gear and world’s biggest DVD collection if you can’t figure out how to use anything. True home theater nirvana is a fantastic performing system anyone can use with a single button press.
Many of today’s home theater receivers and surround processors come with a “smart” remote control. Some of these are actually pretty good too. B&K and Denon come to mind. If you know what you are doing, you can get one of these babies programmed to orchestrate your entire system pretty well. If you haven’t the time or inclination for such a project yourself, hire a professional installer to bring everything together for you. A great place to start is CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association). They have member firms in every state, and many foreign countries, that are experts in making complex home theaters easy to use.
Remote controls come in several flavors. The one most people are familiar with comes with almost any electronic component you buy these days. For the most part it does a pretty good job at making the particular component do what you want. Some of these even let you control other components, especially if they are from the same manufacturer. This way, for example, you can use your TV remote to also control your VCR or DVD player.
The next rung up the remote control ladder is the so called “smart remote”. This type of remote is able to control multiple pieces of equipment from different manufacturers. Some can control up to 8 or 10 different components. They are usually set to control each piece of equipment by entering a 3 or 4 digit code. Some of these units will learn control functions from other remote controls. This is helpful if the unit you need to control is not in your remote control’s internal database. You usually accomplish the learning by entering a “learn” mode on the smart remote, pointing the “teaching” remote at the smart remote and pressing the desired button. Viola! Your smart remote has learned the command from the original remote control.
If you want things even easier than using just one remote to control everything, you need a remote that does macros. These are command sequences initiated by pressing one button. For example, you want to watch a DVD. Typically you would have to turn on your TV, DVD player and surround receiver. Then you would have to switch your TV to the component input and your receiver to the DVD input. With a macro capable remote, this sequence is programmed into the remote. The remote then plays back all the commands in the appropriate order so you don’t have to.
If you want a remote that controls everything, you need a remote with a lot of different buttons. This can make the remote a little intimidating. Sure it can do almost anything but make toast, but where to start? If you have the budget, now is the time to get a touch screen remote. With a touch screen, you typically have only a few actual buttons. These are typically the most used functions such as volume up / down, channel up / down, mute and possibly cursor functions.
All other buttons are just icons on a screen that you touch to initiate the desired command. The beauty of this approach is that you only need to have just a few icons on the screen at any one time. This really cuts down on button clutter and confusion. The icons can be graphical representations of the command, which makes everything very intuitive. For example, you can have an “NBC” logo you touch to go to the local NBC station.
Touchscreen remotes come in four basic variations. First there is the choice of color or grayscale. Color looks better and more information can be conveyed more quickly. Grayscale units are much less expensive. Next, the communication with the remote can be one way or two way. Two way communication allows status to be updated on the remote itself. For example you can display album and artist information from a music server or check the status of your security system or thermostats. Two way communication has been provided via a two way radio link, similar to a digital spread spectrum telephone.
The latest two way remote controls being introduced from companies such as AMX and Crestron use WiFi. This allows a whole host of other possibilities. The range is spectacular for one thing. You can roam around your entire home. On some units you can browse the internet too. Imagine, you are watching a game but you want updates from around the league. Just go to ESPN.com on your remote and take a look.
The remote can really make or break your system. You can have an unusable system with 7 different remotes or a slick system that even visitors can use with no instruction. It’s all up to you, your budget and your programmer.
Many of today’s home theater receivers and surround processors come with a “smart” remote control. Some of these are actually pretty good too. B&K and Denon come to mind. If you know what you are doing, you can get one of these babies programmed to orchestrate your entire system pretty well. If you haven’t the time or inclination for such a project yourself, hire a professional installer to bring everything together for you. A great place to start is CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association). They have member firms in every state, and many foreign countries, that are experts in making complex home theaters easy to use.
Remote controls come in several flavors. The one most people are familiar with comes with almost any electronic component you buy these days. For the most part it does a pretty good job at making the particular component do what you want. Some of these even let you control other components, especially if they are from the same manufacturer. This way, for example, you can use your TV remote to also control your VCR or DVD player.
