Finish Thompson LS-55IIE User Manual

LS Series “Little Still” Instruction Manual

Introduction

This LS Series solvent distillation system provides
safe, on-site reclamation of contaminated solvents.
Use of the Little Still can save money and conserve
the environment by reducing or eliminating the
disposal of these solvents.

Table of Contents

Quality engineered and manufactured, the Little Still
requires minimal operator involvement. When
properly installed, operated, and maintained, this
equipment can provide years of trouble-free service.

Safety Precautions

Installation Requirements and Instructions

Assembly
Electrical Requirements
Grounding Requirements
Electrical Connections
Condenser Cooling Water Requirements
Quick Cool Requirements
Conventional Tap Water Supply

Instrumentation and Controls
Start-up and Operation
Maintenance Schedule
Service and Troubleshooting
Appendix

Common Spare Parts
Electrical Schematics
Warranty

2
3

3-4

5
5
6
7
8

9

10

14

18

20

27

27

29
31

For technical assistance call:

800-888-3743 or 814-455-4478

1

Safety Precautions

WARNING:

READ THIS MANUAL COMPLETELY BEFORE INSTALLING AND
OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE
PRECAUTIONS CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

 Installation location and area must conform to requirements set by National Electric Code

Class 1, Division 1, Group D for hazardous locations.

 Follow National Fire Protection Association guidelines for control of static electricity (NFPA

77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity). This applies to the installation area,
equipment, personnel, and all transfer and receiving containers.

 Ventilate all vapors from the processing area and distillation equipment according to National

Fire Protection Association guidelines (NFPA 91, Standard for the Installation of Blower and
Exhaust Systems for Dust, Stock, and Vapor Removal or Conveying).

 Follow the National Fire Protection Association recommendations for safe storage and use of

flammable and combustible liquids (NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code).

 Electrical wiring should be performed by a qualified electrician and must conform to National

Electric Code Class 1, Division 1, Group D requirements for explosionproof equipment. Use
only electricals labeled explosionproof (boxes, receptacles, hard conduit, etc.) for the
installation and in the area.

 Obtain approval of the installation area and installation from your insurance and/or fire

inspector.

 Remove any ignition sources from the area such as flames (cigarettes, torches, furnace), or

sparks (grinders, non-explosionproof electrical switches and outlets, etc.).

 Verify proper water flow before operation to prevent accumulation of hazardous vapors.
 Wear proper eye and skin protection and an approved respirator when handling solvents and

working with this equipment.

 Never process reactive solvents or materials such as gasoline, ethers, nitrocellulose, etc.
 Never work on or with this equipment while it is hot. Never open a hot Still. Allow a minimum

of two hours or more cool-down time.

2

Installation Requirements and Instructions

PHYSICAL SPACE REQUIREMENTS:

 See Safety Precautions for important information regarding the installation area.
 The unit must be installed on a level concrete pad/floor and protected from the weather and freezing temperatures.
 Approximate overall dimensions/space requirements are listed below. Additional space is required around and

above the equipment for loading and unloading, storage drums, access for maintenance, etc.

Equipment model(s) Width Depth Height

LS-15E/15IIE 51 in. (1.3 m.) 27 in. (0.7 m.) 42 in. (1.1 m.)
LS-15E/15IIE + JetVac 108 in. (2.7 m.) 27 in. (0.7 m.) 48 in. (1.2 m.)
LS-55E/55IIE 75 in. (1.9 m.) 40 in. (1.0 m.) 60 in. (1.5 m.)
LS-55E/55IIE + JetVac 131 in. (3.3 m.) 40 in. (1.0 m.) 60 in. (1.5 m.)

IMPORTANT: If using a Little Cooler closed-loop cooling system with the Little Still, the Little Cooler must be

located outside of the hazardous area. Refer to the Little Cooler Instruction Manual for further details.

ASSEMBLY: See Parts Location Diagram for additional information.

 Remove the unit from the shipping containers and inspect for damage. If damage is detected, save all packaging

and immediately report any exterior or interior damage to the freight carrier.

 Remove all accessories from the inside of the Still (and the JetVac’s cabinet, if applicable).
 Install the pressure relief valve assembly into the top of the Still’s lid. Face the elbow towards the rear of the unit

(away from the occupied area).

