Boilers Basics

Blowdown

Chapter 6

: Boiler Blow-Down

Boiler feed water, regardless of the type of treatment used to process the makeup,
still contains measurable concentrations of impurities. In some plants, contaminated
condensate contributes to feed water impurities. Internal boiler water treatment
chemicals also add to the level of solids in the boiler water.
When steam is generated, essentially pure H2O vapor is discharged from the boiler,
leaving the solids introduced in the feed water to remain in the boiler circuits. The
net result of impurities being continuously added and pure water vapor being
withdrawn is a steady increase in the level of dissolved solids in the boiler water.
There is a limit to the concentration of each component of the boiler water. To
prevent exceeding these concentration limits, boiler water is withdrawn as blowdown
and discharged to waste. Figure 6.1 illustrates a material balance for a boiler,
showing that the blowdown must be adjusted so that solids leaving the boiler equal
those entering and the concentration is maintained at the predetermined limits.

Steam: 405000 kG/day

Solid Content: 0 mg/l

Boiler water
Solids level:
1000 mg/l

Feed water: 450,000 kG/day

Solid Content: 100 mg/l
Solids added/day: 45 kg

Blowdown: 45000 kG/day

Solid Content 1000 mg/l
Solids removed/day 45 kg

Fig 6.1 how boiler water solids controlled by blowdown

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

Of course it is apparent that the substantial heat energy in the blowdown represents
a major factor detracting from the thermal efficiency of the boiler, so minimizing
blowdown is a goal in every steam plant. There are ways to reclaim this heat that
will be examined later in the chapter.
One way of looking at boiler blowdown is to consider it a process of diluting boiler
water solids by withdrawing boiler water from the system at a rate that induces a
flow of feed water into the boiler in excess of steam demand.
There are two separate blowdown points in every boiler system. One accommodates the blowdown flow that is controlled to regulate the dissolved solids or
other factors in the boiler water. The other is an intermittent or mass blowdown,
usually from the mud drum or water wall headers, which is operated intermittently at
reduced boiler load to rid the boiler of accumulated settled solids in relatively
stagnant areas.
Blowdown may be either intermittent or continuous. If intermittent, the boiler is
allowed to concentrate to a level acceptable for the particular boiler design and
pressure. When this concentration level is reached, the blowdown valve is opened for
a short period of time to reduce the concentration of impurities, and the boiler is
then allowed to re-concentrate until the control limits are again reached. In continuous blowdown, on the other hand, the blowdown valve is kept open at a fixed
setting to remove water at a steady rate, maintaining a relatively constant boiler
water concentration. Since the average concentration level in a boiler blown down
intermittently is substantially less than that maintained by continuous blowdown,
intermittent blowdown is less efficientmore costlythan continuous blowdown.

6.1 Controlling Of Boiler Water TDS by Blowdown

The actual dissolved solids concentration at which foaming may start will vary from
boiler to boiler. Conventional shell boilers are normally operated with the TDS in the
range of 2 000 ppm for very small boilers, and up to 3 500 ppm for larger boilers,
provided the:
- Boiler is operating near to its design pressure.
- Steam load conditions are not too severe.
- Other boiler water conditions are correctly controlled.
Blowing down the boiler to maintain these TDS levels should help to ensure
that reasonably clean and dry steam is delivered to the plant.
Table 7.1 provides some broad guidelines on the maximum permissible levels of
boiler water TDS in certain types of boiler. Above these levels, problems may occur.
Boiler type
Lancashire

Maximum TDS (ppm)

10 000

Two-pass economic

4 500

Packaged and three-pass economic

3 000 to 3 500

Low pressure water-tube

2 000 to 3 000

Coil boiler and steam generators (TDS in feedwater)

2 000

Medium pressure water-tube

1 500

High pressure water-tube

1 000

Table 6.1 Maximum TDS for Various Types of Boilers

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

6.1.1 Calculation of Blowdown Rate

To calculate the rate of boiler blowdown the following parameters should be
known:
1- The required boiler water TDS in parts per million.
2- The feedwater TDS in parts per million.
An average value may be obtained by looking at water treatment records, or
a sample of feedwater may be obtained and its conductivity measured
As with boiler water TDS measurement, conductivity (S/cm)x 0.7 = TDS
in parts per million (at 25C).
Note: the sample of feedwater that is required is from the boiler feedline or
from the feedtank and is not a sample of the make-up water supplying the
feedtank.
3- The quantity of steam which the boiler generates, usually measured in
kg/h. For selecting a blowdown system, the most important figure is usually
the maximum quantity of steam that the boiler can generate at full-load.

Blowdown Rate = (FS) / (B-F) ----- 6.1

Blowdown % = {(F) / (Bm-F)} 100 ----- 6.2
Where:
F: Feedwater TDS in PPM.
S: Steam generation rate in Kg/h.
B: Required boiler TDS in PPM.
Bm: Max. Allowable TDS in boiler water in PPM.

