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Vapor Management Still with Sight Tower

Has anyone run a vapor management still with a sight tower near the top? And if so, what was the position of the sight tower relative to the tee and dephlegmator? Would it work better if the sight tower were above or below the tee or did it detract from performance? @-)

Comments

  • edited December 2013

    Hi Rocky_Creek,

    Just the tower at the top will only allow you to see the falling reflux. Highball has talked about using that view as a visual tool (as unscientific as it may be) to approximate the reflux ratio.....If I understand you correctly?

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  • i have a cross tee at the take off junction one of these... with a sight glass on one deplh on the top all in three inch... @smaug no had crosses last time is asked but maybe something to look at

  • edited December 2013

    Here's an excellent new CM still in NZ with a sight tower in the position you were asking about. The operator is sure to come along soon and explain a little about it.

    image

    cm_with_sight_tower.jpg
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    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Smaug Yes, just mainly to observe what's going on hoping it won't have any ill effect. :D

  • No ill affect at all imo.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • Hi all, the photo posted above by punkin is my still with the new 2 inch sight tower mounted above a 900mm section of 2 inch pipe. The plan is to fill the column with Odin's SPP to half way up the sight tower. I thought this might compliment the bubble tee at the bottom and help non-distillers see what goes on in a reflux still. It hasn't been used yet but I reckon it's worth it for the bling factor alone :) j.

  • Do you have a link to the thermo you are using there mate? And do the probes fit our thermoports?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • edited December 2013

    Yep, it's an Extech 421502 with a custom made k-type thermocouple by Intech Instruments here in Chch.

    image

    image

    I gotta say that the quality from Intech looks first rate. A mate who is a industrial sparky got it for me, I think it's a 1/4 inch BSP fitting on the end. Size is probably 3mm dia. probe 25mm long.

    That's going on the 30L boiler.

    Intech's literature has probe diameters at 3.0 and 4.5mm. I would love it if they offered at 3.9mm :)

    j.

    Extech 421502.jpg
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    Intech K Type.jpg
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  • Hi Rocky, the Sight Tower would probably help with evaluating different packings i.e. Scrubbies vs. SPP and get a feel for vapour speed vs. abv. I reckon it would be fine below the tee, where you can really see it workin' j.

  • @juanmor, a video on running your still including a closeup view of the sight tower would be great. If you don't want to publish on your own YouTube account, we could put it on our StillDragon User Group YouTube Channel, drop me a PM for instructions if interested.

    Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum

  • I run mine with the site tower above as shown in this picture but you could put site tower below. In my case I couldn't due to my RC being too long. With the site glass installed at the bottom of the tee my RC comes down past the tee off-take...resulting in zero off-take. So a "spacer" was needed to lift my RC...or wind a new RC. The spacer was easier ;)!

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  • hey @TheMechWarrior is that an inline flow meter i see?

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