Distribution plates on scrubber

Vapor, Liquid or Cooling Management. Flutes, plates, etc.

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Demy
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Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Demy »

A question for you guys, on a 3 "column packed with scrubber, could it make sense to insert perforated plates (removable, not sealed) to better distribute the liquid downhill? Would there be an advantage in terms of increase abv on a column that is not too high?
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Ben
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Ben »

Seems like the scrubbers should do a good job of diffusing liquid on their own?

There is a hybrid still form that is packing above plate(s). Maybe that gets you where you are looking to go. That would give you a liquid bed to act as a heat exchanger/diffuser which should cool the vapor a bit before it enters the packed section. That may improve performance in the lower section of the packed column.
:)
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Salt Must Flow
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

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I really don't think you need distribution plates or anything else. I tried using centering collars and all they did was cause a choke point. I've used coarse screens to support packing and they also caused a choke resulting in flooding. These days it is said that distribution plates or centering collars are not required and glass columns are what have shown this to be true.

Demy, have you tried using lava rock yet? If not, I would give it a try. In the past the very best ABV I could get with my 3"x6' VM was 95% ABV at 60F using scrubbers. I was shocked to see that 3/8" lava rock consistently produced 97% ABV at 60F at over 3 lph at 2750W. I even removed 2' of the column and it still produced 97%. I haven't tested the actual HETP yet.
Last edited by Salt Must Flow on Fri May 20, 2022 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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shadylane
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by shadylane »

Salt Must Flow wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:24 am I really don't think you need distribution plates or anything else. I tried using centering collars and all they did was cause a choke point. I've used coarse screens to support packing and they also caused a choke resulting in flooding.
That matches what I've found also.
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Demy
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Demy »

Salt Must Flow wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:24 am I really don't think you need distribution plates or anything else. I tried using centering collars and all they did was cause a choke point. I've used coarse screens to support packing and they also caused a choke resulting in flooding. These days it is said that distribution plates or centering collars are not required and glass columns are what have shown this to be true.

Demy, have you tried using lava rock yet? If not, I would give it a try. In the past the very best ABV I could get with my 3"x6' VM was 95% ABV at 60F using scrubbers. I was shocked to see that 3/8" lava rock consistently produced 97% ABV at 60F at over 3 lph at 2750W. I even removed 2' of the column and it still produced 97%. I haven't tested the actual HETP yet.
I only used scrubbers because they are light, easy to clean ... it was just a curiosity .... I thought of a mix of perforated plates and scrubber but it seems not a good idea!
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Demy
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Demy »

shadylane wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:48 am
Salt Must Flow wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:24 am I really don't think you need distribution plates or anything else. I tried using centering collars and all they did was cause a choke point. I've used coarse screens to support packing and they also caused a choke resulting in flooding.
That matches what I've found also.
Yes Shady, I read many posts where it was said that the old idea of centering rings is now obsolete ... it was curious if someone has ever tried the mix plates and scrubber in close contact ... :lol:
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Salt Must Flow »

Demy wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 10:52 am
shadylane wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:48 am
Salt Must Flow wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 5:24 am I really don't think you need distribution plates or anything else. I tried using centering collars and all they did was cause a choke point. I've used coarse screens to support packing and they also caused a choke resulting in flooding.
That matches what I've found also.
Yes Shady, I read many posts where it was said that the old idea of centering rings is now obsolete ... it was curious if someone has ever tried the mix plates and scrubber in close contact ... :lol:
I don't have that answer and I'm not very knowledgeable about plates, but I was of the understanding that a fully packed column should have lower HETP in comparison to a plate column due to the distance between each plate being larger. That leads me to believe that you should have better performance/efficiency just using the best packing you can. That's why I asked if you tried lava rock yet. It turned out to be just what I have been testing and searching for because I didn't want to spend the big $$$ on SPP. Lava rock doesn't really weigh all that much. It's probably only 6-8 lbs to fill my column if I had to guess. It's not hard to clean either, but yes scrubbers are easier & lighter. I just run water down the column. I then dump it into a net storage bag and rinse it again with hot water. I let the bag sit to dry and there are no tails odors. I just pour some down into the column using a canning funnel, slap the side with my palm to settle it and repeat until it's full. It really is amazing stuff.
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shadylane
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by shadylane »

Demy wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 10:52 am was curious if someone has ever tried the mix plates and scrubber in close contact ... :lol:
Are you asking about sieve or bubble plates with scrubbers packed on top each plate?
If so, I tried that a while back. The packing needed more power and reflux than the plates would allow.
Long story short the plates would flood and the packing contributed very little.
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Saltbush Bill »

shadylane wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 1:29 pm Long story short the plates would flood and the packing contributed very little.
In my experience the first thing to happen when a perf plate floods is that ABV becomes lower, a flooded plate cant work to its optimum preformance ,one good reason to not pack the space between plates.
If plates are used in conjunction with packing in a reflux column they need to be used seperately and below the packed section of the column.
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by shadylane »

Saltbush Bill wrote: Fri May 20, 2022 2:08 pm
If plates are used in conjunction with packing in a reflux column they need to be used seperately and below the packed section of the column.
That and the Plates need to be much bigger in diameter than packed column.
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Demy
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Demy »

Yes, I meant perforated plates, in close contact with the packaging .. thanks guys for writing your experience, it is all logical so I would say that it is not a good idea ...
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Yummyrum
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Yummyrum »

Demy , this was my thoughts on the subject in a similar Topic.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=86359#p7701515
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Demy
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Re: Distribution plates on scrubber

Post by Demy »

Yummyrum wrote: Sat May 21, 2022 4:04 pm Demy , this was my thoughts on the subject in a similar Topic.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=86359#p7701515
Thanks, so others have had a similar idea .... :think:
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