Layout of Room Containing a Combustion Chamber, Heat Exchanger, Furnace

This sounds like a recipe for disaster.

A Room = This implies an enclosure. Little or no combustion air circulation or Flue Gas ventilation

A Combustion Chamber = This implies a combustible fuel of some sort and an open flame

A Furnace = This also implies a combustible fuel of some sort and an open flame

A Heat Exchanger = (no detail on type so no comment)

If it were me I would not have all this equipment, fuel and risk inside a "Room". I might have a roof over it if necessary but I would have all four sides open for full ventilation.

Now what did you not tell us?

GA,

I agree with you, PennPiper, this is a recipe for disaster. I keep getting stunned that people come here looking for our blessing for them to do something dumb. If a guest has to ask us how to do something safely, then that guest is not qualified to do it safely. This guest doesn't even know what to look for to do things safely.

Check your local mechanical code for combustion air ventilation requirements (screened or louvered vents, fans, etc.)

The equipment manufacturers' drawings should show how much clearance you need around the items in various directions; and the code may have requirements as well, such as open area in front of electrical panels.

I agree with the other posters; this has 'bad idea' all over it.

This sort of sounds like a homework question, but maybe not. I would offer this:

NEC 7.11.4 states "not less than two means of egress shall be provided from each hazardous area unless all of the following criteria are met:

1. Rooms or spaces do not exceed 200 square feet

2. Rooms or spaces have an occupant load not to exceed three persons

3. Rooms or spaces have a travel distance to the room door not exceeding 25 feet."

If all these three criteria are met, a single means of occupancy is permitted.

7.12.1 addresses mechanical equipment rooms, boiler rooms, and furnace rooms and means of egress provisions specifically for these types of rooms. The provisions apply in all buildings regardless of occupancy. The number of exits and common paths of travel in these spaces are addressed independent of the occupancy in which they are located. The existence of these rooms in a building does not result in a mixed occupancy. A common path of travel not exceeding 50 feet shall be provided to an exit for all occupants to escape from a hazardous area to a place of safety. A common path of travel not exceeding 100 feet is permitted in a building protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system, in mechanical rooms with no fuel-fired equipment and in existing buildings. There are other provisions indicated for existing buildings and existing health care occupancies under this section. Consult the code book for these details. (Excerpted from the Free Library)

If these generalized criteria are in effect where you are, I do not know.

There are all sorts of equipment rooms (such as boiler rooms) with multiple pieces of combustion (and other) equipment. The OP's proposal is substantially the same. Just design it properly; there is no "recipe for disaster."

In addition to service clearances, there will also be minimum distances between the equipment and combustible building materials, if any. There may also be some noise and other siting considerations such as location of relief valve discharges.

I disagree. Many equipment rooms have been made that safely include a combustion chamber. These rooms were made by people who knew what they were doing by consulting at one time with the local building codes or following common sense. I do not disagree that one can put a combustion chamber in an equipment room easily. But asking us to explain how to put a combustion chamber in a room is a recipe for disaster. We have no authority where ever this OP works. We do not even know where this room exists. The room could be in a coal mine, submarine, aircraft, fireworks assembly facility, refinery or just under a thatched roof in the Serengeti.

Is there some new discipline around called "Can't-Do Engineering"?

Even a house with a natural gas furnace and natural gas water heater in the utility room already has two combustion items and two heat exchangers involved.

I don't think anyone has implied that the OP should proceed to build anything on the basis of a few CR4 remarks. (S)he simply asked what are some of the factors involved, and received some answers.

There are different rules for residential and commercial.

The main concerns are:

-combustibles; is the floor wood or concrete? What clearances are required?

-make up and combustion air; depending on the application you may need to bring in outside air. If the equipment has a sealed combustion chamber with an external supply air and a separate combustion exhaust, you may not need any external air for the room.

The combination of your building codes along with the gas code for your area will give you all the rules and safety regulations you will need.

Note: these are the minimum requirements. It never hurts to exceed them.