6.1.2 Controlling Blowdown Rate

6.1.2.1 Orifice Plate
There are a number of different ways that the blowdown rate can be controlled. The
simplest device is an orifice plate (Figure 6.2).

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

Figure 6.2 controlling the blowdown rate using a fixed orifice

The orifice size can be determined based on:

- Flowrate - A means of calculating flowrate is shown above.
- Pressure drop - Theoretically this would be from boiler pressure to atmospheric
pressure. However, pipeline friction and backpressure is inevitable, so for the
purposes of this Module, assume the pressure on the downstream side of the orifice
is 0.5 bar g.
There is a problem: an orifice is not adjustable and therefore can only be correct for
one specific set of circumstances. If the steaming rate were to:
Orifice plate
Increase - The orifice would not pass sufficient water. The boiler TDS level would
increase, and priming and carryover would occur.
- Reduce - The orifice would pass too much water. The blowdown rate would be too
great and energy would be wasted.

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

Flashing
The water being drained from the boiler is at saturation temperature, and there is a
drop in pressure over the orifice almost equal to the whole boiler pressure. This
means that a substantial proportion of the water will flash to steam, increasing its
volume by a factor of over 1 000.
This rapid and aggressive change of state and volume over the orifice may result in
erosion and wiredrawing of the orifice. This increases both the size and flow
characteristic (coefficient of discharge) of the orifice, resulting in a progressively
increasing blowdown rate.
The steam, being a gas, can travel much faster than the water (liquid). However, the
steam and water do not have the opportunity to separate properly, which results in
water droplets traveling at a very high velocity with the steam into the pipe work.
This leads to further erosion and possibly water hammer in the pipe work and
downstream equipment.
The problem of flashing increases with boiler pressure.
It should also be remembered that the water drained from the boiler is dirty and it
does not take a great deal of dirt to restrict or even block a small hole.

6.1.2.2 Continuous Blowdown Valves

In its simplest form, this is a needle valve. In plan view, there is an annulus with
the:
- Outer circumference defined by the valve seat.
- Inner circumference defined by the needle.
If an increase in flowrate is required, the needle is adjusted out of the seat and the
clearance between the needle and seat is increased.

Figure 6.3 a Needle Valve Used to Control Blowdown Rate

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

One of the disadvantages of continuous blowdown valves; the clearance is

so small that blockage by small particles is difficult to avoid.
In addition, the problem of flashing over the valve seat still has to be addressed. The
low clearances mean that a high velocity steam/water mixture is flowing close to the
surfaces of the needle and the seat. Erosion (wiredrawing) is inevitable, resulting in
damage and subsequent failure to shut off.
Continuous blowdown valves have been developed over many years from simple
needle valves, and now incorporate a number of stages, possibly taking the form of
three or four progressively larger seats in the valve, and even including helical
passageways. The objective is to dissipate the energy gradually in stages rather than
all at once.

Fig. 6.4 Staged blowdown valve

This type of valve was originally designed for manual operation, and was fitted with a
scale and pointer attached to the handle. In an operational environment, a boiler
water sample was taken, the TDS determined, and an appropriate adjustment made
to the valve position.
To keep pace with modern technology and market demands, some of these
continuous blowdown valves have been fitted with electric or pneumatic actuators.
However, the fundamental problem of small clearances, flashing, and wiredrawing
still exist, and damage to the valve seating is inevitable. Despite using a closed loop
control system, excessive blowdown will occur.

6.1.2.3 on/off boiler blowdown valves

There is an advantage to using a larger control device with larger clearances, but
only opening it for some of the time. Clearly, moderation is required if the boiler TDS
is to be kept between reasonable values, and DN15 and 20 valves are the most
common sizes to be found.
A typical arrangement would be to set the controller to open the valve at, for
example, 3 000 ppm, then to close the valve at 3 000-10% = 2 700 ppm. This would
give a good balance between a reasonable sized valve and accurate control.

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

The type of valve selected is also important:

- For small boilers with a low blowdown rate and pressures of less than 10 bar g, an
appropriately rated solenoid valve will provide a cost-effective solution.
- For larger boilers with higher blowdown rates, and certainly on boilers with
operating pressures over 10 bar g, a more sophisticated valve is required to take
flashing away from the valve seat in order to protect it from damage.
Valves of this type may also have an adjustable stroke to allow the user the
flexibility to select a blowdown rate appropriate to the boiler, and any heat recovery
equipment being used.

Fig. 6.5 Modern blowdown control valve

6.1.2.4 Closed loop electronic control systems

These systems measure the boiler water conductivity, compare it with a set point,
and open a blowdown control valve if the TDS level is too high.
A number of different types are on the market which will measure the conductivity
either inside the boiler, or in an external sampling chamber which is purged at
regular intervals to obtain a representative sample of boiler water. The actual
selection will be dependent upon such factors as boiler type, boiler pressure, and the
quantity of water to be blown down.
These systems are designed to measure the boiler water conductivity using a
conductivity probe.