The next rung up the remote control ladder is the so called “smart remote”. This type of remote is able to control multiple pieces of equipment from different manufacturers. Some can control up to 8 or 10 different components. They are usually set to control each piece of equipment by entering a 3 or 4 digit code. Some of these units will learn control functions from other remote controls. This is helpful if the unit you need to control is not in your remote control’s internal database. You usually accomplish the learning by entering a “learn” mode on the smart remote, pointing the “teaching” remote at the smart remote and pressing the desired button. Viola! Your smart remote has learned the command from the original remote control.
If you want things even easier than using just one remote to control everything, you need a remote that does macros. These are command sequences initiated by pressing one button. For example, you want to watch a DVD. Typically you would have to turn on your TV, DVD player and surround receiver. Then you would have to switch your TV to the component input and your receiver to the DVD input. With a macro capable remote, this sequence is programmed into the remote. The remote then plays back all the commands in the appropriate order so you don’t have to.
If you want a remote that controls everything, you need a remote with a lot of different buttons. This can make the remote a little intimidating. Sure it can do almost anything but make toast, but where to start? If you have the budget, now is the time to get a touch screen remote. With a touch screen, you typically have only a few actual buttons. These are typically the most used functions such as volume up / down, channel up / down, mute and possibly cursor functions.
All other buttons are just icons on a screen that you touch to initiate the desired command. The beauty of this approach is that you only need to have just a few icons on the screen at any one time. This really cuts down on button clutter and confusion. The icons can be graphical representations of the command, which makes everything very intuitive. For example, you can have an “NBC” logo you touch to go to the local NBC station.
Touchscreen remotes come in four basic variations. First there is the choice of color or grayscale. Color looks better and more information can be conveyed more quickly. Grayscale units are much less expensive. Next, the communication with the remote can be one way or two way. Two way communication allows status to be updated on the remote itself. For example you can display album and artist information from a music server or check the status of your security system or thermostats. Two way communication has been provided via a two way radio link, similar to a digital spread spectrum telephone.
The latest two way remote controls being introduced from companies such as AMX and Crestron use WiFi. This allows a whole host of other possibilities. The range is spectacular for one thing. You can roam around your entire home. On some units you can browse the internet too. Imagine, you are watching a game but you want updates from around the league. Just go to ESPN.com on your remote and take a look.
The remote can really make or break your system. You can have an unusable system with 7 different remotes or a slick system that even visitors can use with no instruction. It’s all up to you, your budget and your programmer.
Flat Panel Displays - Beyond Plasma
The term set-top box will become something of a misnomer in the near future, as most displays will become too thin to allow a box to placed on top of them. As the price of plasma & LCD displays has plummeted and their image quality has improved, they are popping up in homes everywhere.
Although they are the darlings of the media and the generic for flat panel display in the minds of many, plasmas are about to be in a serious fight with other technologies for the flat panel crown.
LCD displays, seen on the desktop for years as computer monitors, and commonplace in smaller flat panel TVs, are finally increasing in size to the point they are becoming a rival to plasmas in the 42" – 50” size range. Picture quality is similar to plasmas; however LCDs are immune to the burn-in that can affect plasma displays. This burn-in occurs when plasma units are used to display static images such as video game screens and stock or sports tickers.
Plasmas generally have an edge in the ability to produce deeper blacks and more saturated colors than LCDs. Plasmas are also better at producing full motion video than LCDs because of the response time of the LCD panels, although this difference is disappearing.
LCD TVs are a bit more expensive than plasmas at 42" and larger sizes, but they should last a while longer. Plasma displays should last 20,000 – 25,000 hours and LCDs should give 30,000+ hours of useful life. However, the latest generation of plasma displays from NEC is claimed to have a 60,000 hour life. If that is an industry trend, the traditional lifespan advantage held by LCDs may soon disappear.
Currently Sony has a 42", NEC a 40", Sharp a 45", and Samsung a 40" LCD TV or display. Samsung also has the big one, a 46" that started shipping in early September of 2004. The Samsung 46" was the first consumer LCD video display to have a 1080 line native resolution. This allows it to display 1080p native when that format arrives for HDTV.
Other technologies are on the horizon as well. One that has shown great promise is OLED, for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Developed by Kodak and Pioneer, this technology has been used for a few years in car stereo and cell phone displays. It's just about ready for prime time. Philips has shown a 13" unit, Samsung a 17", and Seiko-Epson has shown a 40" prototype.
