Props to whoever started this thread! VapeHead told me to check it and I just finished reading through all the posts to see where the community took it before posting. Took me all weekend to squeeze in a session here and there to get through it and I'm stoked I took the time. Really good shit indeed I'm sort of feeling less alone in the world knowing that there are others out there as obsessed with affecting the ultimate inhalation as I am. My wife will be thrilled to know she really will be!
This thread should be titled something like "Flow-Form Physics and Rate of Thermal Equilibrium in PhytoInhalation" because that it is what you're playing with and discussing. It is the heart of the matter it really is...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Venturi.gif
If you check the above Wiki animated image of a venturi effect the radiant thermal accumulation effect of a restriction in a convective air flow or vapor path relative to the material is intuitive. Now imagine the output side not opening back up again immediatly, but rather remaining constricted as in some components of vaporizers. It's important to remember in discussing the thermal accumulation resulting from a restriction in
either the convective air flow or the post extraction vapor flow that it is always relative to the thermal nature of the material and the amount of thermal mass of that material present. Metal is collective and will heat up beyond thermal equilibrium and fairly quickly, but usually exists immediate to vaporizer extraction chambers in only very small thermal masses. If the most economical heat is the goal, i.e. for a battery operated portable in the smallest form function possible then metal extraction chambers make all the sense in the world --- it just sucks that metal is the wrong polarity for optimal terpene (flavor) expression. Glass is really a poor insulator so will heat up only to thermal equilibrium in a vaporizing context, but usually exists as more thermal mass in the system, i.e. VapeXhale, Vrip, Verdamper so will heat up slower and cool down slower --- it's more thermally stable in this context. Better for larger/longer pulls without significant reductions in the apparant extraction temperature.
In experimenting with glass screens (two sizes two different locations one lower and one upper in the chamber) that have approximately a 2mm center hole circled by six 2mm wide x 2.5mm long ovals (slightly elongated same 2mm circles) compared to stainless screens of various finer meshes that we've used for years I've found that there is a significantly greater thermal accumulation with the glass screens even though as discussed glass is a poor insulator and metal conductive. It's the thermal mass of the glass (the chamber itself and glass screen), and the shape of our chamber that gives you a much larger sequential venturi within approximately the middle of which just before it restricts is the glass screen and its seven micro venturies that take the chamber to thermal equilibrium much faster with everything else being the same with a stainless screen. And it does so with
LESS resistance.
Does it get me medicated faster or taste better because I can get a better hit this way? "Better hit" defined as broader spectrum (lower temp flavor and higher temp actives in the same inhalations) and max density whilst remaining clean and aromatically dense....Blue.
YUP.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19050584/Vrip/Vripw:lowerglassscreen.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19050584/Vrip/Vripw:upperglassscreen.jpg
