New Thumper + sight glass

[myles]

I think that I am going to put a sight glass into my copper thumper. I have been so busy the build has started and then stopped, but it basically looks like this.



I salvaged the dome off an earlier still and am in the process of making a new cylindrical wall for it. Will flare out the sides to accomodate a flat base after I have fitted all the internals.

The hole in the dome will be expanded to take a 2" tank connector: http://www.pegleryorkshire.co.uk/EN/Pro ... 0b2295&d=0

I will be using an imported italian fitting as I have no intention of paying those prices!!!

And I shall fit a sight glass from these folks: http://www.ibhs.co.uk/Boiler-Back-End-S ... s/c-1-105/

The 1.4" inlet to the thumper will go in through the wall and there will be a 2" outlet in the new cap that is to be fitted. I think it will be all soldered tight so that I can't open it , but to be honest I should never need to get into it once it is assembled.

I could make the cap removeable but it is extra work. The 2" tube section with the external coil, is the condenser part of the dephlegramator that will be sitting on top of the thumper.
The feed line to the thumper will be split into two down tubes, and I shall angle the outlets to encourage the formation of a vortex in the thumper. I have no idea if it will make any difference but I don't think it will hurt.

With a 2" window in the dome I should be able to shine in a torch to look at the whirlpool

[LWTCS]

I'm thinkin that the ability to see inside is now more important with the return line to the boiler.

Ran a batch this weekend and would sure like to exactly know when the thumper charge starts draining back to the primary.
Maybe a none issue with the single thumper in the line up. But never the less,,,,when your draining back,,,,,that represents a change in the dynamics.

How is your build going myles?

[myles]

All this discussion about flutes, perforated plates and bubble plates has had me using pages of paper and wearing out pencils.

My thumper already has a 5" diameter column where the cap used to be fitted, so I am thinking about making a permanently fitted extension.

Put a short 5" column on top of the thumper with just 2 bubble cap plates. Probably with just one 2" cap on each plate, with the drain external with a tap on each plate so I have the option of deactivating the plates.

Use the main thumper for flavour enhancement and the two plates to fine tune the product ABV.

[myles]

I eventually picked a design. Am going for a single chamber on top of the thumper containing a bubble cap plate with just 1 2" cap and a sight glass.

Have fitted the body of the sight glass, I used a compression tank connector for ease, cut a couple of copper washers to bulk up the thickness of the wall for the fitting, and soldered the inside seam onto the wall after I tightened it up. Just to be on the safe side.



This now needs to be wrapped into a 5" dia cylinder and the points splayed out to rivet and solder onto the copper dome. It will be a fitted plate as I am putting in a plate drain with a 1/2" gate valve outside the dome.
This means the plate drain will go through the wall of the thumper twice and the plate can not be removed. (well it COULD be if I went for a screw fitting onto the plate but I can't be bothered)

[myles]

Impressive can you post a pic of your bubblr plate of at least your design drawing???

Thanks for pointing out the oversight.

This is the basic design of the thumper, all the internals will get fitted before I attach the base (there will be a drain on the thumper too, its just not shown on the diagram)



I am going to put a 90 degree bend on each end of the vapour input arms to set up a vortex inside the thumper. I don't know if this will help or not, but I don't think it will hurt.

The bubble chamber is 7" high and 5.5" in diameter, the plate overflow will be 1/2" and it will have a vapour lock bend, the bubble cap is 2" with a 1.4" feed tube, the drain is 1/2" also.

It will be a 2" output from the bubble chamber that will have a dephlegramator fitted.

The hole in the side wall now has the fittings attached. For convenience I went with male/female threaded compression couplings (with the wall inbetween) so I now have a 1.4" compression coupling both inside and outside the thumper. The down tube assembly (1.4" reducing down to 2 of 1" arms) will be pre assembled and then fitted to the coupling. Oh I soldered the couplings into the thumper after I tightened them up. I had to cut some copper washers to build up the wall thickness a bit for the couplings to get a nice tight fit, and soldered it just to be on the safe side, and to stop it rotating when the input connector from the pot is tightened up.

I think I will fit the cap to the bubble chamber as a bolted together flange, with a gasket cut out of a sheet of solid PTFE ( I have a sheet 2mm thick) just in case I ever need to get in to change the bubble cap. I don't think I ever will need to - it is just in case. The view port is a 2" tank connector with an off the shelf sight glass, I will be cutting some copper and PTFE washers to make the seal, and using the standard compression nut to secure the glass into the view port.

[myles]

Things have mooved on a bit. I make no appologies for stating that I am borrowing ideas from the plated column / bubble plate discussions that are in progress.

My aim is clear - incorporate plate concepts into my thumper, to create a 2 stage thumper that is more compact than 2 individual thumpers. Adding in the option of a dephlegmator will aid in heads compression, faccilitate self filling and enable 'tuning' of the output ABV.

