The continuous Stripper (pimp my still)

[snuffy]

The observation about the value of having as high as possible temperature is well taken. Optimal temperature for spent wash is 100C. Since at that temperature, the latent heat of vaporization for water shifts a larger percentage of the energy input into the water. So there is more than 80% of the energy leaving the system through the spent wash.

Most of the heat energy leaves the system via the spent wash. If you dump the heat from the product condenser, it reduces the risk of boiling in the feed line and getting a vapor lock, surging, etc. And the amount lost is small compared to the total energy in the system. Best of all, if the temperature rises so that more water goes up the column, less comes out the overflow, the feed temp drops, the reflux rate increases and moves the system back towards equilibrium.

Whereas if you were using the product condenser for preheating, you'd have positive feedback and the system as a whole would be less stable.

I think -- I'm hesitant to tackle the mathematical analysis: positive feedback is hard to model because things can go chaotic. My calcs were a simplified attempt to put a lower limit on the energy required to choke a 1" column -- more than 4KW and my heaters will do less than half that. I didn't want to overpower the column, small as it is.