Prevent Contamination and Corrosion in Demineralized Water Storage Tanks Using Nitro...

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Prevent Contamination and Corrosion in Demineralized Water Storage Tanks Using Nitrogen
Sparging and Blanketing

Prevent Contamination and Corrosion in

Demineralized Water Storage Tanks Using
Nitrogen Sparging and Blanketing
07/01/2015 | David J. Connaughton
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The electric power generation industry relies heavily on demineralized and deionized water

during process operations. Managing the water supply is critical not only under normal

Territory Sales Manager - Exacter, Inc. San Francisco, Northwest US Region

operating conditions, but also during outages.

(http://jobs.powermag.com/jobseeker/job/22441284/)

When scheduled or unscheduled outages occur, many boiler and pre-boiler systems are

T&D Transmission Superintendent - City

drained. After the outage, they are refilled with water that has been held in large storage

of Garland - Anderson, TX

tanks and is therefore aerated, typically with high concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide,
carbonates, and oxygen. When aerated water is introduced at startup, components can get

(http://jobs.powermag.com/jobseeker/job/24448990/)
Service Manager - Nixon Power Services

corroded, thereby harming the boiler system. Many demineralized water storage tanks are

- Lawrenceville, GA

dosed with ammonia and hydrazine to reduce the oxygen content. These mitigation practices,

(http://jobs.powermag.com/jobseeker/job/24440669/)

however, increase by about 10 times the concentration of carbonate due to the formation of
ammonium carbonate.

Dynamic Duo: Sparging and Blanketing

To prevent corrosion in boiler feedwater tanks, nitrogen sparging and blanketing practices
should be considered. Sparging and blanketing practices, when combined, introduce near-

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pure nitrogen into the water tanks and maintain a protective layer of nitrogen. In other words,
nitrogen sparges the water to remove any dissolved oxygen and CO2, and humid air in the
headspace of the tankcontaminated with oxygen and CO2is replaced by pure, inert
nitrogen. This may be maintained by a precise valve-control system that automatically adjusts
the nitrogen content to maintain the protective blanket as the tank is filled or emptied, or by
simply having a continuous purge of low-pressure nitrogen.
Typically, when a water tank is sparged, sintered stainless steel plates or rods, called sparging
elements, are used to purge the water on a continuous basis. Advantages of nitrogen
sparging and blanketing are many. First and foremost, by filling the boiler and feedwater
system with deaerated water with low concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide,
corrosion and iron and copper oxide scale are minimized. Furthermore, faster startups are
possible because of less iron and copper. These practices also reduce energy costs because
they eliminate auxiliary steam for deaerators, and they eliminate storage tank contamination.
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Nitrogen: Delivered or Produced on Demand?

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There are four ways industrial plants may obtain nitrogen. The nitrogen can be received from
a supplier as a gas in high-pressure cylinders, received as a liquid in microbulk tanks (dewars),
received as a liquid delivered to bulk liquid tanks, or produced on demand at the facility.

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High-pressure cylinders typically do not contain enough nitrogen for sparging and would
need to be replaced often. Microbulk tanks may contain enough nitrogen for sparging, but
they continuously evaporate nitrogen and would need to be regularly replaced. Bulk delivered
nitrogen is transported by tanker truck and stored in a large insulated vessel mounted to a
poured concrete slab and protected by a fence. The generating company would typically need
to pay for the slab and fence, but the gas company usually owns the tank.

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Delivered nitrogen requires very little maintenance and creates the perception that there is an
endless supply. Gas companies offer five-year delivery contracts, ensuring a steady source of
nitrogen. However, these contracts do not guarantee price, and cancellations are often
required one year in advance.

