internal cooling sleeve for reflux condenser?

[humbledore]

OK tell me this idea is stupid now, before I build it. That way I can stop obssessing about it. While back I built a reflux condenser sleeve for a 1.25" column. It worked great, especially with some scrubbies stuffed in it. When I felt the outside during runs it was cool to the touch. I always thought that coolness was a waste. If the entire sleeve was inside another copper tube with the vapor allowed to hit both sides, it would be more efficient. Fast forward to now. I have a 2" column. My double coil is not quite doing the trick. I need to wind another longer one (I didn't enjoy this the first time) which means buying more tubing or...I could somehow do this internal sleeve idea.

The sleeve on the left would go inside the 2" on the right. Vapor could go on both sides of it. Might still stuff the scrubbies in the middle, but would that encourage the vapor to move to the outside (less resistance)?

I have enough scraps of cppper tubing to do something like this. There are some challenges like getting the water in/out tubes resoldered back on once the sleeve is inside the 2". But I have some ideas.

Thoughts?

[Cardinalbags]

A bit of work that is not required. Probably easier to cut back on the cooling water flow instead. All that coldness is just excess cooling due to too high a water flow rate through the condenser.

[humbledore]

OK not sure what you mean. My current coil is not knocking everything down when I run full steam, I'm looking for more cooling. So I was thinking a longer coil (mine is only about 7" long) or something like this.

[Cardinalbags]

Sorry, i missed that part and had to go reread your OP. I focused on the outside of the condenser tube being too cold and started typing....

Still not sure that would solve all the problems though... would eventually heat up with vapour starting up between the two tubes, heat up pretty quickly actually. I cant see if the condenser is undersized that getting a bit more cooling area on the outside of the inner tube will buy you much.

Edit: deleted a bunch of crap i wrote earlier because I could not pay enough attention to the posted photos and was talking out my ass.

[googe]

I'm really confused, is the thing on the left of the pic a liebig?, what size is it?. Is the tube on the right the same size as your column?. I just can't work out what's going where

[humbledore]

It is a reflux condenser for a 1.25" boka column. It sat right on top of the column, yes it looks like a leibig I guess it is in some sense. But I used it to knock the vapors down into the boka, like most people use coils. I retired it when I went to a 2" column and used a coil.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 17&t=39237

Edit: it is 1.25" dia. internally and 1.5" dia externally.

[humbledore]

Perhaps it is best to forget my current setup and let me just say...here is a new idea for a reflux condenser to sit on top of a column. The outer 2" tube is just that, a tube. The inner sleeve is a 1.25" tube inside of a 1.5" tube. That leaves a void around the 1.5", and a void inside of the 1.25". Water is channeled into the gap between these two inner tubes. I am not trying to solve a "flaw" in a sleeved condenser.

[bellybuster]

just keep in mind that vapour will travel the path of least resistance, so, both paths must be equal in order to utilize both surfaces

I just hated winding my coil but I did it, its ugly but it works. The pain only lasted 20 minutes.

[googe]

So, it's just a big hollow coldfinger. I'm with ya now . I'd agree with belly and card. No better way of knowing than to just try it, many may tell you it won't work blah blah blah but know one knows till you try it

[wv_cooker]

Perhaps it is best to forget my current setup and let me just say...here is a new idea for a reflux condenser to sit on top of a column. The outer 2" tube is just that, a tube. The inner sleeve is a 1.25" tube inside of a 1.5" tube. That leaves a void around the 1.5", and a void inside of the 1.25". Water is channeled into the gap between these two inner tubes. I am not trying to solve a "flaw" in a sleeved condenser.

A shell and tube or shotgun style reflux condenser works well on an LM. And also Myles has built a Product Condenser somewhat similar to what you are thinking maybe do a search on Myles for his. I think also that Bushman is thinking something similar maybe he will chime in.

[Hound Dog]

Humble, I see what you are trying to do and it looks like it is worth a shot to me. You already have the part that you aren't using. Give it a whirl. I bet it works out.

[humbledore]

Googe I should hire you as an interpreter. Yes a big hollow cold finger! Belly you are probably right. But I have no washes to run this weekend so this might be a good project.

[heartcut]

Cool idea. If you put a friction set twisted piece of copper in the middle it'll give you turbulence without much pressure drop, that is if you end up needing a scrubby. Eager to see how that works out.

[shadylane]

humbledore
The upside is a little over twice the surface area for condensation.
The down side is extra complexity.
It's some were in between a shotgun and a liebig

[rad14701]

Looks like a concentric inside a vapor tube... It'll work great... Would make a nice CM, LM, or VM reflux section... Similar to the torpedo CM reflux condenser - but better...