 Attach the supplied grounding cables/clamps to the ground block on the right side of the Still.
 Thread the discharge hose into the discharge pipe on the right side of the Still. Omit this step if installing a JetVac

(see below).

SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR LS-15IIE AND LS-55IIE: “System II” Stills have additional features for

automatic operation. Explanations of these features are discussed in the Instrumentation and Controls section.
 Install the vapor temperature gage into the control panel on the front of the Still (this gage is a delicate instrument

and is packed separately to prevent damage). Attach the white wire to the positive (+) terminal and the red wire to
the negative (-) terminal. Mount the gage using the two nuts provided.

3

SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR INSTALLATIONS WITH A JETVAC: When

installing a JetVac attachment to a Little Still, the system is installed and assembled in a
way that allows the system to operate either with or without the JetVac. Use pipe tape on
all threaded connections to prevent vacuum leaks.

 Set the JetVac to the right of the Still, with approximately 24 inches of space between the units.
 Thread the discharge hose with sightglass into the JetVac’s distillate port (on the left side, towards the front of the

cabinet). Also thread the Y-strainer into the JetVac’s vacuum port (on the left side, centered).

 Thread a male quick-connect onto the JetVac’s metal braided hose female side. Thread a female quick-connect

into the discharge of the Still (on the right side, centered in the cabinet). Thread the metal braided hose into the
previously installed .

 Adjust the distance between the Still and JetVac until the metal braided hose quick-connects to the Still. Secure

the Still and JetVac to the floor once positioned.

 Attach the other male quick-connect to the Still’s discharge hose. This allows this discharge hose to attach

directly to the Still (after disconnecting the metal braided hose) for processing without the JetVac.

INSTALLATION OF THE FLAME ARRESTER TO JETVAC:

 The flame arrestor is designed to prevent flame from entering the distillation system through the vent pipe.
 Proper installation and location of the flame arrester is essential to effective operation.
 Installation must be inspected and approved by your insurance and/or fire inspector.
 Connection is made at the vent on the backside of the JetVac unit (see pg. 9 for location).
 The flame arrester must be piped so the arrow on the flame arrestor body points away from the distillation system

and must be connected to the end of the vent pipe.

 Using FTI supplied piping, screw the ½” nipple into the coupling on the back of the JetVac, attached a 90º elbow

to the nipple and a customer supplied connect a length of pipe to allow venting to a safe area (to the outside or
other safe area as determined by your insurance or other qualified inspector). Make sure that the piping is properly
supported and the flame arrestor is attached to the end of the vent pipe. Do not use pipe larger than ½” diameter.

 If venting unit to the outside, a gooseneck can be installed on the end of the flame arrestor to prevent rain from

entering the vent piping through the flame arrestor. The gooseneck must be ½” pipe, be installed at the end of the
flame arrestor and be no more that 5” long.

4

ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS:

CAUTION:

 A qualified electrician should perform electrical connections. Improper electrical wiring can result in damage to

components.

 See Safety Precautions for important information regarding the electrical connections.
 Electrical power requirements to the control panel are 240 volts, 1 phase, 50/60 hertz from a protected circuit and

earth ground. If the incoming voltage is 208 volts, processing time will increase. The equipment will not operate
with incoming voltages (under load) less than 208 volts.

 Electrical connections are made on the rear of the Still. Attach a customer supplied explosionproof circuit box to

the Still’s electrical conduit.

 If a JetVac and/or Little Cooler are used with an LS-15E/55E still, they must be wired independent of the still and

manually started/stopped.
Note: Customer must supply a switch to control a Little Cooler in this case. See the Little Cooler Instruction
Manual for more details.

 System II stills can be electrically connected for automatic operation of a JetVac and/or a Little Cooler, if using a

Little Cooler, a 10-amp contactor (customer supplied) must be used. See electrical connections below!

 Make the connections per the diagrams following:

LSEII – wiring for units without JetVac or Little Cooler

LS15E/55IIE – wiring with JetVac and Little Cooler

LS15E/55IIE – wiring with JetVac

LS JetVac – wiring for LS15E and LS55E

LSJetVac – wiring for LS15IIE and LS55IIE

GROUNDING REQUIREMENTS:

 See Safety Precautions for important information on static grounding.
 A positive earth ground must be provided to help avoid static ignition and must be attached to all equipment,

filling and receiving containers, tanks, personnel, etc. All transfer devices such as piping, hoses, and pumps must
also be grounded.

