Adca Training

Part 2

This presentation is only a guideline, that can only be completed by a trained personnel.
(This document’s total or partial use and/or reproduction is only allowed if the reference to the source is kept)
 Part 2 Part 4
▪ The Boiler ▪ Pressure Reduction
▪ Equipment Used on Boilers ▪ Safety Relief Valves and Other Steam Valves
▪ Water Treatment
▪ Bottom Blow down Part 5
▪ TDS Control ▪ Control Valves
▪ Energy Recovery ▪ Components of Control Valves
▪ Deaerators ▪ Humidification

Part 3
▪ Pipeline Sizing – Water Hammer
▪ Steam Trapping – Condensate Removal
Feedtank

Process
Feedwater

Steam

Condensate

Boiler
▪ One can simply define heat generator as an equipment design to energy
production through fuel combustion.

▪ Heat generators are mainly built of two distinct elements:

➢ Combustion chamber where the fuel is burned, producing hot gases that
will act as fluid heater.

➢ Metallic body or generator itself closes the fluid to be heated, that will be
the means of transportation for produced energy.

▪ Combustion chamber and main generator’s project may vary according with
type of boiler and fuel.

▪ In compliance with legislation in force generators are supplied with several

auxiliary equipments appropriate to monitoring and assure generator’s good
functioning, such as: temperature and pressure indicators, safety valves,
pressostats, thermostats, pumps, valves, instrumentation, etc.
▪ By virtue of the huge variety of factors, heat generators classification is a very
complex task. Here follows some examples:

According to Possibilities
Fuel Solid, Liquid or Gas
Fluid Produced Hot or Superheated water, Steam, Diathermic
oil, Hot air, …
Number of passes of combustion gases 1 to 4

Heating chamber Furnace, Fire tubes, …

Burners Pressure jet, Rotary Cup, …
Pipes Fire tube or Water tube
Inversion chamber Wet, Dry back, …
Fuel
Burner

Steam

Feed Water
▪ The hot gases from
fuel combustion cross
the main chamber (1st
pass) and the smoke
tubes (2nd pass),
transfer the heat to
the surrounding water.

▪ As far as the water

reaches saturation
temperature, steam
start to be produced,
being accumulated in
the space above,
ready to be delivery to
the system.

Burner
▪ The hot gases from fuel
combustion cross the
main chamber (1st
pass) and the smoke
tubes (2nd and 3rd
pass), transfer the heat
to the surrounding
water.
▪ As far as the water
reaches saturation
temperature, steam
start to be produced,
being accumulated
In the space
above, ready
to be delivery
to the system.
 Some typical control and safety equipment...

▪ Cocks and gauge glass for ▪ The safety valve (s)

water level monitoring. function is to protect the
boiler shell from
overpressure and
explosion.
▪ For efficient and safe operation a steam boiler has also level controls and level alarms.
▪ Level control probes can be installed internally in the boiler shell or externally using appropriate
level control chambers connected to the boiler shell.
▪ Alternatively, float control systems are still used by some manufacturers.
▪ Water quality is extremely important on the exploration of a thermal power station. The use
of hard water or poorly treated water may cause accidents or irreparable damages on the
generator and piping, apart from decreased heat transmission.
Water quality control must be done periodically. An effective treatment must keep it within
the required parameters.

▪ Generally, water for a heat generator must be less hard as possible (≤1ºfH), be free of
suspension solids, have alkaline Ph (8,5 minimum) and low in O2 (≤ 0,02mg/l) and CO2.
▪ Most current process of reducing water hardness is through ion-exchange method:

➢ The raw water is guided through heavy-duty resin which has been enable by exchanger-
active sets to exchange cations or anions. The calcium and magnesium ions are absorbed
during the softening procedure while adequate amounts of sodium ions capable of
exchange (Na+) are released into the water. The exchange resin has physically
conditioned a limited capacity and is exhausted after a certain number of water
throughputs. The regeneration of the water softening system is performed by means of a
salt solution.
Ph correction, which value is associated with CO2 content may be done through a
controlled injection of chemicals for which is necessary adequate dosing instruments.

