ENERGY KINETICS EK3 Frontier Owners & Installation Manual page 7

SYSTEM 2000 - PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
SYSTEM 2000 comprises a heat source, the energy converter, circulating water, and five (or more) zones controlled
by an electronic control, the Digital Manager.
The Boiler sits cold until a thermostat calls for heat. The Digital Manager receives the call for heat and turns on the
bypass circulator and burner. Water circulates within the boiler as it warms up to operating temperature. When ready,
the supply circulator and zone valve(s) open and deliver heat to the zone(s) calling for heat. When the thermostats are
satisfied, the Digital Manager turns off the burner and enters the energy recovery stage. The circulators and zone valve
stay energized to deliver the heat remaining in the boiler to the last zone calling or to the domestic hot water storage tank.
When energy recovery is complete and the Boiler has been cooled off, the Digital Manager turns off the system and
waits for another thermostat (or tank aquastat) to call for heat. SYSTEM 2000 runs the burner only when you need heat
and delivers that heat only where you need heat.
The System 2000 Energy Converter is the product of advanced thermal engineering. It is designed with two separate
passageways, nearly 18 feet long, coiled around each other. Water travels along one passageway from the heat emitters
toward the center of the unit. Heated gases travel from the unit center toward the chimney. This is a "forced circulation
counter-flow" design and it provides very efficient transfer of heat from the burning fuel to the circulating water. The
superior insulation of the boiler minimizes heat losses to the surroundings, resulting in heat directed to the desired zones
in an efficient and quiet manner.
SYSTEM 2000 has an extremely high annual efficiency (over 99% of steady state) because it runs only when your
heat zones or hot water storage tank needs heat. Energy recovery is completed at the end of each heat call, virtually
eliminating off cycle losses.
Your System 2000 holds a minimal quantity of water so it begins to supply heat in about two minutes. This rapid
response means that your rooms can be heated quickly to temperature. The System 2000 EK3 Frontier can provide
heated water up to 357,000 BTU's per hour.
A modern retention head oil burner fires into the center of System 2000 where a high temperature, light weight
ceramic flame former provides ideal conditions for "near perfect" efficient, pollution-free combustion. Your System 2000
is tightly sealed so all products of combustion pass only to the chimney.
DIGITAL MANAGER - PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The left side of the Manager is the input side, which provides 24-volt power supply and connections for thermostats.
The right side is the output side, which starts the burner, circulators, zone valves or zone circulators and the domestic hot
water circulator. See photo of the Manager on the cover.
Lights on the Digital Manager indicate zone(s) calling for heat (left side) and (right side) lights indicate active zone(s),
burner operation and circulator operation. These function lights are an aid in servicing. The following is a typical cycle.
1. SYSTEM WAITING FOR A CALL: The boiler is turned off and sits cold, waiting until a call for heat. The red power
light on the Manager is glowing.
2. CALL FOR HEAT: A room thermostat call starts the cycle. The thermostat light on the left side will turn on for that
zone.
3. PRE-HEAT: Output lights for the bypass circulator and burner turn on, the bypass circulator starts, and the burner
begins firing. Water circulates within the boiler and through the bypass as it warms up to operating temperature.
4. HEAT: Once the boiler water has heated up to 140º F (about two minutes), the Manager will turn on the zone output
light on the right side. The zone valve will open, the main supply (injection) circulator will start and hot water will flow
to the zone needing heat. The burner runs as long as there is a thermostat calling and as long as heat is being
delivered to the zone. The burner may shut off if the return temperature exceeds 170º F/190º F (RED burner light
turns off) or if the high limit temperature is exceeded (RED burner light stays on, but the high limit aquastat shuts the
burner off).
5. ANOTHER CALL FOR HEAT: If another zone calls for heat while the burner is already running and the return
temperature is above 140F, the zone output will turn on, immediately supplying heat to the zone.
6. MONITOR RETURN TEMPERATURE: The Manager continually senses the return temperature and will turn off the
zone outputs if the return temperature drops below 120º F (130º F if Option Switch #1 is ON). With the zone outputs
closed, the boiler water will quickly reheat and once the return temperature reaches 140º F (150º F if Option Switch #1
is ON), then the Manager will reopen the zone valve and start the supply circulator.
7. THERMOSTAT SATISFIED: The thermostat light on the left side will go out. The burner light and the burner will then
turn off.
8. ENERGY RECOVERY: The bypass circulator, main supply (injection) circulator, and zone valve remain energized.
The circulating water will remove the energy from the converter, sending the heat to the last zone that called. The
energy recovery stage continues until the return temperature has dropped sufficiently or until maximum timing has
been reached. The boiler is now sitting cold, waiting for the next call for heat. Maximum timing for heat recovery
stage is usually set at twenty minutes for space heating zones and is fixed at five minutes for the Hot Water zone.
(See Digital Manager Option Switch Settings).
EK3 Frontier Boiler Manual
6
Seventh Edition- October 2015