 Several ground lugs are provided on the right side of the Still and several grounding clamps are provided.

USE THEM.

5

LITTLE

COOLER

L1

INCOMING POWER

(SWITCHED)

L2

INCOMING

POWER

INCOMING

POWER

L1
L2

COOLER

L1

A

LS-15E/55E

STILL

Electrical connections for an LS-15E/55E

CC1

L1

CC2

LITTLE

INCOMING

POWER

L2

L2

1L2

JETVAC

CUSTOMER SUPPLIED

CONTACTOR

C.C.

B1L2

TO “CUSTOMER SUPPLIED” CONTACTOR

COIL FOR LITT LE COOLER

INCOMING

POWER

L2

L1

INCOMING

1L2

POWER

B

1L2

1L2
L1
L2

A

A

LS-15IIE

or

JETVAC

LS-55IIE

Electrical connections for a “System II”

6

CONDENSER COOLING WATER REQUIREMENTS:

WARNING:

Improper cooling water supply can result in the accumulation of hazardous vapors (refer to Safety
Precautions for ventilation information).

CAUTION:

Do not allow the cooling water supply to freeze. Damage to components can occur. Do not exceed 85 psi
inlet water pressure.

 Cooling water can be supplied via “tap water” or from a closed-loop cooling system (e.g., a Little Cooler or

cooling tower).

 Cooling water supply and return connections are ½” NPT female pipe and are located on the rear of the Still and

JetVac.

 Minimum cooling water flow required for the condenser is ½ gallon per minute for the LS-15E/15IIE,
 and 1½ gallons per minute for the LS-55E/55IIE. Minimum requirements increase by a ½ gallon a minute when

using any still in conjunction with a JetVac.

 Cooling water temperature must be less than 80° F or 50° F below the lowest boiling point of the solvent being

processed—whichever is lower (determine solvent boiling point under vacuum, if applicable).

 If using a “hard” water supply, treatment is required to prevent mineral deposit or scale accumulation within the

vapor condensers and cooling coils of the cooling system. If water contains particulate, install an appropriate
filter before the Still.

IMPORTANT: Follow these guidelines when using a Little Cooler closed-loop cooling system. Refer to the Little
Cooler Instruction Manual for further information.

 The Little Cooler is designed only for condenser cooling. Do not attach it to the quick-cool coil (use tap water

for the quick-cool).

 Depending on the physical distance, height, and type of plumbing used between the Still and the Little Cooler, it

may be necessary to bypass the condenser water solenoid valve. Simply remove the hose from the inlet of the
solenoid valve and connect it to the water inlet of the condenser (lower connection on the condenser).

 There will be a slight delay before the Still will turn on when using a Little Cooler (until the cooling water begins

to circulate).

7

QUICK COOL REQUIREMENTS

NOTE:

The Quick Cool is standard in the LS-15E/15IIE units. The main purpose of the quick cool coil is to rapidly cool

down the distillation tank after a cycle is complete, which allows the user to run multiple shifts each day. If the user

does not intend to run multiple shifts, FTI recommends not plumbing the quick cool coil.
 The Little Cooler is designed only for condenser cooling. Do not attach it to the quick-cool coil (use tap water

for the quick cool).

 Plumb the quick cool coil with hard piping only.
 An air inlet valve must be installed to properly vent the system. This allows the line to be adequately drained after

each use (see cooling diagram). Always completely drain the quick cool coil after each use or the next cycle will
be prolonged and/or possible damage to the unit may occur.

 A check valve should be installed on the outlet side of the quick cool to prevent backpressure or back flow into the

system from down steam (see cooling diagram), which will hinder the cycle time of the next cycle.

 Minimum cooling water flow required for the quick cool is 1-3 gallons per minute for the LS-15E/15IIE and 2-5

gallons per minute for the LS-55E/55IIE.

8

CONVENTIONAL “TAP” WATER SUPPY:

Use with optional JetVac.

ATMOSPHERIC

. CLOSED-LOOP COOLING WATER SUPPLY: Refer to Little Cooler Instruction Manual when
connecting a Little Cooler.

Use with optional JetVac.

ATMOSPHERIC

IMPORTANT:

Quick cool must be drained completely before each run.
An air inlet valve is required to drain quick-cool coil.

9