System for white spirit ground jar fermentation and fermented grain carrying method

Abstract

The invention discloses a system for white spirit ground cylinder fermentation and a fermented grain carrying method, and belongs to the technical field of wine making equipment. The system comprises a ground cylinder, a fermented grain carrying AGV, a material frame mechanism and an upper control unit, the ground cylinders are densely arranged underground, the upper ends of the ground cylinders are open, the fermented grain carrying AGV is used for carrying the material frame mechanism to a target position above the ground cylinders, and the material frame mechanism is used for loading fermented grains for fermentation and adding the fermented grains for fermentation to the ground cylinders from the positions above the ground cylinders; the upper control unit is used for controlling the fermented grain carrying AGV to carry the material frame mechanism and controlling the material frame mechanism to feed materials into the ground cylinder; according to the invention, the automatic operation of transporting the fermented grains and putting the fermented grains into the jar in the liquor fermentation process is realized, the labor intensity of workers is reduced to a great extent, the efficiency of transporting the fermented grains and putting the fermented grains into the jar is improved, and the liquor brewing cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a system for fermentation in earthen vats for baijiu (Chinese liquor) and a method for transporting the mash, belonging to the technical field of brewing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] The fermentation process in earthenware vats is a core step in traditional Chinese brewing, especially for light-aroma baijiu. This process involves placing the mash into earthenware vats buried underground for anaerobic fermentation to form the mash. The process of loading the mash into the vats is called "entry into the vat," and this step requires extremely high cleanliness and timeliness in the transport of the mash. However, the current entry process involves workers transporting the mash to the vat opening using handcarts or a rail-mounted crane system with hoisting equipment, and then manually throwing the mash into the vat with shovels. The handcart-based entry process is labor-intensive and inefficient, while the crane-based entry process involves numerous pieces of equipment and is costly. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (a) Technical problems to be solved The technical problem to be solved by this invention is that the existing fermentation process of baijiu in earthen vats involves high labor intensity and low work efficiency in loading the mash into the vats, and the process of loading the vats with cranes and hoisting equipment is complicated and costly.

[0004] (II) Technical Solution To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a system for fermenting baijiu (Chinese liquor) in underground vats. The system includes underground vats, a material handling AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), a material rack mechanism, and a control unit. The underground vats are densely arranged underground with open tops. The material handling AGV transports the material rack mechanism above the vats to a target location. The material rack mechanism loads the fermentation mash and adds it to the vats from above. The control unit controls the material handling AGV to move the material rack mechanism and controls the material rack mechanism to add materials to the vats. This structure creates a complete automated mash addition system. Through the cooperation of the material handling AGV and the material rack mechanism, the entire process from loading to addition of mash is automated, significantly improving production efficiency, reducing manual intervention, and lowering labor intensity.

[0005] Furthermore, this system also includes several fermentation units, each comprising several fermentation groups, each fermentation group including multiple earthen vats. These fermentation groups are arranged in a rectangular array at equal intervals to form a fermentation unit. The material rack mechanism includes hoppers with the same number and layout as the earthen vats in the fermentation groups, and discharge valves are installed at the lower ends of the hoppers. Through the modular design of the fermentation units and fermentation groups, and the matching of the material rack mechanism with the earthen vat layout, batch and precise material feeding is achieved, space utilization is optimized, and the standardization and consistency of system operation are improved.

[0006] Furthermore, the fermentation group includes four ground tanks, which are equidistantly distributed in a 2×2 rectangular array to form the fermentation group. The material rack mechanism includes four hoppers with the same arrangement as the ground tanks in the fermentation group, and each hopper has a discharge valve at its lower end. Specifically defining the fermentation group and hoppers as a 2×2 array makes the system layout more regular, facilitating AGV path planning and alignment of the material rack mechanism, further improving feeding accuracy and operational efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, the material rack mechanism also includes a material rack base plate and electric push rods. The material rack base plate is equipped with the hoppers, and a set of electric push rods is installed on the lower side of the material rack base plate corresponding to each hopper. The output end of the electric push rod is connected to the discharge valve and can control the opening and closing of the discharge valve. By using electric push rods to control the discharge valve, the discharge process is automated and precisely controlled, avoiding material spillage or uneven addition, and ensuring fermentation quality.

