What process is used to remove air from feedwater?

The process used to remove air from feedwater is deaeration. Deaeration involves the elimination of dissolved gases, particularly oxygen and carbon dioxide, from water, which is critical in boiler operations. The presence of these gases in feedwater can lead to corrosion in the boiler system, significantly reducing the lifespan of the equipment and leading to inefficiencies.

Deaerators use heat and a minimal amount of vacuum to facilitate the removal of gases by encouraging them to escape from the water as it is heated. This ensures that the feedwater is as free from dissolved gases as possible before it enters the boiler, thereby protecting the system and improving overall performance. This process is particularly important in large industrial boilers, where the integrity and efficiency of the system can be heavily impacted by the presence of air.

While filtration, reverse osmosis, and condensation are all important processes in water treatment, they are not specifically aimed at removing dissolved gases from feedwater. Filtration typically targets suspended solids, reverse osmosis is a method of separation based on particle size and charge, and condensation refers to the process of converting vapor back to liquid, neither of which address the issue of dissolved gases in the same targeted manner as deaeration.