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

Fig. 6.6 a closed loop electronic TDS control system

The measured value is compared to a set point programmed into the controller by
the user. If the measured value is greater than the set point, the blowdown control
valve is opened until the set point is achieved. Typically, the user can also adjust the
'dead-band'.
As mentioned earlier, an increase in water temperature results in an increase in
electrical conductivity. Clearly if a boiler is operating over a wide
temperature/pressure range, such as when boilers are on night set-back, or even a
boiler with a wide burner control band, then compensation is required, since
conductivity is the controlling factor.
The benefits of automatic TDS control:
- The labor-saving advantages of automation.
- Closer control of boiler TDS levels.
- Potential savings from a blowdown heat recovery system (where installed).

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

6.2 Bottom Blowdown

Suspended solids can be kept in suspension as long as the boiler water is agitated,
but as soon as the agitation stops, they will fall to the bottom of the boiler. If they
are not removed, they will accumulate and, given time, will inhibit heat transfer from
the boiler fire tubes, which will overheat and may even fail.
The recommended method of removing this sludge is via short, sharp blasts using a
relatively large valve at the bottom of the boiler. The objective is to allow the sludge
time to redistribute itself so that more can be removed on the next blowdown.
For this reason, a single four-second blowdown every eight hours is much more
effective than one, twelve-second blowdown in the first eight hour shift period, and
then nothing for the rest of the day.
Blowdown water will either pass into a brick-lined blowdown pit encased below
ground, or a metal blowdown vessel situated above ground. The size of the vessel is
determined by the flowrate of blowdown water and flash steam that enters the
vessel when the blowdown valve is opened.
The major influences on blowdown rate are:
- The boiler pressure.
- The size of the blowdown line.
- The length of the blowdown line between the boiler and the blowdown vessel.
In practice, a reasonable minimum length of blowdown line is 7.5 m, and most
blowdown vessels are sized on this basis. Blowdown lines will contain bends, check
valves and the blowdown valve itself; and these fittings will increase the pressure
drop along the blowdown line. They may be thought of in terms of an 'equivalent
straight length of pipe', and can be added to the pipe length to give an overall
equivalent length. Table 6.2 gives equivalent lengths of various valves and fittings.
Blowdown line size
Long radius bend
Manifold inlet
Globe valve
Check valve
Blowdown valve

20 mm
0.4
0.6
5.9
2.6
0.1

25 mm
0.5
1.0
9.6
3.6
0.2

32 mm
0.6
1.4
12.2
4.2
0.3

40 mm
0.7
1.7
13.9
4.9
0.4

50 mm
0.8
2.1
17.8
6.2
0.5

Table 6.2 Equivalent length of blowdown line fittings in meters (m)

In the unlikely event that the total equivalent length is less than 7.5 m, the vessel
should be sized on a higher flowrate. In these cases, multiply the boiler pressure by
1.15 to calculate the blowdown rate from Figure 6.7. Blowdown lines over 7.5 m can
be read straight from this graph.

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

Fig. 6.7 approximate blowdown rate (based on an 8 m equivalent pipe length)

There are two important factors to recognise with bottom blowdown:

- Energy content of blowdown
The energy contained in the water being blown down is the liquid enthalpy of water
at saturation temperature at boiler pressure. The boiler pressure is 10 bar g, and
from steam tables, hf is 782 kJ /kg. So the rate at which energy is being released
from the boiler is:
782 kJ/kg x 6.2 kg/s = 4.85 MW
- Change in volume
Over a 3 second blowdown period, the amount of water blown down is:
6.2 kg/s x 3 seconds = 18.6 kg The volume of the 18.6 kg of water blown down is:
18.6 kg x 0.001 m3/kg = 0.018 6 m3
From flash steam calculations, 16% of water at 10 bar g saturation temperature will
flash to steam when the pressure is reduced to atmospheric. Steam at atmospheric
pressure has a significantly greater volume than water and each kilogram occupies
1.673 m3 of space.
The resulting volume of flash steam from the 18.6 kg of boiler water is:
(18.6 kg x 16%) x 1.673 m3/kg = 4.98 m3 For comparison, the volume of water, is
reduced to:
(18.6 kg x 84%) x 0.001 m3/kg = 0.015 6 m3
The very high energy flowrate, and huge change in volume between the upstream
and downstream sides of the blowdown valve, mean that substantial reactionary
forces are developed, and that boiler blowdown must be handled in a safe manner.

Boilers Basics
Blowdown

6.2.1 Bottom blowdown valve

In the UK, this type of valve is covered in the Factories Act (1961). Section 34
prohibits personnel entering specific boilers unless:
All inlets through which steam or hot water might enter the boiler (from any other
part of the
system) are disconnected from that part; or
All valves or taps controlling entry of steam or water are closed and securely locked.
Where
there is a common blowdown pipe or vessel, the blowdown valve is constructed so
that it can
only be opened by a key which cannot be removed until the blowdown valve is
closed; and
that this is the only key in use in the boiler house.