A device for detecting alcohol content in beer production and a method thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the field of alcohol content detection, and discloses a beer production alcohol content detection device and a method thereof. The device comprises a controller and a detection cylinder. A suspension is fixedly arranged in the detection cylinder. An automatic lifting column is arranged at the bottom of the suspension. A detection mechanism is detachably connected to the bottom of the automatic lifting column. The detection mechanism comprises a temperature detection unit and an alcohol detection unit. The temperature detection unit is used for detecting the temperature of a to-be-detected liquid. The alcohol detection unit is used for detecting the alcohol content. A slow-release unit and a uniform unit are arranged in the detection cylinder. The slow-release unit is arranged below a liquid inlet arranged at the top of the detection cylinder. The slow-release unit is used for reducing the flow rate of the to-be-detected liquid injected into the detection cylinder. The uniform unit is used for uniformly mixing the to-be-detected liquid. Through cooperation of the slow-release unit and the uniform unit, temperature stratification and alcohol content measurement errors caused by different liquid levels are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of alcohol content detection, and more specifically to an alcohol content detection device and method for beer production. Background Technology

[0002] In beer production, alcohol content is a key indicator of product quality. Current technology often uses a measuring vessel with a thermometer and alcohol meter to test the alcohol content. Specifically, the beer to be tested is poured into the measuring vessel, the temperature is measured with a thermometer, and the alcohol content is read with an alcohol meter. The standard alcohol content value is then obtained using a temperature-alcohol conversion table. To improve testing efficiency and reduce the frequent handling of the measuring instruments, some improved solutions fix the thermometer and alcohol meter inside the measuring vessel using clamping components, enabling continuous measurement without the need for insertion or removal.

[0003] However, the aforementioned existing technologies still have the following shortcomings in practical applications:

[0004] Firstly, the thermometer and alcohol meter have relatively fixed measuring positions, making it impossible to flexibly adjust them according to the actual liquid level in the measuring container. During continuous testing, the amount of liquor injected from different batches or of different volumes may vary, leading to changes in the liquid level. The fixed measuring components may fail to accurately reflect the true temperature and alcohol content of the liquor because the measuring end is not fully immersed in the liquor or the immersion depth is insufficient.

[0005] Secondly, existing devices typically measure immediately after the liquor is injected, failing to adequately account for temperature stratification caused by factors such as flow rate and temperature difference during injection. In actual production, the liquor may originate from different storage environments or be transported via pipelines, resulting in uneven internal temperature distribution within the measuring vessel shortly after injection. If the thermometer reading is taken directly at this time, the obtained temperature will not match the local temperature at the location of the alcohol meter, leading to deviations in the alcohol content conversion. This effect on measurement accuracy is even greater when there is a significant temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the liquor temperature, or when the liquor flow rate is high.

[0006] In summary, existing alcohol content detection devices still have significant shortcomings in terms of the adaptability of the position and orientation of the measuring components and the processing of temperature uniformity, making it difficult to meet the requirements of efficient, accurate, and stable detection. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device and method for detecting alcohol content in beer production, thereby solving at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0008] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] An alcohol content detection device for beer production includes: a controller and a detection cylinder. A suspension is fixedly installed inside the detection cylinder, and an automatic lifting column is installed at the bottom of the suspension. A detection mechanism is detachably connected to the bottom of the automatic lifting column. The detection mechanism includes a temperature detection unit and an alcohol detection unit. The temperature detection unit is used to detect the temperature of the liquid to be tested, and the alcohol detection unit is used to detect the alcohol content.

[0010] The detection tube is also equipped with a slow-release unit and a homogenizing unit. The slow-release unit is located below the liquid inlet at the top of the detection tube. The slow-release unit is used to reduce the flow rate of the liquid to be tested into the detection tube, and the homogenizing unit is used to homogenize the liquid to be tested.

[0011] Furthermore, the slow-release unit includes a flow guide tube and multiple perforated plates. The flow guide tube is vertically fixed below the liquid inlet by a bracket. Multiple perforated plates are installed at the bottom of the flow guide tube. There is a vertical spacing between the multiple perforated plates, and the perforations of the multiple perforated plates are arranged alternately.

[0012] The inner diameter of the guide tube is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet, and the bottom of the guide tube is located at the bottom of the detection cylinder. The guide tube is used to reduce the flow rate and guide the liquid to the bottom of the detection cylinder.

[0013] The bottom end of the guide tube is also fixed with a foam-breaking screen to puncture air bubbles entrained in the liquid flow.

[0014] Furthermore, the homogenization unit includes a homogenizing plate, on which multiple through holes are uniformly opened, and a gap is left between the outer edge of the homogenizing plate and the inner wall of the detection cylinder.

[0015] Multiple vertical push rods are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the homogenizing plate. The upper ends of the vertical push rods all pass through the top of the detection cylinder and are connected to the linear reciprocating motion mechanism.

[0016] When the homogenizing plate moves downward, the liquid below the homogenizing plate is drawn upward through the through holes; when the homogenizing plate moves upward, the liquid above the homogenizing plate is forced downward through the through holes; through the alternating flow of liquid on both sides of the homogenizing plate, foam-free uniform mixing is achieved.

[0017] The linear reciprocating motion mechanism includes an electric push rod. The housing of the electric push rod is fixedly installed on the top outer side of the detection cylinder. A C-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the upper end of the vertical push rod. The end of the telescopic rod of the electric push rod is fixedly connected to the C-shaped connecting plate.

[0018] Furthermore, a movable screen plate with the same structure is also provided on the top of the perforated plate. The movable screen plate is rotatably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe via a horizontal rotating shaft. The linear reciprocating motion mechanism is connected to the movable screen plate via a linkage mechanism, driving the movable screen plate to perform reciprocating tilting and swaying motion.

[0019] The linkage mechanism includes a swing arm and a connecting rod; both ends of the horizontal rotating shaft extend out of the outside of the guide tube, one end of the swing arm is fixedly connected to one end of the horizontal rotating shaft, and the other end of the swing arm is provided with a waist-shaped groove.

[0020] One end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the part of one of the vertical push rods located inside the detection cylinder, and the other end of the connecting rod is fixed with a lever, which slides in the waist-shaped groove.

[0021] When the vertical push rod moves up and down, the lever pushes the swing arm to swing through the waist-shaped groove, causing the movable screen plate to reciprocate tilting and swinging motion around the horizontal axis at ±5 degrees to ±20 degrees.

[0022] Furthermore, a clearance groove is provided at the coaxial position of the homogenizing plate and the guide tube. The inner diameter of the clearance groove is larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube. A sleeve is rotatably connected inside the clearance groove. A spiral groove is provided inside the sleeve. A protrusion with an arc-shaped top is provided on the outer wall of the bottom of the guide tube. The arc-shaped end of the protrusion is inserted into the spiral groove. Two sets of scrapers are provided on the sleeve. Each set has at least two scrapers and they are equidistantly distributed along the circumference of the sleeve. The two sets of scrapers are located on the upper and lower sides of the homogenizing plate, and one side of each scraper abuts against the corresponding side of the homogenizing plate. The section of the scraper located on the upper side of the homogenizing plate near the vertical push rod is provided with an elastic structure. A layer of bristles is provided on the opposite sides of the two sets of scrapers.

[0023] Furthermore, the multiple perforated plates include at least one upper sieve plate and one lower sieve plate, with the upper sieve plate slidably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe and the lower sieve plate fixedly connected to the bottom of the guide pipe;

[0024] The C-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the upper end of the vertical tie rod, and the lower end of the vertical tie rod extends into the inside of the guide tube from the liquid inlet and is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the upper screen plate; the limiting block is fixedly set on the inner wall of the guide tube to limit the maximum distance the upper screen plate moves upward.

[0025] When the electric push rod drives the C-shaped connecting plate to move up and down reciprocally, the vertical pull rod causes the upper screen plate to move up and down synchronously relative to the lower screen plate, thereby causing the vertical distance between the upper and lower screen plates to increase or decrease periodically as the electric push rod extends and retracts.

[0026] A method for detecting alcohol content in beer production includes the following steps:

[0027] S1: The beer sample to be tested is injected into the detection tube through the inlet. The beer passes through the guide tube, multi-layer sieve plate and foam breaking screen in sequence, which reduces the flow rate and punctures the bubbles.

[0028] S2: Start the electric push rod in the linear reciprocating motion mechanism, drive the vertical push rod to drive the homogenizing plate to move up and down at a speed v, and at the same time drive the movable screen plate to move back and forth at an amplitude θ through the linkage mechanism.

[0029] Record the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate and the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate;

[0030] S3: Control the automatic lifting column to descend, immersing the detection mechanism below the beer surface, where the temperature detection unit and alcohol detection unit collect the temperature value and alcohol content measurement value Em respectively;

[0031] S4. Based on the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate and the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate, the alcohol content measurement value is corrected Em to obtain the compensated alcohol content Ec.

[0032] S5. After the test is completed, control the automatic lifting column to rise, so that the testing mechanism is removed from the liquid surface, and stop the electric push rod.

[0033] Furthermore, step S4 specifically includes:

[0034] Based on the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate, the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate, and the preset reference speed v0, reference amplitude θ0 and empirical coefficient α, the alcohol content correction value ΔE is calculated using the formula: ΔE=α×(v×θ) / (v0×θ0).

[0035] Substituting the alcohol correction value ΔE into the formula: Ec=Em+ΔE, we can obtain the compensated alcohol content Ec.

[0036] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0037] (1) The slow-release unit of the present invention, through the large inner diameter structure of the guide tube, the staggered arrangement of the multi-layer sieve plate and the combination of the defoaming net, makes the flow rate of beer gradually decrease and the flow direction change multiple times when the beer is fed in, effectively dissipating the liquid kinetic energy and reducing the violent foam generated by high-speed impact; at the same time, the defoaming net directly punctures the residual bubbles, ensuring that the sample components entering the detection tube are intact, effectively preventing alcohol from overflowing with the foam, thereby reducing the interference of foam on alcohol content detection and improving the reliability of measurement;

[0038] (2) The uniform unit of the present invention adopts a homogenizing plate with low-speed reciprocating motion. Forced vertical mixing is achieved by the alternating flow of liquid on both sides of the homogenizing plate. The motion speed is controlled within the laminar flow range, reducing the probability of new foam generated by entrained gas. At the same time, the swinging motion of the movable sieve plate can adjust the fluid state at the outlet of the guide pipe. The periodic change of the sieve hole spacing can achieve self-cleaning and assisted bubble breaking, thereby further improving the foam-free uniform mixing effect and ensuring that the detection mechanism contacts the real liquid, so as to improve the detection accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0039] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 1This is an overall schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of Example 1;

[0042] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A structural diagram from another angle;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 2;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the motion state in Example 2;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 3.

