Why is blowdown necessary?

Industrial boilers require clean water to operate efficiently. Filling a boiler with untreated tap water would cause significant damage due to:

• High oxygen levels, which contribute to internal corrosion.
• Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), including carbonates that cause scale build-up and reduce heat transfer efficiency.

While boilers are typically fed with pre-treated water via a hotwell, this does not eliminate all impurities. Over time, oxygen ingress and TDS accumulation introduce contaminants into the system. To prevent damage, boilers require regular blowdown cycles to remove these impurities.

typical frequency blowdown is needed:

• With perfectly conditioned water, blowdown may only be needed every three days.
• In standard operations, daily blowdown is typically required to maintain efficiency.

Role of the blowdown vessel

Blowdown discharge is extremely hot if released directly into pipework, it could cause severe thermal damage. A blowdown vessel plays a critical role in ensuring safe handling by:

• Collecting and cooling the discharged water using a cold water injection system.
• Lowering the temperature to a safe level before it is expelled.
• Managing pressure and flow to prevent damage to downstream piping.