More about Deaerators

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Deaerators remove unwanted gases from a fluid. In applications dealing with liquids, deaerators are typically used to eliminate dissolved gases, usually from water. The main reason for their use is that these gases can cause corrosion in metal system components; eliminating the gases, therefore, can greatly improve the longevity of various surfaces inside the equipment. In most systems, the gases are removed from boiler feed water, process steam or condensate, and are then sent to a storage tank.

Gases typically removed from a system include oxygen and carbon dioxide. In water, dissolved carbon dioxide lowers the pH level and produces carbonic acid, which is corrosive to most boiler systems. A deaerator removes these gases by spraying the feed water into heated steam, where the feed water rapidly becomes hot. This quickly causes the gases to become less soluble and forces them to leave the water. These gases leave the deaerator via a vent, while the cleaned water moves into the device’s storage chamber for later use. In smaller capacity systems, vacuum deaerators are often used. These systems have extremely low pressures and therefore operate at lower temperatures—the partial vacuum allows them to effectively remove dissolved gases at reduced temperatures.

When using a deaerator, it is important to keep track of its operating pressure, as well as the temperature of the water in the storage tank. Additionally, some of the steam in the system must be vented in order to properly expunge the removed gases. This accounts for some loss of water in the device and should be accounted for during calculations. When powering up a deaerator from a cold start, make sure that it is given ample time to heat to its standard operating temperature. Most deaerator systems have input valves for the addition of necessary chemicals to purified water.