Wine deep aging method and system based on contact electro-catalysis

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of liquor aging acceleration, and particularly relates to a liquor deep aging method and system based on contact electro-catalysis. The method comprises the following continuous working procedures: carrying out preliminary contact electrocatalytic reaction on a wine body under an ultrasonic condition by adopting a porous carrier subjected to fluororesin surface modification as a catalyst. And carrying out precipitation and ultraviolet sterilization treatment on the reaction product in the previous step. Feeding the treated supernatant into an ultrasonic pool, and carrying out secondary contact electro-catalytic reaction on the wine body under an ultrasonic condition by adopting a perforated closed container filled with a plurality of FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) pellets as a catalyst; carrying out PH recovery, precipitation and ultraviolet sterilization treatment on the product obtained in the previous step; taking supernatant liquid and filtering to obtain an aged wine body; the reaction process is subjected to feedback regulation in combination with the accumulation amount of flavor substances, so that the flavor consistency of the aged wine body is ensured. According to the invention, the problems of low cost, low efficiency and poor flavor consistency existing in various wine aging schemes in the prior art are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of liquor aging technology, specifically relating to a method and system for deep aging of liquor based on contact electrocatalysis. Background Technology

[0002] Baijiu, a traditional Chinese distilled spirit, is primarily composed of volatile compounds such as esters, alcohols, and acids. Newly brewed baijiu is typically pungent and stimulating, lacking a full-bodied flavor, and requires aging to achieve its ideal taste. Traditional aging methods rely mainly on natural storage, which is time-consuming, costly, and difficult to guarantee consistent quality.

[0003] In recent years, artificial aging technologies have gradually developed, including physical methods (such as ultrasound, microwaves, and electromagnetic fields), chemical methods (such as oxidants and catalysts), and biological methods (such as enzyme catalysis). However, these methods still have certain limitations in terms of efficiency, stability, and safety. Electrocatalysis has been applied in the aging of baijiu (Chinese liquor). For example, CN86103016A discloses an electrocatalytic method to accelerate the aging of liquor, which uses a Pt-Pt electrode and a constant potential polarized power supply system to promote oxidation, esterification, and condensation reactions in the liquor. However, this method has shortcomings in terms of the stability of its catalytic effect, and it cannot effectively control the types of aging reactions that occur during the catalytic process. This can easily lead to significant differences in flavor between different batches of liquor, affecting the stability of baijiu quality.

[0004] Furthermore, contact electrocatalysis (CEC) technology has shown promising application prospects in the energy and environmental fields in recent years. This technology accelerates chemical reactions by promoting electron transfer through the electric field generated by contact electrification; therefore, it can be widely applied to various chemical catalytic reactions. Considering that the aging process of baijiu (Chinese liquor) is essentially a process of generating and accumulating flavor substances through chemical reactions, how to design a more efficient and stable aging process based on CEC technology has become a technical challenge that urgently needs to be solved by engineers in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the issues of insufficient stability and poor flavor consistency in existing rapid wine aging methods using catalytic technology, this invention provides a method and system for deep wine aging based on contact electrocatalysis.

[0006] The technical solution provided by this invention is as follows: A method for deep aging of wine based on contact electrocatalysis, comprising the following continuous steps: Primary catalysis: In an ultrasonic tank equipped with a first catalyst, the wine to be aged undergoes a contact electrocatalytic reaction under preset temperature, pH, and ultrasonic conditions. In this invention, the first catalyst is a porous carrier modified with fluororesin; the initial ultrasonic parameters of the reaction process are adaptively set according to the type of the first catalyst.

[0007] Primary precipitation: The reaction product from the previous step is precipitated and sterilized by ultraviolet light.

[0008] Secondary catalysis: The supernatant of the primary precipitate is sent into an ultrasonic tank equipped with a second catalyst, and a contact electrocatalytic reaction is carried out under preset temperature, pH and ultrasonic conditions; the second catalyst is a perforated closed container filled with multiple FEP microspheres; the initial ultrasonic power during the reaction is 550-650W and the ultrasonic frequency is 35-45kHz.

[0009] Secondary precipitation: The reaction product from the previous step is subjected to pH restoration, precipitation, and ultraviolet sterilization; after the secondary precipitation is completed, the supernatant is taken and filtered to obtain the aged wine; The concentration of flavor compounds in the wine is monitored online during the reaction process, and the corresponding aging curve is plotted. Then, the ultrasonic parameters, ambient temperature, and reaction time are adjusted in accordance with the plotted curve to control the reaction process and ensure the consistency of the wine's flavor after aging.

