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Mk IV A Phoenix Terpenator

Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
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Big up graywolf.

Is it a good idea to drive both mats off one temp sensor, or have another sensor higher up for the one that wraps around?

I am using a separate thermocouple and controller for the tanks bottom 12" X 12" mat, and the 10" X 30" tank wrapper. I use a third for the column on the Mk IV and two on the Mk V.
 

Gray Wolf

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When using 2 recovery pumps, are you using 2 recovery tanks? Are you flooding with only 1 pump?

One tank. I just tee the pump after cooler discharges into a single return line to one tank.

I flood with both pumps running.
 

Gray Wolf

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Where do you place the thermocouple for the heating jacket? Between the heat mat and the pot?

There are three thermocouples and PID controllers on the Mk IV. One under the pot, between it and the 12" heat mat, one against the side of the pot under a second 10" X 30" heat mat, and one against the column, under the center mat of three 10" X 12" mats wrapped around the 36" column.

There is a fourth thermocouple extending down the recovery manifold to the bottom of the tank, which can be read only, or also be used to control the tank heat mats.
 

hounddogg

Active member
Okay so tee the pumps after the after cooler and then tee the inlets between the tank and terp? 1/4 inch tees for both?
 

Gray Wolf

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Okay so tee the pumps after the after cooler and then tee the inlets between the tank and terp? 1/4 inch tees for both?

Not sure I understand the question...........

The liquid line from the storage tank goes to the injection tee under the Terpenator column.

The recovery pump vapor manifold on a Mk IV has 1/2" ports for two recovery pumps, and the column has one 1/2" port for a recovery pump. All recovery pump inlets attach at those points.

There are filter driers on these lines.

The recovery pump outlets go to the after coolers, and the lines from the after coolers go to a 1/4" 304SS Schedule 40 pipe tee. If there are three pumps, there is a cross.

All of the after cooler discharges connect to the tee or cross, and the remaining leg goes to the vapor port on the storage tank.
 

hounddogg

Active member
Okay I shouldn't be posting that early in the morning, lol. One injection line, multiple outlets. I was thinking two injection lines, but that would be pointless.
 
With the new flush mod, is it necessary to disconnect the butane line when it is time to flush? If so, would it make sense to attach the new flush hose to a tee just before the old butane injection valve? Or maybe I am not fully understanding the new addition.
 

Gray Wolf

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With the new flush mod, is it necessary to disconnect the butane line when it is time to flush? If so, would it make sense to attach the new flush hose to a tee just before the old butane injection valve? Or maybe I am not fully understanding the new addition.

A tee is installed at the head of the column, before the vent tube isolation valve, and a flood valve attached there. A tube runs from there to a tee in the lower flood port, before the lower flood valve.

It is simply a matter of switching valves.

In practice, before dumping a column out the bottom, the upper vent valve is opened to equalize pressure, and then closed.

The upper flood valve is then opened, followed by the lower dump valve. The flood of fresh butane flushes the residual oil laden butane from the column material after the last cycle.

Attached are some Mk IV pictures, the Mk V does the same thing, only slightly differently.

The hose pictured is a custom stainless over braided PTFE with swaged stainless MNPT on both ends, from Associated Hose.

At shutdown, you close the dip tube valve on the storage tank and open all the flood valves to recover the butane in the flood plumbing.
 

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  • Mk IV valves-1-2.jpg
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  • Mk IV flooding head-1-1.jpg
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  • Mk IV Chinese prototype-1-1.jpg
    Mk IV Chinese prototype-1-1.jpg
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Gray Wolf

A Posse ad Esse. From Possibility to realization.
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Okay I shouldn't be posting that early in the morning, lol. One injection line, multiple outlets. I was thinking two injection lines, but that would be pointless.

Yup! Let the plumbing do the work.....
 
I see, makes a bit more sense now, thanks for the explanation. I am still a little confused because it seems there are two separate injection manifolds, one on either side of the 2"x6" column, rather than the lower tee before the lower flood valve which you mentioned.
 
Oh wow, why I hadn't seen that lower tee before is beyond me, I had to really zoom in on the picture. Thanks again for the help GW..I don't even need to say it but you are the man!!
 
we put ours on the same side so that you can see into the viewing ports easier. too much stuff sticking out on opposite sides makes it harder to clock things properly
 

Gray Wolf

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we put ours on the same side so that you can see into the viewing ports easier. too much stuff sticking out on opposite sides makes it harder to clock things properly

Yup, the tops are getting busier. Hee, hee, hee..............

The first Mk IV prototype made such a positive splash with my beta tester, that he didn't want to give it back, or to release it long enough for me to run the shoot out with BHOgard that I built it for, so I sold it to him.

The Mk IVB beta prototype just returned from a tour of Oregon and CA land, to stir interest, and I have a meeting with the excited beta tester today, to lean the intimate details of how the unit performed, how much interest it stirred, and any upgrades or features that might enhance its utility.

Alas, still no shoot out at Eden Labs with BHOgard yet! Both Mk IV's were scheduled for a shootout, but we were both swamped in January, so we deferred our match.

We'ns are now standing ready with the Mk IVB, replete with dual Haskel pumps, and waiting BHOgards next open schedule. For a bit anyway, as there is a growing list of folks who want dibs on it, including first person laying eyes on it, as well as the beta tester.

We were happy enough with the prototypes for WolfWurx to order 20 parts sets from China, so hopefully by this time next month, we can field a unit the next time Matt can, even if we let the beta unit to to a happy new home.

Of course there will be a Mk IVC, but there will also be a Mk VI, the design of which nears completion and which was sold last year as a concept, to a WA extraction firm.

It is fully automated and already features the best attributes of the Mk IV and V series, plus a few new twists. More on it later in its own thread.

Hee,hee, hee, snicker, snark, snort, let the fun begin, awhooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
yes, those lids do have a few things going on :)

can't wait to see the results of the shootout, although I know who is going to win already :)
 

Lebniis

Member
GW, your design rocks and you have been extremely helpful to all who have inquiries. Much respect.

However, do you feel you are outgrowing tri clamp spools and some sort of custom base should be used? I imagine the use of a custom steel box would allow you to have greater surface area then the spools. What happens when you need 15" spools or 20" spools? China would lag behind your needs, correct? The benefit I see to the spools is the clamping top and bottom; a spigot could change the need for a bottom clamp on both a custom box and the spool (when doing extractions without heat/"pour method"). Tri clamp products could still be used for the columns on a custom box.

Truthfully, I just want to see what you come up with for your bank of column design.

Just thinking through my finger tips...
 
It really comes down to cost. Because we've gotten system prices to a much more attainable level, it makes more sense to run multiple systems versus one big system. Handling too much oil at once might introduce more chance of errors unless we switch to a different purge method
 
Where might I find flexible hoses similar to the Chinese prototype? Would like to have the ability to easily change column sizes without changing the vent tube.
 
ill tell ya, as a bhogard owner i would sure rather have the dual column phoenix. dont think a shoot out is really necessary. Any bhogard owner that thinks it can match up simply doesnt understand the design and practical process behind this machine.
 
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