Power Controller for 2kW T500 Boiler

[bluc]

Pid is a temp controller that varies voltage :handgestures-thumbdown: will smear your output.

[tipsy]

Pid is a temp controller that varies voltage :handgestures-thumbdown: will smear your output.

My PID controls a solenoid valve which controls the reflux condenser.

[WTDist]

control the reflux temp to control the speed? i thought this might work like a T500 temp probe only a bit more automatic.

[tipsy]

i thought this might work like a T500 temp probe only a bit more automatic.

I don't know about a T500, never used one

control the reflux temp to control the speed?

I don't think about it as controlling the speed (although I guess it does). I think it as controlling and compressing the fractions.
e.g. if I know my heads come off at say 79°c I set the PID to that and start collecting them.
As the head cut diminishes the still starts to slow down and you can hear the solenoid click on off more rapidly as it tried to hold the temperature at 79°.
Once the output gets painfully slow I adjust the pid to my hearts cut then it all speeds up again.

The reason I don't think about speed it because I don't think my runs are any faster. The last vodka run I left it in heads mode for ages to "squeeze" as much heads out of my hearts cut as possible.

That's how I think about it anyway YMMV.

[WTDist]

thats a good idea. ill look into it. may upgrade to one one day but im happy with the current one atm

[Plumby]

Hey guys just a quick question about the SCR, if I'm running a 2400w element is the 4000w scr fine to use or should I get a 9500w one?

[Professor Green]

The 4000W one will be fine for a 2400W element.

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

[Plumby]

Awesome thanks Professor

[SkinnyKyle]

My controller is complete! I ended up stealing a lot of WTDist's design but it ended up looking pretty schmick if I do say so myself!

The fan that I'd ordered was slightly too large so I've got another coming but my 5SD pot still hasn't arrive yet so I've still got a bit of time before the controller is required.

[rumdidlydum]

Have another go at your pictures they didn't work :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[SkinnyKyle]

Damn, don't I feel like a fool.
I'm quite happy with how clean the front looks with the detachable IEC input plug. When the fan comes in I'll be mounting it in the bottom and have an output vent with dust cover at the top. I put everything on the front so that later on I can mount it on the wall if I like.

[WTDist]

looking good, do you have the volt/watt/amp meter wired the same as i did with the analogue one in parallel with the element?

[SkinnyKyle]

Yeah, the Voltmeter is in parallel so it's all working and the ammeter is a ring you pop around the live wire. It's all working very nicely, even the watts output matches the boiler element label!

[Jamie]

Hi skinny Kyle, love the power controller look awesome,I an looking at using my t500 boiler as a pot still with the alembic dome and have learned that it will run to fast and to hot as standard,I have no idea about electronics or how to make something like you have could you advise what I need and who could make this as I don't want to kill myself in the process haha your guidance would be much appreciated thanks Jamie

[Sam.]

Hi skinny Kyle, love the power controller look awesome,I an looking at using my t500 boiler as a pot still with the alembic dome and have learned that it will run to fast and to hot as standard,I have no idea about electronics or how to make something like you have could you advise what I need and who could make this as I don't want to kill myself in the process haha your guidance would be much appreciated thanks Jamie

Get the parts required in this thread and get an electrician to put it together and test it for you :handgestures-thumbupleft: