Deaerators troubleshooting

Pressure Deaerator Troubleshooting If pressure DA equipment is properly maintained and carefully set up, operators should be able to produce FW containing dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of less than 0.005 to 0.01 cubic centimeters per liter (cc/1) 02. 

One of the most interesting troubleshooting assignments of my career involved a deaerator in New Orleans. The operator reported loss of the water level in the deaerator drum. The level-control valve shown in Fig. 8.9 would open 100 percent, but this drove the level down even faster. The operator reported that the only way he could restore the water level would be to mostly close the water makeup level-control valve. 

As I ve described in my book. Troubleshooting Process Plant Control, any time the steam inlet control valve becomes fully open, the deaerator temperature, pressure, and water level will become unstable and the deaerator stripping section will flood. Flood in the sense that boiling water may erupt from the atmospheric vent. 

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