Luc, Soft copper, harder copper, it's really no matter. The primary issue is to make sure that the diameter is not undersized for whatever capacity your evaporator unit is.
Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: "biobenz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2004 7:26 AM Subject: [biofuel] Re: Biodiesel Glycerin-to-Methanol Condensor plans > Thanks Todd et all for setting me straight. The BIL (brother-in-law) > is very well meaning, although intentions do not mke someone correct > huh? Here's an intresting twist on the original copper issue; would > it be easier to use the "soft" copper that is more maliable than the > rigid copper tubing ? We used to use the soft copper in plumbing > years ago for hard to reach jobs and it can be easily bent to shape > by hand whereas the rigid stuff had to be torch heated to get the > same effect, but then in this application would that really be a > consideration ? The condenser at journey to forever's 5gal seems > like a straight rigid copper pipe running down the middle of an > enclosed PVC wih cold water running around in it via a submersible > aquarium pump (available at any pet fish store). I like simplicity > and that one seems about as simple as it can get while remaining > functional. > > Thanks again > > Luc > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "Appal Energy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Luc, > > > > Aluminum and methanol don't mix. Stick with copper. > > > > Todd Swearingen > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "biobenz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> > > Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 11:59 AM > > Subject: [biofuel] Re: Biodiesel Glycerin-to-Methanol Condensor > plans > > > > > > > I ran this question for a condenser by my brother-in-law who did > a > > > course in refrigerants ect... and he suggested that I use > aluminium > > > tubing instead of copper as the aluminium will transfer the cold > > > from the water quicker than copper and the condensation will > happen > > > faster and more complete. Same as the 5 gal idea, but substitute > > > aluminium piping instead of copper. Any second thoughts on this ? > > > Made sense to me at the time (but then I don't know anything > about > > > it so it would, ha!) > > > > > > Luc > > > > > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Hi Kevin > > > > > > > > >Thanks for the info on the condenser plans to everyone who > shared > > > in the > > > > >discussion. I did not realize that some info in Journey's > > > website had > > > > >specifics in the "Simple 5 gallon Processor". I think I > passed > > > this info > > > > >over when I was on my reactor quest and the condenser > paragraph > > > was > > > > >meaningless to me at the time. -Thanks Keith > > > > > > > > Well, it's one way. There were some provisos, as mentioned in > the > > > > previous message I reffed: > > > > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/34289/ > > > > > > > > >So I have the basics and would hopefully like to still see > some > > > plans posted > > > > >in the future. > > > > > > > > As far as we're concerned, we don't usually do plans. We're > not > > > > averse to them and wouldn't mind posting other people's plans, > if > > > > they're worth it, but we cobble stuff together out of bits and > > > > pieces, junk usually, and everyone's bits and pieces of junk > are > > > > different. So the intention is to show what's possible so that > > > people > > > > can improvise and adapt what they have to hand to serve the > same > > > > purpose (and perhaps make some improvements that they might > tell > > > us > > > > about so we could post those too). I know everyone's not into > > > that, > > > > some people need specifics and don't mind spending money, but > > > that's > > > > the way we do it, and anyway I believe a lot of those people > could > > > > surprise themselves and do it this way too if they'd only try. > > > That's > > > > a very empowering thing to discover, which is a major aspect > of > > > DIY > > > > biofuels, we think. There's an overpowering miasma of > engendered > > > > helplessness and dependence in our societies these days, we're > not > > > > nearly as competent and generally capable as our fathers and > > > > grandfathers were, and it's nonsense - we haven't changed, > we're > > > just > > > > as capable of learning to fend for ourselves as they were. > It's > > > just > > > > an attitude, which very much suits the powers-that-be. > Attitudes > > > > aren't made of concrete. </rant> > > > > > > > > Pardon me. :-) > > > > > > > > >Converting a liquid-to-a-gas, back to a liquid (Methanol), > > > > >sounds easy enough. Let's discuss parts: > > > > > > > > > >Coaxial coil piping system: I haven't checked where to > purchase > > > coaxial > > > > >pipe yet, (Donnie mentioned a beer homebrewing) but it > appears > > > that this > > > > >can cool the gas efficiently using a cheap re-circulation > water > > > pump from > > > > >let's say, a sealed bucket or as someone said a cooler of > > > icewater? Of > > > > >course it takes energy to make ice in the first place, but > what > > > else could > > > > >cool the lines? > > > > > > > > Tap water. Have another look at that condensing section at the > > > > "Simple 5 gallon Processor" page. In theory the cooling water > only > > > > has to be less than 64.7 deg C, 148.5 deg F, the boiling point > of > > > > methanol. The bigger the gap the better, but you don't need > ice. > > > If > > > > the weather's real hot and it could use cooler water, or to > > > prevent > > > > having to change the water when it got hot (it gets hot), you > > > could > > > > rig a sort of inline evaporative drip cooling set-up the water > > > would > > > > go through en route from the condenser back to the reservoir > > > (bucket > > > > or whatever). I think that's quite easy and cheap, but you'd > need > > > > someone else to tell you exactly how. > > > > > > > > >Heater: Most likely I'll use a 1500w-1650w electric water > heater > > > threaded > > > > >into the bottom of a 15 gallon metal drum. Girl Mark passed > this > > > heater > > > > >idea to me when I was inquiring about a pre-heat WVO tank. > The > > > pre-heat > > > > >tank can now serve a duel purpose. > > > > > > > > > >I'm not sure how I'm going to seal the lid. Being the drum > is a > > > standard > > > > >size, I may be able to purchase a metal lid and a ring collar > to > > > seal it. > > > > > > > > That would be best. Make sure there's a seal in the lid > (silicon > > > or whatever). > > > > > > > > >For the methanol gas vapors, I imagine I would install a > valve in > > > the lid to > > > > >the coaxial pipe, but could use some ideas? I'm not sure if > I > > > can mount a > > > > >funnel-style lid as sealing this to a 15 gallon metal drum > could > > > be > > > > >difficult Idea's??? > > > > > > > > Get a lid first and see what it offers. If there are caps you > can > > > > drill a hole in a cap and connect the condenser pipe to it. A > > > direct > > > > connection might be a little awkward if it's a screw-on cap, > but > > > you > > > > could use a junction. > > > > > > > > regards > > > > > > > > Keith > > > > > > > > > > > > >-Kevin > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > > > Biofuels list archives: > > > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ > > > > > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > > > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! Domains - Claim yours for only $14.70 http://us.click.yahoo.com/Z1wmxD/DREIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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