2" or 3" that is the question

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

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StillBill53
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2" or 3" that is the question

Post by StillBill53 »

Hi All
In pursuit of more knowledge than I have at the moment. I'm in the process of building a 2" CCVM still, I have assembled all the components I require, I'm using my 50 litre keg boiler, 2" head and 2" shotgun condenser. While ratting around in the shed I found a 1.8m length of 3" copper pipe, which got me thinking. My question to any one who wishes to comment. Would changing the column from 2" to 3" but leaving the boiler outlet at 2" and the head unit and the condenser at 2" give me any advantage
Appreciate any assistance.
StillBill53
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RC Al
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Re: 2" or 3" that is the question

Post by RC Al »

Yes, provided its full of packing.

The smaller head and input sizes wont hurt, it will act as and be a 3" column. You may need a bit more power than planned to get the full benefit and hopefully have an overbuilt coil - you could in theory throw twice as much power at it.
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Demy
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Re: 2" or 3" that is the question

Post by Demy »

Many use the connection from 2 "and above a 3" column so no problem, you decide which road to take. In general the 3 "will give more speed (more product output) than 2", the costs for connections are another thing to consider. I went from 1.5 "to 3" not for speed but because I found cheap stainless steel tubes and I noticed a better steam behavior in 3 ", especially I can better compress the tail.
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Saltbush Bill
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Re: 2" or 3" that is the question

Post by Saltbush Bill »

The 2 inch keg to 3 inch isn't a problem......the rest should work as long as your condenser is capable of full reflux or close to that.
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