KAMPS-Stork Spray-type Deaerators

General

Many decades of e xperience have given the KAMPS-

Stork Spray-type deaerator a unique place in the industry. The patented design has been used world-
wide in power plants and industrial installations to the full satisfaction of our customers. Continuous
improvements and flexibility make it possible to provide highly competitive solutions for power plant
design.

Operating principle

Pre-deaeration in which water is sprayed in a part of the steam space :

Final-deaeration in the water tank where steam is brought in close contact with the water to be
deaerated.

The pre-deaeration is achieved by the KAMPS-Stork spraying device. Under all kind of operating
conditions, the sprayer assures heating up of the condensate to saturation temperature and a very large
area for mass transfer. As the solubility of oxygen in water at saturation conditions is practically zero,
oxygen transfers from the water droplets to the surrounding steam. As the steam condensates on the
water, the concentration of oxygen in the direct vicinity of the sprayer is increased making it possible to
vent a small amount of steam with a relatively high oxygen concentration.

Final deaeration in the water tank is achieved by injection of steam in the water tank. Depending on the
conditions either steam, pressurized hot water, steam/water mixture can be used for deaeration.

A proper designed steam device, taking into account the hydro-dynamics in the water tank, will result in
good contact between water and steam, allowing the oxygen to move from the water to the steam in
accordance with Henry’s law.

KAMPS-Stork deaerator types

* Temperature difference between the incoming water and the feed water outlet temperature.

KAMPS offers spray-type deaerators for different applications such as:

Horizontal
With more of 100 years of experience and more than 4000 references, this kind of deaerator is
applicable in power generation, process and chemical industry. Its standard capacity is from 10 to 2500
t/h and it operates up to fully demineralised water: outlet below 7ppb.

Vacuum
 Used in power generation, process and chemical industry. It has a compact construction and its
operating pressure goes down to 0.2 bar. Vacuum and overpressure operation is possible, depending
on the fuel to be fired.

Vertical
This kind of deaerator is suitable for areas where small footprint is required. The net volume is up to 30
m3 and its capacity goes from 10 to 450 T/H.

Internal Drum
It is installed inside the low pressure drum of HRSG’s. There is not external steam source required and
it has a capacity from 50 to 450 T/H. The content of oxygen in the condensate from condenser should
be: O2 inlet < 100 ppb.

Condenser deaeration
It is applicable when demi-water deaeration inside condensers (air cooled) is necessary. Operating
pressure is from 0.1 - 0.2 bar. It operates with or without external steam source.

Marine/FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Off –Loading)

It is used for steam generation on board of floating vessels. It is compact and low-height design. It has
an excellent deaerating performance under "marine conditions". It has a capacity up to 500 T/H

Retrofit
In case you want an increased capacity with the same storage vessel of the tray type deaerator, a
retrofit with KAMPS technology is an advantage because it improves deaerator performance and
reduces maintenance and operation costs.

Features
o Reduction of oxygen concentrations to levels below 7 ppb over wide operating ranges (10 to
110%);

o High reliability / availability;

o Single shell design;

o Deaerated water available as soon as the deaerator is pressurized;

o Possible deaerating media: (superheated) steam, steam/water mixtures, hot-water or

combinations here of;

o Sliding pressure operation possible, from vacuum (0.2 bar(a)) to several bar over pressure;

o Robust design, allowing very rapid load changes;

o Low vent losses, 10 to 70 kg/h depending on amount of incoming oxygen;

o Capacity range at the outlet from 10 to 6000 ton/hour, special models possible.
 Advantages
o Lower Total Cost of Ownership, due to:

o Simple, robust design resulting in minimal maintenance;

o Steam consumption savings by a very small vent flow;

o No vent condenser necessary;

o No spare parts required;

o No chemicals (oxygen scavenger) for deaeration required.

Single shell design, resulting in:

o Compact construction with low overall height;

o Lower insulation and piping costs compared to other designs;

o Simple erection;

o High earthquake resistance.

o Nederlands
o Français

For contacting us : KAMPS s.a.

Tel: +32 2 219 10 60 - Fax: +32 2 217 41 31 - e-mail: info@kamps.be
 Equipment
Important Considerations
Monitoring Performance

The dissolved gases normally present in water cause many corrosion problems. For
instance, oxygen in water produces pitting that is particularly severe because of its localized
nature. Carbon dioxide corrosion is frequently encountered in condensate systems and less
commonly in water distribution systems. Water containing ammonia, particularly in the
presence of oxygen, readily attacks copper and copper-bearing alloys. The resulting
corrosion leads to deposits on boiler heat transfer surfaces and reduces efficiency and
reliability.
In order to meet industrial standards for both oxygen content and the allowable metal oxide
levels in feedwater, nearly complete oxygen removal is required. This can be accomplished
only by efficient mechanical deaeration supplemented by an effective and properly controlled
chemical oxygen scavenger.