[0008] Furthermore, the capacity of each hopper is the same as the capacity of one ground cylinder. Matching the hopper capacity with the ground cylinder capacity enables precise feeding of "one hopper per cylinder," simplifies the operation process, avoids multiple handling or measurement errors, and improves work efficiency.

[0009] Furthermore, the fermentation material handling AGV includes a vehicle body and four sets of drive wheels installed under the vehicle body, with gaps between adjacent fermentation units to allow the drive wheels to pass through. These AGV passage gaps between fermentation units ensure that the AGV can move flexibly in the densely arranged fermentation tank area, avoiding collisions and guaranteeing the stability and safety of the system operation. Furthermore, a gap is left between each pair of transverse fermentation units to allow the vehicle body to pass through, and a gap is left between each pair of longitudinal fermentation units to allow the drive wheels to pass through. When the mash transport AGV moves laterally, its body passes over the fermentation units. Refining the design of the transverse and longitudinal passage gaps optimizes the AGV's movement path, enabling it to efficiently cover the entire fermentation area, reduce empty driving distance, and improve overall operating efficiency.

[0010] Furthermore, the material handling AGV also includes forks mounted on the vehicle body, an electronic control system, and a hydraulic lifting system. The output end of the hydraulic lifting system is connected to the forks and can drive them up and down. The electronic control system controls the AGV's drive and the lifting of the forks. Integrating the forks, electronic control, and hydraulic lifting system enables automatic forking, lifting, and handling of the material rack mechanism, enhancing the AGV's functionality and automation level, and reducing reliance on manual labor.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom plate of the rack is provided with a fork slot for receiving the forks. The fork slot on the bottom plate of the rack facilitates quick and accurate docking and picking up of the AGV forks, improving the reliability and efficiency of handling operations and reducing positioning time.

[0012] On the other hand, this application also provides a method for transporting mash in the above-described system for fermentation in earthen vats for baijiu (Chinese liquor), which includes the following steps: S1. When the workshop's earthen vat needs to be filled with fermented mash, the workers load the fermented mash into the material rack mechanism. After the mash is full, the material rack mechanism is placed in the designated location. S2. Subsequently, under the control of the upper control unit, the AGV for transporting mash picks up and lifts the material rack mechanism containing mash, and reaches the target cylinder position where the material needs to be fed according to the predetermined path. S3. Then, the upper control unit controls the material rack mechanism to add materials from the top of the ground cylinder to the ground cylinder, so as to realize the automatic feeding operation of the mash into the cylinder. S4. After all the mash has been put into the cylinder, the mash transport AGV places the empty material rack mechanism at the designated location and repeats the above process until all the cylinders in the system are full of mash.

[0013] The above handling methods provide clear and operable steps for handling mash, realizing a fully automated closed loop from manual loading to automatic feeding, ensuring that the system can operate efficiently and continuously, and greatly improving the modernization level of liquor production.

[0014] (III) Beneficial Effects The above-described technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages: This invention constructs a complete automated mash feeding system. Through the cooperation of the mash handling AGV and the material rack mechanism, the transportation and loading of mash during the fermentation process of baijiu are automated, reducing manual intervention, greatly reducing the labor intensity of workers, improving the efficiency of mash handling and loading, and reducing the cost of baijiu brewing.

[0015] In addition to the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical features of the technical solutions constituted by the present invention, and the advantages brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions as described above, other technical features of the present invention and the advantages brought about by these technical features will be further explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is an overall effect diagram of AGVs transporting mash in a fermentation system.

[0018] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) structure.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall material rack mechanism.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the material rack mechanism.

[0021] In the diagram: 1. Ground tank; 2. Mash handling AGV; 3. Material rack mechanism; 4. Vehicle body; 5. Drive wheel; 6. Forklift; 7. Electrical control system; 8. Hydraulic lifting system; 9. Material rack base plate; 10. Hopper; 11. Discharge valve; 12. Electric push rod; 13. Fermentation group. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] Example 1 like Figure 1-4 As shown, a system for fermenting baijiu (Chinese liquor) in underground vats (1) includes the vat 1, a mash transport AGV 2, a material rack mechanism 3, and a higher-level control unit. The vats 1 are densely arranged underground in a fermentation plant or workshop, with open tops. The mash transport AGV 2 transports the material rack mechanism 3 above the vats 1 to a target location. The material rack mechanism 3 loads the fermentation mash and adds it from above the vats 1. The higher-level control unit controls the mash transport AGV 2 to transport the material rack mechanism 3 and controls the material rack mechanism 3 to add materials to the vats 1. It should be noted that the higher-level control unit can directly adopt existing AGV higher-level control systems, and will not be described in detail here.

