12/26/2017 Boiler Chemistry Control and Treatment of Feed Water | SciTech Connect

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Boiler Chemistry Control and

Treatment of Feed Water
A field as broad as chemistry is
By: Swapan Basu, Posted on: May 5, 2015 cross-disciplinary by nature.
Chemistry researchers, in their
work or study, may encounter
It is essential to make sure the efficient boiler start up and issues in materials science,
biochemistry, chemical
commissioning with the help developing suitable means and engineering, or a wide range of
other disciplines. In addition to
workable approach to meet the various chemistry limits set for boiler the major areas of organic and
inorganic chemistry, Elsevier
especially for once through supercritical boilers where boiler content covers advanced topics
such as quantum chemistry,
chemistry cannot be controlled by blow down controls. Therefore it is analytical chemistry, physical and
theoretical chemistry, energy
absolutely necessary to control water chemistry very rigorously. generation and storage, nano-
chemistry, surface and interface
 Corrosions and deposits are two phenomena which are related to chemistry, and environmental
chemistry. This content is
available over a spectrum of
each other.   Corrosions & deposits in power cycle has been depicted formats that includes journals,
books, eBooks, undergraduate
in Figure 1: textbooks, multi-volume
reference works, and innovative
databases and online products
like Reaxys. Learn more about
our Chemistry books here.

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Corrosion produces solid Metallic Oxides and Hydroxides which are carried
Browse other articles in this
away by the system flow to be deposited at another place. Also high category: 
concentrations of deposits cause corrosion. So some treatment of feed water is Why Do We Need Personalized
Medicine and What Should Our
necessary. Details related to boiler water chemistry can be found in Chapter V Priorities Be?
of Power Plant Instrumentation and Control Handbook: A Guide to Thermal
One Professor’s Experience
Power Plants (Here only treatment part is discussed, with special reference to Using Reference Modules in the
Classroom
Supercritical boilers.)
#RealTimeChem Week 2015:
Blog Carnival Week Round-Up
It is necessary to treat the boiler water to produce protective coat on the tubes
#RealTimeChem Week 2015:
required for good quality water & steam. For this it is necessary that the water Blog Carnival Day 2 Round-Up

shall be low controlled alkaline, very low level of dissolved Oxygen and very low #RealTimeChem Week 2015:
Blog Carnival Day 1 Round-Up
presence of ions like Cl–. Silica from CW is another damaging factor as it
deposits on turbine. Silica needs to be controlled at DM plant also. The

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12/26/2017 Boiler Chemistry Control and Treatment of Feed Water | SciTech Connect

percentage of impurity allowed in boiler water/steam is function of boiler

operating pressure, so, more critical for high pressure boilers.

Two basic ways to regulate corrosion in water, are All Volatile Treatment (AVT)
and Oxygenated Treatment (OT). Two types of AVT are; i) AVT (R) Using
Ammonia (NH3) and as reducing agent like Hydrazine (N2H4), ii) AVT (O) same
as AVT ®  minus reducing agent i.e.  N2H4. Ammonia is commonly used
cheaper material to maintain pH in boiler water. N2H4 is used to scavenge
Dissolved Oxygen and protect Copper alloys from Ammonia. It may be good
for Cu alloy but form thick harder magnetite layer. In OT Ammonia is used to
control pH and remove little Oxygen, but slightly oxidizing environment is
maintained to promote formation of oxidizing layer on the metal surface. In
supercritical plants as well as in subcritical plants with CPU, after start up
Oxygen Treatment (OT) is done. This treatment feeds Oxygen to Condensate &
FW to arrest corrosion as well as internal scale formation—hence less chemical
cleaning and quicker start up. Normally after start up during operation such
OT is done to reduce internal scale formation at operating temperature due to
double oxide layer.  This also controls pH, because high temperature &
pressure NH3 breaks down & increase pH. There is direct relation between pH
and conductivity.

Instead many use DEHA which has nearly 40 times less toxicity when tested in
animals. Diethylhyrdoxylamine   (DEHA) has unique properties such as
volatility, passivating steel surface, coupled with low toxicity makes DEHA a
good Oxygen Scavenger in modern days power plants.

Some of EPRI* Recommended values related to various parameters are as

follows:

For this, control limit at feed water will be around:

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12/26/2017 Boiler Chemistry Control and Treatment of Feed Water | SciTech Connect

Typical sampling and dosing points in power cycle has been shown in Figure 2:

Here all probable points have been shown,

based on application necessary sampling points
may be chosen for Steam and water analysis
system (SWAS). Also blow down points have
been shown. Interested persons may follow
either of the following links to get the required
details viz. whole book or required chapter
below:

Power Plant Instrumentation and Control

Handbook: A Guide to Thermal Power Plants is available for purchase on the
Elsevier Store. Use discount code “STC215” at checkout and save up to 30% on
y0ur very own copy!

You can also find it on Science Direct here.

About the Author

Swapan Basu is Chief Executive, Systems and Controls, Engineering and

Consulting Kolkata, India. He has several decades of experience in practicing
instrumentation & control systems for subcritical and supercritical thermal
power plants, including combined cycle projects. Since 1979, he has led teams
of engineers in India, Jordan, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, and the United
States. He has a number of national and international technical papers to his
credit.

You can follow Swapan’s thoughts, research and musings on his personal blog
here.

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