▪ O2 and CO2 can be eliminated by chemical or thermal process. The chemical process
uses sometimes some products non-recommended in food industry ,thus the thermal
process offers more advantages as:

➢ O2 Elimination
➢ CO2 elimination
➢ And by consequence, Ph correction
▪ The timing of regeneration can be selected
manually or automatically .

▪ If the softener is electronically controlled by a

timer, the regeneration has to be selected
outside the operational use of steam boilers.

▪ The volumetric systems work in dependence

on the flow volume. The duplex design is
specially suitable for continuous operation,
because the regeneration is performed
alternatively without interruption of the soft
water supply.
▪ During the vaporisation process the
suspended solids in the boiler water
are collect in the bottom of the boiler in
the form of sludge. VPA26S
(Manual)
▪ Manual blowdown valves are specially
designed for application on steam
boilers removing the concentrations of
solids (sludges) avoiding boiler
damages, unstable water level control
and other typical problems.

▪ The valves are provided with a manual

handwheel.

▪ Valve aperture cycles depends from

the boiler manufacturer specification or
water treatment specialists.
▪ During the vaporisation process the
suspended solids in the boiler water are
collect in the bottom of the boiler in the form
of sludge.

▪ Automatic blowdown valve are specially VPA26S

designed for application on steam boilers (Automatic)
removing the concentrations of solids
(sludges) avoiding boiler damages, unstable
water level control and other typical
problems.

▪ The valves are provided with a diaphragm

actuator suitable for compressed air motive
fluid.

▪ The opening signal is supplied by an

automatic intermittent control unit but they
can also have alternative manual operation.

▪ Valve aperture depends from the boiler

manufacturer specification or water
treatment specialists.
▪ Some impurities remains in the boiler water in the form of dissolved solids and so they cannot
be eliminated trough the bottom blowdown. The concentration of this dissolved solids naturally
increase with steam production.
▪ When this concentration is
high, and in order to restore
the right levels, some of the
boiler contents must be
purged. Lost water will be
replaced by lower TDS
concentration feedwater,
replacing the correct
parameters.

▪ A typical problem of excess

TDS concentration is water
foaming which origins bad
boiler performance and wet
steam.
▪ When the TDS concentration reaches the set point measured by the conductive probe,
a controller gives an open signal to the blowdown valve.

Conductivity
probe
Blowdown controller

Adcatrol
Blowdown control valve

To BEX for expansion and

drain or flash vessel for
energy recovery.

Sample Cooler

Boiler manufacturer and water treatment specialists

usually indicates the maximum permissible
concentration.
▪ The blowdown and cooling units are used in the modern boiler houses to cool hot
waste water and steam boiler blowdown before to discharge into a pit or drain to
prevent thermal pollution and pipe system damages. The waste water is discharged EH
into the unit which is at atmospheric pressure and the cooling water enters via a Exhaust Head
control valve controlled by a thermostat, mixing with the hot water .

▪ If flash steam can not be recovered or discharged to atmosphere an additional

condensing water spray system (optional) can be supplied . This one is fitted in the
top of the unit and can be controlled directly
either by another thermostat or the
same command used for the
automatic blowdown
valve control .

BEX
Blowdown
Expansion Vessel
▪ Sample coolers prevent steam flashing-off from hot pressurised liquid samples, which
can be dangerous and will result in an incorrect water sample.
▪ Basically they operate as a small heat exchanger.

Hot Sample IN
Hot Sample IN

Cooling Water Cooling Water

OUT IN
Cold Sample
OUT

SC32 SC32/F
Cooling Water
IN Cold Sample Cooling Water
OUT OUT
▪ For high pressure boilers and continuous analysing, special execution is necessary.
▪ Clean steam systems also require a specific design and finishing surfaces.

