Quote: Originally posted by Fulmen | Delta: I have never claimed it couldn't increase concentration, I've said so since page one. What I have tried to explain is that it can't increase
concentration "for free" as it is claimed. You either have to spend more energy reboiling the reflux or toss out part of the product. This is what my
revised sim is showing, a partial condensation split into two streams. If the bottom stream is returned to the boiler it's a complete second stage
that will produce higher concentration at the cost of more energy, if not recovery is seriously diminished.
You are correct in that feed can be introduced other places than at the boiler, in fact this is the proper approach for continuous feed distillation.
It should not be confused with reflux though, without reflux you cannot get beyond the equilibrium dictated by the feed.
[Edited on 16-2-15 by Fulmen] |
A quick google search returned multiple listing explaining how this "thumper" supposedly works, and with as many results as I have found, I have seen
as many variations of the explaination.
I think semantics are getting in the way too much here, such as "free", which I highly doubt that these backwoods hillbillies have ever heard of
thermodynamics, let alone understand it to determine whether the "thumper" provides a second distillation that occurs without any additional energy
being expended. I think this much is *blindingly* obvious, otherwise this is a futile exercise of matching up ignorant regurgitation to scientific
principles.
Yes, I have read this thread, before anyone asks. I think the only focus of this exercise should be to determine if the resultant condensate contains
a higher EtOH content by volume with a "thumper", compared to the same equipment setup without one.
I also think if you attempt to "think like a hillbilly", you will come to the same conclusions they did that led to the creation of the "thumper". It
was likely an attempt to reduce the number of distillations it took to get the desired alcohol content, and should only be viewed as their
attempt at a solution. Any attempt to elucidate more from it than that runs the course of ambiguity, and hence all the different explanations of its
function.
I think it is a highly inefficient attempt at an inline second stage distillation. Period. Whatever it actually is has led to this eight page thread.
Monkey see, monkey do.
[Edited on 16-2-2015 by Loptr] |