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Automated 8o||er 8|owdown

I. 8|owdown 8as|cs
A. 8ollers generaLe sLeam used for heaLlng or manufacLurlng processes.
8. When sLeam leaves Lhe boller, lmpurlLles (1uS - LoLal dlssolved sollds) are lefL behlnd
Lo accumulaLe ln Lhe boller.
C. AccumulaLlon of 1uS beyond Lhelr solublllLy llmlL resulLs ln Lhe formaLlon of scale.
u. 8lowdown ls Lhe process of removlng waLer wlLh hlgh concenLraLlons of 1uS and
replaclng lL wlLh fresh makeup waLer wlLh lower levels of 1uS, Lhereby lowerlng Lhe
overall 1uS ln Lhe boller.
L. 1wo Lypes of blowdown: 8oLLom blowdown - removes sedlmenL/sludge from Lhe
boLLom of Lhe boller, Surface sklmmer blowdown - removes hlgh-1uS waLer near Lhe
surface (6" below Lhe waLer llne). AuLomaLed conLrollers only regulaLe surface
blowdown (lllegal Lo auLomaLe boLLom blowdown).
l. 1uS can be dlrecLly measured by lab LesLs (cosLly, Llme consumlng) or can be
approxlmaLed by conducLlvlLy measuremenLs (lnexpenslve, qulck, accuraLe).
C. 1wo Lypes of surface blowdown: manual and auLomaLed

II. Manua| 8|owdown
A. lnvolves manually openlng a blowdown valve aL varlous Llmes LhroughouL Lhe day,
used ln con[uncLlon wlLh a hand-held conducLlvlLy meLer Lo keep some degree of
conLrol over 1uS levels.
8. 8esulLs ln hlgh and low conducLlvlLy splkes due Lo boller load varlances.
C. ConducLlvlLy levels above Lhe LargeL maxlmum lead Lo Lhe formaLlon of scale.
ConducLlvlLy levels below Lhe LargeL maxlmum resulL ln excess waLer and chemlcal
usage.
u. AL besL, manual sysLems err on Lhe safe slde and keep 1uS Loo low.
L. Lxcess waLer usage has several cosLs:
1. ClLy waLer cosLs
2. ClLy sewer cosLs
3. Lnergy cosLs (heaLed waLer ls senL Lo draln)
4. Chemlcal cosLs (Lled Lo waLer usage)
l. Plgh 1uS = Scale lormaLlon = Lnergy lnefflclencles
1. 1/16" layer of scale resulLs ln a 10 mlnlmum reducLlon ln heaL Lransfer
efflclency (a percenLage reducLlon ln heaL Lransfer efflclency = a dlrecL
percenLage lncrease ln heaLlng cosLs).
2. LxLreme scale bulld-up leads Lo cosLly de-scallng procedures or Lhe
replacemenL of boller Lubes or compleLe sysLems.



Automated 8o||er 8|owdown Cont.


III. Automated 8|owdown
A. uses an auLomaLed conLroller and valves Lo conLlnuously or lnLermlLLenLly sample Lhe
boller waLer and Lhen blowdown as needed.
8. 1ypes of AuLomaLed 8lowdown
1. ConLlnuous Sampllng - used when sLeam blowdown requlremenLs exceed
3000 lbs./hr. (see selecLlon gulde). A sample of waLer ls conLlnuously senL
across Lhe conducLlvlLy probe Lo draln. When conducLlvlLy levels exceed Lhe
LargeL maxlmum, a larger blowdown valve opens and sends more waLer Lo
draln unLll Lhe seL polnL ls saLlsfled.
2. 1lmed Sampllng (mosL common) - used when sLeam blowdown
requlremenLs are less Lhan 3000 lbs./hr. A sample of waLer ls lnLermlLLenLly
senL across Lhe probe for a predeLermlned amounL of Llme (lnLerval and
duraLlon are ad[usLable), and Lhe blowdown valve ls held open unLll Lhe
conducLlvlLy seL polnL ls saLlsfled.
C. CosL !usLlflcaLlon
a. AuLo blowdown allows for much LlghLer conLrol of conducLlvlLy levels
(Lyplcal 20 lncrease ln conducLlvlLy levels vs. manual conLrol, Lhls
equals a dlrecL 20 savlngs ln fuel)
b. Less blowdown and makeup requlred = lower waLer and sewage bllls
c. Less waLer usage = lower chemlcal cosLs
d. Less LesLlng and manual care requlred (Llme freed up for more
producLlve work)
e. revenLlon of scale formaLlon - proLecLlon of caplLal equlpmenL cosLs
f. Average payback for a Lyplcal sysLem ls a couple of monLhs (see CosL
!usLlflcaLlon" sheeL).

IV. 1yp|ca| Insta||at|on (See t|med-samp||ng draw|ng)
A. 8equlred componenLs
1. 8lowdown conLroller (analog or mlcroprocessor-based)
2. 1hroLLllng valve (gaLe, globe, needle, orlflce plaLes)
3. 8lowdown valve (solenold valve, moLorlzed ball valve)
8. lnsLallaLlon Culdellnes
1. robe should be locaLed as close Lo Lhe boller as posslble ln a 1" fully porLed
llne (close proxlmlLy mlnlmlzes Lhe lengLh of Llme requlred Lo heaL Lhe probe
and obLaln an accuraLe readlng).
2. 1hroLLllng valve should be locaLed 6"-3' downsLream of Lhe probe Lo prevenL
sLeam flashlng. SLeam flashlng wlll shorLen probe llfe and cause relay
chaLLerlng.
3. SeparaLe low volLage conducLlvlLy wlres from oLher hlgh volLage wlres Lo
prevenL erraLlc readlngs.


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1yp|ca| 1|med-Samp||ng Insta||at|on

















Insta||at|on Notes:

1) ConducLlvlLy probe and mounLlng cross should be lnsLalled as close Lo Lhe sklmmer porL as
posslble ln a 1" fully porLed llne wlLh no bends or resLrlcLlons. An lsolaLlon valve should be
lnsLalled upsLream of Lhe conducLlvlLy probe for ease of probe removal and malnLenance.
2) A flush valve (1/4 Lurn ball valve) should be lnsLalled on Lhe boLLom leg of Lhe 1" mounLlng
cross for sedlmenL removal and probe cleanlng.
3) 1he LhroLLllng valve should be lnsLalled beLween 6" and 3' downsLream of Lhe conducLlvlLy
probe Lo prevenL sLeam flashlng across Lhe probe.
4) 1he blowdown valve should be locaLed far enough downsLream of Lhe LhroLLllng valve Lo
dlsLance lL from hlgh LemperaLure areas. Many blowdown valves feaLure Lhermal cuLoff
swlLches LhaL can be Lrlggered by hlgh amblenL LemperaLures.


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Automated 8|owdown Cost Iust|f|cat|on

What |s the most common "ob[ect|on" to the purchase of an automat|c bo||er b|owdown system?

8lghL, lL cosLs Loo much! Pere's a suggesLlon Lo help overcome LhaL ob[ecLlon. Analyze Lhe operaLlon
and come up wlLh Lhe payback flgure.

1ake Lhe followlng example:

" #$%&'(( )%*+'$ #$%,-&*./ 0112111 #%-.,( #'$ 3%-$ %4 (5'678 93' %#'$65%$ 36( )''. 5%+, 5%
76*.56*. &3+%$*,'( 65 0:;<< ##7= >*( $'&%$,( (3%? 5365 3' 6@'$6/'( <1 ##72 ?3*&3 *( #$'55A
/%%, 4%$ 76.-6+ )+%?,%?.=

Powever, auLomaLlc blowdown could brlng Lhe average up Lo 21 ppm wlLhouL exceedlng 22. 1hls
would reduce Lhe blowdown by 3 (21-20) / 20 = .03 or 3

1yplcally, 20 ppm resulLs from 10 cycles of concenLraLlon. 1he blowdown requlred Lo malnLaln 10
cycles ls 10,000 lbs/hr (100,000 / 10 = 10,000)

lf Lhe 10,000 lbs/hr ls reduced by 3, LhaL's a savlngs of 300 lbs/hr. 300 lbs/hr aL 400 81u/lb ls
200,000 81u/hr. A gallon of oll ls abouL 100,000 81u, so Lhe oll consumpLlon wlll reduce by 2 gal/hr.
AL a dollar a gallon, LhaL's a $2 savlngs every hour!

lf an auLomaLlc blowdown sysLem cosLs $1300, lL wlll Lake 630 hours (or 27 days) Lo pay for Lhe
sysLem!!! ($1300 / $2 per hr = 630 hours), (630 hours / 24 = 27 days)

1hls was all based on zero condensaLe reLurn. lf Lhere ls 30 reLurn, Lhe payback perlod doubles ln
34 days. 1haL's sLlll a very shorL payback perlod. Cf course, Lhe savlngs conLlnue afLer Lhe payback
perlod.


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Se|ect|ng the k|ght 8|owdown Contro| System

AdvanLage ConLrols, lnc. has slmpllfled Lhe selecLlon of our Mega1ron, Mlcro1ron and Serles-2 analog
llnes of conLrollers and valves for auLomaLed boller blowdown. use Lhe charL aL Lhe boLLom of Lhe
page Lo selecL Lhe conLrol sysLem approprlaLe for your boller.

1o choose Lhe correcL sysLem, sLarL wlLh Lhe b|owdown requ|rement (ln pounds of sLeam per hour).
lf unknown, Lhe b|owdown requ|rement may be deLermlned from: boller ouLpuL or boller
horsepower (n..), Lhe percenLage of reLurn condensaLe ( condensate), and Lhe cycles of
concenLraLlon (cyc|es).

use Lhe followlng formulas Lo calculaLe Lhe b|owdown requ|rement:

n.. x 34.3 = sLeam ouLpuL/hr

SLeam ouLpuL/hr x (1-( condensate/100)) = make-up waLer (lbs/hr)

Make-up/hr x (1 / (cyc|es-1)) = b|owdown requ|rement (lbs/hr)


8LCWDCWN ACkAGL SLLLC1ICN GUIDL


8|owdown
kequ|red
(|bs]hr)

Ana|og Meter
Mode|s

Ana|og D|a|
Mode|s

M|cro1ron
Mode|s*

Mega1ron
Mode|s**

System
ressure
(ps|g)

1]2" Va|ve ackages***
(1hrott||ng va|ve & MC8V)


3000 or
less


2LZ-87M


28-7


LPC


MC8

130 or less
430 or less
1000 or less


Av-30-10
Av-40-20
lCP-1/2 & M8WC-1/2


CreaLer
Lhan 3000


2LZ-88M


28-8


LPC


MC8

130 or less
430 or less
1000 or less

Av-30-10-A
Av-40-20-A
(2) lCP-1/2 & M8WC-1/2

*Mlcro1ron and Mega1ron models are programmable beLween Llmed conLlnuous , and sample &
hold sampllng modes. 1hey are also avallable wlLh bullL-ln chemlcal feed Llmers.
**Mega1ron models are avallable Lo conLrol up Lo four bollers wlLh a slngle conLroller.
***valve packages are also avallable ln " - 2" slzes.