A device for preparing sterile deoxidized water for craft beer

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of sterile deoxygenated water preparation devices of craft beer, it is related to water treatment technical field, including closed tower body, the closed tower body is sequentially provided with degassing zone, bubble removal steady flow zone and water storage irradiation zone from top to bottom, and three are interconnected.This application places the gas-liquid mass transfer process of vacuum degassing and the photochemical inactivation process of ultraviolet irradiation in the same closed tower body, the degassing zone is on, and the water storage irradiation zone is directly connected, and the water after deoxidation does not leave the negative pressure environment, and completes irradiation in situ without any intermediate pipeline;In this way, the three types of reoxygenation interfaces of the inner wall of connecting pipeline, pipeline joint and free liquid level in sterilization equipment in split type device are eliminated from structure, and the low dissolved oxygen level of deoxidation equipment outlet can be kept to use point, solve the failure problem that outlet meets the standard but use point does not meet the standard under split type organization mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of water treatment technology, and in particular to an apparatus for preparing aseptic deoxygenated water for craft beer. Background Technology

[0002] The dissolved oxygen content and microbial load of the high-concentration dilution water used in craft beer brewing jointly determine the flavor stability and shelf life of the beer. Before entering the mashing or dilution station, the brewing water must meet both the requirements of low dissolved oxygen and sterility. Existing brewing water deoxygenation treatment devices usually consist of a filtration unit, a deoxygenation unit, and a sterilization unit connected in series. The filtration unit is used to remove suspended solids, residual chlorine, and colloids. The deoxygenation unit is used to remove dissolved oxygen under negative pressure or stripping medium. The sterilization unit is used to inactivate microorganisms by heat or ultraviolet irradiation. Each unit is connected in a fixed sequence and operates with its own preset rated parameters. The treated water is transported to the mashing or dilution station through the outlet pipeline.

[0003] For example, CN116924613A discloses a treatment process for water used in high-concentration beer dilution. This process includes the following steps: S1, chlorine dioxide sterilization of source water; S2, multi-media filtration; S3, activated carbon adsorption filtration; S4, precision filter filtration; S5, reverse osmosis; S6, conductivity-based blending; S7, tower-type deoxygenation; and S8, ultraviolet sterilization. This invention can be applied to the treatment of water used in high-concentration beer brewing, achieving automatic blending based on conductivity, automatic water reflux cooling via the ultraviolet sterilization system, ensuring sterilization effectiveness while avoiding the reduction of nitrates to nitrites and unnecessary water waste.

[0004] However, in existing technologies, deoxygenation equipment and sterilization equipment are two independent devices connected by pipelines. The outlet of the deoxygenation equipment is considered the end of the deoxygenation process. This approach implicitly assumes that once the water at the outlet of the deoxygenation equipment meets the standards, it will maintain that standard in the subsequent pipelines and sterilization equipment. This assumption does not hold true in the actual operating conditions of craft beer brewing water. After deoxygenation, the dissolved oxygen level of the water is far below the saturation value at the same temperature. Any gas-liquid interface that the water flows through becomes a channel for oxygen absorption. The more effective the deoxygenation equipment, the higher the absorption rate in subsequent stages. The stronger the oxygen-driving force, the more antagonistic the deoxygenation and reoxygenation become, thus creating a mutually antagonistic failure mechanism. This failure stems from the spontaneous oxygen absorption tendency of low-dissolved oxygen water when it comes into contact with oxygen-containing phases, which is determined by the physical properties of water and is unrelated to the precision of the deoxygenation equipment's operating parameters. In a split-type device, the inner wall of the pipes connecting the deoxygenation equipment and the sterilization equipment, the pipe joints, and the free liquid surface within the sterilization equipment all become interfaces for this spontaneous oxygen absorption. The residence time of water in these interfaces is sufficient for dissolved oxygen to rise above the limit. Therefore, compliance at the deoxygenation equipment outlet is not equivalent to compliance at the point of use.

[0005] Therefore, the technical requirement to be solved is to ensure that the brewing water, from the time of deoxygenation to the time of sterilization, does not leave the negative pressure environment where dissolved oxygen was removed and does not pass through intermediate pipelines, so that its dissolved oxygen and microbial indicators do not rise during this path. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One objective of this invention is to provide a sterile deoxygenated water preparation device for craft beer, which can effectively solve the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] An apparatus for preparing aseptic deoxygenated water for craft beer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sealed tower body. The sealed tower body is provided with a degassing zone, a defoaming and flow stabilizing zone and a water storage and irradiation zone from top to bottom, and the three are interconnected. The upper part of the degassing zone is equipped with a vacuum pumping connection pipe and a raw water inlet pipe. The vacuum pumping connection pipe is connected to a vacuum unit to establish negative pressure in the degassing zone. The degassing and stabilizing zone includes a cyclone separator, a tangential inlet pipe, a central exhaust pipe, and a rectifier grid. The outlet of the tangential inlet pipe is arranged tangentially to the cyclone separator to receive water falling from the degassing zone. The central exhaust pipe extends upward from the center of the cyclone separator and connects to the degassing zone. The rectifier grid is located at the bottom of the cyclone separator. The water storage and irradiation area is located below the rectifier grid. An ultraviolet lamp assembly is installed in the water storage and irradiation area. The negative pressure space maintained by the degassing zone and the defoaming and stabilizing zone above the water surface in the water storage and irradiation area is connected to the degassing zone. The ultraviolet lamp assembly is located entirely below the water surface. A water outlet mechanism is connected to the bottom of the water storage and irradiation area.

