Still head heat exchanger
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.
Contents
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
Multi tube SHHE during construction. Source: mark
Completed SHHE. Source: mark
Finished assembly. SHHE and Plumbers delight condenser (both multi core) Source: mark
- SHHE using a commercially made heat exchanger.
Commercially made, multi tube heat exchanger used as a SHHE.
Heat exchanger before fitting.
Internal view of the same heat exchanger.
- SHHE using a flat plate heat exchanger.
FPHE as a SHHE. source: IanFiTheDwarf1