[0025] More specifically, the system for fermenting baijiu in earthen vats 1 described in this embodiment further includes several fermentation units, each fermentation unit comprising several fermentation groups 13, each fermentation group 13 comprising multiple earthen vats 1, and the fermentation groups 13 arranged in a rectangular array at equal intervals to form a fermentation unit; correspondingly, the material rack mechanism 3 includes hoppers 10 with the same number and arrangement of earthen vats 1 as the fermentation groups 13, and a discharge valve 11 is provided at the lower end of the hopper 10, allowing materials to be added to the earthen vats 1 by opening and closing the discharge valve 11. The discharge valve 11 here can be, for example, an electric valve, a rotary feeder, or a solenoid valve.

[0026] More specifically, the fermentation group 13 includes four earthen tanks 1, which are equidistantly distributed in a 2×2 rectangular array to form the fermentation group 13. The material rack mechanism 3 includes four hoppers 10 with the same arrangement as the earthen tanks 1 in the fermentation group 13, and each hopper 10 has a discharge valve 11 at its lower end. Alternatively, the fermentation group can consist of six earthen tanks 13×3 or nine earthen tanks 13×3×3, etc.

[0027] Example 2 This embodiment is a further optimization and refinement of the various structures of the fermentation system based on Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the material rack mechanism 3 also includes a material rack base plate 9 and electric push rods 12. The material rack base plate 9 is provided with the hoppers 10. It can be understood that the material rack base plate 9 is provided with a clearance opening at the position where the hoppers 10 are located to allow material to be discharged from the hoppers 10, or the lower end of the hoppers 10 can be directly placed through the material rack base plate 9 to facilitate material feeding. A set of electric push rods 12 is provided on the lower side of the material rack base plate 9 for each hopper 10. The output end of the electric push rod 12 is connected to the discharge valve 11 and can control the opening and closing of the discharge valve 11. If the discharge valve 11 adopts a hinged baffle structure, the electric push rod 12 can open or close the discharge port at the lower end of the hopper 10 by driving the baffle structure to rotate. Of course, other forms of structures are also possible and are not limited here. The capacity of each hopper 10 is the same as the capacity of one ground tank 1.

[0028] Example 3 This embodiment is a further optimization and refinement of the fermentation system structure based on Embodiment 2. In this embodiment, the mash transport AGV2 includes a vehicle body 4 and four sets of drive wheels 5 disposed under the vehicle body 4. The drive wheels 5 are driven by independent drive motors and steering motors, enabling omnidirectional movement, and existing technology can be directly adopted. A gap is left between each pair of adjacent fermentation units to allow the drive wheels 5 to pass through. A gap is left between each pair of transverse fermentation units to allow the vehicle body 4 to pass through, forming a transverse channel. A gap is left between each pair of longitudinal fermentation units to allow the drive wheels 5 to pass through, forming a longitudinal channel. When the mash transport AGV2 moves laterally, its vehicle body 4 passes above the fermentation units.

[0029] More specifically, the material handling AGV2 also includes forks 6, an electronic control system 7, and a hydraulic lifting system 8 mounted on the vehicle body 4. The output end of the hydraulic lifting system 8 is connected to the forks 6 and can drive them up and down. The electronic control system 7 controls the AGV's drive and the lifting of the forks 6, and can also control the electric push rod 12. It should be noted that the forks 6, electronic control system 7, and hydraulic lifting system 8 can all be directly installed using existing technology. The bottom plate 9 of the material rack has a fork slot for receiving the forks 6.

