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Recover Heat From Boiler Blowdown

Heat can be recovered from boiler blowdown using a heat exchanger to preheat boiler makeup water. Installing a heat exchanger to recover heat from boiler blowdown that exceeds 5% of the steam rate can provide energy savings. Recovering heat from a 6% blowdown rate of a 150 psig boiler operating at 50,000 lbs/hr of steam could provide annual savings of $24,438 at a fuel cost of $3/MMBtu by preheating makeup water.

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64 views

Recover Heat From Boiler Blowdown

Heat can be recovered from boiler blowdown using a heat exchanger to preheat boiler makeup water. Installing a heat exchanger to recover heat from boiler blowdown that exceeds 5% of the steam rate can provide energy savings. Recovering heat from a 6% blowdown rate of a 150 psig boiler operating at 50,000 lbs/hr of steam could provide annual savings of $24,438 at a fuel cost of $3/MMBtu by preheating makeup water.

Uploaded by

JAY PARIKH
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Tip Sheet #10 • Revised June 2001 Steam Motors Compressed Air

Recover Heat from Boiler Blowdown


Blowdown Energy Heat can be recovered from boiler blowdown by using a heat exchanger to preheat boiler
Recovery makeup water. Any boiler with continuous blowdown exceeding 5% of the steam rate is
a good candidate for the introduction of blowdown waste heat recovery. Larger energy
Blowdown waste heat
savings occur with high-pressure boilers. The following table shows the potential for
can be recovered with a heat
heat recovery from boiler blowdown.
exchanger, a flash tank, or
flash tank in combination with
Recoverable Heat from Boiler Blowdown
a heat exchanger. Lowering the
pressure in a flash tank allows Heat Recovered, Million Btu per hour (MMBtu/hr)
Blowndown
a portion of the blowdown to Rate, Boiler Operating Pressure, psig
be converted into low pressure % Boiler Feedwater 50 100 150 250 300
steam. This low pressure steam
2 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.65 0.65
is most typically used in
deaerators. Drain water from 4 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.3
the flash tank is then routed 6 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.0
through a heat exchanger.
8 1.7 2.0 2.2 2.6 2.7
Cooling the blowdown has the
additional advantage of helping 10 2.2 2.5 2.8 3.2 3.3
to comply with local codes 20 4.4 5.0 5.6 6.4 6.6
limiting the discharge of high Based on a steam production rate of 100,000 pounds per hour, 60°F makeup water, and 90% heat
temperature liquids into the recovery.
sewer system.

Example
In a plant where the fuel cost is $3.00/MMBtu, a continuous blowdown rate of 3,200 pounds
per hour (lbs/hr) is maintained to avoid the buildup of high concentrations of dissolved
solids. What are the annual savings if a makeup water heat exchanger is installed that
recovers 90% of the blowdown energy losses? The 82% efficient boiler produces 50,000
lbs/hr of 150-psig steam. It operates for 8000 hours per year. The blowdown ratio is:

3200
Blowdown Ratio = = 6.0%
3200 + 50,000

From the table, the heat recoverable corresponding to a 6% blowdown ratio with a
Steam Tip Sheet information 150-psig boiler operating pressure is 1.8 MBtu/hr. Since the table is based on a steam
adapted from material provided production rate of 100,000 lbs/hour, the annual savings for this plant are:
by the Industrial Energy
Extension Service of Georgia Annual
Tech and reviewed by the 1.67 MMBtu/hr x (50,000 lbs/hr/100,000 lbs/hr) x 8000 hrs/yr
Energy = = 8146 MMBtu
DOE BestPractices Steam Savings 0.82
Technical Subcommittee. For
additional information on steam
system efficiency measures,
contact the OIT Clearinghouse Annual Cost Savings = 8146 MMBtu/year x $3.00/MMBtu = $24,438
at (800) 862-2086.

OFFICE OF INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES


ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Suggested Actions
If there is a continuous blowdown system in place, consider installing a heat recovery
system. If there is a non-continuous blowdown system, then consider the option of
converting it to a continuous blowdown system coupled with heat recovery.

BestPractices is part of the Office of


Industrial Technologies’ (OIT’s) Industries
of the Future strategy, which helps the
country’s most energy-intensive
industries improve their competitiveness.
BestPractices brings together the best-
available and emerging technologies
and practices to help companies begin
improving energy efficiency, environmental
performance, and productivity right now.

BestPractices focuses on plant systems,


where significant efficiency improvements
and savings can be achieved. Industry
gains easy access to near-term and
long-term solutions for improving the
performance of motor, steam, compressed
air, and process heating systems. In
addition, the Industrial Assessment Centers
provide comprehensive industrial energy
evaluations to small and medium-size
manufacturers.

F OR A DDITIONAL I NFORMATION ,
P LEASE C ONTACT:

Peter Salmon-Cox
About DOE’s Office of Industrial Technologies Office of Industrial Technologies
Phone: (202) 586-2380
The Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), through partnerships with industry, Fax: (202) 586-6507
government, and non-governmental organizations, develops and delivers advanced [email protected]
energy efficiency, renewable energy, and pollution prevention technologies for www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices
industrial applications. OIT is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. OIT Clearinghouse
OIT encourages industry-wide efforts to boost resource productivity through a Phone: (800) 862-2086
Fax: (360) 586-8303
strategy called Industries of the Future (IOF). IOF focuses on the following nine [email protected]
energy- and resource-intensive industries:
• Agriculture • Forest Products • Mining Please send any comments,
• Aluminum • Glass • Petroleum questions, or suggestions to
• Chemicals • Metal Casting • Steel [email protected]

OIT and its BestPractices program offer a wide variety of resources to industrial
Visit our home page at
partners that cover motor, steam, compressed air, and process heating systems. www.oit.doe.gov
For example, BestPractices software can help you decide whether to replace or
rewind motors (MotorMaster+), assess the efficiency of pumping systems (PSAT),
or determine optimal insulation thickness for pipes and pressure vessels (3E Plus). Office of Industrial Technologies
Energy Efficiency
Training is available to help you or your staff learn how to use these software and Renewable Energy
programs and learn more about industrial systems. Workshops are held around the U.S. Department of Energy
country on topics such as “Capturing the Value of Steam Efficiency,” “Fundamentals Washington, DC 20585-0121
and Advanced Management of Compressed Air Systems,” and “Motor System
Management.” Available technical publications range from case studies and tip
sheets to sourcebooks and market assessments. The Energy Matters newsletter, for
example, provides timely articles and information on comprehensive energy systems
for industry. You can access these resources and more by visiting the BestPractices DOE/GO-10099-955
Web site at www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices or by contacting the OIT Clearinghouse at Revised June 2001
800-862-2086 or via email at [email protected]. Steam Tip Sheet #10

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