[0046] Figure Descriptions: 1. Detection cylinder; 2. Suspension; 3. Automatic lifting column; 4. Detection mechanism; 5. Liquid inlet; 6. Slow-release unit; 61. Guide tube; 62. Sieve plate; 63. Support; 64. Defoaming screen; 7. Homogenization unit; 71. Homogenizing plate; 72. Through hole; 74. Vertical push rod; 75. Electric push rod; 76. C-shaped connecting plate; 77. Movable sieve plate; 78. Horizontal rotating shaft; 8. Linkage mechanism; 81. Swing arm; 82. Connecting rod; 83. Waist-shaped groove; 84. Pulley; 9. Upper sieve plate; 10. Lower sieve plate; 11. Vertical pull rod; 12. Limiting block; 13. Clearance groove; 14. Sleeve; 15. Spiral groove; 16. Protrusion; 17. Scraper; 18. Elastic structure; 19. Brush bristles. Detailed Implementation

[0047] 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, and 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.

[0048] Please see Figure 1 As shown, the present invention is a beer production alcohol content detection device, including: a controller and a detection cylinder 1. A suspension 2 is fixedly installed inside the detection cylinder 1. An automatic lifting column 3 is installed at the bottom of the suspension 2. A detection mechanism 4 is detachably connected to the bottom of the automatic lifting column 3. The detection mechanism 4 includes a temperature detection unit and an alcohol detection unit. The temperature detection unit is used to detect the temperature of the liquid to be tested, and the alcohol detection unit is used to detect the alcohol content.

[0049] The detection tube is also equipped with a slow-release unit 6 and a homogenizing unit 7. The slow-release unit 6 is located below the liquid inlet 5 opened at the top of the detection tube 1. The slow-release unit 6 is used to reduce the flow rate of the liquid to be tested into the detection tube 1. The homogenizing unit 7 is used to homogenize the liquid to be tested.

[0050] The temperature detection unit can be a thermometer, and the alcohol detection unit can be an alcohol meter; the automatic lifting column 3 can be electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically driven, and two detection mechanisms 4 can be set up, symmetrically distributed on the inner wall of the detection cylinder 1, with a liquid outlet on one side of the bottom of the detection cylinder 1; the automatic lifting column 3 drives the detection mechanism 4 to descend below the corresponding liquid level, thereby meeting the detection needs of beer liquids with different liquid levels and improving the overall detection accuracy.

[0051] Example 1:

[0052] Please see Figures 1-3 As shown, the slow-release unit 6 includes a guide tube 61 and multiple sieve plates 62. The guide tube 61 is vertically fixed below the liquid inlet 5 by a bracket 63. Multiple sieve plates 62 are installed at the bottom of the guide tube 61. There is a vertical spacing between the multiple sieve plates 62, and the sieve holes of the multiple sieve plates 62 are arranged alternately.

[0053] The inner diameter of the guide tube 61 is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet 5. The bottom of the guide tube 61 is located at the lower part of the detection cylinder 1. The guide tube 61 is used to reduce the flow rate and guide the liquid to the lower part of the detection cylinder 1.

[0054] The bottom end of the guide tube 61 is also fixed with a foam defoaming net 64, which is used to puncture the air bubbles entrained in the liquid flow.

[0055] The homogenization unit 7 includes a homogenizing plate 71, on which a plurality of through holes 72 are uniformly opened, and a gap is left between the outer edge of the homogenizing plate 71 and the inner wall of the detection cylinder 1.

[0056] Multiple vertical push rods 74 are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the homogenizing plate 71. The upper ends of the vertical push rods 74 all extend out of the top of the detection cylinder 1 and are connected to the linear reciprocating motion mechanism.

[0057] When the homogenizing plate 71 moves downward, the liquid below the homogenizing plate 71 is drawn upward through the through hole 72; when the homogenizing plate 71 moves upward, the liquid above the homogenizing plate 71 is pressed downward through the through hole 72; through the alternating flow of liquid on both sides of the homogenizing plate 71, foam-free uniform mixing is achieved.

[0058] The linear reciprocating motion mechanism includes an electric push rod 75. The housing of the electric push rod 75 is fixedly installed on the top outer side of the detection cylinder 1. A C-shaped connecting plate 76 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the vertical push rod 74. The telescopic rod end of the electric push rod 75 is fixedly connected to the C-shaped connecting plate 76.