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Alternatively, nitrogen can be created by pressure swing adsorption nitrogen generators for
an electrical cost of about $0.15/ccf (hundred cubic feet) versus delivered nitrogens cost of at
least $0.70/ccf (prices vary depending on servicecylinders or dewarsand distance from

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Prevent Contamination and Corrosion in Demineralized Water Storage Tanks Using Nitro... Page 3 of 7

supply). One thing to consider in cold climates is that an on-site nitrogen generator must
usually be installed in a weather-protected area and may take up indoor space, so site
planning is a must.
Nitrogen generators are capable of producing up to 99.999% pure compressed nitrogen at
dew points to 70F from nearly any compressed air supply. The generators are designed to
continually transform standard compressed air into nitrogen at safe, regulated pressures
without operator attention, thereby eliminating unexpected shutdowns due to bad or
empty cylinders. It should also be noted that in order to comply with the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME) corrosion prevention specification CRTD-66, systems must
generate nitrogen of at least 99.6% purity.

Ensure a Safe Environment

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There are safety issues to keep in mind wherever nitrogen is being used. Although 78% of the
air we breathe is nitrogen gas, it is only safe to breathe when mixed with the appropriate
amount of oxygen. The two gases cannot be detected by smell, so a nitrogen-enriched
environment, which depletes oxygen, must be detected with special instruments. If the
concentration of nitrogen is too high (and oxygen too low), the human body becomes oxygen
deprived, resulting in asphyxiation.
Nitrogen generators, such as those from Parker, feature a built-in oxygen analyzer that
measures the oxygen concentration of the nitrogen stream. The system requires a nominal
feed pressure of 110 psig and can operate at pressures up to 140 psig. The resulting nitrogen
has a dew point as low as 58F.

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Such generators also use high-efficiency pre-filtration to remove all contaminants down to
0.01 micron from the compressed air stream. The filters are followed by dual-pressure vessels
filled with carbon molecular sieve (CMS). In one vessel at operating pressure, the CMS

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adsorbs oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. The other vessel, operating at low pressure,
releases the captured oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.
Cycling the pressures in the CMS vessels causes all contaminants to be captured while letting
the nitrogen pass through the online vessel and contaminants to be released to regenerate
the CMS in the standby vessel. A final sterile-grade filter ensures removal of any microbial
contamination, which is important to prevent microbial growth in the boiler feedwater.
Nitrogen purities can be set with a flow control valve. Reducing the flow increases purity,
while increasing flow decreases purity.
On-site nitrogen generators are typically freestanding, housed in a cabinet, or skid-mounted.
They come as complete packages with pre-filters, final filters, and a nitrogen buffer tank. They
are also simple to install, maintain, and operate. The plant only needs to connect a standard
compressed air line to the inlet of the generator (after ensuring that a sufficient supply of

VIDEOS & INFOGRAPHICS

compressed air is available) and attach the outlet to a nitrogen line.

Nitrogen may also be used for boiler layup during outages. Proper layup of the boiler is
critical, because a boiler can be laid up for an indefinite period (see Layup Practices for Fossil
Plants (http://www.powermag.com/layup-practices-for-fossil-plants/) in the February 2013
issue). If the boiler is cool, then air can infiltrate and cause corrosion and pitting, maintenance
issues, startup delays, and water chemistry problems. Its the near-pure nitrogen that serves
as the primary weapon and technology for eliminating such issues because it doesnt

(http://powermag.com/long-form-stories/bw-

introduce foreign chemicals into the boiler.

power/)
A U.S. Power Industry Regulatory Update

Installation

(http://powermag.com/long-form-stories/bwpower/)

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Prevent Contamination and Corrosion in Demineralized Water Storage Tanks Using Nitro... Page 4 of 7

When connecting a generator to a large tank of water, it is important to prevent backflow of

An interactive overview of where all the major

the water into the generator in the event compressed air is lost. A check valve may be used,

federal industry regulations stand as of Labor

but a more reliable method is to run a vertical leg above the level of the water overflow pipe

day. Presented by: B&W

(the highest water level in the tank) and then back down again into the nitrogen generator.

