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Contents
1. Removing impurities from boiler feedwater 2. Filtration 3. Coagulation and flocculation 4. Reaction of lime soda in softening process 5. Ion exchange 6. Deaeration of water 7. Combination of ion exchange and lime process 8. Reverse osmosis 9. Internal treatment of boiler feedwater 10. Blowdown 11. Corrosion in steam condensate system 12. Care of out-of-service boilers
Filtration
Filtration is the essential first step before the chemical treatment and conditioning of the boiler feedwater. Filtration removes or minimizes all types of suspended solid impurities. If rust, sand (silica) etc. are not filtered out, they lead to severe scale formation, which is difficult to clean and reduce boiler efficiency. Even the condensate feedwater must be filtered before returning to the boiler. The boiler itself and the steam piping produce rust particles etc. due to corrosion and other reactions. Filtration is also necessary for any water treatment process to work properly. For example, softening resins get coated with suspended matter, loosing their effectiveness and capacity to regenerate. Reverse osmosis membranes get fouled up leading to reduced efficiency and shorter life. If the water is very dirty, sand filtration is first done followed by cartridge filtration.
Some times the suspended particles in water are so fine that even cartridge filters are unable to remove them. In such a situation, before cartridge filtration, the water is first treated with coagulants. Coagulation is charge neutralization of finely divided and colloidal impurities in water into masses that can be filtered. In addition, particles have negative electrical charges, which cause them to repel each other and resist adhering together. Coagulation, therefore, involves neutralizing the negative charges and providing a nucleus for the suspended particles to adhere to. Flocculation is the bridging together of coagulated particles.
Types of coagulants
Iron and aluminum salts such as ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, aluminum sulfate (alum), and sodium aluminate are the most common coagulants. Ferric and alumina ions each have three positive charges and therefore their effectiveness is related to their ability to react with the negatively charged colloidal particles. These coagulants form a floc in the water that serves like a net for collecting suspended matter. Polyelectrolytes, which are synthetic materials, have been developed for coagulation purposes. These consist of long chain-like molecules with positive charges. In some cases organic polymers and special types of clay are used in the coagulation process to serve as coagulant aids. These assist in coagulation by making the floc heavier.
Chemical precipitation
Chemical precipitation is a process in which chemical added reacts with dissolved minerals in the water to produce a relatively insoluble reaction product. Precipitation methods are used in reducing dissolved hardness, alkalinity, and silica. The most common example is lime-soda treatment.
retention time for chemical reactions and sludge formation, and continuous draw-off of softened water. Lime-soda softening is classified as hot or cold, depending on the temperature of the water. Hot process softeners increase the rate of chemical reactions, increase silica reduction, and produce over-all better quality water.
Ion Exchange
Minerals dissolved in water form electrically charged particles called ions. Calcium carbonate, for example, forms a calcium ion with positive charges (a cation) and a bicarbonate ion with negative charges (an anion). Some synthetic and natural materials have the ability to remove mineral ions from water in exchange for others. For example, in passing water through a simple cation exchange softener all the calcium and magnesium ions are removed and replaced with sodium ions. Ion exchange resins usually are small porous beads that compose a bed several feet deep through which the water is passed.
cycle. That is, they are designed to replace all cations in the water with either sodium or hydrogen. The anion resins are of two types: weak base and strong base. Weak base resins will not take out carbon dioxide or silica, but will remove strong acid anions by a process more similar to adsorption than ion exchange. Strong base anion resins, on the other hand, can reduce carbon dioxide and silica as well as strong acid anions to very low values. Strong base anion resins are normally operated on a hydroxide cycle. Chloride anion exchange resin is also used in dealkalization where alkalinity is reduced.
Split-stream softening
When the effluents from a cation exchanger operating on sodium cycle are blended with effluents from a cation exchanger operating on a hydrogen cycle. The purpose is to reduce the alkalinity of the water. Since the hydrogen cycle produces acid water while the sodium cycle does not affect alkalinity, the two effluents can be blended together to give the desired reduction in alkalinity.
Dealkalization
One of the ion exchange processes for reducing water alkalinity is referred to as dealkalization. In this process the water passes through an ion exchanger operating on the chloride cycle. The exchanger removes alkaline anions such as carbonate, bicarbonate, and sulfates, replacing these ions with chloride. Cation exchange softening precedes dealkalization process.