[0010] As a further improvement of this invention, in the primary catalysis, the temperature is maintained at 29-31°C for the first 20-30 minutes, and then reduced to 25-28°C for the next 2-6 hours; the pH value is controlled at 4.0-4.5 during the reaction process. In the secondary catalysis, the temperature is set at 20-23°C; the pH value is 4.5-5.0, and the reaction time is not less than 30 minutes.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, in the primary and secondary precipitation processes, the ultraviolet disinfection lamp is driven to run continuously at a power of 20-30W for 20-30 minutes.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, in the primary and secondary catalytic processes, the pH value of the reaction system is adjusted by quantitatively adding food-grade lactic acid or sodium bicarbonate.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the porous support in the first catalyst is made of tin-plated copper foam, titanium foam, or porous ceramic; the fluoropolymer used for surface modification includes PVDF, PVDF-TrFE, PVDF-HFP, PFA, and PFPE.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the perforated closed container in the second catalyst is made of an openable and closable rigid metal mesh bag.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, in the primary and secondary catalytic processes, the concentrations of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate in the reaction system are detected once per hour. When the increase in the concentration of ethyl acetate in the primary catalytic process is less than 0.5 mg / (L·h), the ultrasonic intensity is increased by 5-10%. When the concentration of ethyl hexanoate in the secondary catalytic process exceeds 200 mg / L, a cooling program is triggered to lower the ambient temperature to 20°C.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the conductivity of the reaction system is detected at a frequency of once every 30 minutes to evaluate the reaction intensity, and the ultrasonic intensity of the ultrasonic pool is adjusted by feedback in combination with the real-time reaction intensity.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, the turbidity of the reaction system in the primary and secondary precipitates is detected at a frequency of once every 30 minutes to evaluate the effect of impurity precipitation.

[0018] The present invention also includes a deep aging system for alcoholic beverages based on contact electrocatalysis, which uses the aforementioned deep aging method for alcoholic beverages based on contact electrocatalysis to age the alcoholic beverage. This deep aging system includes: multiple reaction vessels, a controllable delivery assembly, an acid-base adjustment assembly, a temperature control assembly, an online monitoring assembly, and a controller.

[0019] The reaction vessels include a first catalytic tank, a first precipitation tank, a second catalytic tank, and a second precipitation tank for performing continuous processes. The first and second catalytic tanks are ultrasonic tanks. Multiple baffle-like first catalyst plates are arranged at equal intervals within the first catalytic tank. The first catalyst is a porous carrier modified with fluororesin. The second catalytic tank contains at least one second catalyst, which is a perforated closed container filled with multiple FEP microspheres. Ultraviolet disinfection lamps are installed in both the first and second precipitation tanks.

[0020] The controllable conveying assembly is used to transport alcoholic beverage reactants between containers in the preceding and following processes. The acid-base adjustment assembly is used to quantitatively inject food-grade acid or alkali solutions into the first catalytic tank, second catalytic tank, and second sedimentation tank to adjust the pH of the reaction system. The temperature control assembly is used to regulate the reaction temperature in the first and second catalytic tanks.

[0021] The online monitoring components include a pH meter, an online gas chromatography module, and a conductivity sensor installed in the first catalytic cell, the second catalytic cell, and the second precipitation cell to detect the physicochemical properties of the reaction system within them; and a turbidity sensor installed in the first and second precipitation cells. The online gas chromatography module is used to detect the concentrations of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate in the reaction system.

[0022] The controller is electrically connected to the ultrasonic tank, ultraviolet disinfection lamp, conveying assembly, acid-base adjustment assembly, temperature control assembly, and online monitoring assembly; and is used for: (1) controlling the conveying assembly to transport the reaction system in the corresponding container to the container corresponding to the next process after the previous process is completed. (2) adaptively adjusting the initial operating parameters of the ultrasonic tank according to the type of catalyst used. (3) adjusting the temperature control assembly according to the preset process parameters to adjust the ambient temperature in stages in conjunction with the reaction process. (4) controlling the acid-base adjustment assembly according to the detection results of the pH meter and realizing feedback adjustment of the pH value of the reaction system. (5) adjusting the ultrasonic intensity of the ultrasonic tank and the ambient temperature according to the monitoring data of the monitoring assembly to control the reaction process.

[0023] As a further improvement of the present invention, the controllable conveying assembly includes pipes for connecting reaction vessels in adjacent processes and valves for controlling the opening and closing of the pipes between the vessels. Each process contains multiple reaction vessels, and the controller switches the states of the valves to connect the reaction vessels in the preceding and following processes, thereby balancing the cycle time differences between the preceding and following processes.

[0024] As a further improvement of the present invention, the spatial distribution of each reaction vessel in the preceding and following processes has a height difference, thereby realizing the transport of the reaction system by gravity flow.

[0025] Alternatively, a pump can be added to the controlled delivery assembly to pump the reaction system from the reaction vessel of the preceding process to the reaction vessel of the subsequent process.

[0026] As a further improvement of the present invention, the containers of the first sedimentation tank and the second sedimentation tank are divided into upper and lower layers by a mesh partition. The upper layer is a disinfection chamber, which is equipped with an ultraviolet disinfection lamp; the lower layer is a sedimentation chamber, which is equipped with a cleaning component for removing sediment.

