Welcome back! In our last blog, we described steam boilers and how they work. An article on the website for Thermax, an engineering company that adopts sustainable development practices, says the energy produced by industrial boilers gives “industries a cost-effective way of powering their production.” Keep reading about deaerators, a key component to maintaining commercial and industrial boiler systems.

What is a Deaerator/Deaerator Tank? What is its purpose?

According to Deaerator.com, the website for a company in Kansas City that manufactures deaerators, “Corrosion is a major factor in the failure of boilers, which is where the deaeration process comes in.” Deaerator tanks extend the life of a commercial or industrial steam boiler by taking the oxygen out of the water put into the system. The article from Deaerator.com also states, “the major area of application for deaerators can be found within a boiler plant and boiler feed water systems.”

How does a Deaerator Tank Work?

All types of deaerators operate the same. Water is added to the deaerator tank and mixed with the steam, which raises the water temperature. The increase in temperature breaks up oxygen and other gases. These gases escape through a vent at the top of the deaerator tank.

Describe the Types of Deaerators and their Uses.

The two most common types of deaerator tanks are:

Spray-Type Deaerators, according to a blog on Rasmussen Mechanical Services, a company that provides mechanical services to customers in need of maintaining their business, “serve as both the deaeration section and the boiler feedwater storage tank.” Spray-Type deaerators are horizontal vessels separated into two tanks. One section creates the steam. The other section deaerates the boiler feedwater.

A Tray-Type Deaerator “is a vertical domed deaeration section mounted on top of a horizontal cylindrical vessel. Boiler feed water enters the vertical deaeration section above the perforated trays and flows downward through the perforations,” writes the blog post mentioned above. From the horizontal section, low-pressure deaeration steam flows through the perforations above and strips the feedwater of gases.

Please visit this page from STS Canada, an engineering group specializing in filtration and separation processes, https://bit.ly/3GIbIe7, to learn more about the other deaerators.

How do you Select a Deaerator System?

When selecting a deaerator system, make sure the system:

Requires constant steam pressure to operate
Operates with varying loads
Works under all load conditions the system experiences
Isolates the boiler from the steam distribution system
Requires Steady State conditions to operate

The blog post from Rasmussen Mechanical Services explains a Steady State condition by writing:

A constant flow of water through spray nozzles or trays ensures adequate turbulence.

A steady flow of feed water, with only gradual temperature changes, allows pressure controllers to satisfy demands for steam.
Steady feedwater flows also ensure that the deaerator will operate at its designed capacity.

When do you Use a Deaerator Tank?

Steam boilers do not work well without deaerator tanks. If you’re experiencing trouble with your deaerator, your business cannot use the steam boiler. Please call Engineering Energy Equipment to prevent this from happening to your company.