Fourth Edition, vol.1
A design guide, USA, 1983, 516 p.
ISBN 0-9610838-0-8.For more than thirty years this book's well known predecessor served to guide succeeding generations of engineers to an understanding of. district heating and how best to use It. However, district heating and cooling has developed considerably since 1951 when the Third Edition was published. Equipment and methods have changed and there are new factors that give the industry an important role in the national concerns as to the utilization of our energy resources. The Volume was first published in 1921 as Handbook of the National District Heating Association, followed by the second edition in 1932 and again in 1951. Beginning in the 1960's there was a real effort to revise the text and publish the 4th edition, but with limited resources, a volunteer staff of authors, and overwhelming assignments to already overworked members, the effort floundered year after year. The National District Heating Association in the meantime became the International District Heating Association (IDHA) and in 1980 was thoroughly reorganized with a new staff taking a strong advocacy position for district heating and developing affiliations with similar groups. The Edison Electric Institute early recognized the value of a revision to the handbook and supported an in-depth review by an editorial consultant. The appraisal was positive and EEl backed IDHA in developing the fourth edition. The U.S. Department of Energy further assisted the effort with a development contract through the Argonne National Laboratories. The firm of Enviro- Management and Research, Inc. was selected by IDHA to develop the manuscript and coordinate the production. The membership of IDHA contributed time, effort and resources in furnishing material and checking data, but their patience and understanding in what has seemed to be an insurmountable series of delays, cancellations, and deviations has been exceptional. In spite of our best efforts there may be some mistakes in the book, and theyare our responsibility. We must enter the same plea as that used 200 years ago Dr. Johnson. A lady had taken him to task for a flagrantly wrong term in his dictionary. When she asked him how he could make such a mistake he replied, "Ignorance, Madam, pure ignorance."
