Feed water requirements

The quahty of feed water required depends on boiler operating pressure, design, heat transfer rates, and steam use. Most boiler systems have sodium zeohte softened or demineralized makeup water. Feed-water hardness usually ranges from 0.01 to 2.0 ppm, but even water of this purity does not provide deposit-free operation. Therefore, good internal boiler water treatment programs are necessary. 

RO/NF Polyamide Membrane Feed Water Requirements," Hydranautics Technical Application Bulletin, TSB 116, May, 2005. 

Fouling and scaling mechanisms are similar for spiral-wound NF and RO membranes. In general, NF feed water should meet the following characteristics to prevent fouling with suspended solids (refer to Table 7.1 for a more detailed description of spiral-wound RO feed water requirements) ... 

Quality of feed water required by boiler manufacturer. 

Table 2.6 Feed water requirements to minimise scaling...

Humidification. For wiater operation, or for special process requirements, humidification maybe required (see Simultaneous HEAT and mass transfer). Humidification can be effected by an air washer which employs direct water sprays (see Evaporation). Regulation is maintained by cycling the water sprays or by temperature control of the air or water. Where a large humidification capacity is required, an ejector which direcdy mixes air and water in a no22le may be employed. Steam may be used to power the no22le. Live low pressure steam can also be released directly into the air stream. Capillary-type humidifiers employ wetted porous media to provide extended air and water contact. Pan-type humidifiers are employed where the required capacity is small. A water filled pan is located on one side of the air duct. The water is heated electrically or by steam. The use of steam, however, necessitates additional boiler feed water treatment and may add odors to the air stream. Direct use of steam for humidification also requires careful attention to indoor air quahty. 

A modification of the direct process has recentiy been reported usiag a ckculating reactor of the Buss Loop design (11). In addition to employing lower temperatures, this process is claimed to have lower steam and electricity utihty requirements than a more traditional reactor (12) for the direct carbonylation, although cooling water requirements are higher. The reaction can also be performed ia the presence of an amidine catalyst (13). Related processes have been reported that utilize a mixture of methylamines as the feed, but require transition-metal catalysts (14). 

Tar sand feed contains a certain portion of fine minerals that, if allowed to build up in concentration in the middlings, increases viscosity and eventually dismpts settling ia the separation cell. The drag stream is required as a purge in order to control the fines concentration in the middlings. The amounts of water that can enter with the feed and leave with the separation cell tailings and froth are relatively fixed. Thus, the size of the drag stream determines the makeup water requirement for the separation cell. 

Demineralization. Softening alone is insufficient for most high-pressure boiler feed waters and for many process streams, especially those used in the manufacture of electronics equipment. In addition to the removal of hardness, these processes require removal of all dissolved soHds, such as sodium, sihca, alkalinity, and the mineral anions (Cl , and NO ). 

Boiler feed water pretreatment systems have advanced to such an extent that it is now possible to provide boilers with ultrapure water. However, this degree of purification requires the use of elaborate pretreatment systems. The capital expenditures for such pretreatment equipment trains can be considerable and are often not justified when balanced against the capabiUty of internal treatment. 

Oxygen Control. To meet industrial standards for both oxygen content and the allowable metal oxide levels in feed water, nearly complete oxygen removal is required. This can be accompHshed only by efficient mechanical deaeration supplemented by an effective and properly controlled chemical oxygen scavenger. 

Overall comparison between amine and carbonate at elevated pressures shows that the amine usually removes carbon dioxide to a lower concentration at a lower capital cost but requires more maintenance and heat. The impact of the higher heat requirement depends on the individual situation. In many appHcations, heat used for regeneration is from low temperature process gas, suitable only for boiler feed water heating or low pressure steam generation, and it may not be usefiil in the overall plant heat balance. 

Catalyst contamination from sources such as turbine lubricant and boiler feed water additives is usuaUy much more severe than deactivation by sulfur compounds in the turbine exhaust. Catalyst formulation can be adjusted to improve poison tolerance, but no catalyst is immune to a contaminant that coats its surface and prevents access of CO to the active sites. Between 1986 and 1990 over 25 commercial CO oxidation catalyst systems operated on gas turbine cogeneration systems, meeting both CO conversion (40 to 90%) and pressure drop requirements. 

Process Water Purification Boiler feed water is a major process apphcation of RO. Sealants and colloids are particularly well rejected by membranes, and TDS is reduced to a level that makes ion exchange or continuous deionization for the residual ions very economic. Even the extremely high quahty water required for nuclear power plants can be made from seawater. The iiltra-high quahty water required for production of electronic microcircuits is usually processed starting with two RO systems operating in series, followeci by many other steps. 

Kehlhofer explains that the pre-heating loop must be designed so that the heat extracted is. sufficient to raise the temperature of the feed water flow from condenser temperature T to Ta (see Fig. 7.6). The available heat increases with live steam pressure Ipf), for selected 7 b(= Ta) and given gas turbine conditions, but the heat required to preheat the feed water is set by (Ta — T. ). The live steam pressure is thus determined from the heat balance in the pre-heater if the heating of the feed water by bled steam is to be avoided but the optimum (low) live steam pressure may not be achievable because of the requirement. set by this heat balance. 

Assume that a boiler feed water is being pumped at 180 °F. Read the chart in Figure 3-46 and the water vapor pressure curve, and follow over to read NPSH reduction = 0.45 feet. A pump selected for the sertice requires 6 feet cold water service NPSHr ... 

Make up water for these refrigeration units is at 80°F, and feed water for the gas cooler unit is available at 90°F. Barometric water is 90°F. Items 1 and 2 are for a closed-circuit operation with return water at 68°F and total 175 gpm. Note that in order to consolidate the temperature levels of water, it is economical to establish a temperature, such as 55°F, which satisfies the bulk of the requirement, and then design the other phases of the plant process to also use this water temperature. Item 3 is an open-circuit operation because the water is sent to waste after absorbing certain corrosive vapors and cooling the bulk of the gas. 

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