Energy control procedures

Ian Sutton, in Plant Design and Operations, 2015

Blowdown valves
Blowdown valves (BDVs) are used to depressurize a system or component in order to carry out
maintenance work or if there is an emergency. The BDVs require a downstream isolation valve,
with a bleed between the two. In the case of remedial work, once the pressure has been relieved,
the downstream isolation valve will be closed, and a blind will be installed upstream of the BDV.
If the BDV itself requires maintenance then the upstream equipment or system will be
depressurized, the BDV downstream isolation valve will be closed, the BDV will be removed,
and blind flanges will be installed on both open-ended flanges. The system will remain shut
down until the BDV is reinstalled and certified in functional working order.
BDVs themselves are considered as isolation valves for system or component isolation.
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Industrial boilers
E Walker CEng, BSc, MIMechE, R J Blaen, in Plant Engineer's Reference Book (Second
Edition), 2002
10.16.3 Blowdown
Blowdown on a boiler is mandatory. On small boilers the required operation of the main
blowdown valve may be sufficient to control the quality of water within the boiler. On medium
and large plants additional systems are employed.
The simplest is a preset continuous blowdown valve to maintain a suitable water quality in the
boiler. It is necessary for water quality to be checked frequently and the rate of continuous
blowdown adjusted as may be found necessary.
A second method is a time-controlled valve allowing regular intermittent blowdown of the
boiler. Again, regular checks need to be carried out to monitor the quality of water in the boiler.
The third and most automatic system is the conductivity-controlled blowdown. This constantly
measures the level of solids in the water and instigates an automatic variable blowdown on a
continuous or intermittent basis.
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Depressurization, Blowdown, and Venting
Dennis P. Nolan, in Handbook of Fire and Explosion Protection Engineering Principles (Second
Edition), 2011
12.3 Blowdown
Blowdown is the removal of liquid contents of vessels and equipment to prevent its contribution
to a fire or explosive incident. Blowdown is similar to depressurization but is relevant to liquids
instead of gases. A liquid blowdown should never be sent the facility flare that is designed to
only handle gaseous materials. A liquid release out of the flare may result in a flare out, and if
the flare is elevated, a shower of liquids on the process facilities can result. Ideally liquid
blowdowns should be routed to facilities that are specifically designed to handle large quantities
of liquid materials. The blowdown could be routed to storage tanks, an open pit, burn pit, another
process facility, or the pressurized sewer. A blowdown to a tank is generally avoided since
entrained gases, or failure or undersized relieving devices, may cause the tank to rupture.
Similarly disposal to an open pit poses the hazards of exposed combustible liquids and gases.
The temperature of blowdown liquids has to be considered when selecting the materials for a
blowdown system to avoid undue thermal effects. API RP 520 provides guidance for blowdown
design arrangements.
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Depressurization, Blowdown, and Venting
Dennis P. Nolan, in Handbook of Fire and Explosion Protection Engineering Principles for Oil,
Gas, Chemical, and Related Facilities (Fourth Edition), 2019
12.4 Blowdown
Blowdown is the removal of liquid contents of vessels and equipment to prevent its contribution
to a fire or explosive incident. Blowdown is similar to depressurization but entails liquids instead
of gases. A liquid blowdown should never be sent a facility flare that is designed to only handle
gaseous materials. A liquid release of the flare may result in a flare out, and if the flare is
elevated, a shower of liquids on the process facilities can result. Ideally, liquid blowdowns
should be routed to facilities that are specifically designed to handle large quantities of liquid
materials. The blowdown could be routed to storage tanks, an open pit, burn pit, another process
facility, the closed drain system (CDS), or a pressurized sewer. A blowdown to a tank is
generally avoided since entrained gases or failure or undersizing of relieving devices may cause
the tank to rupture. Similarly, disposal to an open pit poses the hazards of exposed combustible
liquids and gases. For avoidance of environmental impact a CDS or pressurized sewer is
commonly employed. The temperature of blowdown liquids also has to be considered when
selecting the materials for a blowdown system to avoid undue thermal effects. API RP 520
provides guidance for blowdown design arrangements.
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Safety Relief Valve Selection
Marc Hellemans, in The Safety Relief Valve Handbook, 2010
9.2 Blowdown
Short blowdown necessary outside ASME I or VIII requirements (<7%): Some POSRVs or high-
performance, soft-seated, spring-operated SRVs have large adjustable blowdown ranges. Some
range from 3% to 30% blowdown adjustment. This is, however, only available with a limited
number of suppliers. A normal standard ASME VIII spring-operated SRV may not reach full lift
at 10% overpressure when it is adjusted for a very short blowdown. Blowdown can seldom be set
shorter than 5% on conventional spring valves.
Long blowdown required due to inlet pressure losses above 3%: On gas service, a pop or
modulating action POSRV can be used. On some pilot valves, blowdowns between 3% and 25%
can be achieved. In case of very high pressure losses, pilot-operated valves with a remote sensor
should be considered.
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Pipeline Stress Design
E. Shashi Menon, in Transmission Pipeline Calculations and Simulations Manual, 2015
13 Blowdown Calculations
Blowdown valves and piping system are installed around the mainline valve in a gas
transmission piping system to evacuate gas from sections of pipeline in the event of an
