Flat tubing for an Immersion Chiller

[jcoxen]

We've all heard that turbulent flow through an IC will improve efficiency because it breaks up the water stream preventing the center from remaining cooler than the outside.

Has anyone every tried using flattened copper tubing to build an IC? I'm thinking something similar to the picture with the idea that it maximizes surface area and minimizes any center core to the water stream. You'd need a larger diameter tube because of the lower volume caused by the flattening but beyond that I don't see a problem. The only question is would it actually do any better than a standard round tube IC?

Just one of the weird ideas I get while I'm waiting for the boil to finish and the wort to chill.

 

[Skep18]

Just a thought, I'd imagine that would kink more easily when bending. Something to consider if you eventually do decide to purchase.

On another note, I'm guessing others would suggest a counter-flow chiller as opposed to improving a potentially less efficient system.

Just $0.02

 

[abarnett]

How would you get fittings for tube like that? Are there adapters, or can you mash the tube back into round to run it into a compression fitting?

 

[jcoxen]

How would you get fittings for tube like that? Are there adapters, or can you mash the tube back into round to run it into a compression fitting?

I was thinking you'd need to run it between two rollers (similar to an old washing machine mangle) to flatten the tubing. All you'd need to do is not flatten 1-2 inches on each end.

 

[jcoxen]

Just a thought, I'd imagine that would kink more easily when bending. Something to consider if you eventually do decide to purchase.

On another note, I'm guessing others would suggest a counter-flow chiller as opposed to improving a potentially less efficient system.

Just $0.02

Kinking would definitely be an issue. Maybe the old trick of filling the tubing with sand before bending it would work.

And counter-flow and plate chillers are more efficient - no doubt about it. This is more on the line of (semi) drunken intellectual musing.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I like the thinking here....BUT...Just an opinion, but I would guess it would be a hulluva lot easier to just use 10 - 20 % more tubing to counteract any efficiency gains that could be had with the flat tubing.

 

[emjay]

I was thinking you'd need to run it between two rollers (similar to an old washing machine mangle) to flatten the tubing. All you'd need to do is not flatten 1-2 inches on each end.

You're going to have much lower cross-section surface area (and thus volume) if you do that. And considering the circumference won't change (maybe a little due to warping), I just don't see the benefit. You'd need MUCH larger tubing.

 

[billl]

Put me down for "skeptical". I don't think you'll get the flow rate necessary to take advantage of the other aspects you've listed. This will be especially true at higher temps. A regular immersion chiller does a pretty good job going from boiling to 100ish (depending on water temps) and then chugs along to pitching temps. The water coming out during that quick temp drop is already very hot. Increasing the resistance, and hence slowing the flow, will likely make that stage go slower. At some point, it will flip and you'll get an improvement as the 2 temps get closer together. Overall, I think you would use slightly less water but probably take longer.

 

[jcoxen]

I'm skeptical, too which is what prompted the question in the first place. Although if I were to actually do this I'd probably use two 25' sections connected with a manifold (copper T) so that one section has a 2-3 inch smaller diameter and fits inside the other as concentric rings. Then I'd put a recirc/whirlpool tube on it with the output between the two rings. You could suspend the whole thing...say from a hop spider...so that it hangs just below the surface of the wort.

I might try this anyway but with round instead of flat tubing.