any experience with PCM for emergency shower?

[davefitz]

There are cases where a large plant , located in a cold remote area, needs to have installed an emergency shower, remote from the electric power source. The cost of providing the cabling for the large , instant power demand for a large water heater ( sufficient for the ANSI Z358.1 standard of 15 minutes at 20 gpm) usually seems excessive for the applcation.

As an Alternative , has anyone used a lower power source to maintain a PCM phase change material at 95 F ( say, 100 watt heater), and use the PCM to heat the cold influent to tepid conditions during the emergency event? . The power supply would be rated to very low values in such a case. The PCM would have a loop of metallic pipe embedded in it. The size the PCM rervoir to be sufficient to warm 50 F cold water to 90 F for the required 300 gallon total emergency flow.

 

[KiwiMace]

Why not store 300gal of hot water and use a safety shower mixing valve. You can recirculate water and UV treat to prevent bio-gunk.

I've seen and envied such systems in skidded packages after having installed a gazillion kW of instant heaters at a plant.

This is also better for haz areas.