[0027] As a further improvement of the present invention, a filter assembly is provided at the output end of the first sedimentation tank and the second sedimentation tank. The filter assembly is used to filter out the precipitates contained in the reaction system that are transported to the subsequent reaction vessel.

[0028] As a further improvement of the present invention, in the first catalyst, the porous support is made of tin-plated copper foam, titanium foam, or porous ceramic; the fluoropolymer used for surface modification includes PVDF, PVDF-TrFE, PVDF-HFP, PFA, and PFPE. As a further improvement of the present invention, the first catalytic cell is provided with a slot for mounting the first catalyst.

[0029] As a further improvement of the present invention, the perforated closed container in the second catalyst is made of an openable and closable rigid metal mesh bag.

[0030] As a further improvement of the present invention, the controller is also used to record the aging process data of each batch of wine output, and generate a corresponding aging curve for each batch of aged wine output from the second aging tank based on the concentration of flavor substances in the monitoring data of the reaction process, and generate a reaction intensity curve based on the conductivity, thereby generating a corresponding product quality traceability report.

[0031] The technical solution provided by this invention has the following beneficial effects: The technical solution provided by this invention introduces a two-stage contact electrocatalysis (CEC) process. It combines the implosion of cavitation bubbles formed during ultrasonic propagation to generate a high-pressure microjet, driving liquid-solid contact separation and initiating high-frequency electron transfer, thereby achieving catalytic oxidation. This solution utilizes ultrasonic energy and the principle of contact electrocatalysis to rapidly drive aging reactions such as esterification and association in wine. This aging process is entirely green and environmentally friendly, producing no additional pollutants; the aging time and cost are significantly reduced compared to natural aging.

[0032] This invention allows for precise control of the aging process, thus ensuring the consistency of the liquor's quality after aging. This method is not only applicable to the aging of baijiu (Chinese white liquor), but also suitable for all types of base liquors, including light-aroma, strong-aroma, and sauce-aroma baijiu. It effectively addresses the technical challenge of achieving rapid aging in the industrial production of baijiu. Furthermore, based on the common principles of alcohol fermentation and aging technologies, this solution can also be extended to other similar fields involving the transformation of alcohols and flavor formation, such as winemaking. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the steps of the deep aging method for alcoholic beverages based on contact electrocatalysis provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wine processing system based on contact electrocatalysis provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A perspective view of a wine processing system based on contact electrocatalysis. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0037] Example 1 To address the technical challenges of long aging cycles, difficult flavor control, and high energy consumption and costs associated with traditional baijiu aging methods, this embodiment proposes a novel deep aging method for alcoholic beverages based on contact electrocatalysis; specifically, as follows... Figure 1 As shown, the deep aging method for wine based on contact electrocatalysis provided in this embodiment includes four continuous processes: primary catalysis, primary precipitation, secondary catalysis, and secondary precipitation. This method is suitable for industrial-scale assembly line production. The detailed processes for each step are as follows: (1) Primary catalysis: In an ultrasonic tank equipped with a first catalyst, the wine to be aged undergoes a contact electrocatalytic reaction under ultrasonic conditions. In this embodiment, the first catalyst is a porous carrier modified with fluororesin; the porous carrier can be various porous media materials with high specific surface area and high strength, capable of withstanding high-frequency ultrasonic vibration, such as tin-plated copper foam, titanium foam, or porous ceramics. Porous media materials such as nickel foam coated with fluorine-containing substances can be inserted layer by layer into the grid; the dielectric properties of the fluororesin enable it to initiate a highly efficient contact electrocatalytic reaction with the wine under ultrasonic conditions, accelerating the aging process of the wine.

[0038] In this embodiment, the process of promoting wine aging through contact electrocatalysis includes two steps: water oxidation and oxygen reduction; the corresponding reaction principles are as follows: During water oxidation, water molecules (H2O) in the wine come into contact with a catalyst (such as fluoropolymer on a porous support surface), and electrons are transferred from the water to the catalyst, forming water free radical cations (H2O). + ·), which rapidly undergoes proton transfer with another water molecule to generate hydrated hydrogen ions (H3O). + The catalyst reacts with hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and undergoes electron transfer, becoming charged (e.g., PVDF*). The reaction equation for this process is: 2H2O + PVDF → H3O + +·OH + PVDF * During oxygen reduction, dissolved oxygen comes into contact with the charged catalyst (PVDF*), gains surface electrons, and generates superoxide radicals (·O2). - The catalyst returns to a neutral state, completing the cycle. The reaction equation for this process is: O2 + FEP* →·O2 - + PVDF ·O2 - +H3O + →·OOH •OH is then generated through a chain reaction. This catalytic cycle will continue as long as the ultrasonic treatment continues. In the above two steps, the energy barrier for electron transfer in the oxygen reduction process is nearly 1 eV higher than that in the water oxidation process. However, the ultrasonic conditions in this embodiment can overcome the corresponding barrier by providing a high-pressure environment, thus promoting the continuation of the reaction.