OLED’s advantages are many. It actually emits it’s own light, so it requires no backlight and has better contrast than a traditional LCD. OLED displays have a wide viewing angle like a plasma display. Power usage is very low, less than 1/2 that of a traditional LCD display. At around 2mm deep, OLEDs are much thinner than either a plasma or LCD.
They have a refresh rate about 1,000 times faster than a traditional LCD, so they will be far superior for video applications. They have fewer parts than LCD or plasma and can be manufactured using a novel ink jet printing process. This promises to keep prices low as the technology is implemented. It is expected to see sub 20" displays in stores by 2006 with larger units following one to two years later.
Other promising display technologies on the horizon include SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) and carbon Nanotube. SED was developed by Canon, who began research into the technology in 1986. SED is basically the same principle as CRT, however there are important differences. The most important from a consumer standpoint is thickness. An SED display is only an inch or two thick, depending upon screen size.
The basic construction is two glass plates separated by a vacuum. One of the plates is coated with phosphors the other is mounted with electron emitters. Electrons are ejected when a voltage of about 16 to 18 V is applied to the emitters. These electrons are then accelerated by a higher voltage into a beam similar to that in a CRT display.
The visual advantages of SEDs are as for CRT displays, great color, deep black levels and quick motion response. These advantages, combined with the slim form factor, low cost and small power requirement should make for a real winner.
A unit shown by Toshiba at a Japanese trade show in April of 2005 even had it’s contrast ratio up to an incredible 100,000 to 1 by significantly reducing black luminance. Even if the specs were a bit inflated this would still amount to a fantastic contrast ratio, on the order of 5 times that of a traditional CRT. Toshiba has indicated they will move to this technology for all displays over 40” by 2006.
One fly in the SED ointment however. On April 21st, 2005 US firm Nano-Proprietary has filed a suit against Canon in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas, alleging that the surface (SED) televisions that Canon plans to release violates a licensing agreement signed 5 years ago between the Japanese giant and Nano-Proprietary.
The pace of change in the home theater and entertainment display market has just kept accelerating. There are some promising technologies around the corner that will allow, as usual, higher performance, lower cost and more compact form factors. As prices for advanced technologies plunge and technology improves, it will make it even easier for the average person to have a fantastic media system almost anywhere in their home.
Although they are the darlings of the media and the generic for flat panel display in the minds of many, plasmas are about to be in a serious fight with other technologies for the flat panel crown.
LCD displays, seen on the desktop for years as computer monitors, and commonplace in smaller flat panel TVs, are finally increasing in size to the point they are becoming a rival to plasmas in the 42" – 50” size range. Picture quality is similar to plasmas; however LCDs are immune to the burn-in that can affect plasma displays. This burn-in occurs when plasma units are used to display static images such as video game screens and stock or sports tickers.
Plasmas generally have an edge in the ability to produce deeper blacks and more saturated colors than LCDs. Plasmas are also better at producing full motion video than LCDs because of the response time of the LCD panels, although this difference is disappearing.
LCD TVs are a bit more expensive than plasmas at 42" and larger sizes, but they should last a while longer. Plasma displays should last 20,000 – 25,000 hours and LCDs should give 30,000+ hours of useful life. However, the latest generation of plasma displays from NEC is claimed to have a 60,000 hour life. If that is an industry trend, the traditional lifespan advantage held by LCDs may soon disappear.
Currently Sony has a 42", NEC a 40", Sharp a 45", and Samsung a 40" LCD TV or display. Samsung also has the big one, a 46" that started shipping in early September of 2004. The Samsung 46" was the first consumer LCD video display to have a 1080 line native resolution. This allows it to display 1080p native when that format arrives for HDTV.
Other technologies are on the horizon as well. One that has shown great promise is OLED, for Organic Light Emitting Diode. Developed by Kodak and Pioneer, this technology has been used for a few years in car stereo and cell phone displays. It's just about ready for prime time. Philips has shown a 13" unit, Samsung a 17", and Seiko-Epson has shown a 40" prototype.
OLED’s advantages are many. It actually emits it’s own light, so it requires no backlight and has better contrast than a traditional LCD. OLED displays have a wide viewing angle like a plasma display. Power usage is very low, less than 1/2 that of a traditional LCD display. At around 2mm deep, OLEDs are much thinner than either a plasma or LCD.