Demineralization
When the water is passed through both cation and anion exchange resins it is known as demineralization. In this process the cation exchange is operated on the hydrogen cycle. That is, hydrogen is substituted for all the cations. The anion exchanger operates on the hydroxide cycle, which replaces hydroxide for all of the anions. The final effluent from the process consists essentially of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions or pure water. The demineralization process can be done by several methods. In the mixed-bed process, the anion and cation exchange resins are
intimately mixed in one vessel. Multi-bed arrangements may consist of different combinations of cation exchange beds, weak and strong-based anion exchange beds, and degasifiers.
Deaeration of water
Dissolved oxygen in water is a major cause of boiler system corrosion. It should be removed before the water is put in the boiler. Feedwater deaeration removes oxygen by heating the water with steam in a deaerating heater. Part of the steam is vented, carrying with it the bulk of the dissolved oxygen.
Reverse osmosis
To understand reverse osmosis (RO), one must first understand osmosis. Osmosis uses a semipermeable membrane that allows ions to pass from a more concentrated solution to a less concentrated solution without allowing the reverse to occur. Reverse osmosis overcomes the osmotic pressure with a higher artificial pressure to reverse the process and concentrate the dissolved solids on one side of the membrane. Operating pressures of about 300 to 900 psi are required to achieve this. Reverse osmosis reduces the dissolved solids of the raw water, making
the final affluent ready for further treatment. This process is suitable for any type of raw water, but sometimes the installation and operation cost may not be economical.
3. Tannins fairly effective on high hardness feedwater 4. Synthetic polymers Highly effective sludge conditioners for all types of sludges
Blowdown
Blowdown is the discharge of boiler water containing concentrated suspended and dissolved feedwater solids. As the blowdown water is replaced with lower solids feedwater, the boiler
water is diluted. With proper regulation of blowdown, the amount of solids in the boiler water can be controlled. The amount of blowdown needed depends on how much feedwater impurities a given boiler can tolerate. For example if a particular boiler can tolerate 500 ppm maximum dissolved solids, and the feedwater contains 50 ppm, it can be concentrated only about 10 times. This means that for every 100 pounds of water fed to the boiler about 10 pounds of boiler water must be blown down to keep the dissolved solids from exceeding 500 ppm. Total dissolved solids is not the only limiting factor in determining blowdown, other considerations include suspended solids, alkalinity, silica and iron.
hydrazine chemicals are commonly used for this purpose. Catalysts are sometimes also used to speed up the reaction.
Much of the corrosion damage to boilers and condensate equipment results during idle periods due to corrosion caused by the exposure of wet metal to oxygen in the air. Wet boiler lay-up method is of storing boilers full of water. Extra chemicals (alkalinity, oxygen scavenger, and a dispersant) are added to the boiler water and the water level is raised in the idle boiler to eliminate air spaces. Nitrogen gas can also be used on airtight boilers to maintain positive pressure on the boiler, thereby preventing oxygen from entering. Dry boiler lay-up method is usually for longer boiler outages. The boiler is drained, cleaned and dried out. Material, such as hydrated lime or silica gel, which absorb moisture, is placed in trays inside the boiler. The boiler is then sealed to prevent air from entering. Periodic replacement of the drying chemical is required during long storage periods.
Index
1. Removing impurities from boiler feedwater 2. Filtration 3. Coagulation and flocculation 1. Types of coagulants 2. Chemical precipitation 4. Reaction of lime soda in softening process 1. Methods of lime-soda softening 2. Coagulants used in lime-soda process 3. Disadvantages of lime-soda softening 4. Advantages of lime-soda softening 5. Ion exchange 1. Types of ion exchange resins 2. Ion exchange regeneration 3. Split-stream softening 4. Dealkalization 5. Demineralization 6. Disadvantages of ion exchange 7. Advantages of ion exchange 6. Deaeration of water 7. Combination of ion exchange and lime process 8. Reverse osmosis 9. Internal treatment of boiler feedwater 1. Internal water treatment program 2. Chemicals used in internal treatment 3. Internal treatment for hardness 4. Internal treatment for sulfates 5. Internal treatment for silica 6. Internal treatment for sludge conditioning 7. Internal treatment advantages 8. Internal treatment - chemical dosage 9. Tests for treatment control 10. Tests for checking contaminants 10. Blowdown
1. Test for regulating blowdown 2. Continuous and intermittent blowdown 11. Corrosion in steam condensate system 1. Prevention of steam condensation corrosion 2. Prevention of deposits and water corrosion in feedwater systems 3. Prevention of caustic embrittlement 4. Oil contamination, problem & remedies 12. Care of out-of-service boilers
http://www.sedifilt.com/technical_library/boiler_feedwater_treatment_part_ii_water_treatment_fund amentals.html
All natural waters contain varying amounts of suspended and dissolved matter as well as dissolved gases. Likewise, the minerals in water suitable for drinking which are considered nutritional for the human body, cannot be handled as well by boilers. Whatever the source, impurities found in source water become an important consideration when used for steam generation. Feedwater must be treated to remove impurities to control deposition, carryover, and corrosion in the boiler system. Maintaining good feedwater is an important and fundamental aspect of any steam turbine power plant. A plant that maintains good feedwater achieves the following three benefits: Help to ensure maximum life out of its boilers, steam turbines, condensers, and pumps. Reduce maintenance expenses. Maintain optimal performance On the otherhand, poor quality water gives poor quality steam. In the event that the boiler system shuts down, most processes within the plant will not be operable. For this reason, proper treatment measures are essential for boiler feedwater.