[0008] Preferably, the degassing zone is further provided with a water distributor, a packing layer, and a carbon dioxide distributor; The water distributor is located above the packing layer, and the raw water inlet pipe passes through the top wall of the sealed tower body and communicates with the water distributor. The carbon dioxide distributor is located below the packing layer. The carbon dioxide inlet pipe passes through the side wall of the sealed tower body and is connected to the carbon dioxide distributor. A control valve is installed on the carbon dioxide inlet pipe, and a carbon dioxide supply device is connected to the outside of the carbon dioxide inlet pipe. The carbon dioxide supplied by the carbon dioxide gas supply equipment is ejected from the carbon dioxide gas distributor and flows counter-currently through the packing layer from bottom to top, where it comes into counter-current contact with the water sprayed from the water distributor on the surface of the packing layer.

[0009] Preferably, a guide cone is provided between the degassing zone and the cyclone separator, with the large end of the guide cone facing upward to receive water falling from the packing layer and the small end facing downward to communicate with the tangential water inlet pipe; a support grid is provided at the bottom of the packing layer, and the top of the central exhaust pipe extends upward through the packing layer and is higher than the liquid surface above the degassing zone; the central exhaust pipe passes through the support grid, and a sealing ring is provided between the central exhaust pipe and the support grid; the rectifying grid is a honeycomb rectifying grid, and its channels are arranged vertically to rectify the water flowing through it into laminar flow.

[0010] Preferably, the ultraviolet lamp assembly includes an ultraviolet lamp and a quartz sleeve fitted over the ultraviolet lamp; The quartz sleeve is arranged vertically within the water storage and irradiation area, and a wall-penetrating sealing seat is provided at the bottom of the quartz sleeve. The bottom end of the quartz sleeve passes through the wall-penetrating sealing seat and exits the bottom wall of the sealed tower body. The top end of the quartz sleeve is closed and located within the water storage and irradiation area.

[0011] Preferably, the water storage and irradiation area is further provided with several baffles, which extend horizontally inward alternately from the opposite side walls of the sealed tower body, dividing the water storage and irradiation area into baffle cavities connected in series in the vertical direction. Of the two adjacent baffles, one is fixed to the left side wall and has a flow gap between its right end and the right side wall, while the other is fixed to the right side wall and has a flow gap between its left end and the left side wall. Water flows from top to bottom in an S-shaped flow through each of the baffle cavities.

[0012] Preferably, the quartz sleeve extends through several baffle cavities from top to bottom, and a sealing sleeve is provided at the through hole of the baffle plate through which the quartz sleeve passes. The sealing sleeve is used to maintain a liquid seal between the quartz sleeve and the through hole, and the cross-sectional height of the several baffle cavities decreases along the water flow direction.

[0013] Preferably, the water outlet mechanism includes a water outlet pipe, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the sealed tower body, and the other end of which is connected to an external liquid seal tank. A pump body is installed at the front end of the water outlet pipe, and a second control valve is installed at the rear end of the water outlet pipe.

[0014] Preferably, it also includes a casing flushing mechanism, which includes a flushing air inlet branch pipe, a flushing valve, and an annular air distribution assembly; One end of the flushing air inlet branch pipe is connected to the carbon dioxide air inlet pipe upstream of the No. 1 control valve, and the other end is connected to the annular air distribution assembly via the flushing valve. The annular air distribution assembly includes an annular main pipe and several nozzles. The annular main pipe is coaxially arranged with the quartz sleeve and fixed on the upper surface of the baffle. The several nozzles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the annular main pipe and are inclined upward toward the outer wall of the quartz sleeve. During rinsing, the rinsing valve is opened, and carbon dioxide is sprayed through the nozzle onto the outer wall of the quartz sleeve and rises along the quartz sleeve, forming a gas-liquid two-phase flow to scour the outer wall of the quartz sleeve.

