Boiler feed water

A boiler is a device for generating steam, which consists of two principal parts: the
furnace, which provides heat, usually by burning a fuel, and the boiler proper, a device in
which the heat changes water into steam. The steam or hot fluid is then recirculated out of
the boiler for use in various processes in heating applications.

The water circuit of a water boiler can be summarized by the following pictures:

The boiler receives the feed water, which

consists of varying proportion of recovered
condensed water (return water) and fresh
water, which has been purified in varying
degrees (make up water). The make-up
water is usually natural water either in its
raw state, or treated by some process before
use. Feed-water composition therefore
depends on the quality of the make-up water
and the amount of condensate returned to the
boiler. The steam, which escapes from the
boiler, frequently contains liquid droplets
and gases. The water remaining in liquid
form at the bottom of the boiler picks up all
the foreign matter from the water that was
converted to steam. The impurities must be
blown down by the discharge of some of the
water from the boiler to the drains. The
permissible percentage of blown down at a
plant is strictly limited by running costs and
initial outlay. The tendency is to reduce this
percentage to a very small figure.
Proper treatment of boiler feed water is an important part of operating and maintaining a
boiler system. As steam is produced, dissolved solids become concentrated and form
deposits inside the boiler. This leads to poor heat transfer and reduces the efficiency of the
boiler. Dissolved gasses such as oxygen and carbon dioxide will react with the metals in
the boiler system and lead to boiler corrosion. In order to protect the boiler from these
contaminants, they should be controlled or removed, trough external or internal treatment.
For more information check the boiler water treatment web page.

In the following table you can find a list of the common boiler feed water contaminants,
their effect and their possible treatment.

Find extra information about the characteristics of boiler feed water.

IMPURITY RESULTING IN GOT RID OF BY COMMENTS

Soluble Gasses
Water smells like
Found mainly in
Hydrogen Sulphide rotten eggs: Tastes Aeration, Filtration,
groundwater, and
(H2S) bad, and is corrosive and Chlorination.
polluted streams.
to most metals.
Filming, neutralizing
Corrosive, forms Deaeration,
Carbon Dioxide amines used to
carbonic acid in neutralization with
(CO2) prevent condensate
condensate. alkalis.
line corrosion.
Deaeration & Pitting of boiler
Corrosion and chemical treatment tubes, and turbine
Oxygen (O2) pitting of boiler with (Sodium blades, failure of
tubes. Sulphite or steam lines, and
Hydrazine) fittings etc.
Suspended Solids
Tolerance of approx.
Sediment & Sludge and scale Clarification and 5ppm max. for most
Turbidity carryover. filtration. applications, 10ppm
for potable water.
Organic Matter Carryover, foaming, Clarification; Found mostly in
deposits can clog filtration, and surface waters,
piping, and cause chemical treatment caused by rotting
corrosion. vegetation, and farm
run offs. Organics
break down to form
organic acids. Results
in low of boiler feed-
water pH, which then
attacks boiler tubes.
Includes diatoms,
molds, bacterial
slimes,
iron/manganese
bacteria. Suspended
particles collect on
 the surface of the
water in the boiler
and render difficult
the liberation of
steam bubbles rising
to that surface..
Foaming can also be
attributed to waters
containing
carbonates in
solution in which a
light flocculent
precipitate will be
formed on the
surface of the water.
It is usually traced to
an excess of sodium
carbonate used in
treatment for some
other difficulty
where animal or
vegetable oil finds its
way into the boiler.
Dissolved Colloidal
Solids
Foaming, deposits in Coagulation & Enters boiler with
Oil & Grease
boiler filtration condensate
Forms are
bicarbonates,
Scale deposits in
sulphates, chlorides,
boiler, inhibits heat
and nitrates, in that
transfer, and
Hardness, Calcium Softening, plus order. Some calcium
thermal efficiency.
(Ca), and internal treatment insalts are reversibly
In severe cases can
Magnesium (Mg) boiler. soluble. Magnesium
lead to boiler tube
reacts with
burn thru, and
carbonates to form
failure.
compounds of low
solubility.
Foaming, carbonatesDeaeration of make- Sodium salts are
form carbonic acid up water and found in most waters.
Sodium, alkalinity, in steam, causes condensate return. They are very
NaOH, NaHCO3, condensate return Ion exchange; soluble, and cannot
Na2CO3 line, and steam trap deionization, acid be removed by
corrosion, can cause treatment of make- chemical
embrittlement. up water. precipitation.
 Tolerance limits are
Hard scale if
Sulphates (SO4) Deionization about 100-300ppm as
calcium is present
CaCO3
Priming, or the
passage of steam
Priming, i.e. uneven from a boiler in
delivery of steam "belches", is caused
from the boiler by the concentration
(belching), sodium carbonate,
carryover of water sodium sulphate, or
in steam lowering sodium chloride in
Chlorides, (Cl) Deionization
steam efficiency, can solution. Sodium
deposit as salts on sulphate is found in
superheaters and many waters in the
turbine blades. USA, and in waters
Foaming if present where calcium or
in large amounts. magnesium is
precipitated with
soda ash.
Deposits in boiler, in Most common form
Iron (Fe) and Aeration, filtration,
large amounts can is ferrous
Manganese (Mn) ion exchange.
inhibit heat transfer. bicarbonate.
Silica combines with
many elements to
produce silicates.
Silicates form very
tenacious deposits in
Hard scale in boilers Deionization; lime
boiler tubing. Very
and cooling systems: soda process, hot-
Silica (Si) difficult to remove,
turbine blade lime-zeolite
often only by
deposits. treatment.
flourodic acids. Most
critical consideration
is volatile carryover
to turbine
components.

Source: http://energyconcepts.tripod.com/energyconcepts/water_treatment.htm

The principal difficulties caused by water in boiler are:

• Scaling;
• Foaming and priming;

• Corrosion.