Because boiler systems are constructed primarily of carbon steel and the heat transfer medium is water, the potential for impurities deposit and corrosion is high. Deposits are seldom composed of one constituent alone, but are generally a mixture of various types of solid sediments, dissolved minerals, corrosion products like rust, and other water contaminants. The most problematic impurities to boilers and steam turbines are calcium and magnesium scale, silica, sodium, chloride, oxygen and iron. Oil and other process contaminants can form deposits as well and promote deposition of other impurities. Localized attack on metal can result in equipment failure or reduced product quality and therefore, removal of these impurities is aimed at preventing unplanned, forced shutdown or productivity decline. For each plant operation, there is an optimum method of treatment. Many factors are involved in proper selection of feed water preparation and treatment. Principally, these are the requirements of the plant for safe and reliable operation at an economical treating cost. Depending on the quality of water, it may be subjected to one or more treatments, including precipitation/coagulation, lime-soda softening, ion exchange, deaeration, and reverse osmosis. Siemens Water Technologies provides a range of products and services to ensure the quality and quantity of boiler feedwater remains consistent and reliable. The first step in the process is often coagulation, or the addition of chemicals to reduce suspended solids, silt, turbidity and colloids of the raw water. Coagulation causes smaller, suspended solids to adhere to each other, making them heavier and forming larger solids which will settle out of the solution. Typical chemicals used to improve settling rates and efficiency include aluminum sulfate (alum), sodium aluminate, polyelectrolytes (polymer) and ferris sulfate. Chemical precipitation sometimes follows and is a process in which chemical added reacts with dissolved minerals in the water. Precipitation methods are used in reducing dissolved hardness, alkalinity, and silica. The most common chemical precipitation method is lime-soda softening, which not only reduces hardness, but in so doing, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, and silica are also reduced. Additionally, a prior coagulation step may not be necessary with the lime-soda softening process. Instead, when added to the softening process, coagulants speed up settling of sludge by 25-50% while also contributing to softening reactions (particularly in reducing magnesium) and removing silica, which tends to be adsorbed on the floc produced by coagulation of sludge. Filtration is also necessary for any water treatment process to work properly. Depending on the treatment process, a filtration step is necessary for pre-treatment before ion exchange treatment and reverse osmosis or post-treatment, following chemical precipitation using lime-softening. Filtration technologies from Siemens include both media systems as well as ultrafiltration with membrane-based systems. Removal of these remaining solids is of critical importance particularly for the prevention of fouling and/or contamination in either the ion exchange resin or reverses osmosis membrane-based systems which follow in the next treatment phase. When resins become coated with suspended matter, they produce shorter run lengths, loose their effectiveness and capacity to regenerate. Likewise, reverse osmosis membranes can get fouled, leading to reduced efficiency and shorter effective life.
Siemens provides ion exchange systems for softening and demineralization of the water stream. These systems feature ion exchange resins which have a certain capacity for removing ions from water and when their capacity is used up they have to be regenerated. Regeneration involves taking the vessel off line, treating it with concentrated solution of the regenerant and removing the ions from the resins. The ions are rinsed from the vessel and the resins are returned to service. Siemens also offers reverse osmosis treatment systems in replacement of coagulation, precipitation and ion exchange treatment systems. RO involves separating water from a solution of dissolved solids by forcing the water through a semi-permeable membrane. The use of RO has grown rapidly in the industrial sector, but in no industry more quickly than power generation. Many plant operators are adopting reverse osmsosis membrane technology for cost and operational savings, and, the elimination of hazardous chemical handling and safety of personnel.