[0030] Example 4 This embodiment provides a method for transporting mash in the system for fermentation in a baijiu vat 1 as described in the above embodiment, which includes the following steps: S1. When the workshop's earthen vat 1 needs to be filled with fermented mash, the worker only needs to put the fermented mash into the four hoppers 10 of the material rack mechanism 3. After the mash is full, the material rack mechanism 3 is placed in the designated location. S2. Subsequently, the mash transport AGV2 moves under the control of the upper control unit and picks up and lifts the material rack mechanism 3 containing the mash, and reaches the target fermentation group 13 where the material needs to be fed through the longitudinal and transverse channels of the AGV in the fermentation system according to the predetermined path. S3. Then the upper control unit (or the AGV's electrical control system 7) controls the electric push rod 12 in the material rack mechanism 3 to push the discharge valve 11 below the hopper 10 to complete the opening operation and realize the automatic feeding operation of the mash into the cylinder. S4. After all the mash is put into the vat, the mash transport AGV2 will place the empty material rack mechanism 3 at the designated location, and then transport the material rack mechanism 3 filled with mash, and repeat the above process until all the vats 1 in the fermentation system are filled with mash.

[0031] Furthermore, in the description of the invention, unless otherwise stated, the terms "multiple," "multiple roots," and "multiple groups" mean two or more, and "several," "several roots," and "several groups" mean one or more. In the description of the invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0032] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for fermenting baijiu (Chinese liquor) in earthen vats, characterized in that: The system includes a ground tank, a fermentation material transport AGV, a material rack mechanism, and an upper control unit. The ground tanks are densely arranged underground with open tops. The fermentation material transport AGV is used to transport the material rack mechanism above the ground tanks to the target location. The material rack mechanism is used to load fermentation materials and add fermentation materials from above the ground tanks. The upper control unit is used to control the fermentation material transport AGV to transport the material rack mechanism and to control the material rack mechanism to add materials to the ground tanks.

2. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes several fermentation units, each fermentation unit comprising several fermentation groups, each fermentation group comprising multiple earthen vats, and the fermentation groups are arranged in a rectangular array at equal intervals to form a fermentation unit; the material rack mechanism includes a hopper with the same number and arrangement of earthen vats as the fermentation groups, and a discharge valve is provided at the lower end of the hopper.

3. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fermentation group includes four ground tanks, which are equidistantly distributed in a 2×2 rectangular array to form the fermentation group. The material rack mechanism includes four hoppers with the same arrangement as the ground tanks in the fermentation group.

4. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material rack mechanism also includes a material rack base plate and electric push rods. The material rack base plate is provided with the material hoppers. A set of electric push rods is provided on the lower side of the material rack base plate for each material hopper. The output end of the electric push rods is connected to the discharge valve and can control the opening and closing of the discharge valve.

5. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the hoppers has the same capacity as a ground cylinder.

6. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fermentation material handling AGV includes a vehicle body and four sets of drive wheels located under the vehicle body, with gaps between adjacent fermentation units to allow the drive wheels to pass through.

7. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 6, characterized in that: There is a gap between each pair of horizontal fermentation units to allow the vehicle body to pass through, and there is a gap between each pair of vertical fermentation units to allow the drive wheels to pass through. When the mash transport AGV moves laterally, its vehicle body passes over the fermentation unit.

8. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 7, characterized in that: The AGV for transporting mash also includes forks, an electronic control system, and a hydraulic lifting system mounted on the vehicle body. The output end of the hydraulic lifting system is connected to the forks and can drive them up and down. The electronic control system controls the driving of the AGV and the lifting of the forks.

9. The system for fermentation of baijiu in earthen vats according to claim 8, characterized in that: The bottom plate of the rack is provided with a fork slot for receiving the forks.

10. The method for transporting mash in a system for fermenting baijiu (Chinese liquor) in earthen vats according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. When the workshop's earthen vat needs to be filled with fermented mash, the workers load the fermented mash into the material rack mechanism. After the mash is full, the material rack mechanism is placed in the designated location. S2. Subsequently, under the control of the upper control unit, the AGV for transporting mash picks up and lifts the material rack mechanism containing mash, and reaches the target cylinder position where the material needs to be fed according to the predetermined path. S3. Then, the upper control unit controls the material rack mechanism to add materials from the top of the ground cylinder to the ground cylinder, so as to realize the automatic feeding operation of the mash into the cylinder. S4. After all the mash has been put into the cylinder, the mash transport AGV places the empty material rack mechanism at the designated location and repeats the above process until all the cylinders in the system are full of mash.

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