Heating device

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for heating a wooden barrel (6) comprising a longitudinal wall ending in two opposing circular rims delimiting a lower opening (61) and an upper opening (62), said device being characterized in that it comprises - a heating element (2) comprising a base enabling the heating element (2) to rest on the bottom of the barrel (6) at the level of the lower opening (61), the heating element (2) having in the vicinity of its base an orifice (21) equipped with a shutter (22) capable of taking several shuttering positions, - a chimney (3) extending axially from the heating element (2), the chimney (3) extending inside the wooden barrel (6), and - a lid (4) integral with the chimney (3),dimensioned and positioned on said chimney (3) so as to at least partially obstruct the upper opening (62) when the base rests on the bottom of the barrel at the level of the lower opening (61) Figure for the abbreviation: figure 2,

Description

Title of the invention: Heating device for a wooden container

[0001] The invention relates to a heating device, and in particular in the wine industry for the improvement of containers.

[0002] The aging of wines, sparkling or still, generally takes place in oak barrels. Oak trees are used for the staves intended for making the barrel staves. These staves are air-dried; during this process, under the influence of atmospheric conditions (rain, sun), changes occur in the physical (density, shrinkage) and mechanical (compression, bending) properties, as well as biochemical changes in the constituents of the wood. These staves are then shaped to produce the barrel staves used in the construction of the barrel.

[0003] Although other techniques exist, particularly in the United States, in Europe, stave bending is carried out using wood fires. After the bending phase, which allows the staves to take the shape of the future barrel or cask, coopers proceed with the toasting or charring process. Three different toasting levels can be applied to the casks: light, medium, and heavy. The heavy toasting is stopped as soon as the exothermic reactions begin, that is, around 270°-280°C, because beyond this temperature, the casks ignite.

[0004] During heat treatments, hydrothermolysis and pyrolysis reactions lead to a degradation of polysaccharide (cellulose, hemicelluloses) and polyphenolic (lignin, hydrolyzable tannins) constituents which may lead to the appearance of new classes of volatile odoriferous substances absent in unburned wood (furans, pyrazines, phenols,) or an additional supply of pre-existing substances.

[0005] It is the combination formed by the size of the fire, the height and intensity of the flame, the duration of heating time and the amount of water vaporized on the outside of the barrel that will determine the aromatic and structural profile of the toasting.

[0006] An inherent difficulty in treating wood with heat is that the effect of the heat is very difficult to control if one wishes not to give the wine an artificial color and aroma but, on the contrary, to give it organoleptic qualities identical in every respect to those obtained when storing it in classic type barrels, especially oak barrels.

[0007] It is particularly damaging, during the toasting of barrels, that the fumes produced by the combustion are present, and generate soot which may affect the taste of the wine.

[0008] The technique is already known in the state, in particular according to document FR3087696, of alternatives to the toasting of barrels, based on hydraulic heating systems. However, such devices, even if they do not produce smoke, do not allow for as efficient a charring as with a brazier.

[0009] The invention is intended in particular to overcome these drawbacks described in the prior art.

[0010] To this end, the invention relates to a device for heating a wooden barrel comprising a longitudinal wall ending in two opposing circular edges defining a lower opening and an upper opening, said device being characterized in that it comprises

[0011] - a heating element comprising a base allowing the heating element to rest on the bottom of the barrel at the level of the lower opening,

[0012] the heating element having, near its base, an orifice equipped with a shutter that can assume several closing positions,

[0013] - a chimney extending axially from the heating body, the chimney extending inside the wooden barrel, and

[0014] - a cover attached to the chimney, dimensioned and positioned on said chimney so as to at least partially block the upper opening when the base rests on the bottom of the barrel at the level of the lower opening.

[0015] The present invention solves the problem of this manufacturing step without emitting toxins, particles, and the main contaminants from wood combustion and its smoke, which are most often: carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, acrolein and formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins and furans, and any other toxic or polluting elements; fine, solid particles with a diameter smaller than that of a human hair, which can penetrate the lungs and affect health. Furthermore, in this type of wood-fired brazier, combustion residues send organic and phenolic compounds, such as benzenes, into the staves, which, upon evaporation over time, migrate into the alcoholic liquids contained in the barrel.

[0016] It is not possible to eliminate these undesirable molecules at the end of combustion. These unwanted molecules can be hazardous to health. The aim is to retain only the aromas of the wood (tannins and woody flavors) from the staves without adding products from the combustion fumes that would disrupt the "woody character of the barrel." The toasting should only come from the transmission of woody aromas, which should remain an exchange of aromas between the liquid and the wood of the barrel.