[0039] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic conditions provided by the ultrasonic pool not only form cavitation bubbles during propagation, but also generate high-pressure microjets through bubble explosions to drive liquid-solid contact separation, causing the catalytic material to vibrate and enhancing the CEC reaction effect; they also promote the movement of molecules in the liquor, making the liquor properties more uniform and accelerating the aging process. Furthermore, the ultrasonic conditions not only maintain the sustainability of the reaction but can also serve as a means of regulating the reaction process.

[0040] Increasing power enhances the input intensity of acoustic energy, thereby significantly increasing the number of cavitation bubbles. The energy released during cavitation bubble collapse (such as local high temperature, high pressure, and high-speed microjets) effectively strengthens the physicochemical processes in the reaction system, particularly promoting reactions like esterification. Therefore, increasing power generally helps accelerate the reaction rate and improve product yield. The ultrasonic frequency has a decisive influence on the formation size of cavitation bubbles and the energy level released during their collapse. In lower frequency ranges (e.g., 20–40 kHz), the longer acoustic period favors the formation of larger cavitation bubbles, which release more intense energy during unsteady-state collapse. Conversely, at higher frequencies (e.g., above 100 kHz), the cavitation bubble formation period is shorter, resulting in smaller bubbles with weaker collapse intensity and relatively limited energy release. Given that 40 kHz falls within the low-frequency range and possesses a strong cavitation effect, appropriately increasing the input power can further increase the effective cavitation bubble density, thereby enhancing the mass transfer efficiency and molecular activation at the reaction interface, ultimately improving the esterification rate.

[0041] In practical applications, to ensure good catalytic performance, the initial ultrasonic parameters can be set to an ultrasonic power of 600W and an ultrasonic frequency of 40kHz. Furthermore, in the first-stage catalytic process, the physicochemical properties of the first catalyst also affect the reaction. For example, the porosity, specific surface area, and modification effect of the porous support in the first catalyst affect the number of catalytically active sites in the reaction. The type of fluororesin material also affects its dielectric properties, thus influencing the final contact electrocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, to ensure consistency between the reaction process and the final aging effect, the initial ultrasonic parameters of the first-stage catalytic process in this embodiment can be adaptively set according to the type of the first catalyst and matched to the vibration characteristics of the material.

[0042] Besides the conditions mentioned above, the ambient temperature and pH levels during the reaction process also affect the final aging effect of the wine. For example, in the primary catalysis, this embodiment controls the pH value to a weakly acidic condition of 4.0-4.5, which can activate the catalytic active sites on the surface of the copper foam carrier and accelerate charge transfer in the CEC reaction. The pH value of the reaction system is adjusted by quantitatively adding food-grade lactic acid (acid solution) or sodium bicarbonate (alkaline solution). In practical applications, this embodiment monitors the pH value of the reaction system every 30 minutes and dynamically adjusts it to avoid excessive pH fluctuations affecting the reaction balance. Temperature affects the aging process and its effect mainly in two ways. Excessively high temperatures may accelerate the volatilization of substances like ethanol in the wine, negatively impacting its quality stability. Conversely, excessively low temperatures can inhibit the catalytic reaction rate and lead to polymer vitrification. Therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the reaction system needs to be controlled between 20-35°C during the primary catalytic process. In a more preferred embodiment, considering the reaction characteristics of the primary catalytic process, the reaction temperature is controlled in stages during the primary catalytic step. For the first 20-30 minutes, the temperature is maintained at 29-31°C to accelerate the reaction, promoting the initial esterification of alcohols and acids while preventing the volatilization of low-boiling-point flavor compounds due to excessively high temperatures. For the following 2-6 hours, the reaction temperature is lowered to 25-28°C to achieve stable control of the reaction process, thereby ensuring the consistency of the final aging effect of the wine. In practical applications, this embodiment can be equipped with a temperature control system with a temperature control accuracy of ±0.5°C to achieve fine adjustment of the reaction temperature.

[0043] (2) Primary precipitation: The primary sedimentation stage serves to precipitate and sterilize the reaction products in the liquor after the initial aging process. In practical applications, the liquor from the previous stage can be transferred to another sedimentation tank or container where it can be allowed to settle. In this embodiment, an ultraviolet sterilization lamp is installed in the sedimentation tank to continuously sterilize the liquor after the primary catalytic treatment, while simultaneously allowing it to settle and remove some impurities. The sterilization lamp operates continuously at 20-30W for 20-30 minutes. This duration and intensity setting ensures thorough sterilization without causing adverse changes in the liquor's components due to excessive irradiation, such as the decomposition of aroma substances or excessive alcohol evaporation. This process eliminates most microorganisms through ultraviolet light while simultaneously utilizing gravity to allow some denser impurities in the liquor to naturally settle to the bottom of the tank. After this purification, a higher quality and purer liquor base can be provided for subsequent aging steps.