[0059] In this embodiment, the slow-release unit 6 uses a combination of a guide tube 61 and a multi-layer perforated plate 62. When the beer to be tested is injected from the inlet 5 at the top of the detection cylinder 1, the flow rate of the liquid immediately decreases after entering the guide tube 61 because the inner diameter of the guide tube 61 is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet 5. At the same time, the guide tube 61 guides the liquid vertically downward to the lower part of the detection cylinder 1, avoiding the liquid from directly impacting the bottom of the detection cylinder 1 at high speed and generating a large amount of foam. The multi-layer perforated plate 62 installed at the bottom of the guide tube 61 has its perforations arranged in an alternating pattern. When the liquid passes through each layer of perforated plate 62 under the action of gravity, it is redistributed and slowed down after passing through each layer of perforations. The alternating perforations force the liquid flow to change direction continuously, thereby further consuming kinetic energy and reducing the generation of bubbles. The defoaming net 64 fixed at the bottom of the guide tube 61 serves as the last defoaming barrier. Any tiny bubbles that are not intercepted by the perforated plate 62 will be punctured by the metal wire when passing through the defoaming net 64, ensuring that the liquid entering the main cavity of the detection cylinder 1 contains almost no visible foam.

[0060] In this embodiment, the homogenizing unit 7 adopts a horizontally arranged homogenizing plate 71. The edge of the homogenizing plate 71 has a gap with the inner wall of the detection cylinder 1. Multiple through holes 72 are evenly opened on the homogenizing plate 71, and it is connected to the electric push rod 75 at the top of the detection cylinder 1 through a vertical push rod 74. The electric push rod 75 drives the homogenizing plate 71 to move up and down at a low speed, such as 0.5 to 2 mm / s. When the homogenizing plate 71 moves downward, the volume of liquid below the plate is compressed and the pressure increases, while the volume above the plate expands and the pressure decreases. Therefore, the liquid below the plate is drawn upward through the through holes 72. When the homogenizing plate 71 moves upward, the liquid above the plate is pressed downward. Through such alternating flow, the forced exchange of liquid between the upper and lower layers in the detection cylinder 1 is achieved. Moreover, because the movement speed is low and the size of the through holes 72 is adaptively set, the beer liquid flows in a laminar flow state and will not entrain gas to produce foam. Compared to existing technologies where beer injection generates a large amount of foam due to high-speed impact and turbulence, and where traditional stirring and mixing methods introduce air bubbles, resulting in alcohol overflowing or adhering to the sensor surface and causing low and unstable alcohol content measurements, this invention achieves foam-free injection and mixing through multi-stage deceleration and foam breaking of the slow-release unit 6 and low-speed through-flow mixing of the uniform unit 7. This ensures that the alcohol detection unit and temperature detection unit can contact the real and uniform liquid, thereby obtaining accurate and reliable alcohol content readings.

[0061] Example 2:

[0062] Please see Figures 4-5 As shown, a movable screen plate 77 with the same structure is also provided on the top of the screen plate 62. The movable screen plate 77 is rotatably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe 61 through a horizontal rotating shaft 78. The linear reciprocating motion mechanism is connected to the movable screen plate 77 through the linkage mechanism 8, driving the movable screen plate 77 to perform reciprocating tilting and swinging motion.

[0063] The linkage mechanism 8 includes a swing arm 81 and a connecting rod 82; both ends of the horizontal rotating shaft 78 extend out of the outside of the guide pipe 61, one end of the swing arm 81 is fixedly connected to one end of the horizontal rotating shaft 78, and the other end of the swing arm 81 is provided with a waist-shaped groove 83; there is a sufficient clearance between the movable screen plate 77 and the inner wall of the guide pipe 61 for swinging movement.

[0064] One end of the connecting rod 82 is fixedly connected to the part of one of the vertical push rods 74 located inside the detection cylinder 1, and the other end of the connecting rod 82 is fixed with a lever 84, which slides in the waist-shaped groove 83.

[0065] When the vertical push rod 74 moves up and down, the lever 84 pushes the swing arm 81 to swing through the waist-shaped groove 83, causing the movable screen plate 77 to reciprocate tilting and swinging motion around the horizontal rotating shaft 78 at ±5 degrees to ±20 degrees.

[0066] Based on Embodiment 1, this embodiment further adds a movable screen plate 77 to the top of the perforated plate 62. The movable screen plate 77 is rotatably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe 61 via a horizontal rotating shaft 78, and is driven by the same set of electric push rods 75 through the linkage mechanism 8 to perform reciprocating tilting and swinging motion. The specific working process of the linkage mechanism 8 is as follows:

[0067] The vertical push rod 74 is fixedly connected to a connecting rod 82 inside the detection cylinder 1, and a lever 84 is provided at the end of the connecting rod 82. The horizontal rotating shaft 78 of the movable screen plate 77 extends outward from the outside of the guide tube 61 at both ends, and one end is fixedly connected to a swing arm 81. A waist-shaped groove 83 is opened on the swing arm 81, and the lever 84 slides in the waist-shaped groove 83. When the electric push rod 75 drives the vertical push rod 74 to move up and down, the lever 84 moves up and down accordingly. Since the lever 84 can only slide in the waist-shaped groove 83, and the swing arm 81 is fixedly connected to the horizontal rotating shaft 78, the linear motion of the lever 84 is converted into the swing of the swing arm 81 around the horizontal rotating shaft 78, which in turn drives the movable screen plate 77 to reciprocate tilting and swinging, with the swing amplitude controlled between ±5 degrees and ±20 degrees. Since the length of the swing arm 81 is greater than the vertical distance from the lever 84 to the rotating shaft, the large linear stroke of the vertical push rod 74 is reduced to a small-angle swing of the movable screen plate 77, which meets the requirements of low speed, small amplitude, and gentle swaying.

