Urgent! Urgent!! Very urgent!!!! The air tank isn’t getting filled with water, and we can’t figure out what’s causing the problem. Please come and take a look!!
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Last night, the air tank suddenly stopped receiving water. All the drain valves and control valves on site were functioning normally, and there were no frozen pipes. When the insulation material was removed, the water supply pipes were also warm, and it was clear that fluid was flowing inside them, which indicates that water is indeed being supplied – but in very small quantities, barely one-third of what is required for the process. The circulation water equipment was also working properly, yet there still wasn’t enough water supply!! I’m not sure what the cause is; please advise!!
A nitric acid plant? Could you explain it a bit more clearly...
Is there any air resistance? Some time ago, it was also very difficult to supply water to our steam drum, as the hot water came from the second water heater in the shift unit. Three tubes of this heater leaked, allowing shift gas to enter the hot water and creating an air blockage that made it hard to supply water.
Is it possible that the control valve has been blocked by slag or something similar? We’ve encountered this issue before.
Is it a problem with the feed pump? Check the outlet pressure of the feed pump as well as the motor current. Also, check whether there is any blockage at the throttling points in the pipes (valves, elbows, flow meters)
First, it is necessary to determine the possible causes of this issue. 1. Is there a problem with the water supply? Is the outlet pressure of the pump too high (indicating that the pipes are blocked) or too low (indicating insufficient water flow or cavitation)? Is the control valve functioning properly? Is the pump faulty? 2. Is there gas buildup in the equipment? Check for any exhaust gases. 3. Could it be due to an increased water demand from other equipment?
It is recommended to look for the problem in the pipeline. 1) Whether there is any blockage in the pipeline. Pay special attention to valves and control valves; you can try using the bypass line of the control valve. 2) Try switching to the backup pump to see. 3) Check whether the drum level display is distorted. 4) Check whether the pressure in the steam system has increased. 5) If nothing else works, remove the steam generator from the process, vent the steam, and try starting the pump to feed water in.
1. Is the water supply valve self-regulating for liquid level? If the boiler water is foamy, the liquid level will give false readings, and the automatic control system will not function properly. It is recommended to add water manually. 2. If adding water manually still does not work, could it be a problem with the transfer of boiler water, air entrainment in the pump, or failure to release air? 3. Is the pressure of the boiler water below normal levels? 4. Is the pressure in the steam drum abnormal? 5. If the liquid level indication is too high (with an on-site sight glass), follow the readings on site; the shut-off valve can be used to add water manually, while simultaneously contacting the instrumentation staff for verification. 6. If the liquid level indication is too low (with an on-site sight glass), take action based on the observations on site, and also contact the instrumentation staff for verification. This post was last edited by bluetop on 2008-1-20 at 16:53
1. Check the on-site pressure gauge at the outlet of the feed water pump, the actual pressure in the drum, as well as the water supply temperature to determine whether the water is vaporizing 2. The feed water control valve may be clogged; try using a bypass line for adjustment to see the effect. 3. If the water level is less than 1/3 and the system is still operating normally, it would have dried out long ago. 4. Take another look at the upstream flow meter to check whether the float inside is stuck.
We have encountered similar problems before; it was due to gas inside the pipeline, which caused pressure buildup and prevented water from entering, so air needed to be released. Or it might be due to internal scaling.
Everyone above has been very specific! You can check each item one by one! Also, check to see if the pump inlet is blocked! Once again, our feed water pump is running in the wrong direction, and the water flow volume is very low! Check whether your motors are running in reverse!