[0044] In practical applications, after each batch of wine has undergone primary sedimentation and been transferred to subsequent processes, the sedimentation tank can be cleaned to remove the sediment at the bottom.

[0045] (3) Secondary catalysis: The supernatant from the primary precipitate is fed into an ultrasonic tank containing a second catalyst, where a contact electrocatalytic reaction is carried out under ultrasonic conditions. The second catalyst is a perforated, closed container filled with multiple FEP microspheres. In practical applications, the perforated, closed container for the second catalyst is often an openable, closable rigid metal mesh bag, such as a stainless steel box, which is strong enough to not react with the wine and is easy to clean and replace.

[0046] In this embodiment, the secondary catalytic process is used to further age the wine through contact electrocatalysis. The principle of the catalytic reaction is similar to that of the primary catalysis. The catalyst in this stage is FEP microspheres, which utilize the contact-separation of FEP and water molecules to generate charge transfer and initiate an electrocatalytic reaction. The reaction of the FEP microspheres in the secondary catalyst under ultrasonic conditions is similar to that of the fluoropolymer in the primary catalyst, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment. The chemical equation for the contact electrolysis in the secondary catalytic process is roughly as follows: 2H2O + PVDF → H3O + +·OH + FEP * O2 + FEP* →·O2 - + FEP Although the principles of primary and secondary catalysis are the same, their reaction timing and conditions differ significantly, and their purposes are also different. Specifically, the purpose of setting up two different types of catalytic processes in this embodiment is: firstly, the PVDF-modified tin-plated copper foam in the primary catalysis initially stimulates the material reactions of the wine, focusing on "gentle activation" to lay the foundation for subsequent deep aging. Then, in the secondary catalysis, FEP beads are used to deepen the aging through the CEC reaction, allowing the wine's flavor and taste to mature further. If only a single stage is used, it is difficult to simultaneously meet the dual requirements of "initial activation" and "deep optimization," which would lead to incomplete aging, reduced efficiency, and poor flavor consistency.

[0047] To achieve the aforementioned reaction effects, the temperature for the secondary catalytic reaction is set at 20-23℃. Under these conditions, the electrocatalytic reaction occurring within the wine enhances the stable accumulation of esters and prolongs the retention time of flavor compounds. The pH requirements for this stage also differ from those of the primary catalytic reaction; the pH is set to 4.5-5.0 in the secondary catalytic reaction. This increased alkalinity inhibits the hydrolysis of esters and simultaneously enhances the charge adsorption capacity between the FEP beads and the wine interface. Furthermore, the initial ultrasonic power of the ultrasonic tank in the secondary catalytic process can be set to 550-650W, and the ultrasonic frequency to 35-45kHz. The catalytic reaction time should be no less than 30 minutes.

[0048] (4) Secondary precipitation: Secondary sedimentation serves a similar purpose to primary sedimentation, including ultraviolet sterilization and impurity precipitation, and therefore needs to be completed in a separate sedimentation tank. The main difference between the two sedimentation processes is that after the secondary sedimentation stage, the resulting pure liquor is directly used as the final product for packaging and sale. Therefore, before sterilization and settling, this embodiment requires pH adjustment of the liquor after secondary catalysis to ensure its pH value meets the flavor requirements for bottling and long-term storage. Furthermore, after secondary sedimentation, the supernatant is collected and subjected to deep filtration to obtain the aged liquor.

[0049] In addition, it should be emphasized that in order to ensure the consistency of flavor of the wine obtained from different batches of aging, the continuous process in this embodiment also conducts flavor testing and aging effect evaluation of the wine in each process periodically (such as every 30 minutes or 1 hour), and then combines the aging effect to control the primary and secondary catalysis processes.

[0050] In practical applications, the flavor compounds selected as evaluation indicators for the wine may include ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate. This embodiment monitors the concentrations of these three compounds online, with the following accuracy levels: ethanol ±0.1% vol, ethyl acetate ±1 mg / L, and ethyl hexanoate ±0.5 mg / L. Furthermore, this embodiment can also monitor the conductivity of the wine, reflecting ion concentration and thus indirectly determining the intensity of the CEC reaction, as well as monitor the turbidity of the wine to assess the presence of residual impurities.

[0051] Based on this, in the primary and secondary catalytic processes, the concentrations of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate in the reaction system are detected once per hour. When the increase in the concentration of ethyl acetate in the primary catalytic process is less than 0.5 mg / (L·h), the ultrasonic intensity is increased by 5-10%. When the concentration of ethyl hexanoate in the secondary catalytic process exceeds 200 mg / L, a cooling program is triggered to lower the ambient temperature to 20°C.

[0052] Finally, in this embodiment, the concentration of flavor substances in the wine during the reaction process obtained from online monitoring is used as the aging curve. Combined with the plotted curve, the ultrasonic parameters, ambient temperature and reaction time are adjusted to control the reaction process and ensure the consistency of the wine's flavor after aging.