They have a refresh rate about 1,000 times faster than a traditional LCD, so they will be far superior for video applications. They have fewer parts than LCD or plasma and can be manufactured using a novel ink jet printing process. This promises to keep prices low as the technology is implemented. It is expected to see sub 20" displays in stores by 2006 with larger units following one to two years later.
Other promising display technologies on the horizon include SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) and carbon Nanotube. SED was developed by Canon, who began research into the technology in 1986. SED is basically the same principle as CRT, however there are important differences. The most important from a consumer standpoint is thickness. An SED display is only an inch or two thick, depending upon screen size.
The basic construction is two glass plates separated by a vacuum. One of the plates is coated with phosphors the other is mounted with electron emitters. Electrons are ejected when a voltage of about 16 to 18 V is applied to the emitters. These electrons are then accelerated by a higher voltage into a beam similar to that in a CRT display.
The visual advantages of SEDs are as for CRT displays, great color, deep black levels and quick motion response. These advantages, combined with the slim form factor, low cost and small power requirement should make for a real winner.
A unit shown by Toshiba at a Japanese trade show in April of 2005 even had it’s contrast ratio up to an incredible 100,000 to 1 by significantly reducing black luminance. Even if the specs were a bit inflated this would still amount to a fantastic contrast ratio, on the order of 5 times that of a traditional CRT. Toshiba has indicated they will move to this technology for all displays over 40” by 2006.
One fly in the SED ointment however. On April 21st, 2005 US firm Nano-Proprietary has filed a suit against Canon in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Texas, alleging that the surface (SED) televisions that Canon plans to release violates a licensing agreement signed 5 years ago between the Japanese giant and Nano-Proprietary.
The pace of change in the home theater and entertainment display market has just kept accelerating. There are some promising technologies around the corner that will allow, as usual, higher performance, lower cost and more compact form factors. As prices for advanced technologies plunge and technology improves, it will make it even easier for the average person to have a fantastic media system almost anywhere in their home.
Methods of Improving Boiler Efficiency
With the rising cost of fuel prices, industries that use steam
boilers for heating or power generation are hard pressed to
operate at peak efficiencies.
While steam consumption, leakages, and other heat transmission
losses can contribute to the overall energy bill, this article
focuses on the heart of the steam generator - the boiler.
Controlling the boiler is of utmost importance in any steam
generation energy saving program. Below are some ways to improve
boiler efficiencies:
1. Reducing excess air
2. Installing economizer
3. Reducing scale and deposits
4. Reducing blow down
5. Recovering waste heat from blow down
6. Stopping dynamic operation
7. Reducing boiler pressure
8. Operating at peak efficiency
9. Preheating combustion air
10.Switching from steam to air atomization
11.Switching to lower cost fuel
Reducing Excess Air
By far the most common reason for energy inefficiencies in a
boiler can be attributed to the use of excess air during
combustion at the burners. When there is more air than is
required for combustion, the extra air becomes heated up and
is finally discharged out to the atmosphere. However, there
are reasons for putting in some extra air for combustion - to
compensate for imperfect burner fuel-air mixing conditions, air
density changes, control system "slop", burner maintenance, fuel
composition and viscosity variation, and imperfect atomizing
steam or air controls for burners.
Adjusting the fuel-air ratio for combustion can be quite tricky.
If the fuel is too much as compared to the air, incomplete
combustion occurs. This will give rise to carbon soot deposits
inside the combustion chamber or even over the boiler tubes.
The consequences of having soot deposits over the heat transfer
surfaces and the potential of having explosive flue gases inside
the boiler are much worst than losing a slight amount of energy
through the exhaust stack. Therefore, many boiler operators
choose to adjust their burners to be slightly on excess air.
Installing Economizer
This is only appropriate if there are insufficient heat transfer
surfaces in the boiler. The economizer tubes may contain either
circulating boiler water or circulating feed water. Because the
temperature of the exhaust gases can be quite high, the economizer
tubes may be fitted with safety valves to avoid over-pressure
damage. Also temperature control of feed water is required to
prevent pump airlock. To avoid corrosion, careful design is needed
to ensure that the exhaust flue gas temperature does not drop
below the dew point.
Reducing Scale and Deposits
For any boiler operation, this is a must. The safety of the boiler
is at stake. Any scale or deposits will lead to reduced heat
transfer that will eventually lead to overheating, reduction of
mechanical strength of the steel and finally to bursting.
This should already be in the normal daily procedure of boiler
operation.
Reducing Blow down
Blow down of boiler water is discharging hot water into the drains.
However, blow down is necessary to maintain the boiler water
concentration of dissolved solids that are necessary for
conditioning the boiler water. The dissolved solids are necessary
for preventing boiler corrosion and scaling.
As steam is generated from the evaporation of water, the remaining
water in the boiler becomes more and more concentrated. This must
be drained away during blow down.
The challenge is to control the draining to the minimum.
Recovering Waste Heat from Blow down
Since it is necessary to blow down to control the total dissolved
solids in the boiler water, methods can be adopted to recover some of the heat back from the drained hot water.
Blow down tanks, heat exchanger tubes and pumping arrangements can
be fabricated to recover back some of the heat back into the boiler.
Stopping Dynamic Operation
Whenever a boiler starts or stops, a few minutes are spent running
the forced draft fan for purging the combustion chamber of unburnt
gases. This is a necessary step for the safe operation of a boiler.
During this time the heat from the boiler water in the shell or
tubes will be lost to the purging air.
To avoid this type of losses, it is better to maintain a steady
firing condition in the boilers.
Reducing Boiler Pressure
By reducing the boiler pressure, some of the heat losses through
leakages or transmission may be reduced slightly. However there can
be problems with the boiler with reduced pressure. The boiler
circulation may be upset and the steam lines may have insufficient
capacity and flow to transport the low pressure steam.
Operating at Peak Efficiency
When operating two or more boilers, improved efficiency can sometimes
be obtained by unequal sharing of the load so that the combined load
operates at peak efficiency.
Preheating Combustion Air
Any heat loss from the skin of the boiler to the boiler room can be
utilized back for combustion. By preheating the intake air the
combustion in the furnace becomes more efficient.
Switching from Steam to Air Atomization
For burners with steam atomization, switching to air atomization will
naturally result in less steam consumption overall and better boiler
efficiencies. This is only applicable for heavy fuel oil burners.
Switching to Lower Cost Fuel
When comparing natural gas and fuel oil, if the cost is the same or
more per BTU delivered, switch over to fuel oil.
The reason for this is that in the combustion process, hydrogen
combines with oxygen to form water. The latent heat of vaporization is
lost when water vapor leaves the boiler stack.
Fuels like natural gas with higher hydrogen to carbon ratio will lose
this heat more than those with lower hydrogen-carbon ratio like fuel
oil.
However one must also recognize that there will be increased
maintenance, operating costs and greater need for more excess air in
order to achieve complete combustion for fuel oil. In addition, soot
deposits and incomplete combustion might also affect the overall costs.
Some of the ways mentioned above may not be feasible at all for your
plant. Each of them may result in only a few percentage points of
boiler efficiency improvement. However, if carried out carefully and
with the proper tools and instruments, they do add up to huge savings.
boilers for heating or power generation are hard pressed to
operate at peak efficiencies.
While steam consumption, leakages, and other heat transmission
losses can contribute to the overall energy bill, this article
focuses on the heart of the steam generator - the boiler.
Controlling the boiler is of utmost importance in any steam
generation energy saving program. Below are some ways to improve
boiler efficiencies:
1. Reducing excess air
2. Installing economizer
3. Reducing scale and deposits
4. Reducing blow down
5. Recovering waste heat from blow down
6. Stopping dynamic operation
7. Reducing boiler pressure
8. Operating at peak efficiency
9. Preheating combustion air
10.Switching from steam to air atomization
11.Switching to lower cost fuel
Reducing Excess Air
By far the most common reason for energy inefficiencies in a
boiler can be attributed to the use of excess air during
combustion at the burners. When there is more air than is
required for combustion, the extra air becomes heated up and
is finally discharged out to the atmosphere. However, there
are reasons for putting in some extra air for combustion - to
compensate for imperfect burner fuel-air mixing conditions, air
density changes, control system "slop", burner maintenance, fuel
composition and viscosity variation, and imperfect atomizing
steam or air controls for burners.
Adjusting the fuel-air ratio for combustion can be quite tricky.
