REFRIGERATED WINE STABILIZATION TANK

Abstract

Refrigerated scale removal tank according to claim 1 of the main patent. Depending on the addition, the wine is drawn from the top of the tank by a pump 6 followed by a hydrocyclone 7 which performs separation by centrifugation. Applications: Tank with increased efficiency and flexible, reliable operation.

Description

REFRIGERATED WINE STABILIZATION TANK The purpose of this addition is to improve the wine stabilization tank by refrigeration described in French patent no. 87 16077. This patent describes a refrigerated stabilization tank allowing the continuous seeding of wine with potassium bitartrate crystals, said tank comprising a contact zone and a resting zone, the wine being introduced at the lower part of the tank and extracted at the upper part, and comprising means for decanting the microcrystals arranged at the upper part of the tank. These devices create the separation between the contact and resting zones, with the microcrystals being directed towards the contact zone after settling. Agitation of the wine in the tank is achieved by paddles rotating in alternating directions. It is known that refrigerating wine leads to the formation of tartaric microcrystals that can be filtered out. According to the main patent, these microcrystals are used to continuously re-inoculate the wine. Because these microcrystals are highly active, they help to bind other tartaric molecules. In the main patent, the means for decanting the microcrystals, for their return to the contact zone, consist of swept filters such that the microcrystals are separated from the liquid phase constituted by the wine, and then reinjected into the contact zone. The present addition aims to improve the efficiency of the wine treatment by cold for better separation of the wine and the microcrystals. According to this addition, the refrigerated wine stabilization tank, comprising a contact zone and a resting zone, the wine being introduced at the lower part of the tank and extracted at the upper part, according to claim 1 of the main patent, is characterized in that the wine-microcrystal mixture is taken from the resting zone, the microcrystals being reintroduced into the working zone by means of a device including a pump whose outlet is connected to a hydrocyclone. Hydrocyclones are centrifugal separators in which liquid circulation is achieved not by driving a rotating bowl, but by tangentially feeding the liquid into a fixed, pressurized conical bowl. A hydrocyclone allows for the selective recovery of scale; the tangential inlet creates a vortex that directs the crystals towards the bottom of the bowl, and a secondary vortex directs the liquid towards the top. The hydrocyclone generates not only this separation effect, but also a washing effect allowing the reuse of scale crystals without the addition of exogenous crystals. Thus, a significant proportion (up to approximately 90% of the microcrystals) remains in the treatment tank and does not enter the filter. This results in reduced investment and operating costs. The contact system is used optimally, as the addition of cream of tartar is limited. It is possible to operate at a high temperature (between -3 and +20°C), resulting in lower electricity consumption. Other features and advantages of the addition will appear during the following description of particular embodiments, given only as non-limiting examples, with regard to the drawings which represent – ​​Figure 1, a vertical cross-sectional view of a tank according to the addition, in a first embodiment - figure 2, a view of a second embodiment - figure 3, a horizontal cross-sectional top view, according line III-III of figure 1, of a tank according to l'addition. In Figure 1, tank 1 includes cooling means 2 consisting of a coil, either direct expansion or glycol water. Inside tank 1 are fixed blades 4 and movable blades 5. As in the main patent, these horizontal blades provide the agitation necessary for heat exchange and contact between the wine and the suspended bitartrate crystals without causing convection currents between the wine at the bottom and top of the tank. Thus, only the smallest crystals will reach the settling zone 11. To accelerate the reaction, exogenous tartrate crystals can be introduced on demand via the "clearing" 19 during continuous operation or during shutdowns through the hatch 3. The portion of the tank 10 containing the blades constitutes the contact zone, while the portion 11, located above the contact zone, constitutes the settling zone.In the rest area, in accordance with the addition, a separation device is