How many out there know what this thing is and exactly what we would find it useful for?

It's a monster - 24" with an 8" bore - and I got it for FREE!

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This topic might be better in general discussion, but I am looking too discuss general design of the machine I am going to build with this as well - MUHAHAHA!

Beer!!

Incinerator nozzle?

Do you intend to use the spiral pipes for heating or cooling?

Edit: I wuz beat on the beer guess.

They are for cooling. Hint- The bottom (see the scorch?) gets really hot...

Beer made with this thing would be invariably flat.

So it's NOT for incineration or similar?

Nope. A little more subtle in its effect.

But don't some yeast strains / beer types require low-temp brewing? This could be a jacket for cooling and not a vessel for brewing within.

It Does use a liquid - oil. But nothing else, other than electricity to heat with. Its primary purpose is not for cooling or use as a vessel of any kind. It does something else entirely.

So, it's a heater and not a burner.

Is it for some industrial process or "simply" for heating a "space"?

That mounting flange is monstrous and the flow rate through it must be pretty large I'd think.

Is it for flaring gas off of oil wells?

Industrial process, heats oil, not a vessel, does something magical, efficiently and cheaply. Bigger than a breadbox.

All industrial stuff is like magic to me. Is it used in the petroleum refining industry?

I hope it doesn't make trans-fats! So, another guess would be the food industry.

Not for use in the oil industry. Can be used in the pharmaceutical industry, environmental testing, and another industry important to us . That is as close as I go.

Hey! It only took me 2 years to reach 100 posts!

It looks a lot like a steam cleaner / generator to me. Diesel or Kerosene oil for fuel? What's the project Fin?

Ok, but why do you want superheated oil?

Not a steam cleaner/generator (although it does generate something - but not electricity). The oil used is not consumed by its operation and is very expensive.

MONCOW? Massive Orgiastic Naked Coed Oil Wrestling?

Dangit I'm stumped for now. I'll be mad when this is figured out.

OK, last hint. The black thing visible in the picture just over the left hand shoulder of the machine is a homebuilt metal furnace that works really well.

You're such a tease! Still can't puzzle it out. My buddy wants to know if it's used for biodiesel?

Not a crucible? Not an induction furnace or sumpin' like dat? ARGH!!!!!

Not a crucible, not for biodiesel, could potentially have a direct impact on the little hobby we all have in common.

Sorry - I was bored while job hunting and had wanted to post this a while back but never got the chance.

Industrial popcorn maker?

I wouldn't want to eat it when it was done with it.

Sigh . . . okay . . . is the oil silicone-based by any chance?

Silicone oils are available for it and are used for their high temp stability. Oils can be hydrocarbon based, silicone based, or perflourinated polyethers, in order of expense.

is there spinning machinery inside? maybe a turbine off of something big?

or

it looks like a rocket bell upside down... but that would make it worth 6+ figs so i doubt that...

No moving parts other than the oil.

Is that side chamber at the constriction a site where something is injected into the mix coming out the scorched end?

It is an oultlet that is hooked to another device that works in conjunction with it. (helps it do its thing)

The oil is not consumed but is it contaminated during use?

Is the oil use to transfer heat?

Does the oil flow through the main unit or the spiral cooling tubes?

Were we to peek inside would it offer any valuable clues?

Are you able to reveal the precise nature of the two appendages at the constricted end? Is one a pressure monitoring tap or a transducer housing? Is the U-channel one an electrical connection or similar?

I just have to keep asking questions until you all but reveal what it does.

Edit: And I'll still likely never guess the true use!

Since you mentioned the furnace will you be using this for some metalurgical endeavour?

If properly installed, the oil is not contaminated and will last a long time. It is only changed with a regular maintenance schedule. over time even the best oils will scorch somewhat. The vapor pressure of the oil has an effect on performance.



The oil does not transfer heat, but does transfer energy.



The oil is pooled at the bottom and does not circulate through the spiral tubing. That tubing is for a coolan such as chilled water, however.



There isn't much to see inside, just some baffles and such.



The u-channel one is the electrical box and the other one is a port to drain/charge it with oil.



It will be used for a processing step after the furnace is used.