[0015] Preferably, the sleeve flushing mechanism further includes an inlet branch pipe, a filter assembly, and a circulation valve. The inlet end of the inlet branch pipe is connected to the outlet pipe between the pump body and the second control valve, and the outlet end of the inlet branch pipe is connected to the liquid seal tank. The filter assembly and the circulation valve are sequentially installed on the inlet branch pipe; During cleaning, the second control valve is closed and the circulation valve is opened. The pump body pumps water from the bottom of the sealed tower into the inlet branch pipe. After the water is filtered by the filter assembly to remove the impurities removed during cleaning, it flows back to the liquid seal tank.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: This invention places the gas-liquid mass transfer process of vacuum degassing and the photochemical inactivation process of ultraviolet irradiation in the same sealed tower. The degassing zone is on top and the water storage and irradiation zone is below and directly connected. The deoxygenated water does not leave the negative pressure environment and is irradiated on-site without passing through any intermediate pipelines. In this way, the three types of reoxygenation interfaces in the split device—the inner wall of the connecting pipeline, the pipeline joint, and the free liquid surface in the sterilization equipment—are structurally eliminated. The low dissolved oxygen level at the outlet of the deoxygenation equipment can be maintained until the point of use, solving the failure problem of the outlet meeting the standard but the point of use not meeting the standard in the split organization method. After integration into the same cavity, the microbubbles released during deoxygenation directly enter the irradiation zone with the water, scattering light along the optical path and attaching microorganisms, allowing them to escape irradiation. This addresses a new problem in split-type devices where connecting pipes provide escape time for the bubbles, preventing their exposure. This invention uses a cyclone separator to cause microbubbles to gather towards the center in a centrifugal field and return to the degassing zone via a central exhaust pipe, where they are then drawn away. The water is then rectified into laminar flow by a honeycomb rectifier grid before being sent into the irradiation zone, eliminating the shielding effect of microbubbles on irradiation. A baffle plate divides the irradiation zone into series baffle cavities with progressively decreasing cross-sectional heights, ensuring that each portion of water experiences the same optical path and residence time, while the progressively increasing flow velocity enhances the scouring of the outer wall of the casing. The casing flushing mechanism uses a two-phase flow of carbon dioxide to flush the outer wall of the quartz casing online. The cleaning water is filtered by a filter assembly and returned to the liquid seal tank for continued use. The entire maintenance process requires no downtime or disassembly, reducing maintenance water consumption and downtime. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device for craft beer proposed in this invention. Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the overall structure of the aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device for craft beer proposed in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal three-dimensional structure of the sealed tower in a craft beer aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device proposed in this invention. Figure 4 This is a front view cross-sectional structural diagram of the sealed tower body in a craft beer aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device proposed in this invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional three-dimensional structural diagram of the guide cone in a craft beer aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device proposed in this invention; Figure 6 This is a side view of the annular gas distribution component in a craft beer aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device proposed in this invention. Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the baffle plate in a craft beer aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device proposed in this invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Sealed tower body; 2. Degassing zone; 21. Raw water inlet pipe; 22. Water distributor; 23. Packing layer; 24. Vacuum extraction connection pipe; 25. Carbon dioxide distributor; 26. Carbon dioxide inlet pipe; 27. Control valve No. 1; 3. Defoaming and flow stabilization zone; 31. Guide cone pipe; 32. Swirl separator pipe; 33. Tangential water inlet pipe; 34. Central exhaust pipe; 35. Rectifying grid; 4. Water storage and irradiation zone; 41. Baffle plate; 42. Ultraviolet lamp assembly; 5. Water outlet mechanism; 51. Water outlet pipe; 52. Pump body; 53. Control valve No. 2; 6. Sleeve flushing mechanism; 61. Air inlet branch pipe; 62. Flushing valve; 63. Annular air distribution assembly; 64. Water inlet branch pipe; 65. Filter assembly; 66. Circulation valve. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention, and therefore only show the components relevant to the invention.

[0020] refer to Figures 1 to 7This device is used in craft beer brewing production lines, positioned before the saccharification feeding station and the high-concentration dilution station. It is used to remove dissolved oxygen and perform ultraviolet sterilization on the raw water for brewing, preparing brewing water that meets the requirements of low dissolved oxygen and sterility. It includes a closed tower 1, which contains, from top to bottom, a degassing zone 2, a defoaming and flow stabilization zone 3, and a water storage and irradiation zone 4, all of which are interconnected without intermediate pipelines. The degassing zone 2 is used to remove dissolved oxygen from the raw water under the synergistic effect of negative pressure and carbon dioxide stripping. The defoaming and flow stabilization zone 3 is used to remove microbubbles generated during the deoxygenation process and rectify the water flow into laminar flow. The water storage and irradiation zone 4 is used to sterilize the water with ultraviolet irradiation under the negative pressure maintained by the degassing zone 2. The bottom of the sealed tower body 1 is connected to a water outlet mechanism 5, which is used to stably transport the treated sterile deoxygenated water to the external liquid seal tank. The device also includes a sleeve flushing mechanism 6, which is used to flush and clean the outer wall of the quartz sleeve of the ultraviolet lamp assembly 42 with carbon dioxide gas and water flow in the system, and to filter and reuse the water contaminated during the cleaning process.

[0021] In this implementation scheme, raw water is sent into the degassing zone 2 through the raw water inlet pipe 21. Under the uniform distribution of the water distributor 22, it is sprayed onto the surface of the packing layer 23 to form a liquid film. The vacuum pumping connection pipe 24 is connected to an external vacuum unit to establish negative pressure in the degassing zone 2. At the same time, carbon dioxide is sprayed out from below the packing layer 23 through the carbon dioxide distributor 25 and flows countercurrently from bottom to top through the packing layer 23. It comes into countercurrent contact with the water flowing from top to bottom on the surface of the packing layer 23. The dissolved oxygen in the water is removed through the synergistic effect of negative pressure desorption and carbon dioxide stripping. The deoxygenated water is collected by the guide cone pipe 31 and then enters the cyclone separator tangentially through the tangential inlet pipe 33. After exiting the tube 32, the microbubbles precipitated in the water under the action of swirling centrifugation gather towards the center and return to the degassing zone 2 through the central exhaust pipe 34, where they are drawn away by the vacuum unit. The degassed water is rectified into laminar flow by the honeycomb rectifier grid 35 and then enters the water storage irradiation zone 4. In the water storage irradiation zone 4, the water flows from top to bottom in an S-shaped baffle pattern through each baffle cavity and is irradiated and sterilized by the ultraviolet lamp assembly 42. The water surface in the water storage irradiation zone 4 is connected to the negative pressure space maintained by the degassing zone 2 through the degassing stabilization zone 3, so that the irradiation process is in a negative pressure and oxygen-deficient state. The treated water is pumped to the external liquid seal tank through the pump body 52 of the water outlet mechanism 5.

