So finally breaking that cherry and making my own Evaporator.

I really would prefer a maze design but the plates I want are too thin, so too many passes on a drill mill, too short a run for CNC, just too much cost.

But I think this will keep up.

Pics of the bits...













Dimensions are 1.5" and 3/4" + 1/8 plate for the top.

Holes are 3/8", so the column plates end up 1mm to 4mm along with the outside being around 5mm thick.

Drilled it to a 3.5mm base with a home made bottoming drill bit (I'm pretty good at remaking drill bits) so it's between 3.5mm and 4mm base with a lot of columns or plates or whatever you want to call them.

It's 6 chambers. Slots at the tops of each for gas flow, and a plate installed/brazed for liquid input into the central hole.

Liquid flow into the chambers is a 1/8" hole each, and it's angle drilled so the liquid spray wants to go down and swirl first. Expansion will take care of it mostly, but may as well use velocity and direct it too.

Similar to the old Vapo/bowman/baker types for simplicity. Also using some variation of Dimas.

But the main thing is, all I need is a few wooden jigs, a drill press, dremel (I used a cutoff wheel but will set up a chopsaw with a jig for the o-ring slot.

No machine shop.

And pics of it brazed up...


Not a mirror yet 'til it's on and tested. It's a semi mirror finish, I find it more ideal for heat transfer than a full mirror but it's way cooler to send someone a unit with a mirror finish of course


Made the mount and plate for it from a thicker end cap and alu plate. Pretty basic, fast to make. The edging for the plate to hold down was awkward without a lathe but totally do-able. Saw, bench sander, hand file, fine paper. Took 10 min all told.




Hoping it works nice. I have tons of data from other evaps, so will try it and see. If it's as good (should be) or better(never know) then I'll just start making them when I need.

It's the time factor I guess. Cost isn't as much of an issue since the Under-the-Ice shop's chilly1 evaps aren't bad, but shipping, time to ship, etc. Just nice to have stuff here.

So I bought enough precut blocks to make 7 or 8. One'll be a throwaway most likely, just playing with different shapes, but the rest may actually be good.

The only took 2 hours to design and make the block and mount. Now I have a system, likely an hour Will also be prettier too, now I don't have to cut and recut.

So I hope it's good. I think it should be.

Will likely test it on the unit I'm making now, rotary single stage. I put a Dimas evap on it already, but now that I have one ready, may just braze another flex line and see how it works


Gray