[0068] The movable sieve plate 77 is located above the multi-layer fixed sieve plate 62. After the liquid flows down from the guide pipe 61, it first falls onto the movable sieve plate 77. The reciprocating swaying of the movable sieve plate 77 causes the liquid to flow laterally on the plate, which not only further disperses the liquid flow and reduces the local speed, but also breaks any tiny bubbles that may exist by shaking the plate surface. Simultaneously, the reciprocating oscillating motion of the movable sieve plate 77 causes horizontal shearing and dispersion of the liquid inside the guide tube 61. By tilting the sieve plate to change the direction of the liquid flow, the central high-speed jet is dispersed into multiple oblique liquid flows, making the outlet velocity distribution tend to be flat. This reduces the probability of the liquid impacting the bottom of the detection cylinder 1 or the homogenizing plate 71 in the form of a high-speed jet. The oscillation of the sieve plate causes relative motion between the liquid and the sieve holes, which can enhance the shear dissipation and active bubble breaking effect. Moreover, the sweeping and pressure pulsation generated by the oscillation can prevent outlet blockage and keep the flow channel unobstructed, thus creating more favorable inlet conditions for the vertical flow mixing of the homogenizing plate 71. The homogenizing plate 71 then dominates the uniform mixing of the liquid throughout the entire area of ​​the detection cylinder 1. Through the division of labor between upstream pre-dispersion and downstream main mixing, the two work together to achieve a foam-free operation from liquid inlet to mixing.

[0069] While the existing technology using a fixed multi-layer perforated plate 62 can slow down and defoam, after long-term use, solid particles such as yeast and hop resin in beer tend to deposit at the edges of the perforations, leading to localized blockages. Furthermore, simple vertical flow mixing offers limited improvement in terms of horizontal non-uniformity. By adding the swaying motion of the movable perforated plate 77, on the one hand, the periodic tilting of the plate surface promotes the sliding of deposits, keeping the perforations clear; on the other hand, the division of labor between upstream pre-dispersion and downstream main mixing is introduced, jointly achieving a foam-free operation throughout the entire process from liquid inlet to mixing, thereby further improving the repeatability and accuracy of alcohol content detection.

[0070] A clearance groove 13 is provided at the coaxial position of the homogenizing plate 71 and the guide tube 61. The inner diameter of the clearance groove 13 is larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube 61. A sleeve 14 is rotatably connected inside the clearance groove 13. A spiral groove 15 is provided inside the sleeve 14. A protrusion 16 with an arc-shaped top is provided on the outer wall of the bottom of the guide tube 61. The arc-shaped end of the protrusion 16 is inserted into the spiral groove 15. Two sets of scrapers 17 are provided on the sleeve 14. Each set has at least two scrapers 17 and they are equidistantly distributed along the circumference of the sleeve 14. The two sets of scrapers 17 are located on the upper and lower sides of the homogenizing plate 71, and one side of each scraper 17 abuts against the corresponding side of the homogenizing plate 71. The section of the scraper 17 located on the upper side of the homogenizing plate 71 near the vertical push rod 74 is provided as an elastic structure 18. A layer of bristles 19 is provided on the opposite sides of the two sets of scrapers 17.

[0071] When the electric push rod 75 drives the homogenizing plate 71 to reciprocate up and down, the homogenizing plate 71 drives the sleeve 14 to move up and down synchronously. The spiral groove 15 inside the sleeve 14 interacts with the fixed protrusion 16 on the guide tube 61, forcing the sleeve 14 to rotate around the guide tube 61, which in turn drives the two sets of scrapers 17 to rotate, so that the scrapers 17 and bristles 19 rotate and scrape and clean the upper and lower surfaces of the homogenizing plate 71 and the through hole 72. It should be noted that the maximum height of the top of the sleeve 14 is below the horizontal rotating shaft 78 to prevent interference.

