Home › General › Accessories
Welcome!
Be part of our community & join our international next generation forum now!
Categories
In this Discussion
- CothermanDistilling September 2018
- DonMateo September 2016
- FloridaCracker September 2016
- frodo April 2016
- fusiondust August 2016
- GD50 January 2017
- grim September 2018
- HadlerDistillations September 2018
- jacksonbrown June 2016
- jbierling March 2016
- Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co August 2016
- meatheadinc April 2016
- Mickiboi February 2016
- mtnspirits June 2016
- punkin February 2016
- richard February 2016
- Sandman February 2016
- SoCalBrewing August 2016
- stainlessbrewer March 2016
- Unsensibel August 2016
Comments
Box says 210, in says 200... will try to find some time to assemble..
Distilling Controller for Distillation Process Automation ..... Looks great. Definitely something that needs to be on the eventual wish list.
A few photos of the quick build I did yesterday, studying the manual today..
I did get the 210, the manual is here (PDF) (their website still has the 200, and it is different)
Interesting that you can parallel 5 SSRs - did they make this with SD in mind??
I'm sad cos I needed six for it to be easy. Also wondering how to successfully perform a mash without moving the probe for I imagine the probe for distillation would be on the column. Am I wrong? Thoughts?
@grim latest 380L kettle has 6
@Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co have you already done a layout to fit 6 SSR's into one housing? That's why I was looking for CAD freeware to be able to draft a layout of my control panel before I go haywire and buy a bunch of stuff only to realize I don't have the right stuff (I call this the Home-Depot-Syndrome)
No I'm still in the beginning stages of scouting equipment, sorta back to the drawing board with the 5 vs 6 thing and only having space for one probe. This. could have been pretty easy, now the bcs isn't looking bad.
You'd want a couple of fans in there to help handle that heat that's for sure
I think there's another option:
Get the 16x16x8 box. It comes with an 80A heatsink that allows for 3 SSR to be passive cooled. Then put the remaining elements on contactors that you can switch on/off. This pretty much allows for infinte control of the power output.
Cut up to three 1/16th DIN holes in it for PC PID, RC PID and Boil Control.
If only I knew if all the components would fit while building it UL compliant...
How much power are you planning on pushing? I'm looking at 48k to power the 1000L so I'm not sitting around waiting for start up
I wouldn't let that be the decider. You can easily add another sample point to the boiler for the temp probe (yes the unit measures liquid temp).
You could also use the signal to to control as many SSR's as you want. It's just that it only has enough grunt to do 5 directly.
I'm not a sparky but I assume you could just hook it up to an SSR with a 12VDC output. Then use that output as the signal to go crazy with a shitload of other normal SSR's. It might need a filter too but I think it could work somehow.
What about hooking two elements (in parallel) up to a single SSR? Obviously it would need double the current rating but how would that work?
I am using it on my 15 gallon sankey for Gin now... so just got a single SSR heatsink
use 2 50A SSR's on three phase doing 3 elements (one phase hot) This Auber box and 75W heatsink for $75 could probably handle it
Optionally doubling that for 6 elements... but may need some additional heatsink help...
@jacksonbrown I'm no electrician myself so I get lost easily right now. From what I understand it only handles one temp probe. On a still as big as the one I'm putting in, I don't really want to be (or having anyone else) climbing around to move that one probe around.
@CothermanDistilling mind taking a pic of your gin rig? Where did you wind up placing the probe?
So buy two probes and a switch, or an Electric Parrot :D
@jacksonbrown I originally thought this too but heard probes connected to switches can lead to misreadings. If I'm wrong (and I want to be) then that's a step back to easy street. If your theory on using one ssr to control the others works then no reason to not go back to my original plan. Fitting it all in one box that wold be compliant, as @Unsensibel mentioned, is another task.
You can switch RTDs, but you can't switch thermocouples. You need to use a 3 or 4 pole 2-position (or 3 position) switch and switch all leads.