SC332
SC432
SC532 SC32P
Clean Steam
Ts= 550ºC
Internal Finished
Ps=245 bar
to 0,5 micronsRa
 Flash steam

▪ One of typical applications for the use of

flash vessel is precisely in recovering flash
steam from the boiler blowdown.

▪ This energy recovery can be used for

feedtank preheating, saving fuel.
Blowdown from
boiler
▪ Flash steam produced can be condensate
inside the vessel by using injectors Adca
submerged in the water or it can simply be
RV.../A
used on the deaerator head.
Flash Vessel

Contaminated
water
 Make up Water
Condensate
Flash Steam

Flash Vessel

Hot Water
Heat Recover from
ADG Residual Blowdown
Atmospheric Thermal Deaerator
Cold Water
with Dome Flash Steam Inlet
▪ Since many years ago it is common to recover condensate from steam systems to the
boiler feed tank, saving water and energy, reducing water treatment chemicals, costs
and consequently reducing CO2 emissions.

▪ In some systems, the amount of recovered condensate and correspondent temperature

is so high that the water feed tank temperature rise to the boiling point. Thus, most of
the recoverable energy is lost in the form of flash steam through the vessel vent pipe.
Besides, boiler feed pumps can cavitate (see NPSH) and be damaged.

▪ FRECO – Flash Steam Heat RECOvery, consider the energy recovery downstream of
boiler feed pump. High pressure avoids the water boiling. (FRECO can be supplied as a
skid mounting system for easy installation and commissioning).

A raised of 6ºC in feed water temperature, corresponds to a saving of

approximately 1% fuel.
 Flash Steam Steam

Condensate

Hot Water

Cold Water
▪ A thermal deaerator is actually a deaerating feed water heater, which combines water
heating, storage and deaeration capabilities.

▪ Water is stored in a under pressure vessel typically about 3 bar g in order to aloud it to
be kept at a temperature above 100ºC.

▪ Thermal deaeration takes place in equipments especially designed for the job. There
are existing two main kinds:

➢ Tray type deaerators

➢ Spray nozzle type deaerators

▪ Tray type is by far the most used doing to is simplicity, versatility and performance.

▪ Atmospheric deaerators also called partial deaeration systems or semi-deaerators are

most times the economic choice for boiler capacities up to approximately 2000 Kg/h.
 Vent
▪ Atmospheric semi-deaerators are designed to
heat boiler feed water and to reduce oxygen and
carbon dioxide (oxygen values in the feed water of
less than 1,6 mg/l , can be achieved). Remaining
oxygen can be completely removed using oxygen Condensate Make up
scavenging chemicals. Recirculation Water
▪ Basically the complete system consists of a
storage vessel, a deaeration head section and a
vent. Flash
▪ Hot return condensate is injected in the bottom of Condensate steam
the storage vessel using an adequate sparger pipe
and softened make-up water is introduced in the
deaerator head to be heated by a contact cascade
flash steam heating system (counter-current flow)
coming from the vessel. Part of dissolved gases are ADG
liberated from the water at this point and they are Atmospheric
liberated to atmosphere trough the flash steam vent Semi-Deaerator
line . Dome

▪ The semi-deaerated water then falls to the

storage vessel below, where a steam injection
system will provide an additional deaeration.
 Make up
Water

ADG/V
Complete unit
Complete unit supplied including
all the necessary instrumentation
for temperature and level control.
▪ Thermal deaerators are designed to heat boiler
feed water and to reduce oxygen and carbon
dioxide (oxygen values in the feed water of less
than 0,02 mg/l - 0,02 ppm, can be achieved).
Remaining oxygen can be completely removed
using oxygen scavenging chemicals. Condensate Make up Water
▪ Basically the complete system consists of a
storage vessel, a deaeration section and a vent.

