Oh Hell Not Another Controller

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Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby dave from downunder » Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:05 am

20180712_103907.jpg
Hi All
I have just finished my revamp of my controller.
I needed to upgrade for multiple elements for my new beer keg boiler.
I think I went a little over the top and the more I thought about it the more I added.
I had a 600 x 400 stainless steel enclosure that I had my phase controller and contactors for my old 25lt boiler and stripped it and started again.
I wanted it as safe as possible so I decided to monitor temperatures at 4 places and to monitor flow in the cooling system, condenser for the pot still and separate flow meters for the condenser and re-flux coil on the column still.
20180712_103659.jpg

I added a programmable logic controller to monitor all these and give delays as required and output lights and flashers.
I automatically shut off the elements in the event of a flow failure and will turn the second element down or off if the output temp of the alcohol gets too high.
The elements will not switch on unless the cooling pump is in manual ( running all the time ) or in auto ( automatically switching on when the boiler reaches 60 Deg).
I have facility for a differential pressure switch to monitor pressure buildup in the boiler probably something set at about 2 psi.
I am a qualified sparky and my area of expertise is industrial control systems.
It is not as neat as I would like but I ran out of room in the cabinet.
20180712_103749.jpg
20180712_103852.jpg

The cooling fan had to be mounted on the outside of the box and is controlled by an thermostat mounted on the inside top of the box.
The air flow will suck from the bottom across the first phase controller and exit through the opposite side on the top just above the second phase controller.
I have facility to bypass the phase controllers on both elements and just run flat out and then can turn both down when the boil starts.
All items are very oversized for the load and should not produce a lot of heat in the cabinet.
I have a 32 amp single phase plug on the box and I am installing a 32 amp circuit for the still.
I have used industrial 56 series outlets for the boiler and pump as well as a 20 amp 5 pin outlet for the keg boiler ( 2 x 15 amp single phase controlled supplies for the elements.
20180712_103608.jpg



Any and all suggestions welcome and if you have more that you think I should monitor please let me know.

I have also almost finished my new stills which is a modular 2.5 inch 750mm column and 2.5 inch pot with bubbler and sight glasses , the condenser is a 500mm 4 x 1/2 inch tubes spiralled inside a 50 mm copper tube..
I have installed a 750 lt tank for cooling and have a submersible pump and separate feeds for condenser and reflux coil.

Have a great day all.
Dave
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dave from downunder
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:49 pm
Location: Brisbane
equipment: Turbo 500 boiler
Still Spirits Alembic pot still
Still Spirits t500 reflux still
50 lt dual element Keg biler
2.5 inch tri-clamp column 750mm long
Modular 2.5 inch sight glasses with bubble plates.
2.5 inch pot with 400 mm riser and sight glass.
50mm condenser with 4 x 12 mm tubes spiralled inside
fFull safety plc controlled boiler and still control box

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby j0sh2008 » Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:10 am

wow :scared-eek:


That looks awesome !!


Nice work
j0sh2008
 
Posts: 231
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 1:07 am
Location: Brisbane
equipment: 4" 5star still - 4 plates + 500mm packed section
100L milk can boiler - 2400W & 3600W FSD elements.
2 X 1000L IBC - Recirculating water

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby db1979 » Thu Jul 12, 2018 11:22 am

Bloody fantastic :clap:
db1979
 
Posts: 1760
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:47 pm
Location: South of the big smoke in banana bender land.
equipment: Eve - 4" x 4 plate solid state bubbler (sieve plates), 330 mm packed section on a keg boiler with 2 x 2000 W elements.
Currently having a makeover: 2" x 4 plate solid state bubbler (1" bubble caps, no sight glasses...maybe not for much longer!) on a bain-marie boiler.

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby Professor Green » Thu Jul 12, 2018 12:03 pm

Over the top be buggered, that's a marvelous controller. Nice work.
Professor Green
 
Posts: 2483
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Victoria
equipment: FSD 100 litre milk can with 2 x 2400W elements
FSD Neutraliser
FSD Carter Head
12 litre double boiler with 2400W element

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby woodduck » Thu Jul 12, 2018 1:43 pm

Bloody hell we've got some very smart blokes on this forum :clap: :clap: .I would have absolutely no idea how the hell to put something like that together 8-} :laughing-rolling:

Well done.
woodduck
Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 3497
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:54 pm
Location: Good old country SA
equipment: 4 plate 6" copper bubbler, 6 plate 4" glass bubbler with 500mm packed section three way thumper sitting on a 50 ltr keg boiler with 6000watts, 2" pot still and a 2" boka.

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby scythe » Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:40 am

Nice looking bit of kit.

How much were the phase controllers?
They sound like what 90% of us would be using if we knew more about them.
They sound like a better option than the SSR, more reliable and durable.
scythe
 
Posts: 1860
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 6:34 am
Location: Central West NSW
equipment: Dreaming of a 4" bubbler

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby warramungas » Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:20 pm

I think I speak for everyone when I say 'Faaaaaaaaark!!'
That is a ripper!
On the other side though, I'm betting the electrical components probably cost more than the still. :))
warramungas
 
Posts: 1436
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 9:38 pm
Location: Nor Perth
equipment: 180 litre fermenter x 2
30 liter boiler
PDA-1
2" four plate modular bubbler
2" one meter long LM column
110 liter boiler with 25 liter (max) inline thumper
4" x 4 plate bubble cap still

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby dave from downunder » Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:17 am

scythe wrote:Nice looking bit of kit.

How much were the phase controllers?
They sound like what 90% of us would be using if we knew more about them.
They sound like a better option than the SSR, more reliable and durable.



An SSR is a solid state relay which is basically just a switch.
If it has a pot connected on one end it is more than likely a phase controller which chops the waveform down to control the output power.
I have 8 SSRs in my box to control lights and the main feed for the elements.

Hope this helps
dave from downunder
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:49 pm
Location: Brisbane
equipment: Turbo 500 boiler
Still Spirits Alembic pot still
Still Spirits t500 reflux still
50 lt dual element Keg biler
2.5 inch tri-clamp column 750mm long
Modular 2.5 inch sight glasses with bubble plates.
2.5 inch pot with 400 mm riser and sight glass.
50mm condenser with 4 x 12 mm tubes spiralled inside
fFull safety plc controlled boiler and still control box

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby dave from downunder » Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:20 am

warramungas wrote:I think I speak for everyone when I say 'Faaaaaaaaark!!'
That is a ripper!
On the other side though, I'm betting the electrical components probably cost more than the still. :))



Yes I would not have bought all the gear for it , I had just about all of it in stock left over from other jobs.
I used to use a lot of the phase controllers and SSRs for curing oven control.
It would be prob a few thousand for the components to buy them all today.
dave from downunder
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 1:49 pm
Location: Brisbane
equipment: Turbo 500 boiler
Still Spirits Alembic pot still
Still Spirits t500 reflux still
50 lt dual element Keg biler
2.5 inch tri-clamp column 750mm long
Modular 2.5 inch sight glasses with bubble plates.
2.5 inch pot with 400 mm riser and sight glass.
50mm condenser with 4 x 12 mm tubes spiralled inside
fFull safety plc controlled boiler and still control box

Re: Oh Hell Not Another Controller

Postby mako » Sun Oct 14, 2018 9:25 am

Yikes Dave - when do you get time to drink ????
mako
 
Posts: 16
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:39 pm
equipment: Beer brewer moving to stills as well.


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