Concentric Davies Condenser

Anything cooling/condenser related.

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Oatmeal
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Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Oatmeal »

I have been conceptualizing this condenser for a while, and wanted to try building one.

Still_stirrin had a great overview of condenser efficiency basics, but I lost the thread, so he'll have to share the limelight with Single Malt Yinzer. Some great basic info, and a mathematical formula to figure condenser surface area.

The davies condenser has quite a few nice build threads.
The earliest reference I found was to one pintoshine built, but I didn't find a build thread, so here's a gratuitous build from back in the day

the Punkindenser from 2008

WalkinWolf's triple wall 2011, courtesy of LWTCS

Googe's 2012

lampshade's 2013

Jedneck's 2014

Brutal's 2014, also featuring Blue Sasquatche's trombone and ezlle71's build.

Mine will be "concentric" because rather than a cold finger in a larger diameter liebig, it'll be a 1/2" through tube jacketed by 3/4, inside a 1" jacketed by 1 1/4". This gives 3 internal cooling surfaces, which if my math is correct, gives 30 square inches more of cooling surface than the same 20" shotgun with 4 1/2" tubes.
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StillerBoy
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by StillerBoy »

Oatmeal wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 12:24 pm This gives 3 internal cooling surfaces, which if my math is correct, gives 30 square inches more of cooling surface than the same 20" shotgun with 4 1/2" tubes.
Personally, for the effort, I'll stay with a shotgun condenser.. much easier to built than what you're proposing..

People forget that a condenser has two functions.. one is to condense the vapors and the other is to cool the distillate..

The condensing is a very small part of it's activity, and it's the cooling part that people mix up.. a 7" x 2" with 5 - 1/2" tubes with condense and cool 4000w with less than 1L per min of water flow..

What is the intent for the such a condenser, stripping or spirit.. cause a 15" liebig is all one needs for spiriting..

Mars
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Oatmeal
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Oatmeal »

Is it easier to build a shotgun?

Stillerboy (and others) add a lot of nice discussion to Demy's shotgun thread.
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by StillerBoy »

Oatmeal wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:22 pm Is it easier to build a shotgun?
Here's my thoughts on building a shotgun, which posted in another thread..


"Steve Broady wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:06 pm
if you have the tools and skills to massage the copper you can make your own, and it just goes together like a dream. WAY simpler than a shotgun"


I used to view it as such, until I took the time to understand it's construction.. there are difference in parts required, but not in in soldering, as soldering is soldering, you either understand what to do or you don't..

It's mostly the fear of the unknown that stop most people from trying, and lack of wanting to overcome the fear..

Mars
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Oatmeal »

Got all the pipe lengths cut, and flared, and started putting everything together, then buggered up inside tube and shell drilling for the water supply, after I buggered it up smashing it out of the 1".

Remade the core and came up with far easier plan for the water in. (Pictured is water out for center bit)
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Oatmeal »

The cold in was the crux. Next time I'd probably just use a piece of 1/4 inch and solder it together before the final shell went on. I did it with the 3/8ths so I could reduce the size of the supply to the outer shell to try and force equal amounts of water to each part, but a challenge for sure. Hopefully I didn't block the ports with solder...airtight at least.
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StillerBoy
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by StillerBoy »

Oatmeal wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 12:45 pm Hopefully I didn't block the ports with solder...airtight at least.
With that kind soldering ability, you wouldn't have any difficult making a shotgun..

Best on your journey..

Mars
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by jedneck »

Here is my current davies. 2”over1.5 over .5 around 28” long all soft low temp solder. Way overkill even for 9000 watts but all materials cane from the may need it bin
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Oatmeal »

Don't worry Mars, I have a shotgun concept that's on the list of things to build.

Jedneck thanks for posting your projects. I really enjoyed this one!

Mostly done, and everything appears in order. A bit crude, but mostly built at lunchtime.

Just need to attach it to 2"...
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Oatmeal »

Finally got this thing cleaned and had a chance to run it.
Worked fine? Distillate was cold the whole time and didn't use very much water, even run in series.

It was a "stripping" run but through the ccvm so not a full test...
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Yummyrum »

Nice work Oatmeal . Those condensers always look like hard work . Hats off to you.
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser

Post by Wildcats »

Very nice man. Looks like you got it going on. Nice stilling area too.
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