CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER AND ITS TREATMENT
TECHNOLOGIES FOR THERMAL POWER PLANT
Dr. Ananta Kumar Das
Professor, Chemical Engineering Department Durgapur Institute of Advanced Technology and
Management Email id:ananta_das59@yahoo.co.in;ananta.che@rahul.ac.in
Introduction
Water in power plant is like blood of human
body. It is used in all steps of Power plant
like steam generation, cooling purpose even
as drinking water. Fundamental knowledge
in water chemistry is must for all power
plant personnel. As water is a universal
solvent, it dissolves most of salts and gases
etc. The water containing salts causes
problem of scale formation and corrosion in
heating surface and ultimately damages the
equipments and reduce efficiency. Acidic
and alkaline characteristics of water do
havoc while being used in power plant.
Hence, power plant personnel need to have
fundamental knowledge about water
characteristic, controlling of corrosion,
scale formation, methods of purification
and testing methods of water etc. In this
paper the water treatment technologies
adopted in power plant to control the
menace like corrosion and scale formation
have been discussed.
Contaminants of water
The sources of water for power plant are
mainly surface water like sea, lake, pond, dam
, river and underground. Raw water contains
the contaminants that can be sub-divided as a)
coarsely dispersed (suspended) substances b)
colloids c) molecular and ion-dispersed
substances d) Gases Suspended substances are
particles of sand & clay of different sizes,
remnants of plants and other substances. Both
organic and inorganic components are present
in water in colloidal state. Humus substances,
dying-off and decaying of organisms are of
organic nature. Inorganic like Fe, Si & Al-
compound are often contained in colloidal
state. Molecular dispersed substances include
salts & gases that are dissolved in water as
cations like Na+, Ca+, Mg+ and anions like
Cl-, SO42- ,
HCO3- .The above six ions are most wide
spread in natural water. Oxides of N2 in
water reveal the contamination due to
industrial discharge. In underground water
which contains Fe (HCO3)2 is oxidized in
presence of air to convert it into Fe (OH) 2
and subsequently to Fe( OH)3 in presence of
O2 in air. Ferrous compound is removed
from water by precipitation. All natural
water contains gases mainly like O 2, CO2,
and H2S need to be removed.
Problems due to contaminants
Various physical- chemical processes in
power plant causes the dissociation of some
compounds and formation of some other.
The process often leads to poorly soluble
substances that precipitate. Form other
substances that cause scale or sludge. Direct
corrosion due to cell formation is very much
known.
Water treatments in Thermal Power
Plant
To prevent above mentioned problem in
power plant, water is treated starting from
raw water to process water. Water treatment
in power plant can be divided in two stages
as under:
i) Pre-treatment or external treatment
ii) Process treatment or internal treatment
Pre-treatment
It starts from raw water till Boiler feed
water or CW Make up water. The process
treatment is in boiler water treatment and
circulating water treatment in CW system.
Removal of coarse dispersed and colloidal
impurities from water is generally called
clarification. Coarse dispersed solids are
removed by sedimentation and filtration.
Being the sedimentation process is too slow
and requires huge space that it is not
economical in power plant to go for settling
process to remove coarse dispersed solids
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by this method. Filtration is a clarification Ultra Filtration & Reverse Osmosis

