Level Measurement Solutions for Blowdown/Flash Tanks
An important component of steam generation is the quality of the steam generated. Maintaining water quality in the boiler within design parameters ensures the highest quality steam possible while minimizing blowdown of the boiler, both of which improve energy and resource management.
Continuous or manual blowdown of the boiler minimizes scale accumulation and corrosion resulting from impurities in the water. The blowdown and blowdown flash tanks provide a means of accommodating liquid and impurities from the boiler, with the latter facilitating energy recovery through the use of flash steam.
This blog post, part of the Magnetrol® series on steam generation, will discuss level measurement considerations for blowdown and flash tanks and solutions for improved level monitoring.
Level Measurement Considerations
Estimates of up to 49 percent of the energy can be recovered through the use of flash steam routed to heat exchangers or the deaerator to preheat boiler makeup water or support the deaeration process, respectively. Additionally, better level control technology at the boiler side eliminates energy losses resulting from unnecessary blowdown to prevent carryover conditions.
利用一個年代pecific technology’s ability to reliably address the level in either of these vessels, especially the blowdown flash tank, in a plug-and-play type installation and commissioning format is an easy way to ensure optimal performance. This forgoes calibration, external hardware or inputs.
The performance of any level technology relative to instrument induced errors, calibration nuances, and vulnerabilities to process dynamics can have an immediate and adverse impact on fuel consumption. Seamless response to changes in demand and reducing maintenance associated with the instrumentation or damage to hardware are residual benefits that have their own financial ramifications; these aspects should also be considered when implementing any technology.
Level Measurement Solutions
MAGNETROL has level solutions that are well adapted to meeting the needs of blowdown and flash tanks:
- Eclipse® Model 706 guided wave radar transmitter with 7YS steam probe
- E3 Modulevel® displacer transmitter
More Information
For more information on level measurement solutions for blowdown and flash tanks or other steam generation applications,download the steam generation white paper.
