4" perf plate advice prt4

[bt1]

Hello all,

Seen a few pics of the deph condenser setup and surprised to see water flow is cold in top hot out bottom...am i missing something here?

Has any one attempted to address the plate circulation issue raised by OD with plate design?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKNDVbQynqo

I'm thinking a V shaped ribbed design on plate surface in heavy gauage copper wire to push flow outwards to plate edges.

Has anyone got experience with a vavled plate disabling system on a 4' col ? Like to here from you. I'm thinking upto 3 plates seperately controlled (of 6) done in 1/2" with two way SS mini ball valves.

Also see any advantage in adding a latern style sight glass to pre return to monitor liquid return to boiler rather than just assuming?

For the Tube and cup method for downcomers see any advantage in cutting a frown shape into the plate facing side of the cup to again push flow outwards?

For the deph reflux condenser still undecided on cooling tube arrangements...
4 x1"
5 plus??? x 3/4"

Not decided on 2" take off design to product condenser...thinking 2 x 90 degree long radius bends for smoother path but notice near everyone uses short radius bends. Any advantage here?

If anyone has pics or build thread for a waste/drain valve for a in line parrot would be much appreciated.

Finally thinking of adding "turbulator" tips with trailing heavy guage sacrificial copper wire to product inner tubes in shotty product condenser. Thoughts?

It progresses...slowly
bt1

[Kimbo]

Hi BT1,
as far as the Deph plumbing goes, i have mine set up with cold coming in at the bottom.
;-)

[emptyglass]

The plate circulating thing dosn't really come into it much on our scale. With perf plates, they stir things up, and bubble caps force the fluid to flow around them. The downcomers in my stills dont have cups and they are mitred with the "open" side of the mitre facing thecolumn wall, in an effort to address the problem your thinking about. It works pretty well.

OD had a play with plate disabing valves, Mash rookie has also. Both guys don't seem to play with them much now. From what I saw in them, you want to get the fluid from the top plate down to the bottom plate. Big diameter downcomers will do the same, to a greater extent.

I'd go 7 x 3/4" tubes for the dephlag. Its easy to lay it out for drilling, and reduces the ammount of water in the dephlag. You don't want heaps in there, or it will take a long time to react to changes.

Long radius bends are cool. They are a few bucks more, but small fry in the overall project. You ask for a "2", 90 degree copper elbow", most places will put a short radius bend on the counter.

Your product condensor should work well enough without mods. No harm in doing them though.

[bt1]

Thanks EG & Kimbo...ur true sources of know how on these beasts

much appreciated

bt1

[MacStill]

I wouldnt worry bout flow patterns or external downcomers, it's not going to make it produce any better than a bog standard 4 plate bubbler.

A 2" shotgun about 400mm long with 4 x 1/2" tubes is already over engineered so no point going further, unless of course you just want to.

I'm also reducing the size of my reflux condensers, the one I built cupcake is only a 3" tee with 4 x 1" tubes in it, the actual length of the water housing is only 3" too & in NTH QLD it's been working fine.

Having such a small volume of water is one of the best mods I've done to my bubblers, along with a needle valve for coolant control.... it just makes adjustments almost instant :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Also having a thermometer above the reflux condenser gives a true reading of temps on the product take off side of things.

3/4" downcomers are a must IMHO, and why many others have followed this improvement of mine.

I'd also go with cupped downcomers just below the plates, not because it works better but you're able to see more of what's happening.

HTH

[SBB]

[quote="McStill"
A 2" shotgun about 400mm long with 4 x 1/2" tubes is already over engineered so no point going further, unless of course you just want to.

+1 :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Having such a small volume of water is one of the best mods I've done to my bubblers, along with a needle valve for coolant control.... it just makes adjustments almost instant :handgestures-thumbupleft:

+1 Ive been thinking for some time that something ( maybe copper mesh or scrubby) to get a bit of turbulance happening to the vapour flow within the reflux condenser could be a good thing also, and may infact allow that lenghth of reflux condenser to be even shorter.


HTH[/quote]

[MacStill]

Ive been thinking for some time that something ( maybe copper mesh or scrubby to get a bit of turbulance happening to the vapour flow within the reflux condenser could be a good thing also.

For the earlier models I reckon this would be a good improvement, give more reflux by expanding the cooling surface without effecting vapor flow too much :handgestures-thumbupleft:

I've also found that by having a needle valve on the product condenser I can have more accurate & wider adjustments (more precise) than just using a needle valve on the reflux condenser.... I use them both at certain times during the run, depending on what I'm trying to achieve.

[emptyglass]

BT1, any of us that have made a plated column have looked at what the guy before us did. Then thrown on the thinking cap for a bit and asked themselfs, "can I do it better?"
And yes, you can.
Just use the mistakes and good choices of others before and make shit happen better.
Who knows, your idea might make a quantim leap for the next guys. Immitation is the highest form of flattery.

All that aside, you cant go far wrong with a bubbler. A badly made one will still out perform any pot or bok. Just put it together how you feel, work it from there. You got about all you need now.

Apart from how far to stick the down comers above the plate (3/4" works for most) and relationship to windows (top of downcomer just below bottom of window), you got it made.

I never used a thermo in a pot still, you don't need one in a column, but by f--k its helpful when you start. Even if its just to dial it in.
I leave mine in there, it plugs the hole.

[SBB]

All that aside, you cant go far wrong with a bubbler. A badly made one will still out perform any pot

:handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft: :handgestures-thumbupleft: (By a bloody long way)

[olddog]

Plate dissabling systems are not necessary, I have one on mine and it makes no noticable difference.


OD