If the fuel is too much as compared to the air, incomplete
combustion occurs. This will give rise to carbon soot deposits
inside the combustion chamber or even over the boiler tubes.
The consequences of having soot deposits over the heat transfer
surfaces and the potential of having explosive flue gases inside
the boiler are much worst than losing a slight amount of energy
through the exhaust stack. Therefore, many boiler operators
choose to adjust their burners to be slightly on excess air.
Installing Economizer
This is only appropriate if there are insufficient heat transfer
surfaces in the boiler. The economizer tubes may contain either
circulating boiler water or circulating feed water. Because the
temperature of the exhaust gases can be quite high, the economizer
tubes may be fitted with safety valves to avoid over-pressure
damage. Also temperature control of feed water is required to
prevent pump airlock. To avoid corrosion, careful design is needed
to ensure that the exhaust flue gas temperature does not drop
below the dew point.
Reducing Scale and Deposits
For any boiler operation, this is a must. The safety of the boiler
is at stake. Any scale or deposits will lead to reduced heat
transfer that will eventually lead to overheating, reduction of
mechanical strength of the steel and finally to bursting.
This should already be in the normal daily procedure of boiler
operation.
Reducing Blow down
Blow down of boiler water is discharging hot water into the drains.
However, blow down is necessary to maintain the boiler water
concentration of dissolved solids that are necessary for
conditioning the boiler water. The dissolved solids are necessary
for preventing boiler corrosion and scaling.
As steam is generated from the evaporation of water, the remaining
water in the boiler becomes more and more concentrated. This must
be drained away during blow down.
The challenge is to control the draining to the minimum.
Recovering Waste Heat from Blow down
Since it is necessary to blow down to control the total dissolved
solids in the boiler water, methods can be adopted to recover some of the heat back from the drained hot water.
Blow down tanks, heat exchanger tubes and pumping arrangements can
be fabricated to recover back some of the heat back into the boiler.
Stopping Dynamic Operation
Whenever a boiler starts or stops, a few minutes are spent running
the forced draft fan for purging the combustion chamber of unburnt
gases. This is a necessary step for the safe operation of a boiler.
During this time the heat from the boiler water in the shell or
tubes will be lost to the purging air.
To avoid this type of losses, it is better to maintain a steady
firing condition in the boilers.
Reducing Boiler Pressure
By reducing the boiler pressure, some of the heat losses through
leakages or transmission may be reduced slightly. However there can
be problems with the boiler with reduced pressure. The boiler
circulation may be upset and the steam lines may have insufficient
capacity and flow to transport the low pressure steam.
Operating at Peak Efficiency
When operating two or more boilers, improved efficiency can sometimes
be obtained by unequal sharing of the load so that the combined load
operates at peak efficiency.
Preheating Combustion Air
Any heat loss from the skin of the boiler to the boiler room can be
utilized back for combustion. By preheating the intake air the
combustion in the furnace becomes more efficient.
Switching from Steam to Air Atomization
For burners with steam atomization, switching to air atomization will
naturally result in less steam consumption overall and better boiler
efficiencies. This is only applicable for heavy fuel oil burners.
Switching to Lower Cost Fuel
When comparing natural gas and fuel oil, if the cost is the same or
more per BTU delivered, switch over to fuel oil.
The reason for this is that in the combustion process, hydrogen
combines with oxygen to form water. The latent heat of vaporization is
lost when water vapor leaves the boiler stack.
Fuels like natural gas with higher hydrogen to carbon ratio will lose
this heat more than those with lower hydrogen-carbon ratio like fuel
oil.
However one must also recognize that there will be increased
maintenance, operating costs and greater need for more excess air in
order to achieve complete combustion for fuel oil. In addition, soot
deposits and incomplete combustion might also affect the overall costs.
Some of the ways mentioned above may not be feasible at all for your
plant. Each of them may result in only a few percentage points of
boiler efficiency improvement. However, if carried out carefully and
with the proper tools and instruments, they do add up to huge savings.
Home Automation - Save Money & Enhance Your Lifestyle - Some Exciting Applications
Wouldn’t it be nice to have your home take care of things for you, automatically, without you having to lift a finger? You bet it would. That is the promise of home automation. There are many different systems, especially in larger homes, that can benefit from being integrated. Some of these systems include security alarm, HVAC, audio / video, and lighting. Home automation integrates these systems together, enabling them to function more efficiently, improve functionality, conserve resources and enhance your lifestyle.
