Steam Quality vs Steam Purity

  • 11 February 2020
  • Author: Tyler Anderson
  • Number of views: 22463
  • 0 Comments
Steam Quality vs Steam Purity

Steam quality and steam purity are topics which often get confused with each other.  Distinguishing the difference between the two will help you understand the unique impacts they have upon a steam system.

Understanding steam quality requires understanding vapor-liquid equilibrium in water. As heat is added to subcooled liquid water, it proceeds to the saturated liquid curve and becomes a saturated liquid (moving from incoming city water to point A). At the saturation point, any heat added to the water will form a vapor and the temperature will remain the same because all additional enthalpy (heat energy) being added to the system is being used to change the phase of the water from liquid to vapor.

All About Deaerators

The Often Overlooked and Undervalued Boiler Protectors

  • 10 December 2019
  • Author: James McDonald
  • Number of views: 8475
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All About Deaerators

Steam boilers do exactly as their name implies, they produce steam; however, may factors must be considered and managed to do this, including corrosion, scale, water minimization, fuel efficiency, safety, and Total Cost of Operation. Boiler feedwater often contains dissolved gases, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. These dissolved gases are problematic for the boiler system because they may cause corrosion, leading to equipment failures (e.g., carbon dioxide can form carbonic acid in boiler condensate, lowering the pH, and corroding the condensate piping). To minimize corrosion, the dissolved gases must be removed or neutralized. This can be achieved through the use of deaerators, which work to remove such dissolved gases to low levels reducing the amount of follow-up neutralization required (e.g., sulfite-based oxygen scavenging).

What is PPM?

Calculating Parts Per Million

  • 29 October 2019
  • Author: Tony Self
  • Number of views: 70027
  • 0 Comments
What is PPM?

The phrase “Part Per Million” is a term we use to describe very small amounts of something in a much larger amount of something else. Here are some examples of one part of something in a million parts:

Water Crisis in America

What We Can Learn from Flint

Water Crisis in America

On a recent episode of the Public Broadcasting Systems’ Frontline “Flint’s Deadly Water,” investigative reporters looked deeply at the city of Flint from 2014 to now in hopes of identifying the true causes of the water crisis and the cause of the many deaths. As an outsider, we immediately associate Flint with a lead crisis, which undoubtedly remains an issue. However, Frontline finally dives deeper and states that Legionnaires Disease is the true public health crisis that happened in Flint. Below is a summary of the research they did and their findings.

Guidelines for Inspecting a Boiler

  • 27 August 2019
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 8196
  • 0 Comments
Guidelines for Inspecting a Boiler

The purpose of a boiler inspection is to provide assurance of equipment integrity to minimize safety issues with operating a pressure vessel. A minimal frequency is established by law and the Insurance Company that is covering customer liability in case of any operational failures. It has a useful secondary function of acting as an early warning of potential problems and determine the water treatment program’s effectiveness.

An internal boiler waterside inspection consists of all waterside areas of the vessel (e.g., steam and water areas, blowdown lines, feedwater connections, and low water safety devises) as well as dearators, superheaters, economizers, and blowdown heat exchangers. If possible, this inspection...

Not All Water Supplies are the Same

How Blended Water Supplies Impact Water Treatment

Not All Water Supplies are the Same

The source(s) of water supplied to cooling towers, boilers, and processes may vary greatly daily or even hourly.  The impact this has on water systems must be closely monitored to avoid scale, deposits, corrosion, inefficient water usage, and other negative impacts on operational costs.

How Often Should I Test My Water?

  • 7 May 2019
  • Author: Tim Daniels
  • Number of views: 8377
  • 0 Comments
How Often Should I Test My Water?

Chem-Aqua representatives are frequently asked, “How often do I need to test my water?”  The answer to this question is as varied as the systems that Chem-Aqua treats.  There are a number of factors that go into determining the “best practice” for each facility.  Typically, these factors are:

Deaerator Design and Operation

  • 12 February 2019
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 20798
  • 0 Comments
Deaerator Design and Operation

A deaerator preheats boiler feedwater and removes dissolved gases, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide. These gases are undesirable because they cause corrosion and increase treatment chemical requirements. 

Deaerators operate based on the reduced solubility of dissolved gases as temperature increases. For example, the solubility of oxygen decreases from about five ppm at 150ºF to about two ppm at 190ºF. Virtually all the free carbon dioxide gas is removed by increasing the temperature to greater than 170ºF.

How to Prepare Your Boiler for an Inspection

A Step-by-Step Guide

  • 6 November 2018
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 8896
  • 0 Comments
How to Prepare Your Boiler for an Inspection

Periodic boiler inspections are necessary to ensure that all equipment and components are operating safely and properly. When removing a boiler from service, the proper procedures should be used to reduce thermal stress and prevent sludge from settling and “baking on” waterside surfaces.

If a boiler is cooled too rapidly or unevenly, the extreme expansion and contraction stress can cause leaks to develop on rolled tube ends as well as damage firebrick or refractory material. Rapid cooling and draining can also cause any suspended solids in the boiler water to form hard, difficult-to-remove deposits. These deposits not only reduce heat transfer efficiency but could also lead to a false interpretation of the treatment program results.

Biofilm, Amoeba, and Legionella

Steps to their Growth

  • 30 October 2018
  • Author: Chem-Aqua, Inc
  • Number of views: 5459
  • 0 Comments
Biofilm, Amoeba, and Legionella

Biofilms are the root cause of serious problems in building potable and industrial water systems including clogged piping, reduced heat transfer efficiency, microbiologically-influenced corrosion, and Legionella transmission. Biofilms are dynamic, complex structures optimized for microbial growth and survival, which make them difficult to remove and control.

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