Chiller options

Anything cooling/condenser related.

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frost021
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Chiller options

Post by frost021 »

I just came across an older chiller from a pepsi or coke machine, i'm running a 26 gallon flute and using a single pond pump it has a max head of 6 feet and 358 gph that gets me by , in a 45 gallon drum with water but I'm only getting half way though the run and the water is too warm and that is with 4 gallon jugs of Ice in there I then have to switch over to well water which I've drained it a few times in the summer also ,so not knowing a lot about chillers it's est. about 2000 btu and thinking I should be ok with it set up this way .Does this look like it would work or should I just chill the water in the 45 gallon drum? thanks if it would work this way I will be thinking of putting a few valves in so I can use the same set up and divert to mash tun/fermenter to bring temps down in all grains..(I may have to get a bigger pump)
chiller set up jpg resize.JPG
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still_stirrin
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Re: Chiller options

Post by still_stirrin »

Is the chiller a refrigeration system? Is there a water reservoir inside the chiller? Or, it is only a heat exchanger with a fan?

Regardless, a secondary heat exchanger in your closed loop system will help dump waste heat out of the system. How effective depends on a few things, like coolant system flow rate, the surface area of the secondary heat exchanger and the ambient temperature of the environment you’re trying to dump the heat into. Also, it depends to a large degree on the heat input into the system, ie - how you heat your boiler and how aggressively you’re trying to boil.

Your schematic looks OK in a fundamental way. But without having more details about the equipment and how you operate, it’s hard to say for sure that it will work like you want it to.
ss
Last edited by still_stirrin on Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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still_stirrin
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Re: Chiller options

Post by still_stirrin »

Also, I want to add, that the coolant flow through a secondary heat exchanger will impose a flow resistance and that creates a pressure drop through the piping network. As a result, your flowrate will diminish, which will make the heat transfer less effective. Your pond pump may need an upgrade to guarantee adequate coolant flow through the additional piping network.

And don’t forget that smaller tubing has a greater flow loss (friction) for a given flowrate. If the chiller is small refrigeration tubing, chances are that your flow will slow to a trickle through the system.
ss
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frost021
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Re: Chiller options

Post by frost021 »

Is the chiller a refrigeration system? Is there a water reservoir inside the chiller? Or, it is only a heat exchanger with a fan?

Regardless, a secondary heat exchanger in your closed loop system will help dump waste heat out of the system. How effective depends on a few things, like coolant system flow rate, the surface area of the secondary heat exchanger and the ambient temperature of the environment you’re trying to dump the heat into. Also, it depends to a large degree on the heat input into the system, ie - how you heat your boiler and how aggressively you’re trying to boil.

Your schematic looks OK in a fundamental way. But without having more details about the equipment and how you operate, it’s hard to say for sure that it will work like you want it to.
ss
there is a reservoir in the system the system Isn't pretty,I'm supposed to pick it up tomorrow and the person doesn't know too much details on it ..
ambient temp is around 60 to 70 deg F dump the heat into. I heat the boiler with controller and electric with a 5500 watt element generally I run on 21 amps during heat up and plates start to stack then dial the controller back to 18 amps and start cooling on the deflag ,Once plates are nice and stacked I cut coolant back on deflag too about 1/4 and redirect to condenser here a pic of the chiller Thanks for the reply SS
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acfixer69
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Re: Chiller options

Post by acfixer69 »

That condensing unit is no match for a 5500 watt @ 18 amps. I could help a large reservoir but to many variables to promise anything.

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Re: Chiller options

Post by WIski »

Frost, I like to keep the temperature of the water going through the reflux condenser as constant as possible as I feel this helps in keeping things in control. Otherwise there is to much fiddling with coolant flow rates. The temp of the water at the product condenser is not so important as long as it is knocking the vapor down. YMMV :eugeek:
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acfixer69
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Re: Chiller options

Post by acfixer69 »

I regulate the reflux condenser temp to be stable thru the run also. OP does not show a product condenser is the circuit so I'll assume it is able to be cooled by what water is available.

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Re: Chiller options

Post by frost021 »

For the most part there is not that much fiddling as once plates are stacked is only time I really adjust deflag...and at the tails to run fast and hard to collect just always worried about running the well going dry and the water in the drum gets too hot and doesn't seem to knock down all vapors so I generally switch over to the well mid way though and wasteing water thought that this chiller may help and not have to use the well , there is a product condensor just my drawing is bad :oops: I don't have it set up to run it. just put it into place ,as a pic says a thousand words and I was thinking on putting the chiller on top of the barrel But as AC pointed out it would be much too small thanks again for the replys
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still_stirrin
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Re: Chiller options

Post by still_stirrin »

frost021 wrote:...I heat the boiler with controller and electric with a 5500 watt element generally I run on 21 amps during heat up and plates start to stack then dial the controller back to 18 amps...
So, 21 amps through the element on 240VAC is 5040 W...that's a lot of heat going into the system. It will bring your wash up to boil rather quickly, especially considering the mass of the wash you can hold in that big boiler.

And 18 amps is still 4320 W...a lot of heat that you've got to reclaim somehow. This is 14,740 BTU/hr...probably several times more than the refrigeration system can handle. The result is that your reservoir will heat up. And with only a 45 gallon reservoir, it will heat up quickly, as you've discovered.

The best answer is to increase the size of your reservoir...probably 10 times would be helpful.

You've got to remember that the heat you put into the boiler is transferred to the wash which vaporizes and must be cooled to condense at the product outlet. Some energy will be lost to the surroundings (ambient environment), but most must be reclaimed by the coolant system. And once it is transferred into the water, the temperature of the water will steadily increase unless you have a method to get the heat out of the water. A refrigeration system would help, but that's a big heat load you're putting in there.
ss
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Shine0n
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Re: Chiller options

Post by Shine0n »

Ain't got much to add to the conversation but just wanted to say that's a beautiful rig ya got there!

I'm officially jealous
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