Visit our video archive (/power-video-

With this plumbing configuration, if the compressor goes down, water in the line would only

archive/)

rise as high as the level of the water in the tank. Therefore, water would not flow back into the
generator and cause damage to the generator (Figure 3).
July 24, 2015

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the issue of energy storage from
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Source: U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory

INDUSTRY NEWS
(http://cdn.powermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/PWR_070115_FOM_Fig3.jpg)

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3. Typical sparging system. Extending the vertical riser above the highest possible liquid level in the tank
prevents backflow into the nitrogen generator. Source: Parker Hannifin Corp.

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However, theres more to installation than simply running a nitrogen line to the overflow. To

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Kansai Electric

get the real benefit, the water would have to be purged with nitrogenrequiring a

(http://transportationandstorage.energy-

distribution grid and spargers at the bottom of the tank.

business-review.com/news/engie-signsliquefied-natural-gas-deal-with-kansaielectric-220715-4631126)

Put Nitrogen Safety Training into the Mix

(http://utilitiesretail.energy-business-

lockout/tagout procedure for any confined space should be to physically isolate the source of

review.com/news/sagemcom-to-deliver-

nitrogen from all downstream piping. This is typically accomplished using a spool piece in the

electricity-and-natural-gas-smart-metering-

piping that can be easily removed prior to maintenance and reinstalled following completion.
Nitrogen should never be added to a confined space that will later be entered by plant

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gas smart metering system

Besides following strict confined space procedures where nitrogen is concerned, part of the

system-230715-4631114)

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personnel during an outage. Nitrogen should only be used where the equipment is left full of

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water and no one will be entering the equipment.

acquires-20mw-shawboro-solar-power-plant
-in-carolina-220715-4631119)

Handling and working around nitrogen requires several precautions to ensure safety. The
following come courtesy of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board:

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Use ventilation systems, retrieval systems, and atmospheric monitoring equipment, and

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train workers how to use them and how to determine when they are not working properly.

4631125)

SunEdison builds solar power plant in

Inform workers of the dangers of nitrogen-enriched atmospheres and provide systems to

Massachusetts (http://solar.energy-business

prevent interchanging breathing air and nitrogen.

-review.com/news/sunedison-build-solarpower-plant-in-massachusetts-2207154631118)

Implement good hazard communication, including information on safe handling of air and
nitrogen delivery systems.

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Prevent Contamination and Corrosion in Demineralized Water Storage Tanks Using Nitro... Page 5 of 7

Establish mandatory safety practices and procedures for entry into confined spaces, such as

(http://prsync.com/market-reports-on-

continuously, establishing rescue teams, and ensuring adequate contractor oversight.

india/implications-of-natural-gas-pooling-on
-natural-gas-infrastructure--market-in-india-

Ensure workers take precautions when working around equipment that may contain
elevated levels of nitrogen.

Implications of Natural Gas Pooling on

Natural Gas Infrastructure & Market in India

requiring permits, providing an attendant, monitoring spaces periodically, ventilating

727143/)

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Florida's Turn to Natural Gas

Clarify the reason for special fittings on compressed gas cylinders.

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Train on the proper use of air supply equipment.

-to-natural-gas/)

Training should cover new and revised procedures for confined space entry and should

INDUSTRY PRESS

establish measurements for employee proficiency. Contractors, as well as employees, should

Ansaldo Energia awarded three major

be trained.

contracts in Egypt worth over EUR 240

With proper safeguards in place, nitrogen sparging and blanketing practices offer a method
to ensure high-purity demineralized water is maintained at power plants. The choice between
on-site nitrogen generation and relying on a gas supplier should be investigated based on the
advantages and disadvantages presented in this article. Whatever the choice, only safe system

million (http://www.powermag.com/pressreleases/ansaldo-energia-awarded-threemajor-contracts-in-egypt-worth-over-eur240-million/)
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implementation can assure a proper return on investment.

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David J. Connaughtonis product manager for the Filtration and Separation Division of Parker
Hannifin Corp.

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