provided comprising a pump 6 and a hydrocyclone 7. The lower part of the hydrocyclone 7 is connected to a pipe 8 that returns the separated crystals to the lower part of the tank. The agitation of the movable blades is achieved by a drive shaft 9 driven by a motor 12. As previously stated, the bottom 13 of the tank is conical and includes a scraper 14 for dislodging large crystals from the bottom 13 of the tank. The large scale crystals are removed via a pipe 15, which is connected to an inlet pipe 16 for the wine to be treated. The descaled wine is extracted from the tank through a pipe 17 connected on one side to the upper part of the hydrocyclone 7 and, on the other side, to a filter 18. A port 19 allows for racking, and a probe 20 allows for temperature control inside the tank. In this embodiment, the pump 6 and the hydrocyclone 7 are integrated into the upper part 11 of the tank 1. It is also possible to position the pump assembly 6 with the cyclone 7 outside the tank, but still close to it. To facilitate explanation, a diagram of a complete scale removal system is shown in Figure 2, which depicts a tank 1 and all the auxiliary equipment. This figure shows the fixed blades 4 and the moving blades 5 driven by the motor 12, as well as the wine inlet pipe 16 and the wine outlet pipe 17 after the scale crystals have precipitated. In the complete system, the wine to be treated is introduced through pipe 21 and enters a plate heat exchanger 22, which lowers its temperature from approximately +80°C to approximately -2°C. At this temperature, it enters the tank through pipe 16. It then remains in the contact zone for a set time and gradually reaches the upper part 11.At this level, it is taken up by pipe 17, and accelerated by pump 6 whose outlet is connected to hydrocyclone 7. By the action of this hydrocyclone, the crystals with a size greater than 10 microns are reintroduced by pipe 23 into the vein of wine to be treated. The clear liquid phase is extracted from the top of the tank by a pump 6, and the hydrocyclone 7 is drawn through a pipe 24 which feeds the cartridge filter 25. It is observed that in the hydrocyclone 7, a small portion of the total flow (from 1 / 10 to 1 / 3) is directed into pipe 23, and the remainder passes through pipe 24. Thus, in the hydrocyclone 7, one-third of the flow is directed into pipe 23 and the remaining two-thirds into pipe 24. The outlet of the filter 25 is connected by pipe 26 to the plate heat exchanger 22, in which the wine temperature is raised from approximately -30°C to approximately +70°C.The overall operation of the installation is managed by a microprocessor 27 which receives parameters from various sensors, such as thermometers located at appropriate points in the installation, pressure sensors, and flow meters. Using an analyzer 28, the processor 27 measures the treatment efficiency and adjusts the flow rates and temperatures accordingly, notably by means of unreferenced solenoid valves. The process just described protects wines against tartaric precipitation without excessive prior stripping of the base wines. Thanks to the continuous control provided by processor 27, it is possible to adjust the flow rate, the injection of cream of tartar, the treatment temperature, the hydrocyclone 7 setting, and the agitation. The tartrate, added and self-regenerated by the hydrocyclone, remains in the tank and is thus used optimally. This operation is simple and very flexible, and the process can be stopped at any time and restarted immediately. It goes without saying that many variations can be introduced, in particular by substituting technically equivalent means without going out of the scope of the invention.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. Refrigerated wine stabilization tank according to the claim 1 of the main patent, characterized in that A first separation is carried out in the tank by the rotation of the movable blades (5) rotating between the blades fixed (4), a second separation being obtained by centrirugation.

2. Tank according to claim 1, characterized in that the wine is drawn from the upper part of the vat by a pump (6) followed by a hydrocyclone (7) arranged between the wine outlet from the tank and the outlet filter.

3. Tank according to claim 2, characterized in that the pump (6) and hydrocyclone (7) are integrated into the resting zone (11) at the top of the tank (1).

4. Tank according to claim 2, characterized in that the pump (6) and hydrocyclone (7) are arranged in the vicinity, but outside, of the tank (1), the microcrystals being reintroduced into the tank via the inlet pipe (16) wine.