Montral ASPE technical and research committee Discussions

Translation from french by William (Bill)Hutchingame

Work done by J.P.Bourdage, G.Fafard


The plumbing engineer is responsible for the exhaust piping design for internal
combustion motors installed inside of buildings. Exhaust gases are created by emergency
power generators, gasoline pumps or dynamometers. In each case, the muffler must be
evacuated outside of the building as directly as possible with the least of restriction.
Excessive exhaust pressure loss harms evacuation of the combustion gas that create
back-pressure to the motors cylinders. This creates incomplete combustion of the fuel
inside the cylinders at the next cycle. A rule of thumb for an atmospheric suction motor
does not exceed a 20 inch water column of vacuum and a 27 inch water column for a
turbocompressure motor. The motor manufacturer must be consulted as soon as the
designer approaches these limits. The piping must be to the same diameter as the
manifold or larger diameter. All the elbows and directional changes must be with a long
radius configuration ( 5 diameters or higher).

Small mufflers are available for noise reduction to meet minimum requirements.
Residential zones, hospitals, and some applications require higher noise reduction with
over capacity of the mufflers, some times with two mufflers in series.

Static and dynamic pressure loss must be checked in each case. The muffler must be
installed as near as possible to the motor to prevent condensation and dirty oil in the
system; but never installed to the manifold itself. An explosion proof safety valve must
be installed upstream of each muffler.

A flexible joint should abate the motor vibrations to the muffler. A nipple must be fixed
to the manifold to facilitate maintenance of the flexible and allow a bit of cooling of the
exhaust.

Water, one of the by-products of combustion must never reach the cylinders of the motor.
Allow condensation legs to evacuate water from the pipe, slope the piping in the
direction toward the exterior. The muffler should have the same protection. (The high
quality mufflers have generally condensation legs).

The corrosive nature of exhaust gases require thicker pipes or corrosive resistant
materials. Schedule 40 may be acceptable for short runs. Stainless steel 304 is usual. All
the piping must be anchored and well supported.

High temperature approved insulation covered with aluminized steel jacket should cover
the piping where accessible to avoid maintenance persons to get burned. The piping
expansion must be free.

When a pipe passes trough a combustible wall or a roof, a vented jacket will be installed.
The moving air space will protect the environmental material to get to the auto ignition
point. This devise must exceed combustible surfaces on each side.

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The exhaust should never be located near: an oil or gas vent, a door or window, a
pedestrian passage, an air intake for ventilation or combustion, or a gas or fuel line.
The outlet must be protected from rain and snow flurries; bird screens will prevent
animals from entering the piping. Let us put great care from freezing. Exterior long runs
may generate condensation inside the pipes. This could create ice plugs that would cause
blockages and prevent exhaust of burned gas.

The exhaust is in fact a chimney stressed by high static pressures and vibrations
transmitted by dynamic pressure varying in function or frequencies of the explosions
inside the motor cylinders. The joints of the prefab chimneys are under stresses that
manufacturers are aware of to prevent leakage. Installation should be done by contractors
recognized for their competence. Only high quality controlled special cements should be
used.

Supports and anchors are very important and dont forget that the system must operate in
the worst situations as tremor, fire, terrorism and war.

The tests must be made at a 60 inch water column static pressure for prefab chimneys
according to UL 103. Provide expansion joints in sufficient quantity, the temperature
goes from900
o
F (482
o
C ) to 1100
o
F (593
o
C ) for diesel motors and up to 1400
o
F (760
o
C ) for gas motors.

Check List
Muffler pressure lost
Total static and dynamic pressure lost
Local codes, NFPA et UL.
Piping at 9`` (229mm) min. from combustible surface
(6)
.
Vented J acket
(7)
for: roof, floor, walls.
Condensation legs.
Outlet protection against: animals, rain, snow, ice.
(8).
Type of pipes, anchors and supports.
Expansion joints, anti-vibration joints.
Safety valve against back-fire in each case.

(1) Back pressure : Caterpilar +/- 27``; John-Deer +/- 30``; Onan , Mitsubishi , Detroit Diesel +/- 41``.
(2) The action of time will corrode schedule 40 piping, the light inside will be reduced, metal
crystallization will be reduced by the heat, thermal shocks and gas speed.
(3) Each muffler and long run must be protected with safety valve against back fire to avoid explosion of
the gases accumulated in the piping after uncompleted combustion.
(4) Expansion can drag away the anchors, supports and twist all the piping.
(expansion of +/- 1 inches / 100
o
F x 100 `- 0``= +/- 14 inches for 100`-0`` at 1400
o
F ).
(5) Prefab Chimneys must be with internal structure ( norm UL 103 ).
(6) This includes electrical wires.
(7) Vented J acket with moving air space.
(8) NFPA 37-10 article 7-3.3 1998 et NFPA 211.
(9) Never use a flapper that can stick in ice.

NOTE: ASPE does not give any formal or tacit knowledge guaranty about this
information. Always check with the last edition of NFPA and UL.

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