new condenser

[Kentucky shinner]

I just finished this condenser for 1.5" column. I made it from 5/16" refrigeration tubbing with a 1/2" cold finger in the middle.
two questions.
1. should I use copper mesh packed between my coils and the cold finger?

2. should the feed water come in through the cold finger or does it matter?
Thanks

[rednose]

Your winding is very closed, would try to open it a little that one doesn't touch the other.

I would try it before without copper mash, but it doesn't hurt to have it, tried that out last week.

Common sense tells me to feed it from the coldfinger side.

Don't forget the pression hole in the cap.

Nice work KS

[Kentucky shinner]

I have a 1/4" pressure hole in the top. I was pretty sure about the water feed input into the cold finger, I just wanted to make sure. I will work on separating the coils from touching each other.

[ozone39]

If you feed through the cold finger side first you'll decrease the possibility of air lock (or entrapment) with in you're coils.

[HookLine]

More efficient to feed the water in through the coil and out the cold finger. Easy enough to purge air from the condenser by running the coolant fast for a few seconds at the start.

You should not need mesh, but a bit in the top won't hurt either.

[rednose]

I'm wondering why it should be more efficient, can you explain in short words, please?

More efficient to feed the water in through the coil and out the cold finger.

[still crazy]

By introducing the coldest water into the top of the coil it allows the fluid to works its way downward into the vapor path.
As the water circulates downward in the coils spiral it begins to absorb heat warming the water on its way down.
Reaching the bottom it enters the cold finger.
The warmest water in the cold finger expands upward and out the top of the cold finger as new cooler water enter the cold finger.
This also gradually cools your vapor by having the warmest/lowest part of the condenser closer to the heat path.

[HookLine]

The average difference in temperature between the vapour and coolant along the condensing path is higher if you run the coolant in the opposite direction to the vapour. Higher average temp difference = more efficient heat exchange.

It is called counterflow or countercurrent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Exchangerflow.svg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countercurrent_exchange" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_exchanger" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[rednose]

That's understandable, the direction of the coldfinger is the same as the coil but the coil has more surface.

I have a coldfinger which is like a Liebig (more surface) and double coils are conected in the lower part (The photo was made during the built; in and outlet connections aren't shown yet).

I always feeded it from the coldfinger (liebig) side but will try the oposite.

Thanks HL, always learning something new.

Will study the links

The average difference in temperature between the vapour and coolant along the condensing path is higher if you run the coolant in the opposite direction to the vapour. Higher average temp difference = more efficient heat exchange.

It is called counterflow or countercurrent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Exchangerflow.svg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countercurrent_exchange" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_exchanger" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow