Technical Information
TIHE20111812_R00, Updated : 2020.11.18
Boiler blowdown method for optimal boiler management
1. Introduction
There is the impurities such as SS(Suspended
Solids), Dissolved gas, TDS(Total Dissolved
Solids) on the boiler water, due
characteristics of boiler, solids are deposited
inside of the boiler continuously, continuous
discharge of the solids is important for boiler
management. If the solids are not discharged
from inside of the boiler, the system will be
contaminated and equipment efficiency will be
down by carryover. And there are many
problems because of the corrosion by solids
sticking as scale to the boiler body or tube.
Therefore, the efficient management
removal the solids inside of the boiler is very
important for the boiler, conclusively, it is affect
the boiler’s life.
Fig.1 is showing how to treat the boiler water,
Depending on the type of impurities, there are
several ways to treat the solids by the kind of
impurities such as filtering by filters, degasifying
Fig. 1 Boiler water treatment method
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by degasifier and blowdown that discharge the
TDS and SS out of the boiler, filtering equipment
for filtering and degasifying, chemical and
degasifier must be installed, but only blowdown
to the can operate by operating only the blowdown
valve and no need additional equipment.
Blowdown that is the last stage of treating the
boiler water is secure the safety of boiler, but
many shipping company ignore it, so we would
like to suggest the standard because they do not
have any information for when, how, how much
blowdown.
2. Type of the blowdown
and
There are basically two methods. First, bottom
blowdown is lower part of the boiler that
discharges solids which is deposited on the
lower part and second, surface blowdown is
discharging floating solids from upper part.
There are the details as follows.
A. Surface blowdown
Using water softening facility is one of the
method for treating the boiler water. It is water
supply by changing only chemical property to
the dissolved ion (Na+), which does not form a
scale, from mineral ions (Ca2+, Mg2+), which is
easy to change to scale. However, even with
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 Fig.2 Scale sticking on the boiler tube Fig.3 Pit occurring by scale sticking

such treatment, the total amount of dissolved B. Bottom blowdown

solids entering to the boiler does not change,
and as the boiler operates for a long time, it is The boiler water changes to soft sludge from
constantly deposited inside of the boiler without hard due to boiler anti-scale. Sludge that is
being discharged to the outside of boiler. Also insoluble solids is circulated in the boiler by
using boiler anti-scale to prevent the scale water circulation. But if the boiler’s operating
sticking, then it promotes the deposition of time increases, amount of sludge will increase
dissolved solids and floating solids in boiler too and the If left unchecked, it can block
water. When solids dissolved in the boiler are circulation or cause overheating. In case of
concentrated over then limit, carry over and boiler shut-down, the sludge that was circulating
sticking scale on the whole of boiler thermal is deposited in the lower part, and it cause the
surface will be occurred. Local concentration accident due to overheating. Secondary, it cause
creates scale to boiler thermal surface and it will the corrosion, so it is necessary to remove the
reduce the equipment efficiency like Fig.2. Then deposited sludge from the bottom of the boiler
as a result, the boiler will increase fuel usage before sludge is generated.
and cause overheating to thermal surface and
damaging the drum or tube.
If solids deposited steam pass into boiler
system by carry over, steam will disturb the
system operating by solids deposition and it will
pollute boiler then thermal surface and heat
transfer efficiency will be reduced. Also it will
cause the entire energy loss. Therefore, it is
necessary to discharge and remove the total
dissolved solids in the boiler.

Fig.4 Sludge deposition on the boiler lower part

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 Fig. 5 Shell pit by sludge deposition Fig. 6 Relation of between boiler water
concentration and blowdown amount

3. Management standard of boiler

Ex) How much is blowdown amount for Kangrim
water
PA boiler 1,600kg/h?
f : 5 (ppm)
The TDS management standard is selected in
( F.W concentration from fresh water generator)
accordance with KS B6209, Kangrim boiler
F : 1,600 (kg/h)
type’s standard is shown in the below table 1.
m : 3,000 (ppm)

4. Calculation of blowdown amount Blowdown amount = 5 x 1,600 / 3,000

= 2.67 ≒ 3 kg/h
The calculation of the blowdown amount is
calculated as follows.
Therefore, the boiler should blowdown 3 kg per
hour of boiler operation.
f ×F
B= (kg/h)
m
5. Determination the blowdown timing

B : Blowdown amount (kg/h)

The most ideal blowdown timing is to discharge
F : Feed water amount or steam amount (kg/h)
the blowdown amount that calculated by formula
f : Feed water concentration (ppm, ㎲/cm)
with collecting boiler water and feed water
m : Boiler water concentration (ppm, ㎲/cm)
regularly. However, since it could be very difficult
Boiler MA/PA/
PB/MB/MD Remark to blowdown according to standard, Blowdown
type MC/MS
should be operated at least once a day, when
TDS Below 2000 Below 3000 Classification
carried out blowdown, proceed from the normal
(ppm) according to
operating
water level of the boiler until the low level alarm of

pressure the boiler. At this time, the boiler load should be 30

Table.1 TDS management standard for ~ 60% with water circulation to make conditions for
Kangrim boiler type smooth blowdown. Also, boiler water must be

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collected and analyzed at least twice a week and if
necessary, additional blowdown should be carried
out.
6. Conclusion
We often misunderstand that chemical treatment
using chemical is everything because we do many
chemical treatments depending on the type of
impurities for the water treatment. However, as
mentioned above, consider that the boiler is an
equipment that continuous solids must
deposited. because of the characteristic of the
boiler, so it is important the TDS should be
discharged to the outside before accumulation.
Periodic blowdown, which is final water treatment
process, during boiler operation are very important
for smooth and safe operation for the boiler.
We receive a lot of questions from many shipping
companies regarding boiler’s materials
thickness. Of course, most of shipping companies
wants to use better, thicker materials. However,
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the boiler is a equipment that is exposed to the risk
of corrosion no matter how much safety rate is
given in the design because water, oxygen, high
heat, and exhaust gas containing sulfur are always
contacting with the boiler body or tube’s carbon
steel. Rather, the life of the boiler will depend on
how the user uses and manages it. As this
managerial perspective, the water treatment and
blowdown of boiler should also be carried out the
management continuously and periodically.
be
7. Reference
1) McGraw Hill, 2011, The Nalco Guide to Boiler
Failure Analysis, 2nd ed., Nalco Company
2) H.H.Uhlig, 1961, Corrosion handbook, John
Wiley & Sonns Inc
3) 2011, Rule for ships, Det Norske Veritas
and 4) Japan Boiler Association, 1997, Recent
Corrosion and Countermeasures for Boiler
＊This document contains maker's technical opinions,
and some contents are subject to change without notice.
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