Still head heat exchanger

Schematic showing location of SHHE

Still head heat exchanger (SHHE) is often used on biodiesel reactors to improve the efficiency of the condenser. SHHE are used with reactor designs that employ methanol recovery.

Benefits

• Reduces De-meth Times
• Reduces Power consumption of the immersion heater
• Reduces the heat transferred to the cooling water

Description

The still head heat exchanger is a vapour to air heat exchanger, transferring heat from water or methanol vapour exiting the reactor to air returning from the condenser to the reactor.

Placement

Placement of the heat exchanger needs to be done so that any condensed vapour can drain into the collection vessel. Often on the GL Eco reactor design SHHE are placed above the condenser to aid draining also being close to the return path of vapour from the condenser to the venturi

Examples

Often heat exchangers from domestic boilers are used, these have a large surface area which improves heat transfer.

• Multi core SHHE by mark
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  Multi tube SHHE during construction. Source: mark

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  Completed SHHE. Source: mark

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  Finished assembly. SHHE and Plumbers delight condenser (both multi core) Source: mark

• SHHE using a commercially made heat exchanger.
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  Commercially made, multi tube heat exchanger used as a SHHE.

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  Heat exchanger before fitting.

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  Internal view of the same heat exchanger.