Several principles apply to the mechanical deaeration of feedwater:

The solubility of any gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the
gas at the liquid surface
The solubility of a gas in a liquid decreases with increasing liquid temperature(see Figure
10-2)

Efficiency of removal is increased when the liquid and gas are thoroughly mixed
The solubility of a gas in a liquid is expressed by Henry's Law:

Ctotal = kP

where:

Ctotal = total concentration of the gas in solution

P = partial pressure of the gas above solution
k = a proportionality constant known as Henry's Law Constant

For example, 8 ppm of oxygen can be dissolved in water when the partial pressure of
oxygen is 0.2 atmosphere; only 4 ppm of oxygen can be dissolved in water if the partial
pressure of oxygen is reduced to 0.1 atmosphere.

As is evident from Henry's Law, a dissolved gas can be removed from water by a reduction
of the partial pressure of that gas in the atmosphere contacting the liquid. This can be
accomplished in either of two ways:

1. a vacuum is applied to the system and the unwanted gas is vented

2. a new gas is introduced into the system while the unwanted gas is vented

Vacuum deaeration has been used successfully in water distribution systems. However,
pressure deaeration (with steam as the purge gas) is normally used to prepare boiler
feedwater. Steam is chosen as the purge gas for several reasons:
it is readily available
it heats the water and reduces the solubility of oxygen
it does not contaminate the water
only a small quantity of steam must be vented, because most of the steam used to scrub
the water is condensed and becomes a part of the deaerated water

In order to deaerate the boiler feedwater, water is sprayed into a steam atmosphere. This
heats the water to within a few degrees of the temperature of the saturated steam. Because
the solubility of oxygen in water is very low under these conditions, 97 to 98% of the oxygen
in the incoming water is released to the steam and is purged from the system by venting.
Although the remaining oxygen is not soluble under equilibrium conditions, it is not readily
released to the steam. Therefore, water leaving the heating section of the deaerator must
be scrubbed vigorously with steam to maximize removal.

Equipment
The purpose of a deaerator is to reduce dissolved gases, particularly oxygen, to a low level
and improve a plant's thermal efficiency by raising the water temperature. In addition,
deaerators provide feedwater storage and proper suction conditions for boiler feedwater
pumps.

Pressure deaerators, or deaerating heaters, can be classified under two major categories:
tray-type and spray-type (see Figure 10-3). Tray-type deaerators are also referred to as
"spray-tray" type, because the water is initially introduced by spray valves or nozzles. The
spray type is also referred to as the "spray-scrubber" type because a separate scrubbing
section is used to provide additional steam-water contact after spraying.
The tray-type deaerating heater, shown in Figures 10-4 and 10-5, consists of a shell, spray
nozzles to distribute and spray the water, a direct-contact vent condenser, tray stacks, and
protective interchamber walls. Although the shell is constructed of low carbon steel, more
corrosion-resistant stainless steels are used for the spray nozzles, vent condenser, trays,
and interchamber walls.

The operation of this deaerator is illustrated in Figure 10-5. Incoming water is sprayed into a
steam atmosphere, where it is heated to within a few degrees of the saturation temperature
of the steam. Most of the noncondensable gases (principally oxygen and free carbon
dioxide) are released to the steam as the water is sprayed into the unit. Seals prevent the
recontamination of tray stack water by gases from the spray section.

In the tray section, water cascades from tray to tray, breaking into fine droplets or films
which intimately contact the incoming steam. The steam heats the water to the saturation
temperature of the steam and removes all but the very last traces of oxygen. Deaerated
water falls to the storage space below, where a steam blanket protects it from
recontamination.

The steam, entering the deaerators through ports in the tray compartment, flows down
through the tray stack parallel to the water flow. A very small amount of steam condenses in
this section as the water temperature rises to the saturation temperature of the steam. The
remainder of the steam scrubs the cascading water.

Upon leaving the tray compartment, the steam flows upward between the shell and the
interchamber walls to the spray section. Most of the steam is condensed and becomes a
part of the deaerated water. A small portion of the steam, which contains the
noncondensable gases released from the water, is vented to the atmosphere. It is essential
that sufficient venting is provided at all times or deaeration will be incomplete.

As mentioned, most tray and spray-type deaerators use spring-loaded spray nozzles, which
evenly distribute the inlet water (see Figure 10-6). Newer spray valves are designed to
provide a uniform spray pattern under varying load conditions for efficient steam-water
contact. The valve is designed to provide atomization of the inlet water into small droplets to
improve heat transfer and to provide efficient scrubbing of the inlet water oxygen.

Steam flow through the tray stack may be cross-flow, counter-current, or co-current to the
water. The deaerated water is usually stored in a separate tank, as illustrated in Figure 10-
4.

The spray-type deaerating heater consists of a shell, spring-loaded inlet spray valves, a
direct-contact vent condenser, and a steam scrubber for final deaeration. The inlet spray
valves and direct contact vent condenser section are stainless steel; the shell and steam
scrubber may be low carbon steel.

The incoming water is sprayed into a steam atmosphere and heated to within a few degrees
of the saturation temperature of the steam. Most of the noncondensable gases are released
to the steam, and the heated water falls to a water seal and drains to the lowest section of
the steam scrubber.