[0072] This solution utilizes the lifting motion of the homogenizing plate 71 itself, which is converted into the rotational motion of the sleeve 14 through the helical pair. This drives the scraper 17 to continuously rotate and scrape the upper and lower surfaces of the homogenizing plate 71, effectively removing deposited yeast mud, hop resin and other sticky substances, and preventing surface scaling. This scraping action is synchronized with the mixed motion of the homogenizing plate 71, requiring no additional power source. On one hand, the bristles 19 on the opposite sides of the two sets of scrapers 17 repeatedly pass through the through holes 72 on the homogenizing plate 71 during rotation, brushing out the fine particles attached to the inner wall of the holes and keeping the through holes 72 unobstructed. Because the bristles 19 are flexible, they will not get stuck or damage the hole walls, and the cleaning frequency is positively correlated with the movement speed of the homogenizing plate 71, that is, the faster the speed, the faster the rotation, and the more frequent the cleaning. On the other hand, the section of the upper scraper 17 near the vertical push rod 74 is designed with an elastic structure 18, such as a spring sheet, which can elastically deform when it encounters the vertical push rod 74 during scraping, until it passes the vertical push rod 74, and then reset under its own elastic force to continue scraping, avoiding hard collisions between the two. At the same time, the upper and lower sets of scrapers 17 work simultaneously, and one lifting cycle can complete the comprehensive scraping of the upper and lower surfaces of the homogenizing plate 71. The scrapers 17 are evenly distributed along the circumference and cover the entire annular surface when rotating, with no blind spots. Finally, the contact between the scraper 17 and the surface of the homogenizing plate 71 is through sliding friction, but the movement speed is low, and beer itself has a certain degree of lubrication, so wear is minimal. The bristles 19 are made of a soft material, further reducing the risk of scratching the surface of the homogenizing plate 71. Moreover, when the movement speed of the homogenizing plate 71 changes, such as due to aging of the electric push rod 75 or adjustment of control parameters, the rotation speed of the sleeve 14 changes synchronously, and the scraping frequency and cleaning intensity automatically adapt, without the need for manual adjustment. The faster the speed, the stronger the cleaning.

[0073] Example 3:

[0074] Please see Figure 6 As shown, the plurality of sieve plates 62 include at least one upper sieve plate 9 and one lower sieve plate 10. The upper sieve plate 9 is slidably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe 61, and the lower sieve plate 10 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the guide pipe 61.

[0075] The C-shaped connecting plate 76 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the vertical tie rod 11, and the lower end of the vertical tie rod 11 extends into the interior of the guide pipe 61 from the liquid inlet 5 and is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the upper sieve plate 9; the limiting block 12 is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the guide pipe 61 to limit the maximum distance that the upper sieve plate 9 can move upward.

[0076] When the electric push rod 75 drives the C-shaped connecting plate 76 to move up and down reciprocally, the vertical pull rod 11 drives the upper screen plate 9 to move up and down synchronously relative to the lower screen plate 10, so that the vertical distance between the upper screen plate 9 and the lower screen plate 10 increases or decreases periodically as the electric push rod 75 extends and retracts.

[0077] This embodiment dynamically improves the vertical spacing between the perforated plates 62. The perforated plates 62 include at least one upper perforated plate 9 and one lower perforated plate 10. The lower perforated plate 10 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the guide pipe 61 as a reference. The upper perforated plate 9 is slidably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe 61, allowing it to move up and down without rotating. This is achieved, for example, through dovetail grooves or guide columns, not shown in the figure. The C-shaped connecting plate 76, which is fixed to the telescopic rod of the electric push rod 75, is additionally fixedly connected to a vertical pull rod 11. The upper end of the vertical pull rod 11 is connected to the C-shaped connecting plate 76, and the lower end extends from the liquid inlet 5 into the guide pipe 61 and is directly fixedly connected to the upper surface of the upper perforated plate 9.

[0078] When the electric push rod 75 drives the C-shaped connecting plate 76 to move up and down reciprocally, the vertical pull rod 11 drives the upper screen plate 9 to move up and down synchronously relative to the lower screen plate 10, so that the vertical distance between the upper screen plate 9 and the lower screen plate 10 increases or decreases periodically as the electric push rod 75 extends and retracts.

[0079] To limit the maximum upward movement of the upper sieve plate 9, a limit block 12 is also fixedly installed on the inner wall of the guide pipe 61 to prevent the upper sieve plate 9 from leaving the sliding range or hitting the liquid inlet 5.

[0080] When the upper screen plate 9 moves downwards closer to the lower screen plate 10, the gap between the two plates decreases. Beer solid particles that were originally stuck between the screen holes or attached to the screen plate, such as yeast sludge and protein flocculents, will be squeezed and broken. At the same time, any small air bubbles that are trapped will also break due to the compression of space. When the upper screen plate 9 moves upwards away from the lower screen plate 10, the gap increases, and a local negative pressure is formed between the two plates. This negative pressure helps to flush out the fine particles that are stuck in the screen holes, thus playing a self-cleaning role.

[0081] Unlike the swaying motion in Example 2, the spacing change in this example is a translational motion perpendicular to the plane of the sieve plate. It does not produce horizontal shearing, but it can periodically compress and stretch the suspended matter in the beer, similar to a breathing action. It is particularly suitable for fermentation liquids or unfiltered beer containing a large amount of easily sedimentable solids.

[0082] To address the issue that after a period of use, the sieve holes of a multi-layer sieve plate 62 with a fixed spacing are easily clogged by viscous substances in beer, such as hop resin and yeast flocs, leading to increased liquid flow resistance and uncontrolled flow rate, which in turn affects the slow-release effect and mixing uniformity. Moreover, severe clogging requires disassembly and cleaning, affecting continuous detection efficiency. This invention uses an electric push rod 75 to drive the upper sieve plate 9 to reciprocate, causing the sieve hole spacing 62 to change periodically, achieving online self-cleaning and anti-clogging functions. At the same time, this spacing change also causes fluctuations in the liquid flow velocity through the sieve holes, further disturbing the liquid and disrupting any possible temperature or concentration stratification. This extends the maintenance-free period of the device and ensures long-term detection accuracy without adding extra foam.