[0022] When biofilm or scale buildup on the outer wall of the quartz sleeve affects the ultraviolet transmittance, the sleeve flushing mechanism 6 uses carbon dioxide gas through the annular gas distribution component 63 to flush the outer wall of the quartz sleeve with a two-phase gas-liquid flow. At the same time, the water containing impurities during the cleaning process is pumped into the filter component 65 for filtration and then returned to the liquid seal tank for reuse. The ultraviolet transmittance efficiency can be maintained without stopping the machine for disassembly.

[0023] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The degassing zone 2 is located at the top of the sealed tower body 1. A raw water inlet pipe 21 is installed through the top wall of the degassing zone 2. The lower end of the raw water inlet pipe 21 is connected to a water distributor 22. The water distributor 22 is a disc-type water distribution component with water distribution holes evenly distributed on its bottom surface. After the raw water enters the water distributor 22 through the raw water inlet pipe 21, a stable distribution liquid surface is formed in the water distributor 22. Then, the raw water is evenly sprayed down through the water distribution holes on the bottom surface, so that the raw water is evenly distributed on the entire cross-section of the packing layer 23. The packing layer 23 is provided below the water distributor 22. The packing layer 23 is made up of bulk packing such as stainless steel Pall rings or ceramic stepped rings. A support grid plate is provided at the bottom of the packing layer 23. The support grid plate is fixed to the inner wall of the sealed tower body 1 to support the weight of the packing layer 23 and make the water pass through evenly.

[0024] Below the packing layer 23, a carbon dioxide distributor 25 is provided. The carbon dioxide distributor 25 is an annular perforated pipe or a microporous aeration disc. The carbon dioxide inlet pipe 26 passes through the side wall of the sealed tower body 1 and is connected to the carbon dioxide distributor 25. A control valve 27 is provided on the carbon dioxide inlet pipe 26 to control the opening and closing of the carbon dioxide inlet and the amount of carbon dioxide inlet. The carbon dioxide supplied by the carbon dioxide supply equipment is sent into the carbon dioxide distributor 25 through the carbon dioxide inlet pipe 26. After being ejected from the micropores of the carbon dioxide distributor 25, it forms tiny bubbles and flows countercurrently from bottom to top through the packing layer 23. It forms countercurrent contact with the water sprayed from the water distributor 22 on the surface of the packing layer 23. During the rising process, the carbon dioxide bubbles continuously replace the dissolved oxygen in the liquid film. After the oxygen-carrying bubbles rise to the gas phase space above the degassing zone 2, they are extracted by the vacuum extraction connection pipe 24. The upper side wall or top wall of the degassing zone 2 is provided with a vacuum pumping connection pipe 24. The vacuum pumping connection pipe 24 is connected to a vacuum unit to establish and maintain a working vacuum in the degassing zone 2, so that the absolute pressure in the degassing zone 2 is maintained within the set working range, providing negative pressure driving force for the desorption and precipitation of dissolved oxygen in the water.

[0025] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The degassing and stabilizing flow zone 3 is located between the degassing zone 2 and the water storage and irradiation zone 4. The degassing and stabilizing flow zone 3 includes a guide cone 31, a swirl separator 32, a tangential water inlet pipe 33, a central exhaust pipe 34, and a rectifier grid 35. The large end of the guide cone 31 is fixed to the inner wall of the sealed tower body 1 with its large end open to receive the deoxygenated water falling from the packing layer 23. The small end of the guide cone 31 is connected to the tangential water inlet pipe 33 with its small end facing down. The guide cone 31 is used to collect the water falling from the entire cross section of the degassing zone 2 and guide it to the tangential water inlet pipe 33 so that the water flow obtains a stable inlet pressure.

[0026] The outlet of the tangential inlet pipe 33 is positioned tangentially to the cyclone separator 32. Water enters the cyclone separator 32 tangentially through the tangential inlet pipe 33, forming a rotating flow around the axis within the cyclone separator 32. Microbubbles with lower density gather towards the central axis of the cyclone separator 32 and rise under centrifugal force, while denser water flows downwards along the inner wall of the cyclone separator 32. The central exhaust pipe 34 extends upwards from the central axis of the cyclone separator 32, with its lower opening located within the cyclone separator... The central gas phase zone inside pipe 32 is used to collect microbubbles that gather towards the center; the top end of the central exhaust pipe 34 extends upward through the support grid plate and the packing layer 23, and is higher than the distribution liquid surface in the water distributor 22, so that the top opening of the central exhaust pipe 34 is always in the gas phase space above the degassing zone 2, preventing the distribution liquid in the water distributor 22 from entering the central exhaust pipe 34; a sealing ring is provided between the central exhaust pipe 34 and the support grid plate to prevent water from short-circuiting and flowing down from the gap between the support grid plate and the central exhaust pipe 34.

[0027] After the microbubbles gathered in the central exhaust pipe 34 rise to the gas phase space above the degassing zone 2, they are extracted by the vacuum pumping connection pipe 24 along with the gas in the degassing zone 2. The bottom of the cyclone separator 32 is provided with a rectifier grid 35, which is a honeycomb rectifier grid with its channels evenly distributed in the vertical direction. When the degassed water flows down the inner wall of the cyclone separator 32 and passes through the rectifier grid 35, the swirling flow is rectified by the honeycomb channels into a vertically downward laminar flow, eliminating the residual tangential velocity of the swirling flow, so that the water enters the water storage irradiation zone 4 in a uniform and stable flow state, avoiding the formation of dead zones in the water storage irradiation zone 4 due to swirling disturbance.

