Proper Marine Boiler Blowdown

Boiler water has a certain amount of dissolved or suspended solids and as the water boils and steam is generated, there is a gradual concentration of remaining solids that are left behind. Boilers have limitations as to how concentrated boiler water can become until there are problems such as scale, foaming or carryover. Therefore, in order to regulate the amount of concentrated boiler water, a portion of the water must be removed by blowdown. Blowdown is the purge of a small portion of concentrated boiler water from the boiler in order to maintain the optimum level of dissolved and suspended solids in the system. It is an important part of normal boiler operations and is essential in preventing waterside deposits and/or boiler carryover. Typically there are two types of boiler blowdown: bottom and surface or top. Bottom blowdown is a manual operation that removes both dissolved and suspended solids such as sludge that has settled out of the boiler water. It is also referred to as flash blowdown. Surface or top blowdown is typically done on a continuous basis to remove dissolved solids. Although we use the term continuous blowdown, it is not continuously performed uninterrupted, but rather on a periodic basis. For most low pressure boilers, <32 bar, it is recommended that the lower section of the boiler should be flash-blown once per week to control suspended solids. Flash-blowdown is defined as quickly opening the blowdown valve, holding it open for approximately 10 seconds and then quickly closing it. Experience has shown that frequent bottom blowdowns of short duration are more effective in removing suspended solids and sludge than blowdowns of longer duration. Sludge removal is only effective during the first few seconds of bottom blowdown due to the sweeping action that occurs. In addition, longer bottom blows create a great deal of turbulence in the water drum stirring up the sludge, resulting in the possibility of sludge being drawn into generating tubes and baking on tube surfaces. Longer bottom blowdown may also simply short circuit and draw dilute feed water out of the boiler bringing little or no sludge with it. The possibility of disrupting circulation leading to overheating of the main generating or water wall tube surfaces also exists with longer bottom blowdowns. A new boiler that has not been thoroughly and properly boiled out before being placed in service may need additional bottom blowdowns to remove debris. In our low-pressure phosphate/alkalinity boiler water treatment programs, hydroxyapatite sludge is formed from the precipitation of calcium hardness with phosphate in the presence of hydrate alkalinity. This is a non-adherent, soft sludge that is easily removed by bottom blowdown. Additionally, magnesium hardness can react with silica in an alkaline boiler water to form serpentine or it can react with hydrate alkalinity to form magnesium hydroxide. Both are non-adherent sludges.

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Our ULTRAMARINESM Coordinated Phosphate-pH high pressure boiler water treatment program is specifically designed to minimize free caustic conditions by adjusting and controlling the chemical balance of pH and phosphate in boiler water. In addition, boiler water conductivity is kept very low. This ensures that there is minimal chance of dissolved solids carryover which can cause damage to critical components in the steam cycle. Bottom blowdown in high-pressure systems provides a safety net to sweep away any sludge that may have developed. The frequency of bottom blowdown depends on the amount of suspended solids or sludge being generated. Because high quality makeup water is critical to a high-pressure system, the amount of sludge generated is normally less than would be generated in a low-pressure system which then allows for less frequent bottom blowdowns. When conditions are compromised, bottom blowdown schedules should be adjusted accordingly. Baked-on sludge can be found on high heat transfer areas or in small tube diameters. High iron and copper levels from condensate, that are returned in the boiler though the feedwater, may bind sludges making them difficult to remove. In addition, organic contamination such as oil can also bind sludges to the internal boiler tube surfaces. Oil that has been conditioned with LIQUID COAGULANT boiler sludge conditioner in lowpressure boiler water systems can sometimes be in the form of small balls that fall to the lowest parts of the boiler which are easily removed by bottom blowdown. These problems can be minimized by proper bottom blowdown. Surface or top blowdown controls dissolved solids where they are most concentrated, just below the water level in the steam separation chamber. This extraction point is also where it imposes the least interference to the boiler circulation flow patterns. Conductivity, total dissolved solids, and chlorides should be controlled by using the surface or top blowdown connection. This will limit the impurities and decrease the potential for deposit formations, foaming, and carryover. Proper boiler blowdown is an integral part of the total boiler water treatment program. Follow the boiler manufacturers instructions regarding how long to curtail or suspend the boiler firing while bottom blowing and the frequency and duration of the continuous surface or top blowdown.