Cooling condenser water

[tvdawgs]

Here is a question and a theory. I have recently jumped to a 2 inch still head with keg boiler. Before I was using 3/4 head w/ 21 qt pressure cooker. I started having a problem with the cooling water getting too hot too quick. I was wondering what anyone thought of circulating the cooling water through a ice box with a cooling motor inside a copper line witch the copper line would be the only investment. The engineering isn't a prob. Would that work or do I just run a hose 200 foot to garage to cool? Is this a dumb idea? How many coils? The cooler I have is a pop cooler that has a plug in compressor that keeps drinks cold w/o ice. Kinda like a fridge. Any ideas let me know. Thanks in advance

[Maritimer]

Hi tvdawgs,

Remember that the condenser is transfering the heat of the boiler power into the condenser coolant. Think of putting your boiler heater in your fridge and trying to maintain room temperature. You'll have to generate as much cold as heat, and with the inefficiencies involved, a lot more cold than heat.

M

[tvdawgs]

I forgot to mention I was running propane burner for heat source. Haven't gotten around to converting to electric just yet.

[rad14701]

It has been sufficiently covered here in these very forums that using refrigeration to aid in cooling is an act of futility to be avoided... You need as many watts of cooling as you have heating... That ain't happening with any standard refrigerator or freezer...

[tvdawgs]

im talking about chilling the water for the condenser not chilling the vapors themselves. I would be running the condenser water through the copper tubing in the fridge. Maybe i wasnt clear on how that was stated. But yea anyways.. Im not a moron that doesnt know how it works im sure you have had some people think that would be ok but im simply implying in order to keep the condensing water cool running it through a chiller..

[rad14701]

Either way, the refrigerator will not be able to keep up... You don't have to believe those of us who know enough about refrigeration to give an accurate answer... You don't always get the answer you want... If you want to find out for yourself, have at it... BTU's are BTU's and what gets heated needs to be cooled...

[tvdawgs]

I really appreciate it thanks all of you guys!!

[jks067]

You could try using Isopropal alcohol in a cooler with some dry ice. Just make sure to run Isopropal in your cooling lines too. May be overkill but you would be sitting at about -149 degrees F.

[Theo]

You could try using Isopropal alcohol in a cooler with some dry ice. Just make sure to run Isopropal in your cooling lines too. May be overkill but you would be sitting at about -149 degrees F.

WRONG!

1. -149 deg F is below the the freezing point of even VERY concentrated alcohol! Your distillate would freeze solid in the worm! Can you say explosion?

2. You added isopropyl as a fuel to your explosion!

You don't need any more reasons, do you?

[tvdawgs]

ill try the chill plate with ice water bath first.. or maybe just get about 5 5gal buckets ready and keep tranfering water to keep water cool. Keep buckets outside untill ready to rotate again outside temp @30f or -1.11c.. if all else fails ill bring out the well water hose..only worry is freezing on its way to garage but running water constant no freezing

[Butterman]

I run my condenser lines through a motorcycle radiator with a fan blowing on the radiator. This take my boiler heat into my condenser and then out into the room (and then out a window). This will keep your condenser water at a decent temp, not cold, but not hot.

Butterman

[jks067]

Eh, like I said before, may be a little overkill. The radiator and fan idea is a good one. Personally, I use a copper coil(from one of my "practice windings") submerged in a salt water solution with ice while running salt water through my cooling lines. Temp of ice and salt is around 28 F.