[0017] Also, by means of the device according to the invention, the entire problem of smoke is eliminated by the chimney. But beyond eliminating the smoke, the chimney shown on the brazier will heat up and can thus indirectly, by radiation, heat the staves. The charcoal production can then take place without contaminating the wood.

[0018] The orifice provided in the heating body, with its closing means, allows to improve the chimney draft and thus produce a controllable fire, therefore controlled heat, and consequently controlled heat for burning.

[0019] Advantageously, the aforementioned device is such that the chimney further extends outside the wooden barrel through the second opening.

[0020] Advantageously, the chimney is sized so that, when mounted on the heating unit, it vents combustion fumes outside the barrel, ensuring that these fumes never come into contact with the inside of the barrel. Furthermore, this allows heat to be distributed along the entire length of the staves forming the barrel, from the bottom opening to the top. This results in even toasting, from the bottom to the top of the staves, unlike toasting using a brazier, which heats the bottom of the staves more intensely than the top.

[0021] Advantageously, the aforementioned device is such that the heating body and the chimney are mounted axially.

[0022] To prevent any smoke from escaping into the drum during the charring process, the chimney that vents the fumes and the heating unit containing the combustion chamber are mounted axially, specifically substantially vertically. It is preferable for the device to be centered inside the drum and as vertical as possible, in order to distribute the heat evenly and heat the inside of the drum uniformly.

[0023] The aforementioned device is such that the heating body and the chimney are assembled in one piece.

[0024] In this embodiment, the device is in one piece, that is to say that the heating body and the chimney are two separate parts of the same device in one piece.

[0025] Alternatively, the aforementioned device is such that the heating body and the chimney are two separate parts, the chimney being able to be connected to the heating body to extend it longitudinally.

[0026] In another embodiment, the device according to the invention consists of two separate parts: the heating element and the chimney. The base of the chimney is advantageously designed so as to be able to be fitted onto the top of the heating element, to reconstitute a single unit using the two separate parts.

[0027] Advantageously, the aforementioned device is such that the chimney is made of a material allowing heat radiation, in particular stainless steel or ceramic.

[0028] In the invention, we will uniformly refer to it as "heat radiation" or "thermal radiation".

[0029] It is particularly advantageous in the invention that the material in which the device according to the invention is manufactured, and in particular the heating element of the chimney, or a material allowing good thermal radiation, that is to say having a high emissivity.

[0030] The emissivity of a material corresponds to its ability to absorb and then re-emit energy, particularly heat energy, by radiation. Emissivity is a dimensionless value.

[0031] between 0 and 1. The more a material is capable of producing radiation, the closer its emissivity is to the value of 1.

[0032] Within the framework of the device according to the invention, materials having an emissivity of at least 0.3, preferably at least 0.5, even more preferably at least 0.8, will be preferred.

[0033] For example, but without being limiting, stainless steel or stainless steel, of the oxidized type at 800°C (emissivity = 0.85), of the sandblasted type (emissivity of 0.38 to 0.44) or of type 301 (nominal composition of 17% chromium and 7% nickel - emissivity of 0.54 to 0.63) is particularly suitable for the purpose sought by the invention.

[0034] Similarly, ceramic (emissivity of 0.95) is particularly advantageous.

[0035] Advantageously, the aforementioned device is such that the shutter includes a means for actuating said shutter.

[0036] The aforementioned means, or shuttering means, may in particular be an arm rotatably fixed around the vertical axis of the heating body, in which one end of the arm cooperates with the shutter, the other end of the arm being free for manipulation.

[0037] Advantageously, the aforementioned device is such that the heating element has at least two orifices in the vicinity of its base.

[0038] The orifices present in the heating body serve to increase the draft and increase the supply of oxidant to the fuel, that is to say to draw in oxygen.

[0039] The more orifices there are, the more it will be possible to finely regulate the oxidant supply.

[0040] In another aspect, the invention relates to the use of a device according to the above definition, for the charring of a wooden barrel.

[0041] According to the invention, the device as described above is suitable and intended to carry out the charring of a wooden barrel.

[0042] In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method of charring a wooden barrel, comprising:

[0043] - the preparation of a brazier,

[0044] - the positioning of the barrel around the brazier,

[0045] - the positioning of the device as defined above, so that the brazier be fully included in the base of said device.

