Protecting Boilers, Steam Systems and Critical Utility Plant

Water quality has a direct effect on reliability and efficiency across power generation and energy systems.

Boilers, CHP plants, steam generators, cooling systems and heat recovery equipment all depend on controlled water chemistry.

Hydra-Clear designs and manufactures water treatment systems for industrial energy and power applications, from softened boiler feedwater through to low conductivity demineralised make-up systems.

Boiler Make-Up Water

Boiler water treatment begins with the incoming make-up water.

Hardness, alkalinity, silica, chloride, sulphate and total dissolved solids can all influence boiler operation.

Treatment can incorporate:

• Water softening
• Reverse osmosis
• Demineralisation
• Ion exchange
• Degassing
• Chemical conditioning
• Final polishing

The process is selected according to boiler pressure, steam duty, condensate return and required feedwater specification.

Reverse Osmosis

RO can substantially reduce dissolved mineral loading before water enters the boiler system.

Potential benefits include:

• Reduced blowdown
• Reduced scaling potential
• Lower chemical consumption
• Reduced make-up demand
• Improved water chemistry control
• Reduced heat loss through blowdown

The commercial benefit depends on the existing operating conditions and should be calculated rather than assumed.

Demineralisation & Polishing

Higher pressure and more demanding steam systems can require lower levels of ionic contamination.

Treatment trains can incorporate:

• Cation exchange
• Anion exchange
• Twin bed demineralisation
• Mixed bed polishing
• RO
• EDI

The system is designed around the specified feedwater quality and operating duty.

Condensate Recovery

Condensate contains both treated water and useful heat.

Where process conditions permit, recovering it can reduce:

• Make-up water
• Fuel demand
• Chemical usage
• Wastewater

The quality of returned condensate must be suitable for reuse, and contamination risks need to be considered as part of the overall steam system.

Cooling Water

Power and CHP sites can also require cooling water treatment.

Systems can incorporate:

• Softening
• Filtration
• Reverse osmosis
• Chemical dosing
• Side stream filtration
• Make-up treatment
• Blowdown recovery

Treatment is designed around cooling-system chemistry rather than simply maximising cycles of concentration.

Critical Duty & Redundancy

Where loss of treated water can reduce plant output or shut down generation, redundancy becomes part of the process design.

Systems can include:

• Duty/standby pumps
• Duplex treatment trains
• N+1 capacity
• Buffer storage
• Automatic changeover
• Redundant instrumentation

Existing Boiler & CHP Systems

Hydra-Clear can also investigate existing systems for:

• Excessive blowdown
• High salt consumption
• Membrane fouling
• Poor softener performance
• High conductivity
• Scale
• Excess chemical use
• Low condensate recovery
• Excess water consumption

The objective is to determine where the water treatment is costing the plant unnecessary energy or maintenance.

Talk to a Power & Energy Water Engineer

Provide Hydra-Clear with the incoming water analysis, boiler operating pressure, steam production, condensate return and existing treatment information.

We can evaluate the treatment requirement and opportunities for optimisation.

The boiler creates the steam. The water treatment protects the boiler.

Call 0800 999 6770 or contact Hydra-Clear to discuss your power or energy project.