Tan wrote:
> Fred,
> Actually, I have been contemplating on this for quite a long time. I have
> been studying Dale Scroggin's processor which has a vacuum pump in it.
> (http://home.swbell.net/scrof/Biod_Proc.html). His schematics
> (http://home.swbell.net/scrof/procdraw.htm) indicate that the vacuum pump is
> connected at the end of the vapor line--process tank, condenser, alcohol
> trap then vacuum pump. But, my concern is since the pump is connected at the
> end of the line, the alcohol trap is also subjected to vacuum and so
> considerable alcohol will be re-vaporized and lost to the atmosphere. To
> minimize alcohol lost, I am thinking that the vacuum pump must be situated
> before the condenser--process tank, vacuum pump, condenser then liquid trap.
I believe the goal may have been to prevent alcohol vapor from going
through the vacuum pump.
If I were going to build a processor like this, I would add a bubbler
full of water after the liquid trap, further cleansing the gas stream of
any alcohol vapors.
> In this setup only the process tank is subjected to vacuum. The condenser
> and the liquid trap would have a higher pressure, which is conducive to
> condensation, by constricting the liquid trap air outlet. A totally close
> condenser system is, I think, close to impossible since the vapor other than
> alcohol pumped from the processor must go somewhere.
A closed system is ideal, and like all ideal things - not possible. With
a good condensor [kept cold] the vacuum pump wouldn't have to pull much
more than the volume of the alcohol.
> By the time gas reaches
> the outlet, the alcohol should have been condensed due to lowered
> temperature leaving us with just gas (other than alcohol). The velocity of
> the gas will be diminished as it enters the liquid trap due to its bigger
> cavity (Bernoulli's principle), thus there is less possibility that the
> alcohol recovered will be re-vaporized and escape into the air.
>
The recovered alcohol should be kept as cold as possible while it is
under the vacuum. If it is kept at the same temperature as the condensor
only a small amount should evaporate.
I'm sure you know this, I'm just adding comments.
> How does this sound?
>
good
--
--
Martin Klingensmith
http://infoarchive.net/
http://nnytech.net/
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