What is Condensate?
Condensation occurs when water is changed from it's gaseous form (water vapour) into liquid. Typically this can occur when warm air comes into contact with cold surfaces where water droplets will form. The water vapour that is suspended in the air is referred to as condensate.
Condensate Recovery and Return
Condensate is a potentially valuable resource as it is high-purity, contains virtually no total dissolved solids and has high heat content. The purity and absence of dissolved solids makes condensate ideal for use as boiler feedwater.
Reusing condensate minimises the need for additional, cold makeup water that would require treatment and heating, which would incur additional costs. By returning condensate to the boiler feed tank the need for boiler blowdown is reduced which saves money by reducing the energy lost from the boiler during the blowdown process.
Benefits of Condensate Recovery
Here are some of the key benefits of condensate recovery and reuse:
- Significant savings on energy costs
- High boiler feed water temperature minimises dissolved oxygen and therefore helps prevent corrosion
- Reduces the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the boiler feed water
- Minimises the need for makeup water and associated costs
- Reduces boiler feed water treatment costs
- Reduces the need for boiler blowdown and associated costs