[0046] Generally speaking, during the charring process, a fire is first prepared directly on the ground or on a suitable support. This brazier can be made from wood, charcoal, or any material that allows the creation of a fire or incandescence.

[0047] Once the fire is prepared, the barrel is positioned around the fire so that the fire is preferably positioned in the center of the barrel at its lower opening. To carry out the charring according to the invention, the fire is then covered with the device according to the invention by positioning the heating element described above around the fire.

[0048] In one embodiment, where the heating body is a separate element from the chimney, it is possible to position the heating body around the brazier before positioning the barrel around the brazier / heating body assembly.

[0049] The chimney is then mounted axially and extends from the heating body through the barrel, and can in particular extend through the upper opening of the barrel.

[0050] The heat produced by the fire will thus be absorbed by the material constituting the heating body and the chimney, and re-emitted into the barrel, notably by radiation. The toasting process will therefore take place. Any fumes generated by the fire will be eliminated through the chimney and expelled outside the barrel, thus preventing contamination of the barrel's interior.

[0051] It is obviously conceivable to position the heating element on the bottom of the barrel and to create a fire directly inside it, within the framework of an embodiment of the invention where the heating element and the chimney are separate. Brief description of the figures

[0052] The invention will be better understood upon reading the description given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0053] [Fig-1] is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a device according to the invention, where the barrel in which said device is inserted is also represented (represented in dotted line).

[0054] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a device according to the invention, where also shown is the barrel in which said device is inserted (shown in dotted line).

[0055] [Fig.3] is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a body of heating according to the invention.

[0056] [Fig.4] is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a body heating according to the invention. Detailed description

[0057] Reference is now made to the figures whose legend has been detailed above.

[0058] With reference to [Fig. 1], a device 1 for heating a barrel of wood 6. The wooden barrel 6 comprises a substantially cylindrical, open, rigid frame made up of a plurality of wooden staves joined end-to-end by means of at least one hoop which serves as a rim across the staves; said frame defining a top opening 62 and a bottom opening 61, and the internal volume of the container is formed by the internal part of the plurality of staves and the closure pieces at the top and bottom ends,

[0059] the internal surface of the plurality of staves being intended to be treated by a heat source, i.e. to be scorched.

[0060] In the context of [Fig.1], the barrel 6, also called cask 6, does not include the closure pieces of the upper end, and of the lower end, which will be positioned respectively at the level of the upper opening 62 and the lower opening.

[0061] Device 1 is inserted within the barrel. On the bottom of the barrel 6, at the lower opening 61, the heating element 2 is positioned so as to cover a support containing wood intended to be burned to produce heat. This could be, for example, a brazier, or any support capable of holding wood or charcoal. The support containing the wood is completely covered by the heating element 2. In order to prevent smothering the combustion, the heating element 2 has an opening 21 at its base that allows air to pass through to supply the fire developing within the support with combustion. To control the combustion, a means 22 for closing the opening 21 is provided in the heating element. It is then possible, depending on the opening or closing of the orifice 22 with the sealing means 22, to regulate the air intake inside the heating body 2 which includes the brazier, and thus to control the strength of the fire.

[0062] The heating element 2 is open at least at its upper end, the lower end being able to be uniformly open or obstructed by an obstruction means. The heating element 2 is advantageously cylindrical in shape.

[0063] The device 1 further includes a chimney 3 which extends axially from the heating body 2 and extends inside the barrel 6. According to [Fig.1], the chimney 3 extends through the barrel beyond the upper opening 62, so that the upper end of the chimney 3 is outside the barrel 6.

[0064] On the chimney 3, the cover 4 is positioned securely.

[0065] When the device 1 is actuation, in the embodiment according to [Fig.1], the chimney 3 and the heating body 2 cooperate axially so that the lower part of the chimney 3 and the upper part of the heating body 2 cooperate to form a single channel through which the smoke associated with the fire developing at the level of the heating body 2 will be evacuated to the outside of the barrel 6, through the upper end of the chimney 3.

[0066] The cover 4 is positioned so that it at least partially covers the opening 62 when the chimney 3 comes into contact with the heating body 2.

[0067] If the lid 4 is intended to completely close the barrel 6, the diameter of the lid will be greater than that of the barrel 6, and in particular of its upper opening 62. The lid then comes to rest on the edge of the upper end 62.

[0068] Advantageously, the cover 4 is made of a material whose emissivity is close to 0, so that the device 1 can be handled without getting burned.