emergency or maintenance purposes. The objective of the blowdown assembly is to remove gas
from the pipeline once the pipe section is isolated by closing the mainline block valves, in a
reasonable period of time. The pipe size required to blowdown a section of pipe will depend on
the gas gravity, pipe diameter, length of pipe section, the pressure in the pipeline, and the
blowdown time. AGA recommends the following equation to estimate the blowdown time.
(4.17)T=0.0588P113G12D2LFcd2(USCSunits)
where,
T = blowdown time, min
P1 = initial pressure, psia
G = gas gravity (air = 1.00)
D = pipe inside diameter, in.
L = length of pipe section, mile
d = inside diameter of blowdown pipe, in
Fc = choke factor (as follows)
Choke factor list.
Ideal nozzle = 1.0
Through gate = 1.6
Regular gate = 1.8
Regular lube plug = 2.0
Venture lube plug = 3.2
In SI units:
(4.18)T=0.0886P113G12D2LFcd2(SIunits)
where,
P1 = initial pressure, kg/cm2
D = pipe inside diameter, mm
L = length of pipe section, km
d = pipe inside diameter of blowdown, mm
Other symbols are as defined before.
Problem 4.6
Calculate the blowdown time required for an NPS 14, 0.250-in wall thickness blowdown
assembly on an NPS 36 pipe, 0.500-in wall thickness considering 10-mile pipe section starting at
a pressure of 1000 psia. The gas gravity is 0.6 and choke factor = 1.8.
Solution
Pipe inside diameter = 36−2 × 0.500 = 35.0 in
Blowdown pipe inside diameter = 14.0−2 × 0.250 = 13.5 in
Using Eqn (4.9), we get:
T=0.0588×(1000)13(0.6)12(35)2×5×1.813.52=28minapproximately
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Atucha II plant description
O. Mazzantini, ... Jovica R. Riznic, in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors, 2022
1.2.6.11 Steam generator blowdown system (LCQ)
The water purity of the steam water cycle is maintained by blowdown from the steam generator
sump.
The blowdown water from each steam generator is piped to a manifold within the containment
area, and is then piped through the containment to the flash vessel. The flash steam is expanded
into the feedwater tank. The pressure in the blowdown flash vessel is maintained at a constant
value using a control valve. The heat from the blowdown water is taken to the main condensate
in the blowdown cooler; then drains are discharged into the turbine building drain system. Steam
generators are equipped with sampling ports for monitoring the water quality and for detecting
leakage within steam generators.
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Reciprocating compressors
Maurice Stewart, in Surface Production Operations, 2019
9.5.2.4 Blowdown valves
A blowdown valve relieves trapped pressure when the compressor is shut down. Most operators
use automatic blowdown valves to reduce the hazards of trapped gas. Some operators use manual
blowdown valves on smaller units for ease of restarting, depressuring the unit only for
maintenance. (On larger units the compressor should be started with the compressor cylinders
“unloaded” or discharging to atmosphere, and thus the blowdown valve would be open during a
start sequence, then closed to permit gas to discharge to line pressure.)
If the blowdown valve has been tied into a closed vent system to route gas to a safe area for flare
or vent, an additional blowdown valve is required. This valve should vent directly to atmosphere,
with nothing else tied into its line. This prevents backflow from the closed vent system while the
compressor is down for maintenance and permits small leaks of gas from the compressor to vent
safely. The flowsheet shows a manual 3-way valve that accomplishes this isolation.
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Operation and controls
Glen L. Bostick, in Heat Recovery Steam Generator Technology, 2017
14.3.7.1 Continuous blowdown
The CBD connection is provided for the removal of dissolved solids (Ca+, Mg+, Na+, PO4+,
Cl−, etc.) from the steam drum that, while generally in concentration levels of ppm/ppb, can
individually or in thermodynamically favorable compounds precipitate out in the steam turbine,
the condenser, or any other portion of the steam/condensate cycle leading to reduced
performance (i.e., reduced heat transfer, increased pressure drop) and damaging mechanisms
(e.g., stress corrosion cracking, under deposit corrosion, caustic gouging, acid corrosion, etc.).
The boiling process concentrates the dissolved solids carried into the HRSG via the boiler
feedwater. The amount of CBD flow removed from the drum, which is always in service when
the HRSG is operating, and thus “continuous,” is a function of the concentration in the feedwater
entering the drum and the concentration allowed in the steam effluent. The chemical/phase
equilibrium of each chemistry component (e.g., Na+), often termed the distribution ratio, defines
the allowed concentration in the liquid phase relative to the steam phase. Via the measurement of
the feedwater flow rate and concentration of a representative element/compound and the
measurement of the drum concentration of the same compound, a required CBD flow rate may
be determined. The CBD valve is then adjusted to pass the determined flow. Of note is the
challenge in getting an accurate two-phase flow measurement, which is the case with the CBD
(i.e., the saturated water will flash as it passes along the CBD piping).
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HYDRODYNAMIC LOADING AND RESPONSE OF
REACTOR INTERNALS USING 3D
STEALTH/WHAMSE*
F.H. CHANG, ... R.N. OEHLBERG, in Structural Integrity Research of the Electric Power
Research Institute, 1984
3.1 The HDR blowdown facility
The HDR blowdown experiments are one part of a larger test program at the HDR facility in
Karlstein, Germany. The HDR reactor vessel, shown schematically in fig. 1, consists of a a
blowdown nozzle and a reactor vessel with internals plus several pipes and stubs attached to the
vessel. The vessel internals include a flexible core support barrel with a mass ring attached to the
bottom. The mass ring was intended to simulate the inertial effect of the core on the response of
the barrel.
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Fig. 1. HDR vessel.

