Sofame Technologies Inc. announced that its novel Heat Recovery System will lower energy costs and reduce carbon emissions, contributing to a truly healing environment at the new McGill University Health Centre hospital in Montreal. As a public institution and a member of the community, it is important to the MUHC to make sure that both patients and the environment receive the care and respect they deserve. The Percotherm(R) direct-contact stack economizer recuperates the residual heat contained in a boiler's flue gas and transfers the heat to a cold water stream.

Hot water is produced at temperatures as high as 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Cool water enters the unit at the top and is then uniformly distributed over the upper chamber through a layer of stainless steel nodules which constitutes the heat transfer zone. The water percolates down through the packing where in comes into 'direct-contact' with the rising hot products of combustion.

Both the sensible and the latent heat contained in the gases are transferred to the water. The system designed includes three dampers, one induced draft fan, one variable speed drive, plus a state-of-the-art computerized control panel with operator touch screen. The first firing of the boilers is scheduled for spring 2013.