[0069] For example, for a 300L drum with the following dimensions: height approximately 100 cm, head diameter (diameter of the top and bottom openings) approximately 64 cm, and muzzle diameter approximately 77 cm, it is appropriate to use a device 1, or the lid 4 will have a diameter of at least approximately 64 cm if it is desired to completely cover the upper opening 62. A person skilled in the art, depending on the drum in question, will be able to determine the appropriate dimensions of the lid 4. Still for the same example of a 300L drum, the length of the entire device 1, i.e. the assembly of the heating body 2 and the chimney 3, will advantageously be greater than 100 cm, the lid 4 being positioned on the chimney 4 so that it is turned over at a distance of approximately 100 cm from the bottom of the drum.

[0070] Referring now to [Fig.2], a device 1 is described consisting of a heating body 2 and a chimney 3, on which the cover 4 is positioned, but made in one piece.

[0071] In this embodiment, a fire or brazier is produced inside the barrel to be smoked, the latter being covered by the device 1, by means of the heating body 2. The description of the embodiment presented in [Fig.1] applies mutatis mutandis to the embodiment of [Fig.2].

[0072] With reference to [Fig. 3], the heating element 2 is now shown, in which the orifice 21 and the means 22 for closing said orifice are distinguished. In this embodiment, the closing means is controlled by a means 221 which controls the closing means 22. In [Fig. 3], the means 221 is a rod mounted for rotation by means of a movable circle positioned on the heating element 2, at the base of said heating element 2. The closing means 22 is connected from inside the heating element 2 to the movable circle such that when the rod 221 is rotated to rotate the circle, the closing means 22 is driven to rotate in the same direction as the rod. Depending on the direction of rotation imposed on the rod 221, the closing means 22 will either close or open the orifice 21.

[0073] Advantageously, in the embodiment shown in [Fig. 1], the rod 221 has a length greater than the radius of the barrel 6. The rod will therefore extend beyond the barrel 6 when the latter is positioned around the device 1. The operator can thus, at will, without removing the device from the barrel 6, open or close the orifice 21 of the heating element 2, and thereby control the draft and the amount of heat produced for burning.

[0074] In the above-described configuration, it is preferable to first position the heating body 2 on the brazier, then place the barrel 6, before adding the chimney 3.

[0075] With reference to [Fig. 4], another embodiment of the heating element 2 is shown, in which a first and a second orifice 21 and 21' are present, the closure of which is controlled respectively by a first and a second closing means 22 and 22'. The closing means 22 and 22' can both be connected, from the inside of the heating element 2, to the pivotally mounted circle controlled by the rod 221. Manipulation of the rod 221, in this embodiment, will simultaneously actuate the first and second closing means 22 and 22'.

[0076] Other embodiments may provide means 221 for controlling several orifices 21 and 21' autonomously and independently.

[0077] The invention is not limited to the embodiments presented above, and a person skilled in the art has the necessary information to propose embodiments not explicitly described above.

Claims

Demands

1. A device (1) for heating a wooden barrel (6) comprising a longitudinal wall ending in two opposing circular rims defining a lower opening (61) and an upper opening (62), said device being characterized in that it comprises: - a heating element (2) comprising a base enabling the heating element (2) to rest on the bottom of the barrel (6) at the level of the lower opening (61), the heating element (2) having, near its base, an orifice (21) equipped with a shutter (22) capable of assuming several shuttering positions, - a chimney (3) extending axially from the heating element (2), the chimney (3) extending inside the wooden barrel (6), and - a cover (4) integral with the chimney (3), dimensioned and positioned on said chimney (3) so as to at least partially close the upper opening (62) when the base rests on the bottom of the barrel. at the level of the lower opening (61).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the chimney further extends outside the wooden barrel (6) through the upper opening (62).

3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the heating element (2) and the chimney are mounted axially.

4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heating body (2) and the chimney (3) are assembled in one piece.

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heating body (2) and the chimney (3) are two separate parts, the chimney being able to be connected to the heating body (2) to extend it longitudinally.

6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the chimney (3) is made of a material allowing heat radiation, in particular stainless steel or ceramic.

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the shutter (22) includes a means (221) for actuating said shutter (22).

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the heating body (2) has at least two orifices (21;21') in the vicinity of its base.

9. Use of a device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, for the charring of a wooden barrel.

10. Method of charring a wooden barrel, comprising - preparing a fire, - the positioning of the barrel around the fire, - the positioning of the device as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, so that the brazier is fully included in the base of said device.

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