[WaterFarmFan]

Let's test!!!

[Gray Wolf]

Hee, hee, hee................

[WaterFarmFan]

The modifications, including adding a ball valve on pump head output to throttle, worked! For this test, I used an existing mixture of about 50/50 ethanol/glycol for the outer cooling bath and added dry ice. It resulted in a temp of -51C. I then added pure ethanol to the center, turned on pump and began recirculating. Pump had all of air bubbles clear in less than a minute, and a good strong flow. Inner fluid measured -51C after a few minutes. I have been adding a few drops of blue food coloring every 10-15 minutes, as it makes it much easier to see the flow in the inner reservoir. Pump has been running for about 2 hours now and still going strong. I will let it run a minimum of 6 hours to replicate a production environment.

[WaterFarmFan]

Still Chuggin' Along...

[WaterFarmFan]

Test is over and pump has passed, but I created a new issue with my design. After all of the air is sucked out of lines, the system does not want to drain or equalize. Need to add a vent, and I am currently thinking about about a tee to ball valve but I might need a second ball valve to further isolate and burp the line. Hmmm...

[WaterFarmFan]

This is the reason that I built this recirculating chiller. New 4th stage for my experimental terpene cold trap system. Here are a few shots before she is wrapped in foil. Pump feeds the coils of an inverted Dimroth condenser that drains to the coils of a second Dimroth before returning to the reservoir. Interior of condensers (not coils) will be under high vacuum, and any terpenes still left at this point will freeze to the outer glass coils.

[WaterFarmFan]

Here are the first and second stages. The Grahams use ~2C ice water on the outside and terpenes, water and hydrosols condense inside the coils and drain to 500ml boiling flasks. Not pictured is a heavy sleeve that goes around flasks that I put dry ice in, so liquid coming off condensers freezes instantly. The steel plate supports the sleeve, dry ice and flasks.

[WaterFarmFan]

This is definitely an extension of the recirculating chiller but a different application. I have been using dry ice in diy jackets for my receiving flasks during various distillations. Apart from the expense of DI, I discovered that sometimes this is actually too cold. So, I wanted to make something that allowed to chill the boiling flasks to temps of -20C and up. I looked at a variety of inflatable items on Amazon and ended up getting 4.10/3.50-4" Rubber Inner Tubes (For Mowers, Hand Trucks, Wheelbarrows, Carts and More). I cut 5/8" holes, used 1/2" grommets and elbows from hydro and sealed with Original Glue Gel. I also cut out the stem and patched. It sits on an thin aluminum sheet base with cut foam insulation sheet and wrapped in radiant barrier material. I wrapped the tube in multiple sheets of HD foil to create a shell around tube. Aluminum foil wraps around flask and is secured to radiant barrier material with foil tape. There are ball valves to regulate inner and outer flow as well as fill level.

[WaterFarmFan]

The boiling flask just drops in and the foil walls are simply closed on top of flask. Here is a shot with 1L heavy wall boiling flask. This will work for 500ml, 1L and 2L flasks.

[WaterFarmFan]

In case you could not tell, I really like to make shit...