The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Steam powered cooking and distillation devices.

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stillness
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Haha, Gotcha, Maybe someday I'll get to use those numbers.

Also, Butch, I don't know how you feel about ol' aliexpress and it's ilk. But saw this the other day:
Screenshot_20210317-132524.png
There's a variety of different kinds. This one requires a power supply and isn't near as fast as the one you posted, but it is $10. I think it does 9 liters an hour max. I think a 5.5k element can burn a gallon of water dry in about 30 min. So, that little guy would just keep up.

Also, on a different aliexpress note, ordered the 1/4 inch variety of this, for 6 bucks. It's like throwing the dice, we'll see if it gets here by time I need it. It's a slow race.
IMG_20210317_134256.jpg
So, will try out the eductor, tank liquid agitator someday. (Edit: got the suggestion to Google these from Larry on a different thread. So just thought I'd sneak it in here. Thanks for the heads up!)
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by Butch27 »

stillness wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:45 pm ...Also, Butch, I don't know how you feel about ol' aliexpress and it's ilk. But saw this the other day:
Screenshot_20210317-132524.png

There's a variety of different kinds. This one requires a power supply and isn't near as fast as the one you posted, but it is $10. I think it does 9 liters an hour max. I think a 5.5k element can burn a gallon of water dry in about 30 min. So, that little guy would just keep up....
Wow, that is a nice price. Hardly worth printing one and then still having to buy bearings and a motor to run it. I haven't looked for a few years as they always seemed so expensive when I looked. This one may be a little small for me. It would work while the still was producing but heat up might be a little painful. Thanks for the heads up. I am off to Ali Express to have a look.

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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by Sigerson »

Any updates on this? I've been eagerly reading this thread as I like Stillness' design and am in the process of designing my own. Regardless, thanks for the thorough documentation of your progress!
stillness
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Hey thanks Sigerson,
I'll keep posting. But eagerly following this thread is going to be an exercise in patience. It's been pretty freaking slow, as I've got a lot of irons cooking. The house projects sadly come first, which included a fireplace install this winter (right in the middle of this) and a backyard revamp currently.

That said, I did power it up for the first time the other day and it didn't smoke! So, that made me happy. I checked power rails and got the display and LEDs sorted. I still need to wire up temp sensors, float, and relay. SSR is hooked up but not connected.

Also got part of the manometer installed. Here's a few pics with the power on.
IMG_20210427_224052.jpg
IMG_20210427_224046.jpg
IMG_20210427_224040.jpg
IMG_20210427_224056.jpg
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

How do you calculate flow rate so not to boil dry or flood tube is it a matter of setting up by eye or is there a calculater?
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

There is a float switch (sensor) in the glass sight tube. The water flows through a solenoid valve (above the sight glass), then into the sight glass, then into the boil chamber. When the float switch goes up it means the water in the boiler is high enough, when it goes down, more water is needed. (Notice the piping makes sure the pressure in the top of the sight glass is the same as in the boiler). This design uses a micro controller to watch the switch and turn the water on/off. Other designs will wire the float switch right to the solenoid valve.

Either way it's nice to regulate the flow (with another valve above this) so the switch doesn't trigger all the time.
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

Awesome have been looking at the arduino contact less water level sensors for doing this.
The pipe from top of sight glass back to boiler does it go into air or the liquid. I am building one similar and wondering if it should go into air no resistance or liquid so there is slight pressure, making path less resistance from water level in boiler out to thump tube.
I was actually going to have a double path to manometer one from a tee above sight glass, below solenoid. And another tee'd off after steam exit point.
But returning into boiler looks like a better solution. :thumbup:
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

To regulate water with another valve do you have it constantantly drip feed via a needle valve?

The one watched by microcontroller is more a safety feature? Cuts in if water gets to low. Should it watch max liquid level also?
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Hey Bluc, I'm curious about the contactless water sensor. What is that? Some kind of distance sensor? IR, or ultrasonic (VL53L0X ?). Something like that would work. Knowing granular level instead of a switch would be nice. You'd want to make sure it's solid - water reflection is fine in different lighting, hi temps doesn't throw it off.
The float switch is dead simple.
There's going to be pressure in the still. Not much but a few inches of water level. If you can see the piping, the tube from the top of the site glass goes into the steam section of the boiler - not the liquid. You want the pressure in the sight glass reservoir to be the same as in the still, which is the same as the steam section of the boiler. If the sight glass reservoir is open to air then it will be the high end of a manometer, and your water levels will be wrong. Is that what you're asking? Lot of ways to plumb that.

Including a manometer is almost essential. Why would you do all this and not have a safety valve that also visually displays the pressure? There's a lot of places to plumb it in, but I chose as close to the power source as I could get. If it's plumbed in further down, there's more opportunity for undetected clogging.

The tee you're talking about above the sight glass sounds like what I'm doing.

I have a RO water fitting valve that can regulate the water flow rate into the water reservoir. But I'm just going to set it to something reasonable and lean on the level sensor to turn the water on and off. I don't want it thrashing - turning on and off quickly - but I also don't want to futz with the input valve. So, I'll see how it goes. Don't know yet. I'm not using the level sensor to check max fill. I don't have that. Just going to time it after it reaches the switch.

Ya, curious to see what you have in the works!
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

Thanks that clears up the plumbing for me thanks :thumbup: . Here is the sensor i was looking at
https://www.dfrobot.com/product-690.html
I am not 100% sure on sensor as there is a few
https://www.dfrobot.com/index.php?route ... d%20sensor

I am not quite as far along as you but travelling the same path. I have a 7psi prv/vacuum breaker and will also have a 5psi manometer. Tube is 2" i am waiting on more bits to come in post. Here it is.
IMG_20210522_084941.jpg
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Thanks for the info bluc. That's a HERMS kit, ya? That's a good idea. I almost went with that.

That's an interesting level sensor. It looks like it uses the side of the canister as the center sandwich part of a capacitor. And then the capacitance changes depending on whether it's backed by a liquid or not. Interesting idea. Also it's calibrated every startup, so needs to not have full water. It's also not granular/analog, but a discrete on/off, like a switch.

Also, 1 psi on a manometer is about 27 inches of water column height. So, a 5 psi manometer is around 11 feet tall.

Anyways, looks good, it's the beginings of greatness!
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

I was going to do a u for manometer but 5 psi prob still bit ott.
Yea is a rims tube.
I am lying my boiler sideways which should also lower pressure needed. Is a double height 119l keg.
Getting a tig soon and going to do some mods. Manoway and couple more ferrules. I cant wait to get it done.
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by BlueSasquatch »

Looks like alot of fun!

So you're making a small capacity electric steam boiler? What's the advantage of this, over just making a keg boiler? I'm just over the halfway mark of a two-keg still, where one is the boiler and the other is a thumper that will hold everything on-grain so I can just distill on the grain. Also shortly after will be making a steam attachment for the first boiler, so that I can mash with steam as well.
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stillness
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Main advantage is startup time.
But also continuous operation, so potentially more capacity.
Smaller size, if limited on space.
And maybe quicker response to power input (idk?).
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

+1 startup time. Having to wait for whole keg to heat up then for that to heat thumper :thumbdown:
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

Wondering for water supply is there any reason not to just plumb into town supply and control flow with needle valve?
Rather then computer control?
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Bluc, I remember seeing posts of people doing that. They use the sight glass as a visual guide and just dial in the valve as they go.

That's probably a more kiss way to do it. You could even start there and add on later if you wanted.

But this isn't that. 'To be honest, it isn't really a brains sorta operation' (way of the gun). A vision of a digitally controlled steam generator caught me and is 'a siren singing me to shipwreck'. (Radio Head)
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by bluc »

Hey again @stillness. If I could pick your brain again.

On your build. The water line/pre heater looks like 1/4" or 3/8".

The equalization pipe between top sight glass and steam output point looks like 1/2".
Wondering what size your thumper spear is?
I am the thinking 3/8" pre heater water path from sight glass to heater chamber. Maybe less chance of scale blockage over 1/4"
1/2" equalizer pipe from top of sight glass to steam output. 1/2" path to manometer and 1/2" path to thumper spear.
Thinking step up to 3/4" for thumper spear helix coil on bottom to spread steam.

I dont think stepping up to 3/4 for spear will cause issues maybe a slight lag while the very slight pressure builds.

Any insight would be appreciated about to pull my finger out and get it done.
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by LWTCS »

Do I have the process flow correct?
Screenshot_20220415-064824_Gallery.jpg
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Re: The Stillness Steamer (aka, just another steam build)

Post by stillness »

Hey L.
Ya, that's right. With the manometer connected above the vent and going out the back.

I will update this someday. :D It's getting close.
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