Winemaking tank

Abstract

Title: Winemaking Tank. A winemaking tank whose body (20) is generally cylindrical, parallelepiped, or curved parallelepiped in shape, is positioned vertically, and has a domed bottom (21) with its concavity facing inwards. This bottom (21) is fitted internally, in the middle, with a cone (22) whose apex points upwards, so as to create, with the concavity of the rest of the bottom (21), a peripheral circular groove (23). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Winemaking tank

[0001] The present invention relates to a winemaking tank.

[0002] In the field of wine production, particularly colored wines and essentially red wines, it is appropriate, before pressing and during alcoholic fermentation, to allow the solid residues such as the skin and seeds to macerate in the must, so as to promote exchanges and allow the extraction of tannins, aromas, coloring matter and phenolic compounds.

[0003] This operation is carried out in a winemaking vat which is generally cylindrical or parallelepipedal in shape, arranged in a vertical direction.

[0004] The solid matter, called the marc cap, tends to float on the surface of the must, so that, to optimize exchanges, the marc cap is broken up and pushed into the liquid by carrying out, in the traditional manner, pumping over and / or punching down operations.

[0005] For the same purpose, tanks are also used which have particular shapes, notably ovoid, which take up the shapes of ancient amphorae, and which allow a natural convection movement to be encouraged.

[0006] The shapes of these tanks have been specifically designed to promote fluid movement without mechanical agitation in order to optimize the homogenization of gas, material and liquid mixtures as well as the temperature. Their shape allows for natural circulation of the fluid inside the tank, thus promoting the homogenization of the wine and a gentle infusion of the phenolic compounds.

[0007] Although these vats have existed for a long time, they are currently experiencing a certain craze, due to the growing interest in natural and sustainable winemaking methods.

[0008] However, it was noted that this ovoid shape, one tank of which is shown in document USD 661,863, had the disadvantage of generating two convection zones, arranged one above the other, separated by a median horizontal plane, so that there is no exchange over the entire verticality of the tank.

[0009] Furthermore, whatever the shape of the tank, to promote the movement of the fluid without mechanical agitation, means are also used to vary the temperature of the liquid, in particular by cooling it at the periphery to create a descending flow, then create a central ascending flow by heating.

[0010] Thermal control of tanks is generally carried out by means of heat exchangers which are in the form of coils arranged externally, or immersed, and which operate through a circulation of water at a controlled and regulated temperature.

[0011] Known winemaking vats, whether or not equipped with heat treatment means, however have defects, in particular in that the convective movement is not perfectly homogeneous, which generates zones of weak convection as well as zones of retention of matter.

[0012] The attached [Fig.l] thus shows, in a schematic representation, a tank 1 of the conventional type, namely parallelepiped or cylindrical and arranged vertically, the wall 10 of which is equipped externally with a cooling means 11 in the form of a water circulation coil.

[0013] It can be seen that the contents V are animated by a convection movement M generated by the temperature control, which movement is broken down into a downward vertical peripheral movement B along the wall 10 and into a more internal vertical upward movement H. It can be seen that there remains a central zone C, not subject, if only weakly, to convection, while a material retention zone R is created on the bottom 12.

[0014] Consequently, part of the solid matter, that of the retention zone R, is not used, while part of the liquid, in the zone C, is not, or only slightly, subject to exchanges.

[0015] The aim of the present invention is to propose a winemaking tank making it possible to overcome the various aforementioned drawbacks.

[0016] The winemaking tank according to the invention is characterized in that its body is generally cylindrical or parallelepiped or curved parallelepiped in shape, it is arranged vertically, and it has a domed bottom, concavity on the inside, said bottom being provided internally and in the middle with a cone, apex directed upwards, so as to create with the concavity of the rest of said bottom a peripheral circular groove.

[0017] The peripheral circular groove constitutes the turning zone of the convective movement from the outside to the inside. Its shape favors this turning and the central cone directs the flows as close as possible to the center, thus reducing the central zone of weak convection. In addition, the flow sweeps the entire surface of this circular groove, there is no retention zone and all the material is transported by the flow.

[0018] According to an additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, the domed bottom has an ovoid or hemispherical profile depending on the geometry, cylindrical, parallelepiped or parallelepiped-curved, of its body.

[0019] The transition between the body and the ovoid or hemispherical bottom is achieved by a succession of hoppers, obtained non-limitingly by crunching, so as to allow a laminar flow of the liquid in the tank, i.e. natural convection without cavitation effect at the point of transition between said body and said tank bottom, all sharp angles and other retention zones being erased.

[0020] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, the openings arranged at the level of the body are designed and manufactured so as to avoid any zone of retention of the liquid in the tank or turbulence of movement.

[0021] In practice, the inner wall of the hatch(es) is fitted flush with the inner face of the body wall.

[0022] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, it is associated with means for thermal control of the contents of the tank, capable of accelerating convection.

[0023] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, the thermal control means consist of a coil or the like, arranged in turns around the periphery of the peripheral wall of the body, in which water circulates at a determined temperature.

[0024] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, the turns comprise baffles, or the like, such as cylindrical studs or oblique or straight bars.

[0025] These characteristics of the coils make it possible to oppose the flow and thus generate a turbulent regime of the heat transfer liquid in the coils, so as to amplify the heat exchange between the liquid contained in the coils and that contained in the tank.

