BOILER BLOWDOWN AND HEAT RECOVERY

BOILER BLOWDOWN is necessary for two separate and distinct reasons:

1. To ensure that the concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) is kept below a
certain maximum allowable level.
2. To prevent the accumulation of suspended solids that collect at the bottom of the boiler
drum.

BOILER BLOWDOWN should consequently be carried out in two distinct steps:

1. Continuous blowdown from just below the low water level for the purpose of control of
Total Dissolved Solids of boiler water.
Continuous blowdown lends itself ideally to recovery of some 80% of heat content and 10 -
20% (depending on boiler pressure) of pure water in the form of condensed flash steam.

2. Bottom blowdown to remove suspended solids should be carried out on an intermittent

basis from the bottom of the boiler drum. Specialised valves are available to handle this arduous
duty of handling hot boiler water containing solid particles, with reliable shut-off for long
periods. The intermittent blowdown can be automated via programmable cycle timers.
Discharge of bottom blowdown is to a blowdown vessel at atmospheric pressure. A cooling
system may be required to ensure that blowdown temperature going to sewer is within
stipulated limits. An exhaust head and silencer may also be necessary to avoid nuisance water
and noise emissions from the vent stack of the blowdown vessel.
Unfortunately there are still many, even large boilers where all blowdown is via the bottom
blowdown valve only.
This is extremely wasteful, as illustrated below:
The quantity of blowdown required is easily calculated as a percentage of steam generation:
Percent Blowdown = Sf / Sb - Sf x 100

Where:
Sf = Feedwater TDS in ppm (feedwater is the combined total of make-up water, condensate
return and chemical treatment)

Sb = Desired TDS of boiler water in ppm.

Every effort should be made to minimise the amount of water that is blown down to drain.
Feedwater should be kept as pure as possible by returning all uncontaminated condensate to the
boiler house, and by pre-treating the make-up as much as this can be economically justified.

Blowdown should also be minimised by automatic TDS control. Given current and projected
boiler fuel costs, even quite small boilers can economically be fitted with automatic TDS
controls. Payback periods under 1 year are common.
HEAT RECOVERY FROM CONTINUOUS BOILER BLOWDOWN

Continuous blowdown lends itself ideally to the recovery of a large proportion of its heat and
water content.
Although many large boiler systems employ blowdown heat recovery, most small and medium
sized steam users have not seriously considered heat recovery equipment for what appears to be
a small operating cost. However, with rising fuel costs, the payback for heat recovery from
blowdown is often very short indeed.
The most cost-effective method is a two-stage heat recovery system.
In the first stage, blowdown water is expanded in a flash vessel from boiler pressure to feed tank
or deaerator pressure. Flash steam is thus utilised for pre-heating of boiler feedwater.
As flash steam condenses, its water content is also saved.
In the second stage, the residual blowdown, after flash steam extraction, is piped to a heat
exchanger, where it gives up a substantional portion of its sensible heat to cold make-up water.

A brief case study of a typical medium-sized boiler illustrates the economic benefits of such a
heat recovery system:

Boiler Load: 10 t/hr at 1000 kpag.

Continuous blowdown flow: 5% = 0.5 t/h
Flash steam due to expansion of blowdown from 1000 kpag boiler pressure to 20 kpag in
feedtank: 15% of 0.5 = 0.075 t/h.
Assuming 8000 hr/year operation, 600 t steam is recovered. Assuming a cost of steam (based on
fuel cost of $5/GJ and 90% boiler efficiency) of $15/t = $9000 ANNUAL SAVING.
Residual blowdown after flash vessel = 0.5 -0.075 = 0.425 t/h.
Heat exchanger temperature drop is 100 - 30 =
70 degC x 0.425 t/h x 0.0042 GJ/t spec. heat water = 0.125 GJ/h transfered to cold make-up
water. Again x 8000 hr/y = 1000 GJ/year saved.
Assuming boiler fuel cost of $5/GJ =
$5000 ANNUAL SAVING.

In addition, 600 t/year of treated make-up water is saved, as the recovered flash steam
is condensed in the feed tank. Assuming a treated water cost of $3/t =
$1800 ANNUAL SAVING.

The TOTAL ANNUAL SAVING = $15800, and the payback period for the heat recovery
package including installation would be less than 1 year.