That’s the name of the game; an enhanced lifestyle. Everyone can benefit from a better life and modern electronic systems can help provide it. In addition, as the cost of resources continues to rise and the price of electronics continues to fall, home automation systems will prove to be even more cost effective. The combination of the modern consumer’s thirst for convenience and increasing economic advantages will propel home automation more into the mainstream.
So, what are some of the fun things a home automation system can do for you? Here are some common applications:
1) As you pull up the driveway you press a button on your key-fob remote. The security system disarms and a path is lit from the garage to the kitchen. Your favorite music comes on in the kitchen and family room. Five minutes after you arrive home the lights in your mudroom and garage hall turn off.
2) As you leave, you arm the security system into away mode using your key-fob remote. Your lights turn off throughout the house, saving you from going around turning off different lights throughout the home. Your blinds close. Your music turns off. If you have forced-air heat, it is set back. All from one button press.
3) Set whole house scenes for different events to include lighting, music, HVAC, and security. Example: A) An entertainment scene would have the lights set to the “entertain” preset, the security system off, the music to the appropriate party play list, and the HVAC set-back a few degrees to compensate for the added body heat from the additional people in the house. B) The “Holiday” scene could run concurrently with other scenes and turn the Christmas lights on and play the Holiday music play list through the outside speakers.
4) Different lighting scenes can be preset for different events such as entertaining, away, coming home, etc. This is excellent to recall favorite lighting levels automatically. It also avoids you having to go throughout the home and set dimmer levels. Dimming lights saves considerable energy and dramatically extends the life of light bulbs. An incandescent light at 90% will last almost twice as long as the same light at 100%.
5) Motion-activated lighting automatically turns on the bathroom lights to 25% if you get up between 12:00 midnight and 5:00am, avoiding harsh light on your still sleepy eyes. If you walk out of your bedroom door late at night, a path is lit to the kitchen for you at 35%.
6) You get an email notifying you if your security system is tripped or disarmed. This is great for knowing when kids get home after school or alerting you to problems when you are away from home. E-mail and pager alerts can be used for a variety of conditions that may need monitoring such as low fuel-oil, occupancy or motion in certain areas, or water leaks in the mechanical or utility room.
7) Skylights automatically close in response to rain and/or wind.
8) If upstairs windows are open, the heat in those rooms is disabled to avoid wasting energy and a message is displayed on the home’s touch panels to alert you.
9) Weather information can be displayed on the home’s touch panels. If the wind speed increases to beyond 50mph, protective shutters can be activated over the windows.
10) Motorized window treatments can be lowered automatically in response to direct sunlight. This prevents fading of valuable furniture, carpets and artwork. It also reduces interior heating, reducing AC expenditures.
11) You phone from your car while returning from a ski trip to ensure your hot tub is warmed up and ready to jump in immediately upon your return.
These are just a sample of different home automation applications commonly used to enhance lifestyles, save money and conserve resources. The possibilities are almost endless, limited only by your budget and imagination.
That’s the name of the game; an enhanced lifestyle. Everyone can benefit from a better life and modern electronic systems can help provide it. In addition, as the cost of resources continues to rise and the price of electronics continues to fall, home automation systems will prove to be even more cost effective. The combination of the modern consumer’s thirst for convenience and increasing economic advantages will propel home automation more into the mainstream.
So, what are some of the fun things a home automation system can do for you? Here are some common applications:
1) As you pull up the driveway you press a button on your key-fob remote. The security system disarms and a path is lit from the garage to the kitchen. Your favorite music comes on in the kitchen and family room. Five minutes after you arrive home the lights in your mudroom and garage hall turn off.
2) As you leave, you arm the security system into away mode using your key-fob remote. Your lights turn off throughout the house, saving you from going around turning off different lights throughout the home. Your blinds close. Your music turns off. If you have forced-air heat, it is set back. All from one button press.
