There are some factors of steam-water separation which influence the effectiveness of its process. Steam should be separated out of the mixture of steam-water. The factors of steam-water separation process will depend on specific factors either operating factors and design factors.
The following below are the operating factors that influence steam-water separation process:
- Amount of water.
- Treatment of chemical process in the boiler water.
- Load type of steam.
- The quantity of steam flow or boiler load.
- The operating pressure of steam boiler.
The following below are the design factors that influence steam-water separation process:
- Design connections of riser and downcomer to steam drum.
- The supply of feedwater.
- Design and kind of separators.
- The amount of inlet steam.
- The steam generation rate.
- Diameter of drum and length of drum.
- The design pressure of steam boiler.
- Arrangement of equipment for discharge steam.
Main equipment for water-steam separation commonly can be mechanical primary separation, baffle assisted separation, and natural gravity driven separation.