26
14.
Glossary
*
cal
(Calories): the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of one gramme of water by
one degree centigrade.
*
cms
(centimetres): unit of measurement.
*
CO
(carbon monoxide): A lightly flammable, colourless, odourless gas that is very dangerous due to
its high toxicity.
*
CO
2
(carbon dioxide): Gas needed by plants for photosynthesis on the one hand, and emitted into
the atmosphere on the other, contributing to the greenhouse effect.
*
Combustion:
a process for obtaining energy. Combustion is basically a chemical reaction that
requires three items in order to take place: fuel, oxidant and ignition temperature.
*
Combustion agent
: chemical substance that fuels combustion (essentially oxygen) and which is
fundamental to the process.
*
Fuel
: anything that can undergo combustion, in this case referring to wood.
*
Creosote
: chemical compound created by combustion. This compound is sometimes deposited on
the glass and shaft of the heating recovery unit.
*
Energy efficiency
: capacity to generate large quantities of heat with the least amount of energy
possible, causing the least environmental impact and reducing the energy budget.
*
CO emissions
: emission of carbon monoxide gas into the atmosphere.
*
CO emissions (13% of O
2
)
: carbon monoxide content corrected for 13% of O
2
.
*
kcal
(Kilocalorie): multiple unit of measurement of calories. Equivalent to 1000 calories.
*
kW
(Kilowatt): unit of measurement equal to 1,000 watts.
*
mm
(millimetres): unit of measurement.
*
Pa
(pascal): standard IS unit of pressure and tension. This unit is named after Blaise Pascal, an
eminent French mathematician, physicist and philosopher.
*
Calorific value
: also known as specific combustion heat. It represents the amount of heat released
when a certain amount of fuel is completely burned. Calorific value is expressed in calories (or
kilocalories) per unit of weight of fuel.
*
Rated calorific power:
heating capacity or, in other words, the calorific transfer extracted by the
unit from the energy of the firewood– measured for a standard wood load at a given period of time.
*
Operating power:
manufacturer's recommendation based on tests performed on the heating units
using firewood loads within a reasonable operating range. This power range, from minimum to
maximum, will present different levels of firewood consumption per hour.
*
Performance
: expressed as a percentage of “useful energy” that can be extracted from a given
system, taking into account the “total energy” of the fuel used.
*
Ignition temperature
: temperature above which the fuel can enter into combustion.
*
Heat-resistant
: resistant to high temperatures and thermal shock.
*
Glass ceramic
: highly resistant ceramic material produced from the controlled crystallisation of
vitreous materials. Widely used in industry.
