ProCap Downcomer Dingle-Dangle Thingies...

edited April 2015 in Usage

I am about to start assembling my new ProCap plates. Recently there was a discussion here about the proper way to attach the silver downcomer reflux diverter parts so that the reflux travels along the diverter instead of just dripping off of the bottom downcomer. I cannot find that thread. Can anyone direct me to it?

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Best Answer

  • edited April 2015 Answer ✓

    Flow directors not dingle-dangle thingies. Once I found the proper name I found the topic:

    Cleaning run Ace of Hearts - Observations, Questions

    It was @captainshooch's hand-drawn drawing I was thinking of.

    It looks like the downcomer drip is not as critical on a 4" ProCap plate because of the ability to offset the ProCap downcomers by 60 degrees, or so, to avoid drips dropping straight through.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

Answers

  • Nearly everyone that sees the still asks me if they are some kind of chopping blade, and if they spin when the still is running.

    So many possibilities.

  • I eliminated them from my 8", but may either put them on or make some short copper risers that keep drops that fall on the flat of the cap from going through...

    I had one 8" plate misaligned and the three caps in the middle had the drops hitting the flat, and my distillate was 2+ points off of my normal Azeotrope ABV... I could not get it above 93 for the life of me...

  • Yes @Kapea , I have played with 3 and 4 caps on a 4" and offsetting the plates works really good. A couple of days ago I tried replacing the deflectors on the baby with fender washers that I formed into a cup like thing. It worked great, so maybe just fender washers are the easiest solution if you can not offset the plates.

  • edited April 2015

    @grim said: Nearly everyone that sees the still asks me if they are some kind of chopping blade, and if they spin when the still is running.

    So many possibilities.

    Kung fu the vapor as it makes its way up the column... I like it!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhUkGIsKvn0

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • edited April 2015

    @CothermanDistilling said: I eliminated them from my 8", but may either put them on or make some short copper risers that keep drops that fall on the flat of the cap from going through...

    Have you seen these? Procap Downcomer Extensions.
    They slide into the downcomer hole on the top of the procap. A turn or two of plumbers' PFTE tape makes them fit snug enough to set at the desired height above the cap (@Smaug recommends 1/4"). Using a feeler gage insures uniform height. I just finished installing them on my procaps.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • meh... I have lots of copper tube... and I want the funnel about half as big...

  • Cool idea about the feeler gage though. That's @Smaug's idea too.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

  • edited April 2015

    Would there be any merit in putting hats on the downcomer inlet rather than the outlet?. Id imagine a hat would stop 99+% of falling reflux, where as the extensions would still allow some reflux to slip by?. Just thinking out loud. I know its probably been discussed before.

  • Damn good idea @googe, I usually reach for a trusty umbrella when it's raining. :D

  • Was thinking the same as @googe.

    Thinking about cutting a copper piece to fit inside the 4" bubble tee and propping it in between. Should give the added benefit of additional turbulence

  • edited April 2015

    A forum member by the name of tickle gave me that idea when I did centre downcomers in April last year, worked really well.

    image

    googe.jpg
    800 x 600 - 68K
  • I see it effecting the Ace more than most of the others ... it's the only column with all the caps in direct alignment... and cannot be offset...and as ..... Hoochy said: a cupped ss or copper fender washer would be a permanent fix cost just a few cents .

  • edited April 2015

    Well, after the intial run with five 4" procaps without dingle dangle thingies, I think the dingle-dangle thingies are not necessay on the 4" procap plates. I offset the caps/downcomers alignment from one plate to the next by 60 degrees. (If you picture the procaps as points of a triangle, one plate with the apex of the triangle pointed at 12 o'clock the next plate with the apex of the triangle pointed at 6 o'clock, next plate 12 o'clock... Back and forth). The reflux dripped nicely onto the plates in between the caps, no drops going into the downcomer extensions.

    Running the deflegmator with the cooling water outlet temp at 60C seemed to work really well. 92-94% at around 2L/hr.

    I'm more like I am now than I was before.

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