Packed Column angle effect on ABV

[Yummyrum]

Did a little experiment today after a question on how vertical your column is appeared on CCSC forum .

Now seems some are quite anal about ensuring columns are straight up and down .

First I ran column vertical and measured ABV .

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Then I chocked still to almost point of overbalance .

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I ran for about 15 min to let it re-equalise in this new position then took another reading.

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The ABV had dropped from 96.2 to 95.2 ….. bot as bad as I had thought it might .

So I straightened it up about half the angle .
The ABV reading was pretty much the same @95.2 %

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Then I chocked it so it was almost level again but still obviously not to the eye .

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The ABV was back up to 96.2% again.

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So my summary of all this is that so long as your column looks straight to the eye , It’ll be just fine . Even when its obviously not quite vertical , It’ll still be working just fine .

But when it looks totally on the piss , don’t worry , the ABV will only be down by about 1 ABV … not that big of a deal .

[NZChris]

Thanks for doing that, Yummyrum.

Mine hangs from the ceiling so is always very close to vertical, but never perfectly.

[Saltbush Bill]

Nice work Yummy Surprised me Seen this subject dragged up a thousand times over the years, never seen anyone actually put it to the test that way.
Thinking that little experiment also almost puts the subject of the need for centering rings and channeling of reflux down the column walls to bed as well.

[Yummyrum]

No worries NZChris and Salty …. I’m always up for a good theoretical discussion , but nothing beats doing stuff

Yeah the whole Centering ring thing has never sat with me Salty . And when those borosilicate columns with video appeared … was it Cranky ??? … it was apparent that packing activity would overcome any wall dribble theories .

Having said that , I have another theory …. that if a reflux column is run with insufficient boiler power that the angle might have more of an effect .
Less power , less packing activity … gravity might have a chance .

Have another run planned for tomorrow.

[Ben]

Great experiment, I appreciate the work!

[Deplorable]

It's good to know that the slope of my garage floor won't affect the reflux action in my column. No need to shim the pedestal that the boiler sits on and chase vertical with a level on the sides of the column.
Great little experiment Yummyrum.

[Hügelwilli]

To get from 95.2% to 96.2% about five distillations are needed. I think yummyrum has lost about 1/3 of the efficiency of his column because of the angle. But this angle is extreme. In practice noone would run the still like this.
Great experiment. I had no idea how much the angle reduces the distillate abv.

[Bushman]

Since my outbuilding concrete floor has a slight slant I have always shimmed the base and checked with a level.

[Demy]

Thank you for publishing your experiment, Yummy!

[shadylane]

I’m always up for a good theoretical discussion , but nothing beats doing stuff

Thanks Yummy
It folks like you that help all of us.

[LWTCS]

I would think any issue with being plumb applies far more to actual wiers/downcomers. Particularly if oriented in such a way that liquid levels on each (acutal) plate are prevented from being uniform. Or more specifically, each plate draining uniformly.

Also, other types of plate systems that provide multiple downcomers can be affected by a less than plumb column orientation as each downcomer is intended to cope with an equal amount of liquid reflux.

[Yummyrum]

I would think any issue with being plumb applies far more to actual wiers/downcomers. P

I agree that might be the case Larry .
Should have said packed column in topic name .

[Saltbush Bill]

Should have said packed column in topic name

Was going suggest that at the very begining....maybe edit the thread title Yummy.
I cant see a 6 inch plater being real happy on angles like those, half the plate would be dry.

[Yummyrum]

Done ,makes more sense