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Cooling Water set up feedback


jbdavenport1

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Av, you may be able to increase the efficiency of the distilling system by using colder water/glycol, the opposite is true of the chiller itself- by operating it at a colder supply temp, you get less and less btu/hr (tons) capacity.  This is because of the thermodynamics, which is why you need more than twice the HP on a chiller to make ice for an ice rink where the output glycol is about 15F.  Typically, about the maximum tons output per HP input is around 55F for a refrigeration compressor.  Running with glycol mix to to make 28F supply glycol for brewery applications you are around half the tons output per HP input. It's a trade off, but only go as cold as you need to to save the KW on your electric bill.  This is why I offer ambient outdoor glycol cooler for winter operations up North, when it's below freezing outdoors, you can make a lot of cold water for your CW reservoir.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 1/23/2018 at 10:10 PM, Southernhighlander said:

HSD,

 

What is the temp of your tap water?  If the temp is 60F or less just run it through your condensers and then run the free hot water from your condensers into 2 hot water holding tanks.  Use one tank of free hot water for your next mashing in and the other for cleaning.  Problem solved and you save a huge amount of money on energy costs since you won't be heating water up for your mash and cooling it down for your condensers.

We are not in a continuous process yet, also we're operating in 100sqm and space is tight. 

 

I'm certainly more inclined to fit a compact chiller in a system flow like this;

 

Poly tank - chiller (cool to 10c) - to condensers - return to poly tank. 

I'd expect the volume in the holding tank will be enough to remove most of the heat prior to running through the chiller, I could then run the chiller to bring it down the holding tank temps before the next run. 

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You might want to look into this product: https://www.redlineoil.com/waterwetter-coolant-additives

It is an additive that increases the performance of heat trasfer by removing air bubbles and etc.. It might actually help increase the cooling. I have used it in the fresh water system of a boat with a noticable decrease in operating temp. That boat had a heat exchanger and a pump that passed relatively warm bay water (upper 70s) as the cooling source.

-S

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Scott, most all chiller manufacturers will not allow additives that have a refrigerant evaporator.  Unless it is a commercial glycol mix, the manufacturer will disallow any warranty from its use. 

For example, automotive glycol cannot be used, it clogs the refrigerant exchanger and ruin the chiller.

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Just now, MG Thermal Consulting said:

Scott, most all chiller manufacturers will not allow additives that have a refrigerant evaporator.  Unless it is a commercial glycol mix, the manufacturer will disallow any warranty from its use. 

For example, automotive glycol cannot be used, it clogs the refrigerant exchanger and ruin the chiller.

This product isnt automotive glycol - in fact its not glycol at all. I have no idea what it is - but I have been told its some sort of a soap........ 

Would I put it in a glycol chiller? Absoultely not!

At any rate - I was referring to using that in a non-glycol chiller environment. Such as the dry cooler - or the radiator/fan idea.

-S

 

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Most systems are hybrid, so would common glycol loop interconnected in one way or another with a chiller component, either evaporator or refig condenser, so I don't see the practical use for today's distillery equipment to make runs and efficiencies better, you need colder water than a dry cooler can possibly provide except in winter, when you need glycol in the water.

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