[0083] A method for detecting alcohol content in beer production includes the following steps:

[0084] S1: The beer sample to be tested is injected into the detection cylinder 1 through the inlet 5. The beer passes through the guide tube 61, the multi-layer sieve plate 62 and the foam breaking screen 64 in sequence, which reduces the flow rate and punctures the bubbles.

[0085] S2: Start the electric push rod 75 in the linear reciprocating motion mechanism, drive the vertical push rod 74 to drive the homogenizing plate 71 to move up and down reciprocally at a speed v, and at the same time drive the movable screen plate 77 to move back and forth with an amplitude of θ through the linkage mechanism 8.

[0086] Record the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate 71 and the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate 77;

[0087] S3: Control the automatic lifting column 3 to descend, immersing the detection mechanism 4 below the beer surface, and the temperature detection unit and alcohol detection unit respectively collect the temperature value and alcohol content measurement value Em;

[0088] S4. Based on the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate 71 and the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate 77, the alcohol content measurement value is corrected Em to obtain the compensated alcohol content Ec.

[0089] S5. After the test is completed, control the automatic lifting column 3 to rise, so that the testing mechanism 4 is removed from the liquid surface, and stop the electric push rod 75.

[0090] Step S4 specifically includes:

[0091] Based on the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate 71, the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate 77, and the preset reference speed v0, reference amplitude θ0 and empirical coefficient α, the alcohol content correction value ΔE is calculated using the formula: ΔE=α×(v×θ) / (v0×θ0).

[0092] Substituting the alcohol correction value ΔE into the formula: Ec=Em+ΔE, we can obtain the compensated alcohol content Ec.

[0093] The velocity v0 of the reference homogeneous plate 71 is 0.8 to 1.2 mm / s, preferably 1.0 mm / s; the reference swing amplitude θ0 is 8 degrees to 12 degrees, preferably 10 degrees;

[0094] The empirical coefficient α is obtained by prior calibration using standard alcohol samples, and its value ranges from 0.002 to 0.02% vol.s / (mm.deg). Example: Take a standard beer sample with a known alcohol content Estd, measure Em under different combinations of v and θ, calculate the deviation ΔE=Estd−Em, plot the relationship curve between ΔE and v×θ / v0×θ0, and obtain the coefficient α through linear fitting.

[0095] Furthermore, the aforementioned correction formula is only effective when the velocity v of the homogeneous plate 71 is 0.5–2 mm / s and the oscillation amplitude θ is 5–20 degrees.

[0096] The moving speed v of the homogenizing plate 71 determines the flow rate of the liquid through the small holes of the homogenizing plate 71. The larger v is, the stronger the forced convection and the faster the mixing, but too large a value will produce micro bubbles or disturb the alcohol distribution. The swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate 77 determines the additional horizontal disturbance. The larger θ is, the stronger the horizontal mixing. The product v×θ represents the overall mixing intensity. Both v and θ together affect the uniformity of the liquid around the sensor and the residual bubbles. The higher the mixing intensity, the closer the measured value may be to the true value. However, if the mixing is too strong, it may also introduce micro bubbles, resulting in a lower reading. Therefore, a correction term is needed to compensate for the system deviation under different operating conditions. The reference value v0 and θ0 serve as calibration points. Under this reference, ΔE=α, which is the fixed deviation under the reference state. Therefore, the alcohol content can be corrected in the above way, improving the accuracy of the final alcohol content measurement.

[0097] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of one embodiment of the present invention, but this description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of the claims of this invention should still fall within the patent coverage of this invention.

Claims

1. An alcohol content detection device for beer production, characterized in that, include: The controller and the detection cylinder are equipped with a suspension fixed inside the detection cylinder. An automatic lifting column is installed at the bottom of the suspension. A detection mechanism is detachably connected to the bottom of the automatic lifting column. The detection mechanism includes a temperature detection unit and an alcohol detection unit. The temperature detection unit is used to detect the temperature of the liquid to be tested, and the alcohol detection unit is used to detect the alcohol content. The detection tube is also equipped with a slow-release unit and a homogenizing unit. The slow-release unit is located below the liquid inlet at the top of the detection tube. The slow-release unit is used to reduce the flow rate of the liquid to be tested into the detection tube, and the homogenizing unit is used to homogenize the liquid to be tested.

2. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slow-release unit includes a flow guide tube and multiple perforated plates. The flow guide tube is vertically fixed below the liquid inlet by a bracket. Multiple perforated plates are installed at the bottom of the flow guide tube. There is a vertical spacing between the multiple perforated plates, and the perforations of the multiple perforated plates are arranged alternately. The inner diameter of the guide tube is larger than the inner diameter of the inlet, and the bottom of the guide tube is located at the bottom of the detection cylinder. The guide tube is used to reduce the flow rate and guide the liquid to the bottom of the detection cylinder. The bottom end of the guide tube is also fixed with a foam-breaking screen to puncture air bubbles entrained in the liquid flow.

3. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The homogenization unit includes a homogenizing plate with multiple through holes evenly distributed on it, and a gap is left between the outer edge of the homogenizing plate and the inner wall of the detection cylinder. Multiple vertical push rods are fixedly connected to the upper surface of the homogenizing plate. The upper ends of the vertical push rods all pass through the top of the detection cylinder and are connected to the linear reciprocating motion mechanism. When the homogenizing plate moves downward, the liquid below the homogenizing plate is drawn upward through the through holes; when the homogenizing plate moves upward, the liquid above the homogenizing plate is forced downward through the through holes; through the alternating flow of liquid on both sides of the homogenizing plate, foam-free uniform mixing is achieved.

4. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The linear reciprocating motion mechanism includes an electric push rod. The housing of the electric push rod is fixedly installed on the top outer side of the detection cylinder. A C-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the upper end of the vertical push rod. The end of the telescopic rod of the electric push rod is fixedly connected to the C-shaped connecting plate.

5. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the perforated plate is also equipped with a movable screen plate of the same structure. The movable screen plate is rotatably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe via a horizontal rotating shaft. The linear reciprocating motion mechanism is connected to the movable screen plate via a linkage mechanism, driving the movable screen plate to perform reciprocating tilting and swaying motion.

6. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The linkage mechanism includes a swing arm and a connecting rod; both ends of the horizontal rotating shaft extend out of the outside of the guide tube, one end of the swing arm is fixedly connected to one end of the horizontal rotating shaft, and the other end of the swing arm is provided with a waist-shaped groove. One end of the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the part of one of the vertical push rods located inside the detection cylinder, and the other end of the connecting rod is fixed with a lever, which slides in the waist-shaped groove. When the vertical push rod moves up and down, the lever pushes the swing arm to swing through the waist-shaped groove, causing the movable screen plate to reciprocate tilting and swinging motion around the horizontal axis at ±5 degrees to ±20 degrees.

7. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, A clearance groove is provided at the coaxial position of the homogenizing plate and the guide tube. The inner diameter of the clearance groove is larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube. A sleeve is rotatably connected inside the clearance groove. A spiral groove is provided inside the sleeve. A protrusion with an arc-shaped top is provided on the outer wall of the bottom of the guide tube. The arc-shaped end of the protrusion is inserted into the spiral groove. Two sets of scrapers are provided on the sleeve. Each set has at least two scrapers and they are equidistantly distributed along the circumference of the sleeve. The two sets of scrapers are located on the upper and lower sides of the homogenizing plate, and one side of each scraper abuts against the corresponding side of the homogenizing plate. The section of the scraper located on the upper side of the homogenizing plate near the vertical push rod is provided with an elastic structure. A layer of bristles is provided on the opposite sides of the two sets of scrapers.

8. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple perforated plates include at least one upper perforated plate and one lower perforated plate. The upper perforated plate is slidably connected to the side wall of the guide pipe, and the lower perforated plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the guide pipe. The C-shaped connecting plate is fixedly connected to the upper end of the vertical tie rod, and the lower end of the vertical tie rod extends into the inside of the guide tube from the liquid inlet and is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the upper screen plate; the limiting block is fixedly set on the inner wall of the guide tube to limit the maximum distance the upper screen plate moves upward. When the electric push rod drives the C-shaped connecting plate to move up and down reciprocally, the vertical pull rod causes the upper screen plate to move up and down synchronously relative to the lower screen plate, thereby causing the vertical distance between the upper and lower screen plates to increase or decrease periodically as the electric push rod extends and retracts.

9. A method for detecting alcohol content in beer production, characterized in that, This method is implemented based on the beer production alcohol content detection device according to any one of claims 1-6, and includes the following steps: S1: The beer sample to be tested is injected into the detection tube through the inlet. The beer passes through the guide tube, multi-layer sieve plate and foam breaking screen in sequence, which reduces the flow rate and punctures the bubbles. S2: Start the electric push rod in the linear reciprocating motion mechanism, drive the vertical push rod to drive the homogenizing plate to move up and down at a speed v, and at the same time drive the movable screen plate to move back and forth at an amplitude θ through the linkage mechanism. Record the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate and the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate; S3: Control the automatic lifting column to descend, immersing the detection mechanism below the beer surface, where the temperature detection unit and alcohol detection unit collect the temperature value and alcohol content measurement value Em respectively; S4. Based on the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate and the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate, the alcohol content measurement value is corrected Em to obtain the compensated alcohol content Ec. S5. After the test is completed, control the automatic lifting column to rise, so that the testing mechanism is removed from the liquid surface, and stop the electric push rod.

10. The beer production alcohol content detection device according to claim 9, characterized in that, Step S4 specifically includes: Based on the actual moving speed v of the homogenizing plate, the actual swing amplitude θ of the movable sieve plate, and the preset reference speed v0, reference amplitude θ0 and empirical coefficient α, the alcohol content correction value ΔE is calculated using the formula: ΔE=α×(v×θ) / (v0×θ0). Substituting the alcohol correction value ΔE into the formula: Ec=Em+ΔE, we can obtain the compensated alcohol content Ec.

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