OR
You can buy triclamp RTDs that have more than 1 RTD element embedded in the probe. I regularly see 2" triclamp pyromation units on eBay with multiple RTDs in a single probe. We have a double Pyromation unit with a 2" TC and a 32" probe length that enters the still kettle from the top port.
I don't think using 1 SSR to control the other is quite as simple as I made out. you'll need a 12V power source and I don't know how smooth the signals are or need to be, but it could be an option.
Hooking up elements together is much easier.
How many circuits are you using to power the 6 SSR's you were planning? If your not maxing out 6 existing circuits then just use bigger SSR's
Auber makes RTD's with din-style connectors.
@kill_devil_spirit_co - I have a spot in liquid (down at element level) and for vapor (a SD thermowell 2" elbow before the GB4) for the probe.. here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC14JrtfQTE
@Kill_Devil_Spirit_Co I'm planning on pushing 6x 5.5kW, so 33kW on 380L.
I don't think you need all elements on SSR's. Consider that each SSR is like a heater in the box. How many elements are you planning on?
On the probe - are you planning on agitating the wash? If so, then I don't understand your concern on the reading as it should be pretty homogeneous.
I'm guessing the SSR limit is due to the output current of the controller.
Why not just use a larger SSR and parallel two elements per SSR? Or use the Auber large 80a or 100a SSR and parallel 3.
How are you guys hard-wiring the SSR banks back to your panels anyway? I'm assuming you are talking about at least 2 runs of copper 4 gauge for 6 elements anyway, or a single 1 or 1/0. Or are you actually running 6 circuits?
I would imagine it would be a hell of a lot cheaper running a single or double circuit in conduit than running 6, controller and SSR bank wiring would be ever so slightly easier. Only downside is working with 1/0 is rough.
With this controller, and no external electronics, it is only SSR for now... They are adding at least one and I hope 2 sets of relay contacts to the next version, and those relay contacts could do a contactor... Without them, you need another piece of equipment.
Either way, you're still limited to the maximum amount of heat you can dissipate passively. My thought was to do as you descirbe - 3 SSR in parallel using the large heatsink plus then 3 contactors with individual on/off switches.
I haven't fully decided on that one yet. Going in the panel with a big amperage also means you need a big breaker and I didn't check yet if the cost is linear. Worst case, I was planning for having 6 feeds into the control box.
The cost isn't linear to the ampacity. The cost difference between a 30 amp and an 80 amp 2 pole breaker is small in comparison to the cost of either. Likewise, 6 runs of 20 amp ROMEX is going to be more expensive than 1 or 2 pulls of THHN, assuming you are running both in conduit anyway. I would imagine if your main panel is far, you are pulling to a subpanel nearer to the still, than working off a subpanel. At my local superhomeboxmart, a 30 amp double pole breaker costs the exact same price as a 50 amp double pole - would imagine it would save quite a bit to go with 3 50s, pull 3 runs, 3 ssrs, etc. Pull 3 6 or 8 gauge pairs (depending), and a single ground. Something like a 1.25" pvc conduit to make working with it easy peasy and give you lots of lee way on the fill rate.
I know for small home setups with one or two elements this is handy, but I have to wonder why this complexity is required for kettles with 5+ elements? Sure, the gadgets and readouts are nice, but I've never found the need for any more power control than flipping elements on or off. Having one element with less wattage than the others gives you even more control with very little time lost in heatup.
What am I missing?
Difference tween a sports car and a tractor?
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
repeatability... one less variable to the equation if all my gin (or stripping) runs are the same, I can have a hourly worker do it someday... or my wife, come to think of it.... it is half hers ;-)
I'm planning on 6x 8kW for the 1000L. I want to be able to exercise the mash in-boiler option so I want one on the top port for liquid temp as well as one in the column for the distilling, even one on the jacket would be nice for monitoring preheating. So I'm now back to looking at a possible twin auberin set up with a 3way 3pole switch
Mash in the still?
si
Yah we did that for a good long while - works well enough.