[0053] Example 2 Based on the scheme in Example 1, this embodiment further provides a wine deep aging system based on contact electrocatalysis. This system can adopt the wine deep aging method based on contact electrocatalysis in Example 1 to achieve low-cost and efficient aging treatment of the wine. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the wine deep aging system includes multiple reaction vessels, a controllable delivery component, an acid-base adjustment component, a temperature control component, an online monitoring component, and a controller.

[0054] The reaction vessels include a first catalytic tank, a first precipitation tank, a second catalytic tank, and a second precipitation tank for performing continuous processes. The first and second catalytic tanks are ultrasonic tanks. Multiple slots are evenly spaced within the first catalytic tank, and multiple pieces of the first catalyst are uniformly inserted into these slots in a partition-like manner, thus arranging them uniformly within the first catalytic tank. In practical applications, the first catalyst is a porous support modified with a fluoropolymer resin surface; the porous support can be tin-plated copper foam, titanium foam, or porous ceramic; the fluoropolymer resin used for surface modification can include PVDF, PVDF-TrFE, PVDF-HFP, PFA, and PFPE. The second catalytic tank contains at least one second catalyst, which is a perforated closed container filled with multiple FEP microspheres. For example, multiple FEP microspheres can be contained in a stainless steel mesh bag or a perforated box to form the desired second catalyst. The container holding the FEP microspheres can have an openable / closable structure to facilitate cleaning or replacement of the FEP microspheres.

[0055] In both the first and second sedimentation tanks, ultraviolet (UV) sterilization lamps are installed to sterilize the wine after the settling process. Specifically, in practical applications, the containers of the first and second sedimentation tanks can be divided into upper and lower layers by a mesh partition. The upper layer is a sterilization chamber containing UV sterilization lamps; the lower layer is a sedimentation chamber containing a cleaning component for removing sediment. The cleaning component removes impurities from the lower layer and cleans and sterilizes the tank walls after each round of settling and UV sterilization.

[0056] In a more optimized scheme, in order to ensure that the purity of the wine entering the next process after sedimentation is higher, a filter assembly can also be installed at the output end of the first sedimentation tank and the second sedimentation tank. The filter assembly is used to filter out the sediment that is still remaining in the reaction system transported to the subsequent reaction vessel.

[0057] The controllable conveying assembly is used to transport alcoholic beverage reactants between containers in upstream and downstream processes. In practical applications, the deep aging system for alcoholic beverages in this embodiment can be deployed in different forms depending on the scale of production. For example, in a small-scale system, industrial containers of specified volumes can be used as reaction containers for the different processes required. For instance, reaction containers made of food-grade stainless steel conforming to standards could be used, with the primary catalytic tank being approximately a cuboid measuring 1m long, 1.5m wide, and 2m high. In a large-scale system, the "reaction containers" for different processes can be deployed in adjacent workshops, with sunken spaces of specific shapes excavated within the workshops serving as reaction containers.

[0058] The conveying assembly in this embodiment can take different forms depending on the type of reaction vessel. For example, the controllable conveying assembly includes pipes for connecting reaction vessels in adjacent processes and valves for controlling the opening and closing of the pipes between the vessels. To achieve the conveying of the wine between reaction vessels in different processes, the reaction vessels in the preceding and following processes can be deployed in a three-dimensional space with a height difference. For example, in a three-dimensional space, the reaction vessels of different processes can be deployed sequentially from high to low, and then connected to each other through pipes and valves; thus, the wine can be conveyed by gravity flow by combining the height difference between the containers. When the reaction vessels are deployed in a plane, a pump can be added to the controllable conveying assembly to pump the reaction system in the reaction vessel of the preceding process to the reaction vessel of the following process.

[0059] In practical applications, considering the differences in processing time and throughput of individual containers across the four processes, the cycle times of each process in a production line cannot be directly matched. To address this issue and adapt to industrial production, this embodiment allows for multiple reaction containers in each process. The controller switches the valves between different reaction containers to connect the reaction containers in preceding and following processes, thus balancing the cycle time differences. For example, if a catalytic tank has a limited volume and a long reaction time, while a sedimentation tank has a large volume and a shorter processing time, multiple parallel catalytic tanks can be configured before and after each sedimentation tank on the same production line. This ensures that the throughput of a specified number of catalytic tanks precisely matches the throughput of the sedimentation tank within the corresponding cycle.

[0060] The acid-base adjustment component is used to quantitatively inject food-grade acid or alkali solutions into the first catalytic tank, the second catalytic tank, and the second sedimentation tank to adjust the pH value of the reaction system. In this embodiment, lactic acid can be used as the food-grade acid, and sodium bicarbonate solution can be used as the food-grade alkali. In the first and second catalytic tanks, the added acid and alkali solutions can be evenly dispersed through ultrasonic treatment. In the second sedimentation tank, an additional stirring mechanism can be added to ensure uniform diffusion of the acid or alkali solution, thereby achieving precise control of the pH value of the wine.

