Boiler Feed and Cooling Water Treatment is Hot Topic Hour on January 27, 2011
The importance of correct water treatment for boiler feed and cooling water 
cannot be over emphasized especially in modern boilers with a high evaporative 
rate. Dissolved solids in feedwater become concentrated and form deposits 
(scale) inside the boiler and steam system resulting in poor heat transfer that 
reduces the efficiency of the boiler. Dissolved gases such as oxygen and CO2 
will react with the metals in the boiler system and lead to corrosion. Proper 
treatment of feed and cooling water to remove solids and gases will ensure 
maximum life of boilers, steam turbines, condensers and pumps; reduce 
maintenance expenses and allow optimal thermal performance for maximum 
efficiency. With increasing Federal and State regulations limiting access to 
surface and ground water, minimizing water usage by reducing blowdowns or 
recirculating water also become important factors in the selection of water 
treatment methods.
Feedwater can be conditioned before entering the water systems (external 
treatment) or within the water system (internal treatment). In general, external 
treatment is used when the amount of one or more of the feedwater impurities is 
too high to be tolerated by the boiler system in question. There are many types 
of external treatment (softening, evaporation, deaereation, membrane 
contractors, etc.) which can be used to tailor-make feedwater for a particular 
system. Internal treatment is the conditioning of impurities within the water 
system by addition of chemicals. Internal treatment may be used alone or in 
conjunction with external treatment to control water hardness, condition sludge, 
scavenge oxygen and prevent boiler water foaming. Externally treated high purity 
feedwater reduces the use of boiler chemicals due to less frequent blowdown 
requirements (by as much as a factor of 10) resulting in less water usage and 
lower fuel costs.
There are a wide variety of water treatment systems available, but which system 
is most economical for a specific plant considering energy requirements, 
chemical costs and performance? This decision is partially dictated by the 
minerals and compounds in the water as well as the chemical and physical 
composition of the raw or recirculating water. It is also affected by the design 
and operating characteristics of the boiler, steam system and cooling system.
The following speakers will describe the latest technologies to treat feed and 
cooling water from natural and process sources and discuss the economics of 
various treatment technologies focusing on energy use, chemical requirements, 
capital costs, reuse of process water and operation and maintenance costs and 
issues. 
Dave Christophersen, Vice-president and Technical Manager at Crown Solutions, a 
subsidiary of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, will discuss how water 
sourcing, energy efficiency and system designs all converge to make boiler and 
cooling water treatment even more important today to manage correctly. This 
presentation will look at water footprint, boiler pretreatment equipment 
selection options, boiler internal treatment chemistry, cooling water treatment 
equipment and chemistry and the importance of life cycle costs. Problems 
associated with boilers and cooling systems will be discussed as well as 
methodologies to avoid problems.
Dan Cicero, Senior Industry Development Manager at Nalco Company Power Group, 
will discuss control of feedwater chemistry based on ORP measurement. In 1994, 
EPRI published chemistry guidelines recognizing the benefits of feedwater 
chemistry control based on ORP. 3D TRASAR Boiler Technology controls feedwater 
chemistry based on ORP measured at temperature and at pressures up to 2800 psig. 
This presentation will explain the benefits of using this technology in a power 
plant boiler system.
Gregg Poppe, Global Application Development Specialist for Industrial Water and 
Power Generation at Dow Water & Process Solutions, will discuss how to achieve 
lower operating costs and better water quality with more advanced ion exchange 
system designs. While reverse osmosis has displaced ion exchange in the bulk 
demineralization step in many steam generation plants, ion exchange is still a 
very competitive technology choice for facilities where lower-TDS feed streams 
are used. To reduce the consumption of chemicals and water during regeneration 
and to achieve better water quality, optimized IX system design can be used. 
Chemical usage, water usage, and typical water quality that can be achieved will 
be compared for basic co-flow systems vs. counter-flow and packed bed systems.
To register for the "Hot Topic Hour" on January 27, 2011 at 10 a.m. CST (Chicago 
time), click on: on: http://www.mcilvainecompany.com/brochures/hot_topic_hour_registration.htm
Bob McIlvaine
President
847 784 0012 ext 112
rmcilvaine@mcilvainecompany.com
www.mcilvainecompany.com
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191 Waukegan Road Suite 208 | Northfield | IL 60093
Ph: 847-784-0012 | Fax; 847-784-0061
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