It currently looks like this:


I have decided to use 2" tube from pot to thumper, reducing at the last minute to 1.4" and then splitting inside into 4 of 3/4" downtubes. These stop 1/2" above the base but also include 2.5mm holes to faccilitate bubble formation. The total surface area of the downtubes will result in an increase of vapour speed from the 2" and this should be beneficial to bubble formation too.

The main chamber will have an overflow back to the boiler and will be filled with dunder prior to a run (for rum). It also has a fitted drain for cleaning.

The upper chamber is floored with a 5" bubble cap plate. 3 of 45mm caps on 28mm standpipes.


There are two downcommers that I am going to increase in size (to 28mm) to meet the recommended 8% of total plate area condition. I honestly do not know if I NEED a plate drain at all. I can rinse out the top chamber easily enough without one. If I do put one in it will use an external gate valve.

The port in the dome is redundant - but there was a hole there already. It will be used to fill the main chamber with dunder, might house a thermo probe, or might even power a sterling engine (just for something to see) A spinning ball regulator (fake) would also be a nice touch.

The brass compression fittings are soldered into the copper walls, and any vapour exposed surfaces will be coated in solder. (It is just an alternative to the usual 'pickling' option.)

[Samohon]

Very impressive Myles...

Nice to see a new take on the thumper....

Thanks for sharing man...

[LWTCS]

I honestly do not know if I NEED a plate drain at all.

Perhaps your sight glass will give you enough of a vanage point to confirm if you need it.

I think you may need it when you put you rig into those protracted reflux cycles while doing your rums. Other times maybe not.

Been waiting on you to get poping on this thing for a good long while now..Glad to see it progressing.

Sight glass at the liquid line would be a great tool to let you know when the thumper starts cycling back to the boiler.

Can also use your dephleg to self fill and boost (only a bit) abv and get some good esterfication along the way.....

[myles]

I honestly do not know if I NEED a plate drain at all.

Perhaps your sight glass will give you enough of a vanage point to confirm if you need it.

I think you may need it when you put you rig into those protracted reflux cycles while doing your rums. Other times maybe not.

Been waiting on you to get poping on this thing for a good long while now..Glad to see it progressing.

Sight glass at the liquid line would be a great tool to let you know when the thumper starts cycling back to the boiler.

Can also use your dephleg to self fill and boost (only a bit) abv and get some good esterfication along the way.....

There are downcommers to set the liquid height on the plate and the plate drain would only really be used for cleaning. I don't think I need the option of inhibiting the plate mid run, which is the fuction on a real plate column. As for the cycling back to boiler issue, I can think of a couple of options but need to mull them over.

[LWTCS]

Oh I see what youmean by plate drain. Sorry.

At present Myles I just listen for the pissing sound back to the boiler....and Loneswinger was good enough to run a calc for me to further confirm the time it takes for my thumper to cycle back to the boiler.

[myles]

I thought I would try a different technique for attaching the riser to the lid of the thumper. I cut a 1.9" hole (by hand with a mini chisel as usual) and then raised the edge of the hole.

I turned the raised edge into what would be the inside of the thumper, to make a slight funnel shape. When this would take the 2" tube I soldered a 2" length of tube into the hole so it was half way through.

Because I wanted some extra rigidity I sliced down the length of tube that is on the inside, and hammered all the sections over the raised edge and then flat with the lid. Then I soldered them down, no rivets used this time.

To finish off I used a straight connector on the other side to create a female socket, and to add further strength to the joint. It seems to be OK.

[myles]

The lid is on the upper chamber. I tried a different technique this time, and just bent a load of tabs down, held them securely with a big stainless hose clamp, and soldered it up with a MAP gas torch.

It works but is not as nice looking as the welsh seam I put on the vapour infusion still. I would not do it this way again, and will probably fit a band of copper round it just to cover the tabs.



Just need to fit it to the main thumper body and fit the bubble plate and we are a step closer.

OH 1 more thing! I cut the sheet to the dimensions required for the cylinder and then fitted the sight glass.

This flatened the front surface of the cylinder, making the sheet too short, so I had to add in a 2" wide section at the back. If you plan on using this type of sight glass bear in mind that it creates a flat point that throws off the shape of the cylinder.

[myles]

Just as an upate the upper chamber is on the thumper. Not soldered yet, but you can see the overall effect. She is getting closer to being ready.



The top seam was getting on my nerves, so I just put a band of thin copper over it. Turned the top edge over onto the lid and hammered in the bottom edge flush to the cylinder to hide all the tabs. It is soldered in too, and I think it looks better.

[moonshiner dave]

That looks quite spiffy. I like it.

[Samohon]

Looks great as always myles, you do some nice copper-smithin man...

[myles]

The bubble plate is built and ready to fit. 1" risers and drain. There is an issue with the vapour traps but that is in hand.