Fractional Distill, Hardware discussion

[AZM]

Hi everyone,

I've been searching web for a couple of days to build my own distiller. I am engineer by the way but not the chemical one.

I decided to make 4" fractional reflux column with ordinary vapor management design. (plate fractionation + reflux condenser + condenser).

But did not decide on the type of fraction and did not decide the material (ss/copper/glass?)

Probably I'll make both perforated and bubble plates.

Building this standart column design is not my concern. It is alredy done and discussed at various topics.

My concern is to built it in more easier and cheapest way, and use minimum amount of sources. I am not a modular designer guy. According to my opinion when someone tries to make something modular, the cost usually gets higher and higher and consumed time gets longer and longer.

I want to discuss the following issues with you guys.

1. Perforated plate.
Why not use stripboard for the plate? It has 0.1" predrilled pattern. I think drilling tiny and many holes is very very difficult.
Stripboards are cheap and easy to procure. I have doubts about the sanitary class of it, and will investigate about that but I guess it does not have any issues. It is resistant to alcohol and high temperatures. Why not use?

2.Why do everyone built inspection/sight glasses for all the fraction levels. Once these glasses are removed, total cost decreases enourmously.
If cleaning is the concern, male threads can be tapped and fractions can be coupled with threaded couplings.

3. Why all the designs are cylindiric? We don't have high pressure and high speed fluid flow along the system. Cubic fraction rooms may also be employed. If this decrease the cost of built, why not use?

4. We are not dealing with high pressure system when distilling, but most of the systems designed seems to be made of parts which work at high pressures.

In my opinion just after we get our fluid at vapour stage , and the vapor is flooded and captured inside the tubes, no outer materal is important. If the vapor does not interact with the material, why use expensive material? For this reason utlizing ss or copper outer sleeeve for the dephlegmator/condenser is just waste of sources.

5. Bubble plate.
I met a youtuve video in which a guy built bubble caps from plasma cutter tip and standart pipe cap. I liked this idea and note here if someone uses this as well.


These are my argues on the hardware.

I am welcome to discuss any suggestions.

Regards.