3) Set whole house scenes for different events to include lighting, music, HVAC, and security. Example: A) An entertainment scene would have the lights set to the “entertain” preset, the security system off, the music to the appropriate party play list, and the HVAC set-back a few degrees to compensate for the added body heat from the additional people in the house. B) The “Holiday” scene could run concurrently with other scenes and turn the Christmas lights on and play the Holiday music play list through the outside speakers.
4) Different lighting scenes can be preset for different events such as entertaining, away, coming home, etc. This is excellent to recall favorite lighting levels automatically. It also avoids you having to go throughout the home and set dimmer levels. Dimming lights saves considerable energy and dramatically extends the life of light bulbs. An incandescent light at 90% will last almost twice as long as the same light at 100%.
5) Motion-activated lighting automatically turns on the bathroom lights to 25% if you get up between 12:00 midnight and 5:00am, avoiding harsh light on your still sleepy eyes. If you walk out of your bedroom door late at night, a path is lit to the kitchen for you at 35%.
6) You get an email notifying you if your security system is tripped or disarmed. This is great for knowing when kids get home after school or alerting you to problems when you are away from home. E-mail and pager alerts can be used for a variety of conditions that may need monitoring such as low fuel-oil, occupancy or motion in certain areas, or water leaks in the mechanical or utility room.
7) Skylights automatically close in response to rain and/or wind.
8) If upstairs windows are open, the heat in those rooms is disabled to avoid wasting energy and a message is displayed on the home’s touch panels to alert you.
9) Weather information can be displayed on the home’s touch panels. If the wind speed increases to beyond 50mph, protective shutters can be activated over the windows.
10) Motorized window treatments can be lowered automatically in response to direct sunlight. This prevents fading of valuable furniture, carpets and artwork. It also reduces interior heating, reducing AC expenditures.
11) You phone from your car while returning from a ski trip to ensure your hot tub is warmed up and ready to jump in immediately upon your return.
These are just a sample of different home automation applications commonly used to enhance lifestyles, save money and conserve resources. The possibilities are almost endless, limited only by your budget and imagination.
Plasma TV vs LCD TV
For those seeking to buy their first flat panel TV
display device, it is easy to be confused with conflicting and counter claims by
different interest parties. So what is the truth in the competition between LCD
and Plasma TV? Here's are some pointers before you rush out and buy your flat
panel TV on impulse . Just consider and keep them in mind when choosing.
Actually, both types of technologies have their pros and cons.
Let's start with various factors.
Picture Quality
Plasma TVs have better contrast ratios and show better blacks
than an LCD TV. That means in a dark scene, you are able to see images more
clearly defined. This is because in LCD technology, liquid crystals are unable
to shut off all the light completely due to the presence of the backlight
resulting in light leakage and therefore it is impossible to get absolute black.
I understand plasma TVs are able to produce better color
saturation than LCD TVs. Generally, the native resolution of LCD TVs are higher
than that of plasma TVs so you may get greater details when watching your
programs especially in high definition video sources.
Screen Size
If you looking for a really big screen, then you have to go
for plasma TV
as they are available in sizes up to 60 inches. LCD TV on the hand come in
maximum sizes of up to 40 inches. If you compare prices on both technologies for
the same screen size, you will also realise LCD TVs are more expensive.
Life span
You may also want to factor how long your new display device
can last. LCD TVs have a greater life span than plasma TV. They have a life span
of 60,000 hours compared to about 30,000 hours for plasma TVs.
Power consumption
Again LCD
TV have this advantage over plasma TV. Power consumption for LCD TV is 30%
less than plasma TV. With rising oil prices, maybe it is better to get an LCD
TV. Further more, plasma TV generate more heat and if you live in an
airconditioned home, the air con usage will definitely rise too.
Viewing Angle
If you are going to invite many guest to your homes, a plasma
screen will do better. It has a wider viewing angle than LCD TV. Guests can
easily view on either left or right side of the Plasma screen without fear
of the loss of image which is inherent of LCD TVs.
Response Time
If you enjoy action movies or sport programmes, plasma TV
offer a better deal as it can handle fast moving images better than LCD TVs.
Traditionally, Viewers see a blurry moving images for LCD TV . However, this may
no longer be the case as the response time for LCD TV has come down to as low as
12 milliseconds.
Burn in effect
Plasma TV suffers from this particular effect called burn in.
You get a permanent ghost like image stuck on your screen. This is the result
when you have static display over a long period of time.
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