[0028] refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The water storage irradiation area 4 is located below the rectifier grid 35. The water storage irradiation area 4 is equipped with an ultraviolet lamp assembly 42 and several baffles 41. The ultraviolet lamp assembly 42 includes an ultraviolet lamp and a quartz sleeve fitted outside the ultraviolet lamp. The quartz sleeve is arranged vertically in the water storage irradiation area 4. The top of the quartz sleeve is closed and located in the upper part of the water storage irradiation area 4. The bottom end of the quartz sleeve passes through the bottom wall of the sealed tower body 1 through the wall-penetrating sealing seat. The wall-penetrating sealing seat is fixed to the bottom wall of the sealed tower body 1 to ensure the airtightness and liquid tightness of the quartz sleeve passing through the tower wall. The ultraviolet lamp is inserted into the inside of the sleeve from the bottom opening of the quartz sleeve. The ultraviolet rays emitted by the ultraviolet lamp pass through the quartz sleeve to irradiate the surrounding water. Several baffles 41 extend horizontally inward from the opposite side walls of the sealed tower body 1, dividing the water storage and irradiation area 4 into baffle cavities connected in series in the vertical direction. Among two adjacent baffles 41, one is fixed to the left side wall and has a flow gap between its right end and the right side wall, and the other is fixed to the right side wall and has a flow gap between its left end and the left side wall. After the water enters the water storage and irradiation area 4 from the rectifier grid 35, it flows through each baffle cavity in an S-shaped flow from top to bottom, so that each part of the water experiences the same flow path length and residence time in the water storage and irradiation area 4.

[0029] A quartz sleeve extends through several baffle cavities from top to bottom. A sealing sleeve is provided at the through-hole on the baffle plate 41 through which the quartz sleeve passes. The sealing sleeve maintains a liquid seal between the quartz sleeve and the through-hole, preventing water from flowing through the through-hole without passing through the baffle cavities. The cross-sectional height of the several baffle cavities decreases gradually along the water flow direction; that is, the vertical height of each baffle cavity decreases progressively from top to bottom. This causes the water velocity to increase progressively as it flows through subsequent baffle cavities, enhancing the scouring effect of the water flow on the outer wall of the quartz sleeve, while simultaneously matching the nonlinear sterilization activity of ultraviolet light. Mechanically, the pre-stage baffle chamber rapidly inactivates most microorganisms with a large dose, while the post-stage baffle chamber precisely inactivates any remaining microorganisms with a small dose. The water surface in the water storage irradiation zone 4 is connected to the negative pressure space maintained by the degassing zone 2 via the cyclone separator 32 and the central exhaust pipe 34, ensuring that the water surface is always covered by the negative pressure of the degassing zone 2. The entire UV lamp assembly 42 is located below the liquid surface, and both the liquid and gas phases are in a state of oxygen deficiency during the irradiation process, thereby inhibiting the formation of nitrite during UV irradiation.

[0030] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The water outlet mechanism 5 includes a water outlet pipe 51, one end of which is connected to the bottom of the sealed tower body 1, and the other end of which is connected to an external liquid seal tank. A pump body 52 is installed on the end of the water outlet pipe 51 near the sealed tower body 1. The pump body 52 is a sanitary centrifugal pump used to pump the sterile deoxygenated water at the bottom of the water storage irradiation area 4 to the external liquid seal tank. A second control valve 53 is installed on the end of the water outlet pipe 51 near the water outlet end to control the water outlet flow.

[0031] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 and Figure 7The sleeve flushing mechanism 6 includes an air washing unit and a water filtration unit; the air washing unit includes a flushing air inlet branch pipe 61, a flushing valve 62 and an annular air distribution assembly 63; one end of the flushing air inlet branch pipe 61 is connected to the carbon dioxide air inlet pipe 26 upstream of the first control valve 27, and the other end is connected to the annular air distribution assembly 63 via the flushing valve 62; the annular air distribution assembly 63 includes an annular main pipe and several nozzles, the annular main pipe is coaxially arranged with the quartz sleeve and fixed on the upper surface of the baffle plate 41 at the bottom of the water storage irradiation area 4, and several nozzles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the annular main pipe and are inclined upward toward the outer wall of the quartz sleeve, with the nozzle inclination angle being 30 degrees to 60 degrees. During air washing, the flushing valve 62 is opened, and carbon dioxide is sent from the carbon dioxide inlet pipe 26 through the flushing inlet branch pipe 61 into the annular main pipe, and then sprayed onto the outer wall of the quartz sleeve through the nozzle. The carbon dioxide bubbles rise from bottom to top along the outer wall of the quartz sleeve, forming a gas-liquid two-phase flow with the water around the outer wall of the sleeve. This has a shearing and scouring effect on the biofilm and scale layer attached to the outer wall of the quartz sleeve, causing the attached substances to peel off and be carried away by the water flow. When it is necessary to increase the flushing pressure, the first control valve 27 can be closed, so that all the carbon dioxide is supplied to the annular air distribution assembly 63 through the flushing inlet branch pipe 61, thereby increasing the spray pressure and flushing intensity of the nozzle.