▪ Return condensate and softened make-up water

are introduced in the deaerator dome to be heated
by a contact cascade steam heating system TDG
(counter-current flow). The majority of dissolved Steam Thermal Deaerator
gases are liberated from the water at this point and Dome
they are liberated to atmosphere trough the flash Double Stage
steam vent line.
▪ The deaerated water then falls to the storage
vessel below, where a steam blanket ensure that
no gases are reabsorbed.
▪ A sparger pipe is installed inside the tank at the
bottom level providing the necessary heating
energy. A second low pressure steam supply can
also be necessary (double stage).
Complete unit
supplied including Condensate
all the necessary
instrumentation for
temperature, Make up Water
pressure and level
control.

TDG/V
Complete unit
▪ Find the energy required to heat up the tank
content, from 5ºC to 65ºC in 1,5 hours – 90’.

m x Cp x T x 60'
Q 
90' V = 18000Kg of Water
18000 Kg x 1Kcal/Kg º C x 60º x 60'
Q  T1=5ºC
90'
Q  720 000 Kcal/h T2=65ºC
Cp of Water=1 Kcal/Kg ºC
ΔT = 65º-5º=60ºC
How much Steam?
Steam = 3bar g

▪ Steam is supplied at 3 bar. From steam tables we can see that at this pressure the total enthalpy of
steam (hg) at this pressure is 654,6 Kcal/Kg.
SI-115
Q
MKg/h  
hg  (T2 x Cp)
720 000
MKg/h   MKg/h  1221,2Kg/h SI-125
654,6  (65º C x 1 Kcal/Kg º C)
▪ Using the same formulas it is possible to find the steam flow rate necessary to heat the tank material
and depending from insulation, ambient temperature, vessel design, etc, it is also possible to determine
the steam flow rate necessary to make up for the heat losses from radiation and water surface. Practical
calculation may accept an allowance based in a percentage of around 10%.
▪So, for our example we will consider 1221,2 Kg x 1,1 = 1343,4 Kg/h of steam.

NOTE: The tank must have enough free volume for the mass of steam added during the heating
process, 1343,4 Kg x 1,5 hr = 2015,10Kg.

The final water volume will be than 18000Kg + 2015,10Kg = 20015,10Kg.

At 3 bar the SI 140 has a capacity of 800 Kg/h, so, for the application we need
1343,4 1343,4
 1,68  2 Steam Injectors SI 140 or  4,98  5 Steam Injectors SI 125
800 270
The vessel design, dimensions and the particular application may recommend the use of one
single big injector or more small units, with the equivalent total capacity.
▪ Hot water (or other fluids) storage vessels for
industrial purposes can be divided in two types:
➢ Accumulators
➢ Semi-instantaneous ADCATHERM WAVE
with external STSV
▪ Any of these can be equipped with internal coils Heat Exchanger
or external heat exchanger.

▪ In the first case there’s a pre determined lack of

time for heating a quantity of fluid that is ready to
be used. In this case, coil or heat exchanger’s
regeneration capacity during consumption
process is not particularly relevant.

▪ On the second case there’s a combination

between accumulated volume and capacity of
instantaneous heating. These two parameters
combined must assure the maximum
consumption calculated.
▪ Heavy fuel oils and other viscous fluids are
stored in tanks heated by pipe coils or other
alternative systems. This is necessary to provide
the necessary temperature (viscosity) for
pumping. Too high temperature can represent
less viscosity and pump cavitation problems. So,
temperature control and correct condensate
drainage can be crucial.

▪ Heating Coils can also be used to heat water

in closed or open vessels.

▪ Mainly on fuel oil systems and semi-

instantaneous heaters the coil is frequently
supplied with a sleeve, heating the oil locally as BM20
it is pumped out of the tank.

▪ The use of extruded low fin tube , has the

advantage that it can improve the external
surface and thermal performance (Adcatherm R-
Coils).
▪ Heat exchangers are equipments designed to
transfer primary heat from one fluid to another.

▪ Shell and tube heat exchangers are very popular for

steam to water heating since they can be designed
for any temperature and has relatively low cost
maintenance.

▪ Plate heat exchangers can also be used on steam

applications under certain conditions, however,
maintenance is more expensive doing to the high
cost of gaskets.

▪ Ready to install packaged units including heat

exchanger, control valve, steam trapping system and
all the necessary accessories, are recommended
since as a rule they save time installation, while
guaranty the correct assembly of all critical
components.
 Heat Exchanger Storage Hot Water Vessels – Closed Type
TUBE SIDE SHELL SIDE TUBE SIDE VESSEL SIDE
FLUID SATURATED STEAM WATER FLUID SATURATED STEAM WATER
OPERATING PRESSURE bar bar OPERATING PRESSURE bar bar
INLET TEMPERATURE ºC * ºC INITIAL TEMPERATURE -------------- ºC
OUTLET TEMPERATURE ºC * ºC FINAL TEMPERATURE -------------- ºC
FLOW RATE Kg/h * Kg/h or m3/h VESSEL CAPACITY -------------- Kg or m3
HEAT EXCHANGED (Option) KW or Kcal/h
INITIAL HEATING TIME (In minutes) ‘
MODEL REQUIRED (Please select) STH (Horizontal) STV(Vertical)
RECOVERY PERIOD (In minutes)
HEAT EXCHANGED (Option) KW or Kcal/h
Remarks : VESSEL TYPE (Please select) HORIZONTAL VERTICAL
* Not necessary in case of saturated steam. AVAILABLE DIMENSIONS (Send a sketch) Straight length mm Diameter mm
STH – Horizontal installation ; STV – Vertical
installation. Remarks : A coil in a cylindrical vertical vessel should be as close to
but not exceeding the diameter of the vessel as possible. A coil in a
▪ Before installing an instantaneous heat horizontal vessel is typically approximately 2/3 the length of the vessel
exchanger, one must certify that there’s a sufficient
steam flow or primary energy available for the Semi – Instantaneous Hot Water Heater
effect. If the vessel is also operating as semi-instantaneous hot water heater,
please confirm :
▪ Storage vessels and semi-instantaneous HOT WATER CONSUMPTION m3
systems can be inconvenient since they need INCOMING COLD WATER TEMPERATURE ºC
DESIRED HOT WATER TEMPERATURE ºC
more installation space. However, by balancing LENGTH OF TIME (IN MINUTES) ‘
with initial heating time and the accumulation
capacity it’s possible to avoid undesired highs of
energetic consumption .
▪ The steam/water Adcamix mixers provide cheap, instant
source of low pressure hot water by utilising existing steam
and cold water supplies.

▪ The mixer incorporates a safety device to ensure that live

steam cannot accidentally be ejected, even if for some
reason the cold water supply fail.

▪ The temperature of water at the outlet of the Adcamix is

easily controlled by using water and steam valves fitted to
the inlets.
▪ Air heating of large industrial spaces High pressure
can be made through multiples Live steam
systems available nowadays (gas,
electricity, hot water, steam, etc).

▪ A steam to air unit heater is

composed by a coil and a fan, which

Condensate
forces air passage through the coil in
order to heat it.

▪ Steam air heating batteries can also Steam to Air

be used in central air conditioning Unit Heater
units combined with filtration
modules, direct steam humidification,
etc.
▪ From higher pressure plants where the condensate enters into the vessel, the
flash steam is separated from the condensate. Through the top main connection of
the flash vessel the flash steam is then supplied to the lower pressure steam
network. The remaining condensate is discharged by an automatic float steam trap.
(See Adca Training I). Flash Steam

▪ Installation of a flash vessel is

particularly convenient when both high
and low pressure steam equipments
are present in the same plant since Blowdown
high pressure condensate can from boiler
generate low pressure steam.

▪ To maximize the use of flash

vessels, it is convenient to design
them for the lowest possible pressure. ADCA
Flash Vessel
Remaining
Model RV.../A Model RV.../L
condensate
High pressure Low pressure
Live steam Steam application

Flash steam
Flash vessel
RV…/L
Condensate