Pot vs column

[Bolverk]

Nice thanks! Definitely an option 

[Galapadoc]

On 3/26/2024 at 6:05 AM, Alex_Sor said:

There is a solution to spend more instead of a 36 kW heater.
Its name is "vacuum distillation".

if you need details, I can tell you.

How do you make cuts on a vacuum still?

 

I'm thinking if we have to upgrade to a bigger operation, that's probably our best option because electricity is limited here and the whole archipelago is trying to go carbon zero (i.e. no gas), but cuts are essential to what I'm trying to make.

Maybe Paul can chime in because if that's what we get, we'll be getting it from him.

[Southernhighlander]

On 3/29/2024 at 7:19 PM, Galapadoc said:

How do you make cuts on a vacuum still?

 

I'm thinking if we have to upgrade to a bigger operation, that's probably our best option because electricity is limited here and the whole archipelago is trying to go carbon zero (i.e. no gas), but cuts are essential to what I'm trying to make.

Maybe Paul can chime in because if that's what we get, we'll be getting it from him.

There are a few different ways including using sanitary tri clamp spools with a cap at one end and a valve at the other that are under vacuum that can be connecting to the still by a ball valve on the still so that a sample can be pulled from a closed system.  Alexander Alex_Sor has a design for small stills where a different type of pump is used to pull vacuum on the still through an open system so that condensation occurs outside of vacuum.  He gave me the basic design but I have never built one.  His design solves the issue of needing a very expensive lab chiller for condensation.  In a closed system where high vacuum is pulled so that the boiling point of ethanol is reduced to 80 degrees F the condensing temp is so low that a lab chiller that chills to -30 to -40 C is typically used and this adds a lot of expense and energy usage on the cooling side.  I like to pull just enough vacuum to lower the boiling point of ethanol to 155 degrees F so that hot water can be used to heat the still and 35F to 53F coolant can be used in the condenser.

[Alex_Sor]

Paul says everything correctly 🙂
but hot water can be only 22 degrees Celsius 🙂
(i.e. "ambient air temperature")
Vacuum allows you not to have heaters at all, but to use the air temperature for heating (or a solar collector) and the water temperature (a well or a river nearby) for cooling.