[0032] The water filtration unit includes an inlet branch pipe 64, a filter assembly 65, and a circulation valve 66. The inlet end of the inlet branch pipe 64 is connected to the outlet pipe 51 between the pump body 52 and the second control valve 53, and the outlet end of the inlet branch pipe 64 is connected to an external liquid seal tank. The filter assembly 65 and the circulation valve 66 are sequentially installed on the inlet branch pipe 64. The filter assembly 65 is a bag filter or a cartridge filter with a filtration accuracy of 5μm to 20μm, used to intercept solid impurities that are peeled off from the outer wall of the quartz sleeve during the cleaning process. During water washing filtration, the second control valve 53 is closed and the circulation valve 66 is opened. The pump body 52 pumps water from the bottom of the sealed tower body 1 into the inlet branch pipe 64. After the water is filtered by the filter assembly 65 to remove the impurities peeled off during cleaning, it flows back to the external liquid seal tank, so that the water contaminated during the cleaning process can be reused after filtration without being completely discharged, reducing water consumption and downtime during the cleaning process.

[0033] Example 1: Under normal production conditions, control valve 27 is open, flushing valve 62 is closed, control valve 53 is open, and circulation valve 66 is closed. Raw water is sent to distributor 22 through raw water inlet pipe 21. After forming a distribution liquid surface in distributor 22, it is evenly sprayed onto the surface of packing layer 23 through bottom distribution holes. Vacuum unit establishes a working vacuum of 0.07MPa in degassing zone 2 through vacuum extraction connection pipe 24. Carbon dioxide is sent to carbon dioxide distributor 25 through carbon dioxide inlet pipe 26 and control valve 27. After being sprayed from below packing layer 23, it flows countercurrently through packing layer 23 from bottom to top, and comes into countercurrent contact with the water sprayed from top to bottom on the surface of packing layer 23. Dissolved oxygen in the water is removed under the synergistic effect of negative pressure desorption and carbon dioxide stripping. Oxygen-carrying carbon dioxide bubbles rise to the upper gas phase space of degassing zone 2 and are then sprayed out through vacuum extraction connection pipe 24. 4. Extraction: The deoxygenated water is collected through the guide cone 31 and enters the cyclone separator 32 tangentially through the tangential inlet pipe 33. Under the centrifugal action of the cyclone, the microbubbles precipitated in the water gather towards the center and rise back to the degassing zone 2 through the central exhaust pipe 34. Finally, it is extracted by the vacuum pumping connection pipe 24. The deaerated water flows down along the inner wall of the cyclone separator 32 and is rectified into a vertical laminar flow by the honeycomb rectifier grid 35 before entering the water storage irradiation zone 4. In the water storage irradiation zone 4, the water flows from top to bottom in an S-shaped baffle pattern through each baffle chamber and is irradiated and sterilized by the ultraviolet lamp assembly 42. Above the liquid surface, it is connected to the negative pressure space of the degassing zone 2 through the cyclone separator 32 and the central exhaust pipe 34. The entire irradiation process is in a negative pressure and oxygen-deficient state. The treated sterile deoxygenated water is transported to the external liquid seal tank through the outlet pipe 51, pump body 52 and control valve 53 to complete one normal production cycle. Example 2: Under the condition of casing flushing, when the ultraviolet transmittance drops to the set threshold due to the biofilm attached to the outer wall of the quartz casing, the casing flushing mechanism 6 is started for online flushing; firstly, gas flushing is performed, keeping the first control valve 27 open, and the flushing valve 62 is opened. Carbon dioxide is sent from the carbon dioxide inlet pipe 26 through the flushing inlet branch pipe 61 into the annular gas distribution assembly 63, and sprayed onto the outer wall of the quartz casing through the nozzle to form a gas-liquid two-phase flow to flush for 30 to 120 seconds, so that the loose attachments on the outer wall of the casing are peeled off; if the attachments are more firmly attached, the first control valve 27 is closed, so that all the carbon dioxide is supplied to the annular gas distribution assembly 63 through the flushing inlet branch pipe 61, and the spray pressure is increased for strong flushing for 60 to 180 seconds; After air washing is completed, water washing and filtration are performed. Control valve 53 is closed and circulation valve 66 is opened. Pump 52 pumps water containing stripped impurities from the bottom of the sealed tower 1 into the inlet branch pipe 64. After the water is filtered by the filter assembly 65 to remove solid impurities, it flows back to the external liquid seal tank. The circulation filtration lasts for 5 to 15 minutes until the water in the water storage irradiation area 4 becomes clear again. After water washing and filtration is completed, circulation valve 66 is closed and control valve 53 is opened to resume normal production. The entire rinsing process does not require disassembling the sealed tower 1 or removing the ultraviolet lamp assembly 42. The filtered water flows back to the liquid seal tank for continued use, which significantly reduces the downtime and water consumption for cleaning and maintenance.