The water is scrubbed by a large volume of steam and heated to the saturation temperature
prevailing at that point. The intimate steam-water contact achieved in the scrubber efficiently
strips the water of dissolved gases. As the steam-water mixture rises in the scrubber, the
deaerated water is a few degrees above the saturation temperature, due to a slight pressure
loss. A small amount of flashing results, which aids in the release of dissolved gases. The
deaerated water overflows from the steam scrubber to the storage section below.

Steam enters the deaerator through a chest on the side and flows to the steam scrubber.
Because the volume of steam is large compared to the volume of water, thorough scrubbing
is achieved. The steam, after flowing through the scrubber, passes up into the spray heater
section to heat the incoming water. Most of the steam condenses in the spray section to
become a part of the deaerated water. A small portion of the steam is vented to the
atmosphere to remove the noncondensable gases.

In the jet-atomizing segment of spray-type deaerators, the incoming water is sprayed into a
steam atmosphere. Here, the water is heated sufficiently to release the majority of the
noncondensable gases. The water is then delivered into a high-velocity steam jet. It
impinges on a baffle and is atomized into fine droplets. The high-velocity steam heats the
water to its saturation temperature and scrubs all but the last traces of oxygen from the fine
water droplets.

Other types of deaerating equipment, less common in industrial plants, include film-type and
bubbling device type deaerators.

In film-type deaerators, the water flows along a surface, such as Raschig rings, in a thin film
counter-current to steam flow. Oxygen is removed along the film surface. Water is collected
at evenly spaced intervals.

In a bubbling device deaerator, oxygen is removed following preheating of the water,

through intimate contact of steam and water moving over perforated plates.

Deaerating Condensers

In power generating stations, main turbine condensers have air ejectors to remove
dissolved gases. Sometimes the pressure deaerator is omitted from the feedwater cycle.
However, there is a danger of air leaking into the system, both during start-up/shutdown and
while the condensers are operating at low loads. This may necessitate steam blanketing
and increased chemical deaeration.

Vacuum Deaeration

Vacuum deaeration is used at temperatures below the atmospheric boiling point to reduce
the corrosion rate in water distribution systems. A vacuum is applied to the system to bring
the water to its saturation temperature. Spray nozzles break the water into small particles to
facilitate gas removal and vent the exhaust gases.

Incoming water enters through spray nozzles and falls through a column packed with
Raschig rings or other synthetic packings. In this way, water is reduced to thin films and
droplets, which promote the release of dissolved gases. The released gases and water
vapor are removed through the vacuum, which is maintained by steam jet eductors or
vacuum pumps, depending on the size of the system. Vacuum deaerators remove oxygen
less efficiently than pressure units. A typical vacuum deaerator is shown in Figure 10-7.

Important Considerations
Inlet water to the deaerators should be largely free from suspended solids, which can clog
spray valves and ports of the inlet distributor and the deaerator trays. In addition, spray
valves, ports, and deaerator trays may plug with scale which forms when the water being
deaerated has high levels of hardness and alkalinity.

Pressure deaerators reduce oxygen to very low levels. Yet even trace amounts of oxygen
may cause corrosion damage to a system. Therefore, good operating practice requires
supplemental removal of oxygen by means of a chemical oxygen scavenger such as
sodium sulfite or hydrazine, or other materials, such as organic, volatile oxygen scavengers.

Although deaeration removes free carbon dioxide, it removes only small amounts of
combined carbon dioxide. The majority of the combined carbon dioxide is released with the
steam in the boiler and subsequently dissolves in the condensate, frequently causing
corrosion problems. These problems can be controlled through the use of volatile
neutralizing amines, filming amines, and metal oxide conditioners.
Monitoring Performance

Monitoring Performance Pressure deaerators, used to prepare boiler feedwater,

produce deaerated water which is very low in dissolved oxygen and free carbon
dioxide. Vendors usually guarantee less than 0.005 cm3/L (7 ppb) of oxygen.
Vacuum deaerators, used to protect water distribution lines, are not designed to
deaerate as thoroughly as pressure deaerators. Usually, they reduce the oxygen
content to about 0.25 to 0.50 cm3`/L (330 to 650 ppb).

In order to ensure maximum oxygen removal, spot or continuous monitoring of dissolved

oxygen in the effluent of the deaerator is essential. Continuous monitoring with an on-line
oxygen meter is normally recommended (see Figure 10-8). For performance testing of the
deaerator, the feed of the chemical oxygen scavenger is stopped for a brief period of time.

It is good practice to check the operation of the unit regularly. Care should be taken to
ensure that the unit is not operated beyond its capacity. The system should also be checked
for water hammer and thermal stress, which can be caused by the introduction of cold
condensate. Thorough off-line inspection should be performed as often as possible and
should include the following:
inlet water regulating valves and controls for storage tank level control
high and low alarms for storage tank levels
overflow valve and controller for prevention of high water level
steam pressure reducing valves to maintain required minimum deaerator pressure
safety relief valves
temperature and pressure gauges for proper monitoring of makeup water, deaerator, and
storage tank
steam vent for removal of gases and vent condenser for integrity
steam inlet baffles for integrity
inlet spray valves for deposits and operation
trays for proper position