Reflux Column Control Maybe???
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2005 1:52 am
Hello everyone,
I have a question about possible regulation of the reflux column temperatures on my valved reflux column. I have the usual glass thermometer for my still. But I also have a digital thermometer that reads out to 2 places after the decimal point, it also walks, talks, sings and has all the usual bells, flutes and whistles on it.
Here’s my point/question:-
Is there any safe, practical cheap way that you can link up this small 2.4 volt battery operated digital thermometer to the mains electric 240 volt heating element? My reason for wanting to do this is to give me greater control over the reflux in the reflux column. (I’m just reading over my email and have just realized I have control via the reflux needle valve) But let me continue for all those internal reflux column stills. Hopefully this will get the electric element to kick in at78.5 Degrees C the boiling point of ethanol alcohol. Thus giving good reflux control within the column
Now I know the electric element, although hot and nearly at the correct temperature, it will take a margin of time to get up to the exact temperature. So although not deadly accurate as to holding the exact boiling point, with a bigger element this gap/margin of error could be closed to as near as makes no difference to us anyway.
Or the other way of using an electrically operated water valve to control the cooling water to the column.
Let’s suppose this could be done relatively cheaply. Would this not be a better way to use technology to our advantage?
Geoff.
P.S.
As a spin off of this accuracy(if it could be done) if you saved all the heads from different runs and if you knew all the different temps (I don’t) to get the different alcohols out at, you could in theory separate out digitally, what little methanol is in there, and whatever else there is etc.
The only fly in the ointment I think, would be the reflux column heat controllability, because when you are working with different alcohols having boiling temperature differences being only1 or 2 tenths of a degree apart your column heat control would have to be spot on.
But thinking of it another way, why go to all that trouble to make furniture polish or lacquer when all you want is greater reflux heat control in the column and better alcohol purity.
What do you guys think or has this subject already been covered?
Geoff
I have a question about possible regulation of the reflux column temperatures on my valved reflux column. I have the usual glass thermometer for my still. But I also have a digital thermometer that reads out to 2 places after the decimal point, it also walks, talks, sings and has all the usual bells, flutes and whistles on it.
Here’s my point/question:-
Is there any safe, practical cheap way that you can link up this small 2.4 volt battery operated digital thermometer to the mains electric 240 volt heating element? My reason for wanting to do this is to give me greater control over the reflux in the reflux column. (I’m just reading over my email and have just realized I have control via the reflux needle valve) But let me continue for all those internal reflux column stills. Hopefully this will get the electric element to kick in at78.5 Degrees C the boiling point of ethanol alcohol. Thus giving good reflux control within the column
Now I know the electric element, although hot and nearly at the correct temperature, it will take a margin of time to get up to the exact temperature. So although not deadly accurate as to holding the exact boiling point, with a bigger element this gap/margin of error could be closed to as near as makes no difference to us anyway.
Or the other way of using an electrically operated water valve to control the cooling water to the column.
Let’s suppose this could be done relatively cheaply. Would this not be a better way to use technology to our advantage?
Geoff.
P.S.
As a spin off of this accuracy(if it could be done) if you saved all the heads from different runs and if you knew all the different temps (I don’t) to get the different alcohols out at, you could in theory separate out digitally, what little methanol is in there, and whatever else there is etc.
The only fly in the ointment I think, would be the reflux column heat controllability, because when you are working with different alcohols having boiling temperature differences being only1 or 2 tenths of a degree apart your column heat control would have to be spot on.
But thinking of it another way, why go to all that trouble to make furniture polish or lacquer when all you want is greater reflux heat control in the column and better alcohol purity.
What do you guys think or has this subject already been covered?
Geoff