Is it used in
Chemical vapor deposition for etching circuitry on silicone chips?

Or maybe it a mainstage flux chiller for a Kingon D-7 warbird.

Getting Really Hot! (not for a warbird, though dangit! Those are hard to find. I lost my bid on ebay to a sniper.)

On fire, actually. We're getting into the realm of actual use rather than purpose/function of the machine.

Just noticed that somewhere here I flipped over to "guru"

Some kind of monster DIY air con system?

No. This is a commercially available machine used in many different industries. Very expensive to buy, very specialized equipment most of us would never get a chance to see in person. Capt_Kirk was soooo close. He got one of the uses, but not the function/name of the machine.

So the bottom is CLOSED and the hot oil either covers something to prevent oxidation or something floats on top of it (like so-called float glass).

Sorry, my bad. The bottom is closed, and the only open parts are the top and the small port on top of the "can" at the side. The oil is in the bottom (no more than 1/4 - 1/2 liter) and is heated by the element in the bottom. The oil is basically boiled by the element, is forced into the top section, and does its stuff. The oil isn't used to transfer heat but does transfer energy when it does this. No moving parts other than the oil.

If there is heating involved followed by cooling then there must be an evaporation/condensation step commonly used in distillation types of processes. It sounds like this device is doing something along those lines. In that context, the next device that it would be connected to is the collector unit (where the condensate is gathered, usually in stages if separating main product from by-product. The only additional question would be if there is a chemical reaction taking place that is being driven by the heated oil. The oil is recycled and there is energy transfer so the reaction is not with the oil itself. Since it has something to do with our DIY efforts and is environmentall friendly I'm going to guess that the reaction has something to do with ethanol production from corn for fuel use?

Oh, and the oil would be boiled in the bottom causing it to evaporate and rise into the top where it transfers its energy into the material being pumped in through the "can" on the left side. Then the oil condenses against the cooled sides of the container and runs back down to the bottom while whatever is being pumped in on the side has a low vapor pressure and remains separated from the oil without condensing so it can be passed along to the next step in the process. That sound about right?

The cooling is only to keep the machine from melting down. Otherwise, no condensation occurs. Nothing is chemically altered by the machine.



Close, but "material" flow is backward. It goes from the large open end to the small port on the "can".

Capt_Kirk is still in the lead.

Hmmm. In that case the only environmentally friendly process I can think of for that kind of material flow would be removal of contaminants. And I misunderstood your statement earlier about the "can", I thought you indicated stuff went in there and I assumed it was from outside the object in question. If there is no chemical alteration then the flow path you describe would indicate separation and collection of contaminants or by-products from material (whether what goes out the "can" is contaminant or product I can't say). If it isn't for removal of contaminants then the oil is serving as a "float" layer so the stuff being fed in is maintained at temp before being passed along but the temp needs to be supplied in such a way as to prevent scortching (keep it chemically intact) or hot spots so can I also assume the chamber inside is kept sealed to prevent oxygen from entering? Perhaps there is even an inert gas injection to prevent product alteration at those temps? Or perhaps the chamber is pressurized? If the oil is indeed boiled and not just "at temp" then the cooling of the chamber is irrelevant to the process and oil vapor/condensation is collected elsewhere?

Removal of "contaminant" - yes
sealed - yes
gas injection - no
pressurized - negative
cooling irrelevant to process - yes, just there for efficiency.

Here is the stumper - this device produces nothing, as well.

Yes, I am hateful and eeevilll.

EEEEVILLLL! I know it when I see it...

If it produces nothing but does remove contaminant then there must be a chemical reaction OR collection/separation of the contaminant (keeping in mind that conversion of a chemical from one form to another, eg D to L, is still a chemical reaction). Since you indicated Cap K is "hot" and "on fire" does this thing purify silicon, TE or one of the oxides commonly used in vapor deposition processes?

Is it some kind of vacuum device?

Close, back to use and not the function. It produces nothing.



Critical Mass! YES!

Can anyone put a name to it? Beuhler? Beuhler?

So, it's a crazy organic chemistry nightmare molecular scavenging vessel which might be utilized for making some exotic polymers perhaps used in LCD's or some-such?

Edit: Does it cause polymerization of some nutty brew?