[0061] The temperature control component is used to regulate the reaction temperature of the first and second catalytic tanks. In this embodiment, the temperature control component includes both air conditioning equipment for regulating the ambient temperature of the corresponding reaction vessels and heating or preparation equipment for directly regulating the temperature of the wine during the reaction process.

[0062] The online monitoring components include a pH meter, an online gas chromatography module, and a conductivity sensor installed in the first catalytic cell, the second catalytic cell, and the second precipitation cell to detect the physicochemical properties of the reaction system within them; and a turbidity sensor installed in the first and second precipitation cells. The online gas chromatography module is used to detect the concentrations of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate in the reaction system.

[0063] In this embodiment, the controller serves as the control center and data center of the entire system. It is electrically connected to the ultrasonic bath, ultraviolet disinfection lamps, conveying components, acid-base regulation components, temperature control components, and online monitoring components. These components include various actuators and detectors, which, together with the controller, constitute an automated feedback control system. Based on this, the controller, as the control hub, can combine the detection data within the system to achieve feedback control of the aging process, ensuring the stability of product quality. The controller records various data during the aging process. Using this data, the controller can also generate corresponding aging curves for each batch of aged wine, as well as various production traceability information. This achieves data-driven and visualized quality control.

[0064] Specifically, the tasks to be performed by the controller in this embodiment include: (1) controlling the conveying component to transport the reaction system in the corresponding container to the container corresponding to the next process after the previous process is completed. (2) adaptively adjusting the initial operating parameters of the ultrasonic pool according to the type of catalyst used. (3) adjusting the temperature control component according to the preset process parameters to adjust the ambient temperature in stages in conjunction with the reaction process. (4) controlling the acid-base adjustment component according to the detection results of the pH meter and realizing feedback adjustment of the pH value of the reaction system. (5) adjusting the ultrasonic intensity and ambient temperature of the ultrasonic pool according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component to control the reaction process. (6) recording the aging process data of each batch of wine output, and generating a corresponding aging curve for each batch of aged wine output from the second aging pool according to the concentration of flavor substances in the monitoring data of the reaction process, and generating a reaction intensity curve according to the conductivity, thereby generating a corresponding product quality traceability report.

[0065] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for deep aging of alcoholic beverages based on contact electrocatalysis, characterized in that, It includes the following continuous processes: Primary catalysis: In an ultrasonic tank equipped with a first catalyst, the wine to be aged undergoes a contact electrocatalytic reaction under preset temperature, pH, and ultrasonic conditions; the first catalyst is a porous carrier modified with fluororesin; the initial ultrasonic parameters of the reaction process are adaptively set according to the type of the first catalyst. Primary precipitation: The reaction product from the previous step is precipitated and sterilized by ultraviolet light; Secondary catalysis: The supernatant of the primary precipitate is sent into an ultrasonic tank equipped with a second catalyst, and a contact electrocatalytic reaction is carried out under preset temperature, pH value and ultrasonic conditions. The second catalyst is a perforated closed container filled with multiple FEP microspheres. The initial ultrasonic power during the reaction is 550-650W and the ultrasonic frequency is 35-45kHz. Secondary precipitation: The reaction product from the previous step is subjected to pH restoration, precipitation, and ultraviolet sterilization; after the secondary precipitation is completed, the supernatant is taken and filtered to obtain the aged wine; The concentration of flavor compounds in the wine is monitored online at each stage of the process, and corresponding aging curves are plotted. The ultrasonic parameters, ambient temperature, and reaction time are adjusted in response to control the reaction process and ensure the consistency of the wine's flavor after aging.

2. The method for deep aging of wine based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In the primary catalysis, the temperature is maintained at 29-31℃ for the first 20-30 minutes, and then reduced to 25-28℃ for the next 2-6 hours; the pH value is controlled at 4.0-4.5 during the reaction process; in the secondary catalysis, the temperature is set at 20-23℃; the pH value is 4.5-5.0, and the reaction time is not less than 30 minutes.

3. The method for deep aging of wine based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 1, characterized in that: During the primary and secondary sedimentation processes, the ultraviolet disinfection lamps are driven to run continuously at a power of 20-30W for 20-30 minutes. And / or, in the primary and secondary catalytic processes, the pH value of the reaction system is adjusted by quantitatively adding food-grade lactic acid or sodium bicarbonate; And / or, in the first catalyst, the porous support is tin-plated copper foam, titanium foam, or porous ceramic; the fluoropolymer used for surface modification includes PVDF, PVDF-TrFE, PVDF-HFP, PFA, and PFPE. And / or, the perforated closed container in the second catalyst is an openable and closable rigid metal mesh bag.

