My new rig

[Jorr_it]

Hello everyone,

I just said hello in the welcome thread and I promised to show you my new rig. It's a little above the 30 gallon maybe 32 hopefully it's not a problem. The fluids are heated with 3500 watt threaded heater and the column is 55 mm in diameter with a height of 1 meter with SPP packing. The whole system is controlled with a SSR and an Arduino with two ds18b20 threaded sensors. The column can be easily removed by unscrewing the flange, the top of the column has the same flange type with the threaded sensor embedded on/in the flange. More pictures will follow!

http://imageshack.com/a/img924/4852/UBLL34.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/5102/W2fwc1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/6913/9XbbIC.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
http://imageshack.com/a/img924/1484/qR8nJH.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[der wo]

Welcome,

please load the pictures to hd. With the "upload attachment" button.

[der wo]

From what you write, 55mm is not much for such a large boiler. 3.5kW is too much for 55mm. I think you have to turn it down to 2.5kW after heating up. 2.5kW for 30gal, I think the runs will be endless. I use 2.5kW for a 4.5gal boiler... I think a run with your still from 25gal low wines to aceo will need 24h.
Arduino controlled? Does it mean you leave the still when running it? This would be dangerous and not find many friends here.

[Jorr_it]

The still is never unmanned, never! I took 3,5 kW pure for the heating up part. And I used such a volume so I can do runs with 30-100 liters

[der wo]

and how long did it need for how many liters mash? low wines? distilling to aceo?

[Jorr_it]

and how long did it need for how many liters mash? low wines? distilling to aceo?

No idea it's not finished yet

[StillerBoy]

Jorr_it

If you are looking for assistance from HD, it would help if you posted the pictures using the HD posting

Mars

[Jorr_it]

Jorr_it

If you are looking for assistance from HD, it would help if you posted the pictures using the HD posting

Mars

I shall!

[Jorr_it]

Hello everyone,

I resized the pictures to the allowed HD size. The dimension is completely wrong on the rig picture

[der wo]

- perhaps the lack of copper will cause problems.
- an insulation would safe much energy.

But honestly I think the boiler size, wattage and column diameter combination will force you to rebuild soon. More column diameter and more wattage. Or a smaller boiler.

[Jorr_it]

- perhaps the lack of copper will cause problems.
- an insulation would safe much energy.

But honestly I think the boiler size, wattage and column diameter combination will force you to rebuild soon. More column diameter and more wattage. Or a smaller boiler.

The column is already insulated but it was removed for the welding, yes I'm aware that the boiler is not yet insulated but this will happen. Say what I understand from your point is that, either the boiler is to large or the column diameter to small. A larger diameter yields a higher outflow of ethanol. So you are seeing a problem in the current diameter and that, say a run with take to long?

[der wo]

The maximum wattage for your column diameter is 2.5kW probably. To reflux 20gal to 95% will need too much time with 2.5kW. It depends heavily on the grade of purity you want how long it needs, but 24h is no joke number.
So you need more wattage. And more wattage needs more column diameter or the column floods.
A larger diameter yields not in a higher outflow of ethanol, but a higher wattage is usable without flooding the column. And more wattage of course speeds everything up.

But it's almost finished. Why not doing a run with it? You will see more exactly after.

[der wo]

...and the arduino control:
If I understand right, you want control the heating element with the temperature measurements. But such a still isn't controled by the heating input, it is controled by the valve. You would need a motorized valve.

[Jorr_it]

...and the arduino control:
If I understand right, you want control the heating element with the temperature measurements. But such a still isn't controled by the heating input, it is controled by the valve. You would need a motorized valve.

The only thing the arduino does is controlling the energy input . It's made be a good friend of mine who studied electrical engineering. I will ask him for some pictures.

[der wo]

...and the arduino control:
If I understand right, you want control the heating element with the temperature measurements. But such a still isn't controled by the heating input, it is controled by the valve. You would need a motorized valve.

The only thing the arduino does is controlling the energy input . It's made be a good friend of mine who studied electrical engineering. I will ask him for some pictures.

This is useless. Perhaps if you want to heat up the still at full 3.5kW and then reduce it to 2.5kW, it could control it for you. But that's all. A control of the heating input with the vapor temp during the run is useless for any still system, potstill or any reflux version. You need a stable heat input for the whole run, not all the time up and down.

[der wo]

Use the HD google search for something like "LM instructions" or "how to run a LM". It's all about the valve settings.

Of course changing the wattage and holding the valve at the same setting will influence the purity. But:
-much too slow.
-anyway you want to hold the whole time the perfect wattage for the column diameter and packing density. The perfect wattage offers the best energy/time efficiency, the highest possible amount of 95% per hour and kwh. So if your arduino reduces the wattage for whatever reason, you only loose time and energy.

I run my LM the whole time with 2.6kW. It's 7 times smaller than yours but has the same column diameter and length.

[Jorr_it]

...and the arduino control:
If I understand right, you want control the heating element with the temperature measurements. But such a still isn't controled by the heating input, it is controled by the valve. You would need a motorized valve.

The only thing the arduino does is controlling the energy input . It's made be a good friend of mine who studied electrical engineering. I will ask him for some pictures.

This is useless. Perhaps if you want to heat up the still at full 3.5kW and then reduce it to 2.5kW, it could control it for you. But that's all. A control of the heating input with the vapor temp during the run is useless for any still system, potstill or any reflux version. You need a stable heat input for the whole run, not all the time up and down.

Maybe I'm not explaining myself enough but the input of power in controlled by an arduino with a solid state relay, the power is in fact ''up and down'' but only in fraction of milliseconds so the overall input is 2,5kw during the run. We designed it as time fraction of 5 ms on / 10 ms = 50% power because 10 ms is half a sinus for 220- 230 volt, the other 5ms is off. I'm only monitoring the temperatures for self use, the sensors are not involved with the controlling system. I appreciated that you are being critical but you havent said anything positive.

[Danespirit]

+1 der Wo

You can't control a still by temperature, it just doesn't work.
What you CAN do is to control the take-off rate by the power input.
If you take a look at the picture, you can see my LM setup.
My element is 2 KW...but I'm not anywhere near that power whilst running the still.
Insulation of the column helps to ensure a stable run (which is what you want).

LM with insulated column.

[Jorr_it]

+1 der Wo

You can't control a still by temperature, it just doesn't work.

I'm not

[der wo]

Ok, I misunderstood you. You only want to set the energy input with switching on and off. You don't want to change it during the run permanently because of a vapor temp or something. Generally that's ok, but there are easier methods to do this I think. I can't help you here much, but you will find many threads about here:
http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=85
But if it works with the arduino and it's built already, it's ok.

There are general problems with the dimensions of your still. And unfortunately this demands much effort to solve probably: More heating elements, perhaps you run into pronblems with the power lines of your house (at least in Germany we only can get out 3.5kW each. If we want more, we have to combine different power lines), a new column and perhaps a new reflux condenser.
But if there was a 5-10gal boiler not a 30gal one under the column, everything would be ok I think. Besides that it's a nice build. No question that you can build a great still. But I think you wasted time and money with this small column (if you really want to run such large batches). And those issues and what you write tells us, that you don't have understood all the principles and details of a reflux column completely until now. But it's ok, you will get it soon. You start at a higher level than the most new members here. But I would be angry about the wasted money.