Water pipe percolator

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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A diagram detailing the geometry and fluid flow within a percolator.

A water pipe percolator is a small additional sub chamber within the main chamber of a water pipe that provides in-line smoke-water interaction via heat exchange and dissolution.

Function and Purpose

A percolator works by utilizing a pressure differential between its top and bottom in/outlets. Reduced pressure at the outlet end is usually provided by the users lungs. The fluid at the inlet (ie: a smoke, vapor, and air mixture) is directed to the bottom of a column of water, where the pressure differential causes the inlet fluid to pass though the water in small pockets (bubbles), and then rise to the outlet.

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Schematic of the flow through a percolator.

• The percolator serves the primary function of cooling the smoke and combustion vapors that pass through it. The surface of the bubbles come into direct contact with the water, where the temperature difference causes an exchange of heat between the hot smoke/vapor, and the cool water. Many percolator designs incorporate a number of small openings within the water instead of large singular ones in order to diffuse the smoke into a greater number of smaller bubbles. This serves the purpose of increasing the surface area of the smoke that is in contact with the water and increasing the efficiency of heat transfer.

• A secondary function of the percolator is to trap certain components contained within the smoke. Water soluble substances enter into solution as the filtrant smoke/vapor contacts the water, while less soluble substances pass through with relative ease. However, studies conducted by MAPS and CA-NORML have demonstrated that filtration by solvation is inneffective when consuming smoked cannabis.. The studies infer that the solubility of Cannabinoids, the active components in the smoke, are similar to or greater than that of tar, and so no (or negative) "filtration" takes place There is no data available for tobacco or other substances.

• A tertiary function of the percolator is to hydrate the air-smoke-vapor mixture. Humidity of the air passing through the percolator water is increased. The increased humidity reduces the irritation to the upper respiratory tract experienced by the user according to anecdotal claims.

Types

There are a number of percolator designs on the market today. The two most prevelant are the branched and cylindrical designs.

Branched

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A Branched Percolator.

Branched percolators utilize between 1 and 4 individual flow paths for the smoke to enter the water. This design is more recent than the cylindrical design. Branched percolators are sometimes referred to as "tree" percolators due to thier geometry. See image.

Cylindrical

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A Cylindrical Percolator.

Cylindrical percolators instead use a single encirculating cylindrical piece to direct smoke to the bottom of the water column. These may be thought of as a branch design with an infinate number of branches compounded together to form one single flow path. Cylindrical percolators are sometimes referred to as "dome" percolators due to thier geometry. See image.