[0026] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, it comprises a movable ceiling allowing its capacity to be adapted.

[0027] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, the bottom comprises centrally and externally, vertically to the cone, a drain valve, while said cone is made up of a filtration grid.

[0028] According to another additional characteristic of the tank according to the invention, the height / diameter ratio, or equivalent, of the body is greater than 1.5, and preferably between 2 and 5.

[0029] Compliance with these values ​​makes it possible to promote the natural convection of the liquid in the tank, itself induced by an imposed and controlled temperature gradient within the liquid in the tank, the liquid being heated on the bottom and the lower section of the tank, cooled on the upper section of the tank by means of two separate coil circuits, with separate temperature settings and regulations.

[0030] The advantages and characteristics of the winemaking tank according to the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which refers to the attached drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

[0031] In the attached drawing:

[0032] [Fig.l] represents a schematic elevation view in vertical section of a winemaking tank of the state of the art,

[0033] [Fig.2] represents a schematic elevation view in vertical section of a winemaking tank according to the invention,

[0034] [Fig.3] represents a schematic elevation view in vertical section of a variant of the winemaking tank according to the invention,

[0035] [Fig.4] represents a perspective view with transparencies of a winemaking tank according to the invention.

[0036] With reference to [Fig.2] we can see a winemaking tank 2 according to the invention, of cylindrical or parallelepiped shape, arranged vertically, comprising a body 20, and the bottom 21 of which has a domed shape, concavity on the inside, and is centrally provided with a conical element 22, which projects from the bottom 21, so as to create in association with the rest of the bottom 11, a peripheral groove 23.

[0037] In a manner similar to the tank 1 of the prior art, the contents V of the tank are subjected to a convection movement M, which is broken down into a downward vertical peripheral displacement B along the wall 10 and into an upward, more internal vertical displacement H.

[0038] It will be understood that the peripheral groove 23 participates in the control of the movement, so as to practically make a central zone of weak convection disappear, and to eliminate the retention of materials on the bottom.

[0039] This allows good homogenization of the V content, and promotes exchanges.

[0040] With reference to [Fig. 3], it can be seen that according to a variant, natural convection can be optimized through a heat treatment. For this purpose, the tank 2 is equipped in the upper part with a cold heat exchanger 24, while the bottom 21 is equipped with a hot heat exchanger 25.

[0041] The purpose of these exchangers 24 and 25 is to generate a temperature difference between the upper part and the lower part of the tank, the lower part having to be hotter than the upper part. The main thing is to create this temperature difference without risking altering the quality of the contents V by subjecting it to too high a rise in temperature, for example.

[0042] Referring now to [Fig.4], one can see a particular embodiment of the winemaking tank 2 according to the invention.

[0043] It will be noted that the transition between the body 20, which may be parallelepipedal or consist of a cylindrical ferrule, and the ovoid or hemispherical base 21 is achieved by a succession of hoppers, obtained in this case by crunching.

[0044] It can also be seen in this figure that the cold exchanger 24 is made up of a flat water transport coil 26, which forms turns around the perimeter of the wall 20.

[0045] It can be seen that the layout of the serpentine 26 is not regular, but that it has a large number of baffles 27, which are intended to create obstacles making it possible to disturb the hydraulic flow and transform the laminar flow in turbulent flow, in order to optimize heat exchange.

[0046] It can also be seen in this figure that the tank 2 is equipped with a ceiling 28, pneumatically movable, intended to allow the capacity to be varied.

[0047] The bottom 21 is further equipped with a drain valve 29, arranged vertically above the cone 22, which advantageously consists of a filtration grid.

Claims

Claims

1. Wine-making tank characterized in that its body (20) is of generally cylindrical or parallelepiped or curved parallelepiped shape, it is arranged vertically, and it comprises a domed bottom (21), concavity on the inside, said bottom (21) being provided internally and in the middle, with a cone (22), apex directed upwards, so as to create with the concavity of the rest of said bottom (21) a peripheral circular groove (23).

2. Wine-making tank according to claim 1, characterized in that the domed bottom (21) has an ovoid or hemispherical profile depending on the geometry, cylindrical, parallelepiped or parallelepiped-curved, of its body (20).

3. Wine-making tank according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the body (20) comprises openings, such as one or more hatches, the inner wall of which is adjusted flush with the inner face of the wall of said body (20), so as to avoid any area of retention of the liquid in the tank or turbulence of movement.

4. Wine-making tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is associated with means (24) for thermal control of the contents of the tank, capable of accelerating convection.

5. Wine-making tank according to claim 4, characterized in that the thermal control means consist of a coil or the like (24), arranged in turns (26) around the periphery of the peripheral wall of the body (20), in which water circulates at a determined temperature.

6. Wine-making tank according to claim 5, characterized in that the turns (26) comprise baffles (27) or the like, such as cylindrical studs or oblique or straight bars.

7. Wine-making tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a movable ceiling (28) allowing its capacity to be adapted.

8. Wine-making tank according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bottom (21) comprises centrally and externally, vertically to the cone (22), a drain valve (29), while said cone (22) consists of a filtration grid.

9. Wine-making tank according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the height / diameter ratio, or equivalent, of the body (20) is greater than 1.5, and preferably between 2 and 5.

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