4. The method for deep aging of wine based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 1, characterized in that: In the primary and secondary catalytic processes, the concentrations of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate in the reaction system are monitored once per hour. When the rate of increase in the concentration of ethyl acetate in the primary catalytic process is less than 0.5 mg / (L·h), the ultrasonic intensity is increased by 5-10%. When the concentration of ethyl hexanoate in the secondary catalytic process exceeds 200 mg / L, a cooling procedure is triggered to lower the ambient temperature to 20°C. And / or, the conductivity of the reaction system is detected at a frequency of once every 30 minutes to assess the reaction intensity, and the ultrasonic intensity of the ultrasonic pool is adjusted based on the reaction intensity. And / or, the turbidity of the reaction system in the primary and secondary precipitates is detected at a frequency of once every 30 minutes to evaluate the effect of impurity precipitation.

5. A deep aging system for alcoholic beverages based on contact electrocatalysis, characterized in that, It employs the deep aging method for wine based on contact electrocatalysis as described in any one of claims 1-4 to age the wine. It includes: Multiple reaction vessels are provided, each including a first catalytic tank, a first precipitation tank, a second catalytic tank, and a second precipitation tank for performing continuous processes; the first and second catalytic tanks are ultrasonic tanks; multiple first catalysts arranged in a partition-like manner are evenly spaced within the first catalytic tank; the first catalyst is a porous carrier modified with fluororesin; the second catalytic tank contains at least one second catalyst, which is a perforated closed container filled with multiple FEP microspheres; ultraviolet disinfection lamps are provided within the first and second precipitation tanks. Controllable conveying assembly for conveying alcoholic reactants between containers in upstream and downstream processes; Acid-base adjustment component, which is used to quantitatively inject food-grade acid or alkali solution into the first catalytic tank, the second catalytic tank and the second precipitation tank to adjust the pH value of the reaction system. Temperature control components are used to regulate the reaction temperature of the first and second catalytic cells; The online monitoring component includes a pH meter, an online gas chromatography module, a conductivity sensor, and a turbidity sensor installed in the first catalytic cell, the second catalytic cell, and the second precipitation cell for detecting the physicochemical properties of the reaction system therein; the online gas chromatography module is used to detect the concentrations of ethanol, ethyl acetate, and ethyl hexanoate in the reaction system. The controller is electrically connected to the ultrasonic pool, ultraviolet disinfection lamp, conveying component, acid-base adjustment component, temperature control component and online monitoring component, and is used for: (1) controlling the conveying component to convey the reaction system in the corresponding container to the container corresponding to the next process after the previous process is completed; (2) adaptively adjusting the initial operating parameters of the ultrasonic pool according to the type of catalyst used; (3) adjusting the temperature control component according to the preset process parameters to adjust the ambient temperature in stages in combination with the reaction process; (4) controlling the acid-base adjustment component according to the detection results of the pH meter and realizing feedback adjustment of the pH value of the reaction system; (5) adjusting the ultrasonic intensity of the ultrasonic pool and the ambient temperature according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component to control the reaction process.

6. The wine deep aging system based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The controllable conveying assembly includes pipes for connecting reaction vessels in adjacent processes and valves for controlling the opening and closing of pipes between vessels; wherein, the number of reaction vessels in each process includes multiple, and the controller connects the various reaction vessels in the preceding and following processes by switching the state of the valves, so as to balance the difference in cycle time between the preceding and following processes.

7. The wine deep aging system based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The spatial distribution of the reaction vessels in the preceding and following processes has a height difference, thereby enabling the reaction system to be transported by gravity flow; Alternatively, a pump can be added to the controlled delivery assembly to pump the reaction system from the reaction vessel of the preceding process to the reaction vessel of the subsequent process.

8. The wine deep aging system based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The containers of the first sedimentation tank and the second sedimentation tank are divided into upper and lower layers by a mesh partition. The upper layer is a disinfection chamber, which is equipped with an ultraviolet disinfection lamp. The lower layer is a sedimentation chamber, which is equipped with cleaning components for removing sediment. And / or, a filter assembly is also provided at the output end of the first sedimentation tank and the second sedimentation tank, the filter assembly being used to filter out the precipitates contained in the reaction system transported to the subsequent reaction vessel.

9. The wine deep aging system based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 5, characterized in that: In the first catalyst, the porous support is made of tin-plated copper foam, titanium foam, or porous ceramic; the fluoropolymers used for surface modification include PVDF, PVDF-TrFE, PVDF-HFP, PFA, and PFPE. And / or, the first catalytic cell is provided with a slot for installing the first catalyst; And / or, the perforated closed container in the second catalyst is an openable and closable rigid metal mesh bag.

10. The wine deep aging system based on contact electrocatalysis as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The controller is also used to record the aging process data of each batch of wine output, and generate corresponding aging curves for each batch of aged wine output from the second aging tank based on the concentration of flavor substances in the monitoring data of the reaction process, and generate reaction intensity curves based on conductivity, thereby generating corresponding product quality traceability reports.

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