Passive Recovery: Condensing coil vs. Tank on Dry Ice

Hi everyone, I’m looking at upgrading my CLS and have some questions in regards to passive recovery methods.

Currently I’m between these options:
1.) #25 Sleeved Solvent tank from green machine labs running dual 3/8 inch recovery lines.

2.) running a single 3/8 inch coil to use for recovery and injection.

2.5) single 1/2 inch coil for recovery and injection.

Which method would give me the fastest recovery speed?

I would think dual 3/8 hoses would have the fastest recovery, but I’ve also read a large tank might not condense the vapors fast enough vs a coil. I’m not sure, opinions?

Which method would use the least amount of dry ice?

I think the coil, but again, not 100% sure.

My current setup has a 6x12 collection (that I will be eventually upgrading to a 6x24 size). I have both a 3x36 and 3x18 spools for the material column. I’ll continue using the 18” size with the 12” collection, and when I upgrade my collection vessel, I’ll use the 3x36. I have 3/8 inch valving and hoses.

Regardless of which option, I’ll be needing to get a new, larger solvent tank than I currently have. If I go option 1, I’ll get the #25 size and probably get a additional cheap carbon tank to store extra distilled butane. If I go option 2 or 2.5, I probably will go with a regular #50 stainless tank since I wouldn’t have to chill it on dry ice.

Appreciate any feedback helping me decide which direction to go with my CLS. Thank you guys.

When u go that big solvent tank passive ,coils are the only fiesable route.

When the tank is to big to put into cooler a coil is the way to go
Anything bigger than 6x24 base and I’d want coils bc the tank is to large for cooling

Bigger the lines the better I hear

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Sleeved solvent tank with slurry, dual 1/2” recovery lines with coils also in slurry.

I use a separate injection coil because I got my coils for a steal.

Or if you really wanna go crazy you could do a “full bore” set up with tri clamp hard piping and tube in shell condensers…

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Thank you StoneD & Pupparoo for your thoughts.

@StoneD , I don’t see myself ever upgrading past the 6x24 collection vessel size. Which is why I’m on the fence between a #25 sleeved solvent tank or a coil. But your saying even a #25 tank is realistically too big to cool and go to using a coil?

@Hansel , I’m trying to be cost efficient with dry ice and the parts I currently have. Chilling a tank on dry ice, and two coils is a LOT of dry ice for a little 2 pound system, I think. I could only go single 1/2 inch line and coil if I go that route. You are correct your method would have the fastest recovery times for sure tho.

I was curious what recovery rates people are getting passively with a single 3/8 coil? Or a single 1/2 inch coil?

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That’s what the big boys do imagine
@FicklePickle?

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Are we talking about avoiding chilling the tank completely?

I don’t chill mine anymore, not to say you can’t or it won’t help, but as long as you’re able to recover quick enough and cold enough, you’ll be set.

The only issue I see is if you’re trying to recover into a tank that hasn’t been emptied during the run and has warm solvent in it. That tank has to be chilled to drop the vapor pressure to allow you to recover into it…

Otherwise, buy a second tank. Inject with one and recover into the other…

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If going with the coil route, yes I plan on not chilling the tank.

However I plan on not emptying the tank, and sounds like this would be a problem. My thoughts were the coil would condense the vapors and the pressure from the collection vessel would push the solvent back into the tank. As more cold solvent is pushed into the tank, the temperature and pressure in the tank would also drop? I’m guessing this doesn’t work out as well as I’m thinking?

So maybe the sleeved tank might be a better fit for me? I don’t know like the idea of having to buy two stainless tanks + coils to make this work.

I don’t think this #25 tank is too big, here’s the link of the tank I’m considering. Btw, I don’t think the picture in the link is the 25 pound size, that same pic is used in all sizes of there tanks.
https://www.grmlabs.com/product-page/open-jacket-recovery-tank-25lbs

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That’s a solid tank. @Killa12345 always has a bunch of 50lb tanks coming that are $400 cheaper but you’d need to outfit it with valves/ gauge and prv. You can always toss it in a trash can.

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ive got an miniMEP currently running a 50lb tank with a chilled injection and recovery coil w/ an EXT420 Haskel…anyone ever stick their tank in a trashcan full of dry ice? benefits? cons? thanks in advance

You already created a topic to ask this same question 3 days ago

Benefit is your solvent will be cold for the next injection. Con is it may cost u too much to compete with wholesale markets running that much dry ice

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I know. not sure what happened here…got an email saying my post was approved, my apologies

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