Air condenser question

[Bolverk]

Howdy y'all,

I'm hoping you guys with more math knowledge can help me with something.

I love the idea of using air instead of water just for the simplicity... yes I understand water is a much better cooling medium, but air cooling is just so cool! Lol!

Say i were to make something like this but used it as a product condenser.

For argument sake say it needs to fit in w 4" triclamp format and we were using 9, 3/4" vapor tubes. Ambient conditions say 70f and 15% humidity with just ambientair movement. How big would i need to make it to knock down 5500w?

Appreciate your thoughts,
B

[Steve Broady]

My guess, after conversation on the topic with a good friend, is that it would need to be about 35’ long.

[Twisted Brick]

As it stands, it wouldn't be too terribly efficient.

First off, while copper has a very high HTC, air cooling, to be effective requires cooling fins (lots of 'em) and air flow to remove the heat. Also, the wall thickness of ¾” copper pipe is prohibitive. The refrigerator industry found 5mm coolant pipe diameter optimal for heat exchange.

Directionally, gravity would work against what you are proposing. If you fed your incoming hot vapor from the top you would still not have sufficient room for cooling fins and have to contend with laminar flow. A 4x1/2" shotgun condenser has shown to knock down 5k watts easily.

The big commercial whiskey stills use liquid-cooled vertical shell and tube condensers but they are enclosed and vapor is fed tube side from the top while shell side coolant is pumped up and out from the bottom.

Years ago I looked at air-cooling condensers but because of all the dynamics involved migrated away from it.

viewtopic.php?t=54596

https://www.fluiddynamics.com.au/about/ ... know-about

[Bolverk]

Yeah its looking like this is going to be a bust.

Cool idea for a dephleg for some extra passive reflux though

Thanks guys

[shadylane]

Yeah its looking like this is going to be a bust.

Cool idea for a dephleg for some extra passive reflux though

Thanks guys

Add fins and a fan and the 9 tube shotgun could be considerably shorter.

[Yummyrum]

Myles made one on CCSC
http://www.coppercustomstillcomponents. ... =50#p64180

Never did hear if it actually made any difference .
He did have a SS boiler . I could never figure out if it’s main purpose was a Copper catalyser or a air cooled defleg

Pics snatched from CCSC