[0034] Working principle: At the start of operation, the vacuum unit is started and a working vacuum is established in the degassing zone 2 through the vacuum extraction connection pipe 24. The first control valve 27 is opened to allow carbon dioxide to be sent into the degassing zone 2 through the carbon dioxide distributor 25. Raw water is sent into the water distributor 22 through the raw water inlet pipe 21. After a stable distribution liquid surface is formed in the water distributor 22, it is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the packing layer 23 through the bottom water distribution holes. The water forms a liquid film on the surface of the packing layer 23 and flows from top to bottom. Carbon dioxide bubbles are ejected from below the packing layer 23 and flow countercurrently from bottom to top through the packing layer 23, contacting the water countercurrently on the surface of the packing layer 23. Under the synergistic effect of negative pressure desorption and carbon dioxide stripping, dissolved oxygen in the water is continuously released from the liquid film and carried upward by carbon dioxide bubbles. The oxygen-carrying bubbles enter the gas phase space above the degassing zone 2 and are then extracted by the vacuum extraction connection pipe 24, completing the deoxygenation process. After deoxygenation, the water falls from the packing layer 23, is collected by the guide cone 31, and then enters the cyclone separator 32 tangentially through the tangential inlet pipe 33. A rotating flow around the axis is formed within the cyclone separator 32. Microbubbles with lower density gather towards the central axis of the cyclone separator 32 under centrifugal force and float upwards. They rise through the central exhaust pipe 34 back to the gas phase space above the degassing zone 2 and are finally extracted by the vacuum extraction connection pipe 24. The top of the central exhaust pipe 34 is higher than the distribution liquid level in the water distributor 22, ensuring that the top of the exhaust pipe is always in the gas phase space and preventing the distribution liquid from entering the exhaust pipe. The denser water flows down the inner wall of the cyclone separator 32. When it passes through the honeycomb rectifier grid 35, the rotating flow is rectified into a vertically downward laminar flow, eliminating the residual tangential velocity of the cyclone before entering the water storage and irradiation zone 4. After entering the water storage and irradiation zone 4, the water flows from top to bottom in an S-shaped flow pattern through each baffle chamber under the guidance of several baffles 41. Each part of the water experiences the same flow path length and residence time. The quartz sleeve vertically penetrates each baffle chamber, and the ultraviolet rays emitted by the ultraviolet lamp irradiate the surrounding water body through the quartz sleeve, inactivating the microorganisms in the water. The cross-sectional height of each baffle chamber decreases along the water flow direction, which increases the flow velocity of the water in the subsequent baffle chamber, enhances the scouring of the outer wall of the quartz sleeve, and matches the nonlinear sterilization kinetics of ultraviolet sterilization. The negative pressure space maintained by the degassing zone 2 above the water surface in the water storage and irradiation zone 4 is connected to the central exhaust pipe 34 via the cyclone separator 32, so that the liquid phase and gas phase are in a state of oxygen deficiency throughout the irradiation process.

[0035] The treated sterile deoxygenated water is collected at the bottom of the water storage and irradiation area 4, and then pressurized and transported by the pump body 52 through the outlet pipe 51. After passing through the second control valve 53, it is sent into the external liquid seal tank. The pump body 52 is a low cavitation sanitary centrifugal pump. The effective cavitation margin is calculated to meet the requirements for water pumping from the negative pressure tower. The external liquid seal tank maintains the liquid seal to prevent air backflow.

[0036] When biofilm or scale buildup on the outer wall of the quartz sleeve affects ultraviolet transmittance, the sleeve flushing mechanism 6 is activated for online flushing: the flushing valve 62 is opened, and carbon dioxide is sprayed onto the outer wall of the quartz sleeve through the nozzle of the annular air distribution component 63, forming a gas-liquid two-phase flow that shears and scours the outer wall of the sleeve, causing the deposits to peel off; if necessary, the first control valve 27 is closed so that all the carbon dioxide is used for flushing to increase the pressure; after air flushing, the second control valve 53 is closed and the circulation valve 66 is opened, and the pump body 52 pumps water containing impurities into the inlet branch pipe 64, which is filtered by the filter component 65 to remove solid impurities and then flows back to the external liquid seal tank. After circulating and filtering until the water is clear, the circulation valve 66 is closed and the second control valve 53 is opened to resume normal production; the entire flushing process does not require shutdown and disassembly, and the filtered water is recycled, achieving low water consumption and short downtime during maintenance.

[0037] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A craft beer aseptic deoxygenated water preparation device, comprising a sealed tower body (1), characterized in that: The sealed tower body (1) is provided with a degassing zone (2), a defoaming and flow stabilizing zone (3) and a water storage and irradiation zone (4) from top to bottom, and the three are interconnected. The upper part of the degassing zone (2) is provided with a vacuum pumping connection pipe (24) and a raw water inlet pipe (21). The vacuum pumping connection pipe (24) is connected to a vacuum unit to establish negative pressure in the degassing zone (2). The degassing and stabilizing zone (3) includes a cyclone separator (32), a tangential inlet pipe (33), a central exhaust pipe (34), and a rectifier grid (35). The outlet of the tangential inlet pipe (33) is arranged tangentially to the cyclone separator (32) to receive water falling from the degassing zone (2). The central exhaust pipe (34) extends upward from the center of the cyclone separator (32) and connects to the degassing zone (2). The rectifier grid (35) is located at the bottom of the cyclone separator (32). The water storage irradiation area (4) is located below the rectifier grid (35). The water storage irradiation area (4) is equipped with an ultraviolet lamp assembly (42). The negative pressure space maintained by the degassing zone (2) is connected to the water surface in the water storage irradiation area (4) via the defoaming and stabilizing zone (3). The ultraviolet lamp assembly (42) is located entirely below the water surface. The bottom of the water storage irradiation area (4) is connected to a water outlet mechanism (5).

