Concentric Davies Condenser
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Concentric Davies Condenser
I have been conceptualizing this condenser for a while, and wanted to try building one.
Still_stirrin had a great overview of condenser efficiency basics, but I lost the thread, so he'll have to share the limelight with Single Malt Yinzer. Some great basic info, and a mathematical formula to figure condenser surface area.
The davies condenser has quite a few nice build threads.
The earliest reference I found was to one pintoshine built, but I didn't find a build thread, so here's a gratuitous build from back in the day
the Punkindenser from 2008
WalkinWolf's triple wall 2011, courtesy of LWTCS
Googe's 2012
lampshade's 2013
Jedneck's 2014
Brutal's 2014, also featuring Blue Sasquatche's trombone and ezlle71's build.
Mine will be "concentric" because rather than a cold finger in a larger diameter liebig, it'll be a 1/2" through tube jacketed by 3/4, inside a 1" jacketed by 1 1/4". This gives 3 internal cooling surfaces, which if my math is correct, gives 30 square inches more of cooling surface than the same 20" shotgun with 4 1/2" tubes.
Still_stirrin had a great overview of condenser efficiency basics, but I lost the thread, so he'll have to share the limelight with Single Malt Yinzer. Some great basic info, and a mathematical formula to figure condenser surface area.
The davies condenser has quite a few nice build threads.
The earliest reference I found was to one pintoshine built, but I didn't find a build thread, so here's a gratuitous build from back in the day
the Punkindenser from 2008
WalkinWolf's triple wall 2011, courtesy of LWTCS
Googe's 2012
lampshade's 2013
Jedneck's 2014
Brutal's 2014, also featuring Blue Sasquatche's trombone and ezlle71's build.
Mine will be "concentric" because rather than a cold finger in a larger diameter liebig, it'll be a 1/2" through tube jacketed by 3/4, inside a 1" jacketed by 1 1/4". This gives 3 internal cooling surfaces, which if my math is correct, gives 30 square inches more of cooling surface than the same 20" shotgun with 4 1/2" tubes.
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
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- Master of Distillation
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Personally, for the effort, I'll stay with a shotgun condenser.. much easier to built than what you're proposing..
People forget that a condenser has two functions.. one is to condense the vapors and the other is to cool the distillate..
The condensing is a very small part of it's activity, and it's the cooling part that people mix up.. a 7" x 2" with 5 - 1/2" tubes with condense and cool 4000w with less than 1L per min of water flow..
What is the intent for the such a condenser, stripping or spirit.. cause a 15" liebig is all one needs for spiriting..
Mars
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "
– Albert Einstein
– Albert Einstein
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Is it easier to build a shotgun?
Stillerboy (and others) add a lot of nice discussion to Demy's shotgun thread.
Stillerboy (and others) add a lot of nice discussion to Demy's shotgun thread.
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
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- Master of Distillation
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Here's my thoughts on building a shotgun, which posted in another thread..
"Steve Broady wrote: ↑Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:06 pm
if you have the tools and skills to massage the copper you can make your own, and it just goes together like a dream. WAY simpler than a shotgun"
I used to view it as such, until I took the time to understand it's construction.. there are difference in parts required, but not in in soldering, as soldering is soldering, you either understand what to do or you don't..
It's mostly the fear of the unknown that stop most people from trying, and lack of wanting to overcome the fear..
Mars
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "
– Albert Einstein
– Albert Einstein
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Got all the pipe lengths cut, and flared, and started putting everything together, then buggered up inside tube and shell drilling for the water supply, after I buggered it up smashing it out of the 1".
Remade the core and came up with far easier plan for the water in. (Pictured is water out for center bit)
Remade the core and came up with far easier plan for the water in. (Pictured is water out for center bit)
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
The cold in was the crux. Next time I'd probably just use a piece of 1/4 inch and solder it together before the final shell went on. I did it with the 3/8ths so I could reduce the size of the supply to the outer shell to try and force equal amounts of water to each part, but a challenge for sure. Hopefully I didn't block the ports with solder...airtight at least.
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
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- Master of Distillation
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- Location: Ontario
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
With that kind soldering ability, you wouldn't have any difficult making a shotgun..
Best on your journey..
Mars
" I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, Obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my knowledge and understanding "
– Albert Einstein
– Albert Einstein
- jedneck
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Here is my current davies. 2”over1.5 over .5 around 28” long all soft low temp solder. Way overkill even for 9000 watts but all materials cane from the may need it bin
welcome aboard some of us are ornery old coots but if you do a lot of
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
Dunder
reading and don't ask stupid questions you'll be alright most are
big help
Dunder
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Don't worry Mars, I have a shotgun concept that's on the list of things to build.
Jedneck thanks for posting your projects. I really enjoyed this one!
Mostly done, and everything appears in order. A bit crude, but mostly built at lunchtime.
Just need to attach it to 2"...
Jedneck thanks for posting your projects. I really enjoyed this one!
Mostly done, and everything appears in order. A bit crude, but mostly built at lunchtime.
Just need to attach it to 2"...
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Finally got this thing cleaned and had a chance to run it.
Worked fine? Distillate was cold the whole time and didn't use very much water, even run in series.
It was a "stripping" run but through the ccvm so not a full test...
Worked fine? Distillate was cold the whole time and didn't use very much water, even run in series.
It was a "stripping" run but through the ccvm so not a full test...
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
- Yummyrum
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Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Nice work Oatmeal . Those condensers always look like hard work . Hats off to you.
My recommended goto .
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
https://homedistiller.org/wiki/index.ph ... ion_Theory
Re: Concentric Davies Condenser
Very nice man. Looks like you got it going on. Nice stilling area too.