The configuration for an HDR blowdown experiment with a downcomer, lower plenum, core,
and upper plenum is very similar to the geometry of a large pressurized water reactor (PWR).
The size of the HDR vessel, 11m high and 3 m in diameter, is also similar to a typical PWR. The
simplified vessel internals produce a less complex blowdown response than would occur in a
typical PWR configuration so that the calculational results and experimental data can be more
easily interpreted. The core barrel was carefully machined for uniform thickness and fabricated
with a flat, rigid upper ring which is clamped between the head and the vessel. This rigid ring
provides a well-defined boundary condition for the structural response calculations. These
features make the HDR blowdown experiment an excellent test of coupled fluid-structure
computational techniques for PWR blowdown calculations.
The initial conditions for an HDR experiment were adjusted by filling the system with water,
pressurizing the system to the desired initial pressure, and circulating hot and cold water through
the piping system until the desired initial pressure and initial hot and cold region distribution was
achieved. Each blowdown experiment was initiated by rupturing a double diaphragm on the
blowdown nozzle. During this blowdown, fluid pressure and temperature were measured
throughout the vessel and blowdown nozzle while strain and displacement were measured on the
core barrel. Vessel displacements near the blowdown nozzle were also recorded.
The initial fluid conditions for Tests V31.1 and V32 are tabulated in table 1. The fluid in the
downcomer in Test V32 had a 70% higher degree of subcooling than in Test V31.1. Thus,
greater hydrodynamic loads and transient responses of the fluid and structure occurred in Test
V32.
Table 1. Initial fluid conditions

Test V31.1 Test V32

Initial pressure 11 MPa 11 MPa
Temperature in downcomer nozzle 266.5°C 240°C
Temperature in downcomer 271 °C 236–240°C
Temperature in lower plenum 256°C 222–235°C
Temperature in core region 298–305°C 283–308°C
Subcooling in downcomer 45.6°C 78°C
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