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Gestra Continuous Blowdown Valves | Reaktomat® BA & BAE Series India – PureSys

PureSys India supplies the Gestra Reaktomat® continuous blowdown valve range for precise, energy-efficient TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) control in industrial steam boilers across India. The Reaktomat® is the world’s benchmark for surface continuous blowdown — engineered by Gestra AG (Germany) to handle the most arduous continuous blowdown duty at very high differential pressures without erosion or maintenance issues.

Why Continuous Blowdown is Essential

As water evaporates in the boiler drum, the concentration of dissolved minerals, salts and silica in the remaining boiler water steadily increases. If TDS concentration exceeds the manufacturer’s specified limit, several serious problems occur:

• Scale formation — dissolved salts crystallise on boiler tube surfaces, acting as insulation and dramatically reducing heat transfer efficiency (even 1mm of scale can increase fuel consumption by 5–8%)
• Foaming and priming — high TDS causes the boiler water surface to foam, leading to water droplets being carried over into the steam distribution system
• Increased corrosion — concentrated boiler water is more aggressive, accelerating corrosion of boiler tubes and drum internals
• Steam contamination — carryover of boiler water contaminates the steam, damaging downstream equipment including steam traps, control valves, turbines, and process heat exchangers

Continuous blowdown removes a small, constant stream of surface boiler water — where TDS concentration is highest — to maintain TDS within safe limits. The Reaktomat® makes this process reliable, energy-efficient, and fully automatable.

The Reaktomat® — How It Works

The Gestra Reaktomat® uses a specially engineered, wear-resistant nozzle stem that enters concentrically into a series of sequential expansion chambers within the valve body. As high-pressure boiler water flows through these chambers, pressure energy is progressively dissipated — each chamber reducing the pressure in controlled stages rather than in a single step. This multi-stage pressure reduction prevents the cavitation and erosion that destroy conventional globe valves used in continuous blowdown service, giving the Reaktomat® an exceptionally long service life even under continuous, arduous duty.

BA Series — Manually Set Continuous Blowdown Valves

The BA series are manually adjusted Reaktomat® valves, set to a fixed throttle position to achieve the desired continuous blowdown rate. Typically used with a separate TDS controller and conductivity sensor that signals when to open or close a motorised valve — or simply set at a fixed rate by the boiler operator based on TDS measurements.

BAE Series — Electrically Actuated Continuous Blowdown Valves

The BAE series are motorised Reaktomat® valves designed for automatic, remote-controlled continuous blowdown. They integrate directly with TDS controllers, PLC systems, and SCADA to enable fully automatic TDS-based blowdown control — opening and closing in response to measured TDS levels to maintain boiler water quality with no manual intervention.

Key Features & Benefits

• Wear-resistant nozzle stem — engineered specifically for continuous blowdown at very high differential pressures; long service life without erosion or seat damage
• Multi-stage expansion chambers — progressive pressure reduction eliminates cavitation, flashing and noise; quiet, stable operation
• Reduced scale and corrosion — maintaining correct TDS levels protects all boiler and steam system components
• Energy recovery compatible — continuous blowdown discharge can be piped to a flash vessel and heat exchanger to recover significant energy from the hot blowdown water
• Full automation (BAE series) — integrates with TDS conductivity controllers, PLC, and SCADA for closed-loop automatic TDS control
• Compliant with EN 12952 and EN 12953 — accepted by all major boiler insurance and inspection organisations
• IBR Certified — available with Indian Boiler Regulation documentation
• Suitable for all industrial boiler types — from small package boilers to ultra-high-pressure power station boilers (PN 40 through PN 320)

Blowdown Heat Recovery

The continuous blowdown discharged by the Reaktomat® valve is hot, high-pressure boiler water — which contains significant recoverable energy. By connecting the blowdown outlet to a flash vessel, the pressure differential causes a portion of the blowdown to flash to steam, which can be returned to the deaerator or feedtank. The remaining blowdown water is then cooled in a blowdown heat exchanger before going to drain — recovering heat to warm incoming cold makeup water. A well-designed blowdown heat recovery system can recover 80–90% of the energy in the blowdown stream, significantly reducing boiler operating costs.

Industries & Applications

• Pharmaceutical & Healthcare — critical TDS control for clean steam and process steam purity
• Food & Beverage — maintaining steam quality for direct injection and indirect heating applications
• Textile & Dyeing — high steam demand requiring consistent, low-TDS steam quality
• Chemical & Petrochemical — process steam with demanding water chemistry requirements
• Power Generation — utility and industrial boilers requiring automated blowdown systems
• Paper & Pulp — high-pressure boilers with significant scale risk
• Sugar & Distillery — very high TDS feedwater requiring effective continuous blowdown

Need Help Selecting the Right Blowdown Valve?

PureSys India’s steam engineering team will help you select the correct blowdown valve model and size for your specific boiler pressure, temperature, and TDS requirements — including IBR-certified supply and full technical documentation.

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