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) with its apex pointing 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 winemaking, particularly colored wines and essentially red wines, it is necessary, before pressing and during alcoholic fermentation, to allow the solid residues, such as the skins and seeds, to macerate in the must, in order to promote exchanges and allow the extraction of tannins, aromas, coloring matter and phenolic compounds.

[0003] This operation is carried out in a winemaking tank which is generally cylindrical or parallelepiped in shape, arranged vertically.

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

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

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

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

[0008] However, it has been observed that this ovoid shape, one of which is shown in document USD 661 863, has 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, regardless of 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 downward flow, then creating a central upward flow by heating.

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

[0011] Known winemaking tanks, whether or not equipped with heat treatment means, nevertheless have defects, in particular in that the convective movement is not perfectly homogeneous, which generates areas of low convection as well as areas of material retention.

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

[0013] It can be seen that the contents V are subject to a convection current M generated by the temperature control, which is broken down into a downward vertical peripheral displacement B along the wall 10 and an upward vertical displacement H further inward. It can be observed that a central zone C remains, not subject, or only weakly so, to convection, while a material retention zone R is created on the bottom 12.

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

[0015] The present invention aims to provide a winemaking tank that overcomes the various aforementioned drawbacks.

[0016] The winemaking tank according to the invention is characterized in that its body is generally cylindrical or parallelepiped or parallelepiped-curved, 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 reversal zone for the convective movement from the outside to the inside. Its shape promotes this reversal, and the central cone directs the flows as close as possible to the center, thus reducing the central zone of weak convection. Furthermore, since the flow sweeps across 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 feature 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 not limited to by crunching, so as to allow a laminar flow of the liquid in the tank, i.e. a natural convection without cavitation effect at the point of the transition between said body and said tank bottom, all sharp angles and other retention areas being eliminated.

[0020] According to another additional feature 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 area of ​​liquid retention 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 feature of the tank according to the invention, it is associated with thermal control means for the contents of the tank, capable of accelerating convection.

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

[0024] According to another additional feature of the tank according to the invention, the coils include 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 feature of the tank according to the invention, it includes a movable ceiling allowing for an adaptation of its capacity.

[0027] According to another additional feature of the tank according to the invention, the bottom has centrally and externally, vertically above the cone, a drain valve, while said cone consists of a filtration grid.

[0028] According to another additional feature 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 ​​promotes 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 lower section of the tank, cooled on the upper section of the tank by means of two separate coil circuits, with separate temperature setpoints and regulations.

[0030] The advantages and characteristics of the winemaking tank according to the invention will become clearer from the following description, which relates to the attached drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

[0031] In the attached drawing:

[0032] [Fig. 1] represents a schematic elevational vertical cross-sectional view of a winemaking tank of the prior art,

[0033] [Fig.2] represents a schematic elevational vertical cross-sectional view of a winemaking tank according to the invention,

[0034] [Fig.3] represents a schematic elevational vertical cross-sectional view 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 whose bottom 21 has a domed shape, concavity on the inner side, 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 analogous to the tank 1 of the prior art, the contents V of the tank are animated by a convection movement M, which is decomposed into a peripheral vertical downward displacement B along the wall 10 and into a vertical upward, more interior displacement H.

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

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

[0040] With reference to [Fig. 3], it can be seen that, according to one variant, natural convection can be optimized through heat treatment. For this purpose, the tank 2 is equipped in its 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 heat exchangers 24 and 25 is to generate a temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the tank, the lower part being hotter than the upper part. The key is to create this temperature difference without risking damage to the contents V by subjecting them to an excessive temperature increase, for example.

[0042] Now with reference to [Fig.4], we 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 can be parallelepiped or consist of a cylindrical ferrule, and the ovoid or hemispherical bottom 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 consists of a flat water transport coil 26, which forms spirals 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 chicanes 27, which are intended to create obstacles allowing the hydraulic flow to be disrupted and the laminar flow to be transformed into 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 pneumatically movable ceiling 28, 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 filter grid.

Claims

Demands

1. Winemaking vat characterized in that its body (20) is cylindrical or parallelepiped or parallelepiped-curved, it is arranged vertically, and it has 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. Winemaking 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. Winemaking tank according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the body (20) has openings, such as one or more hatches, the inner wall of which is fitted flush with the inner face of the wall of said body (20), so as to avoid any area of ​​liquid retention in the tank or turbulence of movement.

4. Winemaking 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. Winemaking tank according to claim 4, characterized in that the thermal control means consist of a coil (24), arranged in spirals (26) around the perimeter of the peripheral wall of the body (20), in which water circulates at a determined temperature.

6. Winemaking tank according to claim 5 characterized in that the spirals (26) have baffles (27), such as cylindrical studs or oblique or straight bars.

7. Winemaking tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a movable ceiling (28) allowing an adaptation of its capacity.

8. Winemaking tank according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the bottom (21) has centrally and externally, vertically above the cone (22), a drain valve (29), while said cone (22) consists of a filter grid.

9. 7 Winemaking tank according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the height / diameter ratio of the body (20) is greater than 1.5, and preferably between 2 and 5.

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