Rotating Valve VM

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shadylane
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Rotating Valve VM

Post by shadylane »

I built a small one for testing awhile back and it worked
Basically, the still head is a VM with a gate hanging down from one side of the reflux condenser.
The RC can be rotated causing the gate to cover the outlet.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by NormandieStill »

shadylane wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 11:04 pm I built a small one for testing awhile back and it worked
Basically, the still head is a VM with a gate hanging down from one side of the reflux condenser.
The RC can be rotated causing the gate to cover the outlet.
I like this. I've been toying with the idea of converting my CCVM to a "normal" VM*. This might be a solution I can rig up without needing to buy many extra parts.

*My RC is not powerful enough so I can't ever get 100% reflux, and I'm not geared up for coiling copper well. I'm planning on building a shotgun for stripping runs, which would double up as an RC for running the reflux column.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by shadylane »

NormandieStill wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 12:43 am
I like this. I've been toying with the idea of converting my CCVM to a "normal" VM*. This might be a solution I can rig up without needing to buy many extra parts.
I didn't think about converting a CCVM.
I'm not sure there would be any advantage.

What I was experimenting for, was a cheap, simple valve for a VM rig.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Yummyrum »

I like it Shady . You mentioned it a few months ago and it keeps plaguing my spare thought moments . Definitely potential for some cool devil in the detail perfection with this idea . :ewink:

The principle is basic , but the method used could be rough as guts or smooth a silk depending on engineering skills .
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by shadylane »

Most of my experiments are "rough as guts"
There's no need to make anything pretty, I'm only looking to find out what works or not.
Besides, usually they get cut apart and recycled. :lol:
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by BrewinBrian44 »

This is a really cool idea. Do you require a pretty tight tolerance so vapor won't leak through when you're running full reflux?
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Kareltje »

Could you post some pictures?
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

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I didn't take any pics. :oops:
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by shadylane »

BrewinBrian44 wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 12:47 pm This is a really cool idea. Do you require a pretty tight tolerance so vapor won't leak through when you're running full reflux?
All the tolerances were loose and 50ish - 100% reflux was possible.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Yummyrum »

shadylane wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:00 pm
BrewinBrian44 wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 12:47 pm This is a really cool idea. Do you require a pretty tight tolerance so vapor won't leak through when you're running full reflux?
All the tolerances were loose and 50ish - 100% reflux was possible.
Guessing you had an equal tee ? ( hole size equalled diameter )
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by BrewinBrian44 »

This could be the next CCVM. Rotating seems more accurate than lifting the condenser. You could even put tick marks as an indicator on the side. Also prevents any pooling distillate in valves. Pics Shady! Haha
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by BrewinBrian44 »

Hell you could even fasten a threaded knob on the side for fine control.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by shadylane »

Yummyrum wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:19 pm
shadylane wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:00 pm

All the tolerances were loose and 50ish - 100% reflux was possible.
Guessing you had an equal tee ? ( hole size equalled diameter )
Yes, every thing was 2.5"
The valve was made from a slice of the 2.5" also
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by shadylane »

BrewinBrian44 wrote: Mon Apr 11, 2022 3:59 pm This could be the next CCVM. Rotating seems more accurate than lifting the condenser. You could even put tick marks as an indicator on the side. Also prevents any pooling distillate in valves. Pics Shady! Haha
Don't get too excited about the design.
I only tried it to see if it would work.
That doesn't mean it's the best way to get the job done. :lol:

There's no pics and I'm too lazy to build another one.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Yummyrum »

Come on Shady , you at least owe us a ciggy pack pic . :ebiggrin:
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by whiskymonster »

Damnit you beat me to it!

I have a 3" vm in the pipeline, to be slowly completed over the next couple of months as time allows.

I was thinking exactly this.

In 2" removing the end stops and shaping the pipe to form the gate looks easy enough.

My 3" tee has heavier walls in the middle though, so it would mean removing a lot of material to allow a pipe to pass through, and looking at the shape of it possibly a hole in the side too. Removing end stops in this monster is a non starter.

Im thinking maybe i can slit a length of 3" and reduce its circumference so that it fits inside both the fitting and the condenser/column pipes. Use that to form the gate valve.

The advantage i see is that i can likely save a few inches of headroom. I dont have to leave space for the csst condenser coil legs to stick out of the top.

It also means that some system to adjust the coil from ground level would be almost trivially easy to devise, and if i threw a cap on top then moving over to pot still mode would be as easy as turning the RC water supply off.

Looking at the difference in fitting though, im not sure i can get the 3" to fit close enough for 100% reflux. With thinner walled 2" fittings it looks like it would be much easier.

Ill do a build thread at some point.
It's much easier to cut a bit off than weld a bit on...
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by heynonny »

Truly, a pic would be nice, , , ,
  
 
 
       Oh,look!! Its a hole in the space-time contuum!!
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

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.ignore this post
Last edited by SpankeyBrewster on Sun Mar 17, 2024 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Demy
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Demy »

A photo or drawing would be great...I'm always intrigued by new ideas...
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Yummyrum »

Demy wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2024 2:55 am A photo or drawing would be great...I'm always intrigued by new ideas...
Demy , this was an initial Idea I had .
viewtopic.php?p=7761765#p7761765

But after a few to and throws and a rethink , just the aperture connected to a shaft that goes right down through the PC would work . No need to rotate the whole PC , cooling hoses etc .

I drew that aperature to cover 90° for clarity of the concept , but it could take up almost 360° to give more control per degree of rotation .
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Dancing4dan »

That is a pretty slick idea you guys.

Totally eliminates the need and expense of a valve.
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Demy »

:tired: Ok I'm following with interest... I don't know if it could be useful but there are valves used in wood stoves, it could be replicated in some way
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Yummyrum »

Looks like a Butterfly valve Demy . Think some guys have used them .

I’m wondering if this Topic might better have been called Rotating Aperture VM .

The idea being to move a gate over the outlet but from inside the VM head . By passing the shaft down through the RC coil or even attaching it to the coil itself means that there doesn’t need to be a shaft that passes through the side ( or top wall ) of a pipe , removing the need for Liquid or Vapour seals.

In theory , cheap and easy .
The devil is how well the gate seals .It also means that more than likely , off the shelf solutions are unlikely and a bit of home construction will be required .
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Re: Rotating Valve VM

Post by Demy »

Yummyrum wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2024 4:14 am Looks like a Butterfly valve Demy . Think some guys have used them .

I’m wondering if this Topic might better have been called Rotating Aperture VM .

The idea being to move a gate over the outlet but from inside the VM head . By passing the shaft down through the RC coil or even attaching it to the coil itself means that there doesn’t need to be a shaft that passes through the side ( or top wall ) of a pipe , removing the need for Liquid or Vapour seals.

In theory , cheap and easy .
The devil is how well the gate seals .It also means that more than likely , off the shelf solutions are unlikely and a bit of home construction will be required .
I get it...eliminates the need to raise and lower RC...even if you have another item to maneuver.....
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