I wished to post this under essential oils but the size is above 30 gal.
This is my latest build. The purpose of this one is to redistill essential oils and remove a fraction of it (rectification).
The big reservoir hanging on the top left of the column (it should be straighter but I didnt tighten enough the valve bolts )is for collecting distillate. Everything is valved to maintain vacuum and be able to distill the oils without burning them.
The insulation is silicon foam in order to withstand temps up to 200 C.
The big horizontal pipe contains a copper coil and the oils run on the bottom of it , past the vertical column (long to explain) into the distillate collection vessel to the left.
The boiler (250l) walls are 3mm and are reinforced insinde to wistand the pressure. There is a safety valve (a hole, with a gasket and a weight on top). Max Power is 12kw
big and nice job!
the application of vacuum to the process is the new big challenge, easier for essential oils, much more problematic for alchol.
Please let me know more: how much vacuum? what kind of pump did you use for the big red one? The same for the prototype? A low vacuum, so. Do you think to reach a medium/high vacuum to lower the temperature of the boiler?
Nice rig manu. I’m just getting ready to play with oil extraction and once I get my feet wet with my basic unit I will have to see about making a vacuum unit. Thanks for the inspiration.
big and nice job!
the application of vacuum to the process is the new big challenge, easier for essential oils, much more problematic for alchol.
Please let me know more: how much vacuum? what kind of pump did you use for the big red one? The same for the prototype? A low vacuum, so. Do you think to reach a medium/high vacuum to lower the temperature of the boiler?
Bran
The whole purpose is to lower the boiling temp.
This was built for a customer, I dont know what pump they use. But I used the same pump as the one seen in the pototype video for testing it. The depth of vaccum depends on the pump, in the case of my pump , -730mmHg ish.
The whole purpose is to lower the boiling temp.
This was built for a customer, I dont know what pump they use. But I used the same pump as the one seen in the pototype video for testing it. The depth of vaccum depends on the pump, in the case of my pump , -730mmHg ish.[/quote][/quote]
Hi,
of course that's the task. In my case -distilling marc to get "grappa"- I also want to save some flavour component that could be lost at higher T. So vacuum may help, especially high vaccum and your pump seems get the target (although I missed the meaning of ish).
The problems are: 1) a good sealed machine: the more the joints the more the losses 2) a very solid machine: danger of implosion of the whole stuff.
Nobody of senior members tested a vacuum alchol distiller? I searched for that on the site but it seems a new subject.
Hi Manu,is the whole distiller in 3mm plate or just the boiler? It would be very expensive…
I saw the movie, can you tell me more about how you handle the vacuum? I saw that the pump first acts up to the vacuum, then, after having activated the heater, when the first steam rises you restart the pump to recreate the vacuum. How do you adjust to switch the pump on / off? Do you have certain references taken from any table? Can you take a picture of where you applied the pump? Is it exactly at the end of the circuit?
Thank you.
Bran wrote:Hi Manu,is the whole distiller in 3mm plate or just the boiler?
Just the boiler
Bran wrote:I saw the movie, can you tell me more about how you handle the vacuum? I saw that the pump first acts up to the vacuum, then, after having activated the heater, when the first steam rises you restart the pump to recreate the vacuum. How do you adjust to switch the pump on / off? Do you have certain references taken from any table? Can you take a picture of where you applied the pump? Is it exactly at the end of the circuit?
Thank you.
Once the pump removed the air, it is stopped, then heating starts and the internal condenser maintains the vacuum by condensing steam. However, heating sometimes creates other gases than steam that can't be condensed, overtime they build up up pressure in the still. By simply monitoring the vacuum gauge once in a while, when pressure rises above the max pressure we are willing to accept, the vac pump is restarted to remove the gases (automation is also possible).
Yes the pump is plugged at the top condenser for that purpose
Hi manu. Do you simply run the still until the collection tank is full, then release vacuum to collect, or do you drain it part way through the run if/when it fills?
If you drain it mid run are you draining oil out to collect, solvent to the boiler, solvent out to collect, or other. As I understand it, some oils will float and some will sink so maybe you have the option of draining from the top or bottom?
If you drain out to collect mid run, how do you handle vacuum? Maybe a double valved vacuum collection vessel?
OtisT wrote:Hi manu. Do you simply run the still until the collection tank is full, then release vacuum to collect, or do you drain it part way through the run if/when it fills? the collection vessel is valved so that you can drain it part way and re vacuum it without having to re vacuum the whole still.
If you drain it mid run are you draining oil out to collect, solvent to the boiler, solvent out to collect, or other. As I understand it, some oils will float and some will sink so maybe you have the option of draining from the top or bottom? By switching the plugs of the collection vessel it can either overflow to the boiler the top or bottom fraction (usually oil is lighter than solvent but not always)
That is overflowing. and it's optional.
Otherwise you simply drain the thing and use a classic florentine flask or distribute into separate flasks using the valved tube as you drain. But unlike the overflow system you cant put the floral waters back in the boiler without recompressing everything.
If you drain out to collect mid run, how do you handle vacuum? Maybe a double valved vacuum collection vessel? yes it's valved see above
Thanks,
Otis
Thanks manu. That explains the multiple vacuum hose connects at different locations that I see on your smaller still. It’s hard to see all the plumbing on either of your rigs, simply because there is a lot going on there and only limited angles/pictures. A logical diagram would be wonderful to see, if you are so inclined. Or possibly more pics from different angles.
I am thinking of building a small vacuum distillation system, but to keep the cost down and the build simple I am leaning toward something with no drains, just a large collection vessel. I’ll just run up until collection is near full then I will shut down to collect.
OtisT wrote:Thanks manu. That explains the multiple vacuum hose connects at different locations that I see on your smaller still. It’s hard to see all the plumbing on either of your rigs, simply because there is a lot going on there and only limited angles/pictures. A logical diagram would be wonderful to see, if you are so inclined. Or possibly more pics from different angles.
im too busy now, but there is a lot of info on the intro of the video, if you reverse engineer he diagram i'll review it
OtisT wrote:I am thinking of building a small vacuum distillation system, but to keep the cost down and the build simple I am leaning toward something with no drains, just a large collection vessel. I’ll just run up until collection is near full then I will shut down to collect.
What is your typical operational pressure range?
Otis
It's always a good idea to make early prototypes cheap. I personally keep pressure between -680 to -730 mmHg, but there is no hard rule, it depends on your pump, what you distill, and the amount of oversight you are willing to put in during distill.
Sunshineer wrote:What was your cost start to finish. And will you custom build one for me.
This one was sold 4000 USD + shipping (vacuum pump not included), the build took 2 months. All of the bigger stills I make are more or less customized.