2. The sterile deoxygenated water preparation apparatus for craft beer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The degassing zone (2) is also equipped with a water distributor (22), a packing layer (23), and a carbon dioxide distributor (25); The water distributor (22) is located above the packing layer (23), and the raw water inlet pipe (21) passes through the top wall of the sealed tower body (1) and communicates with the water distributor (22). The carbon dioxide distributor (25) is located below the packing layer (23). The carbon dioxide inlet pipe (26) passes through the side wall of the sealed tower body (1) and communicates with the carbon dioxide distributor (25). The carbon dioxide inlet pipe (26) is equipped with a control valve (27) and is connected to a carbon dioxide supply device. The carbon dioxide supplied by the carbon dioxide gas supply equipment is ejected from the carbon dioxide gas distributor (25) and flows counter-currently through the packing layer (23) from bottom to top, and comes into counter-current contact with the water sprayed from the water distributor (22) on the surface of the packing layer (23).

3. The sterile deoxygenated water preparation apparatus for craft beer according to claim 2, characterized in that, A guide cone (31) is provided between the degassing zone (2) and the cyclone separator (32). The large end of the guide cone (31) faces upward to receive the water falling from the packing layer (23), and the small end faces downward to communicate with the tangential water inlet pipe (33). A support grid is provided at the bottom of the packing layer (23). The top end of the central exhaust pipe (34) extends upward through the packing layer (23) and is higher than the liquid surface above the degassing zone (2). The central exhaust pipe (34) passes through the support grid, and a sealing ring is provided between the central exhaust pipe (34) and the support grid. The rectifier grid (35) is a honeycomb rectifier grid, and its channels are arranged in the vertical direction to rectify the water flowing through it into laminar flow.

4. The sterile deoxygenated water preparation apparatus for craft beer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ultraviolet lamp assembly (42) includes an ultraviolet lamp and a quartz sleeve fitted over the ultraviolet lamp; The quartz sleeve is arranged vertically in the water storage irradiation area (4), and a wall-penetrating sealing seat is provided at the bottom of the quartz sleeve. The bottom end of the quartz sleeve passes through the wall-penetrating sealing seat and exits the bottom wall of the sealed tower body (1). The top end of the quartz sleeve is closed and located in the water storage irradiation area (4).

5. The sterile deoxygenated water preparation apparatus for craft beer according to claim 4, characterized in that, The water storage and irradiation area (4) is also provided with several baffles (41). The several baffles (41) extend horizontally inward alternately from the opposite side walls of the sealed tower body (1) to divide the water storage and irradiation area (4) into baffle cavities connected in series in the vertical direction. In the two adjacent baffles (41), one is fixed to the left side wall and has a flow gap between the right end and the right side wall, and the other is fixed to the right side wall and has a flow gap between the left end and the left side wall. Water flows through each baffle cavity in an S-shaped flow from top to bottom.

6. The sterile deoxygenated water preparation apparatus for craft beer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The quartz sleeve extends through several baffle cavities from top to bottom. A sealing sleeve is provided at the through hole on the baffle plate (41) through which the quartz sleeve passes. The sealing sleeve is used to maintain a liquid seal between the quartz sleeve and the through hole. The cross-sectional height of several baffle cavities decreases along the direction of water flow.

7. The apparatus for preparing aseptic deoxygenated water for craft beer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The water outlet mechanism (5) includes a water outlet pipe (51), one end of which is connected to the bottom of the sealed tower body (1), and the other end of which is connected to an external liquid seal tank. A pump body (52) is installed at the front end of the water outlet pipe (51), and a second control valve (53) is installed at the rear end of the water outlet pipe (51).

8. The sterile deoxygenated water preparation apparatus for craft beer according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a casing flushing mechanism (6), which includes a flushing inlet branch pipe (61), a flushing valve (62), and an annular air distribution assembly (63). One end of the flushing air inlet branch pipe (61) is connected to the carbon dioxide air inlet pipe (26) upstream of the No. 1 control valve (27), and the other end is connected to the annular air distribution assembly (63) via the flushing valve (62). The annular air distribution assembly (63) includes an annular main pipe and several nozzles. The annular main pipe is coaxially arranged with the quartz sleeve and fixed on the upper surface of the baffle plate (41). The several nozzles are evenly distributed along the circumference of the annular main pipe and are inclined upward toward the outer wall of the quartz sleeve. During rinsing, the rinsing valve (62) is opened, and carbon dioxide is sprayed through the nozzle onto the outer wall of the quartz sleeve and rises along the quartz sleeve, forming a gas-liquid two-phase flow to rinse the outer wall of the quartz sleeve.

9. The apparatus for preparing aseptic deoxygenated water for craft beer according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sleeve flushing mechanism (6) also includes an inlet branch pipe (64), a filter assembly (65) and a circulation valve (66). The inlet end of the inlet branch pipe (64) is connected to the outlet pipe (51) between the pump body (52) and the second control valve (53), and the outlet end of the inlet branch pipe (64) is connected to the liquid seal tank. The filter assembly (65) and the circulation valve (66) are sequentially mounted on the inlet branch pipe (64); During cleaning, the second control valve (53) is closed and the circulation valve (66) is opened. The pump body (52) pumps water from the bottom of the sealed tower body (1) into the water inlet branch pipe (64). After the impurities removed by the cleaning are filtered by the filter assembly (65), the water flows back to the liquid seal tank.

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