process by which coarse impurities are
removed. In practice, the clarification of Ultra-filters are provided before RO to
remove all organic suspended substances
water is done by following the processes.
which may cause fouling in RO membrane.
Settling (Raw water reservoir) - Different chemicals that are used before RO
coagulation (solid contact rapid clarifier) – are i) acids like HCl, H 2SO4 etc. ii) Caustic
filtration - ultra-filtration- RO (Reverse like NaOH iii)De-chlorination by activated
Osmosis). carbon iv) polymer based anti-scalants to
resist CaCO3 deposition and v) Dispersants
Raw water is settled is a reservoir where the
heavy solids settle. Then taken to clarifier
where coagulants are mixed with water to
remove colloidal substances. In Coagulation,
consolidation of colloidal particles followed
by precipitation of substance from raw water.
Since colloidal solution is very stable
(because colloids carry similar charges),
colloids are incapable of spontaneous Fig.1 Pre Treatment Plant
consolidation into coarse particle for
precipitation. To accelerate consolidation Demineralised Water Plant
coagulating agents are introduced into water.
Selection of coagulants depends on the raw SAC Reaction
water analysis. Colloids are either positive or De-mineralization reaction: R-H + CaCO 3=
negative in nature .
R-Ca + H2CO3; RH is Cation resin, R is high
In water treatment practice, Alum (Al2 molecular weight polymer. Regeneration
(SO4)3, 18 H2O; FeCl3, FeSO4, 7 H2O are Reaction: R-Ca +HCl= RH + CaCl2
used as coagulants. Alum and Ferrous SBA Reaction
sulphate first goes on hydrolysis as below:
De-mineralization reaction: ROH + HCl =
Al2(SO4)3 + H2O= 2 Al(OH)3 + 3 H2SO4.
RCl + H2O; ROH is anion resin
FeSO4+ 2H2O= Fe (OH)2 + H2SO4 2Fe
Regeneration Reaction: RCl + NaOH= R-
(OH)2 + ½ O2 +H2O = Fe( OH)3 Al (SO4)3
OH + NaCl
& Fe (OH)3 act as coagulant.
As the hydrolysis of chemicals causes acid
formation, so the coagulation is favourable
in alkaline water. Other than the above,
Polyelectrolyte (PE) has a wide application
as coagulant. These are organic high
molecular compounds comprised with many
inorganic groups. While dissolved in water
these groups undergo ionization and
becomes positively charge or negatively Fig.2 DM Plant
charged. The charged coagulant absorbs
suspended particles and sews them to form Deaerator make up water is mainly DM
a net structure that helps in the formation of water. pH of DM water around 7. To
maintain pH at the range of 8, morpholene
large flocs and settles quicker. Alum, FeCl3
or ammonia is dosed into the water.
& Poly electrolyte are normally added as
Sometimes this dosing is done in DM tank
flocculants. To maintain pH around 8.0,
lime is added in clarifier. Oil is removed to maintain pH .
through activated carbon filter.
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EXTERNAL TREATMENT AFTER Table1. Parameter to be Maintained in
DEAERATOR Feed Water
Chemical Used after De-aerator Parameter Value
(External Treatment): De-aerator removes
oxygen by thermal deaeration method. Still • pH 8.5-8.8
small quantity of Oxygen remains in it at • Hardness Nil
the range of 0.005 ppm. To remove the left • Silica <0.02 ppm
out oxygen following chemicals are used Chloride NIl
• Oil & Grease Nil
Hydrazine: Hydrazine removes Oxygen by • Iron oxide <0.02 ppm
chemical reaction. N2H4 + O2= N2 + H20 • Copper oxide < <0.003 ppm
• TDS 1.5-2 ppm
Diethyl hydroxyl Amine (DEHA): • Conductivity 3-5 micro S/
Reaction is: 4 (CH3CH2)2 NOH + 9O2 = 8
CM
CH3 COOH + 2 N2 + 14 H20
Sodium Sulphite: Reaction is NaSO3 +O2=
Na2SO4 Table2. Parameters to be maintained in
Drum Water
As Na2SO3 reacting with O2, precipitate
Parame Pr. Pr. Pr. Pr Pr.
Na2SO4, it is not advisable to use for high ter up to Upto Upt upto >10
pressure boiler. 35 35- o 67- 0ata
The advantage of using hydrazine and ata 45 45- 100
DEHA as oxygen scavenger are i)No ata 67 ata
precipitate on pressure parts ii) Reacts with ata
FeO and Fe2O3 to form Fe3O4 , magnetite PH 9.5- 9.8
as passivation layer. 10.2 9.5- 9.5- 9.5 9.5
10.2 10.2
Internal Treatment: Chemicals Used in Hardne Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
Boiler Drum (Internal treatment) ss
Silica <15 <5 <1 <0.6
Chemicals used in boiler drum have ppm <10 ppm ppm ppm
following purposes i) To maintain high pH ppm
ii) Remove TDS from system by forming Chlorid Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
complex phosphate compound ii) To guard e
boiler against corrosion in the event of Oil & Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil
slippage of hardness. Tri-sodium phosphate Grease
is the chemical that does all the functions. PO4 18- 15- 10- 6-10 5-7
That is why TSP is preferable to use in
20 18 15
drum water. Such type of treatment is called N2H4 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 .01-
phosphate- treatment. However, for higher - -- - - 0.2p
pressure boiler and once through boiler All 0.2p 0.2p 0.2p 0.2p pm
Volatile Treatment (AVT) is done. As AVT
pm pm pm pm
contains high in ammonia, surface
TDS 250p 125p 75p 50p 25pp
condenser tube with admiralty brass may
get affected. Such type of treatment (AVT) pm pm pm pm m
Conduc 500 250 150 100 50
is getting appreciated even in low pressure
tivity
boiler with Air Cooled Condenser, where a
micro-
chance of hardness slippage through
condenser is omitted. s/cm
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Condensate parameter should be as good as Drum water chemistry is maintained by i)

FW parameter. Care to be taken that no controlling chemical dosing quantity in LP
debris or contamination from process is & HP dosing system ii) by giving blow
mixed up with the condensate. down through CBD or IBD. Phosphate
Hide Out: Phosphate hideout, means
Table3. Parameters to be Maintained for disappear of phosphate in drum water, is a
Condensate phenomena in the boiler during conditions
of high load. Phosphate gets release when
Parameter the load is reduced. Hide-out is caused by
UOM Value the precipitation of sodium phosphate
PH -- 8.3-8.5 phases at local hotspots and under deposits.
Conductivity Micro 3-5 Because the solubility of phosphate
S/cm decreases as boiler pressure increases,
Silica ppm <0.02 hideout is typically only noticed during load
N2H4 ppm 0.02 changes. Phosphate hideout usually results
Chloride ppm Nil in i) increase of PO4 concentration and a
decrease of pH during load reduction ii)
Increase of pH and decrease of PO 4
Control and Managing Drum Water concentration during the load increases.
Chemistry

Fig.3 Analysis of a power plant at 66 ata

CONCLUSION prevention has been explained. Cooling

Water causes scaling and corrosion while
comes in contact with metallic surface. So
understanding of water characteristic is very
vital while working in a power plant.
Different causes of corrosion and its
water, boiler feed water and boiler internal
treatment has been explained. Different
parameters of water and the corrosion
preventive elements and maintenance of
their limit has been covered briefly.