Brewing System Hot Water Storage Device Thermal Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brewing systems face challenges in thermal energy efficiency due to large space requirements for heating heat exchangers, especially during retrofitting, as they require large heating surfaces for low heating medium temperatures, leading to increased costs and limited upgrades without replacing mash vessels.
Innovation Solution
A brewing system with a hot water storage device featuring two or more containers for high and low temperature ranges, utilizing fresh water as a heat transport medium for direct heating of the mash, reducing the need for extensive heat exchangers and allowing for efficient thermal energy recovery from wort boiling and cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a heat exchange circuit with a stratified storage tank is used for thermal energy recovery, then thermal energy efficiency is improved, but the heating surface area required becomes very large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the heating system into multiple independent heating elements (first heating element in the mash tun and second heating element in the lauter tun) rather than using a single large heat exchange circuit. This segmentation allows each element to operate independently with optimized heating surfaces, reducing the total required heating surface area while maintaining thermal energy efficiency through targeted local heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different heating strategies to different locations: direct heating via heating elements immersed in the mash/wort in the mash tun, and indirect heating via heat exchanger in the lauter tun. This local differentiation optimizes heat transfer efficiency in each specific location, reducing the overall heating surface area required while maintaining high thermal energy efficiency.
2Use of energy by moving object
If large heating surfaces are used in the mash tun, then thermal energy transfer is improved, but space requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is segmented between multiple smaller heating elements distributed in the mash tun rather than one large heat exchanger. This allows efficient thermal energy transfer through multiple contact points while reducing the total volume occupied by heating equipment and allowing better integration into existing mash tun geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a circulation pump to move mash/wort between the mash tun and lauter tun, creating hydraulic flow that enhances heat transfer. This hydraulic circulation allows smaller heating surfaces to achieve the same thermal energy transfer effect that would require much larger static heat exchange surfaces, thereby reducing space requirements.
3Loss of energy
If the heating medium temperature is low, then energy losses are reduced, but the heating surface area required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the heating medium by using separate heating zones: the first heating element operates at higher temperatures (direct heating of mash), while the second heating element in the lauter tun operates at lower temperatures. This parameter differentiation allows efficient heat transfer at each stage without requiring excessively large heating surfaces, as each element operates in its optimal temperature range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous circulation of mash/wort through the heating system via pump, ensuring continuous heat transfer. This continuous action allows the use of smaller heating surfaces because the same volume of liquid passes through the heating zones multiple times, accumulating the required thermal energy without needing large single-pass heat exchange surfaces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances thermal efficiency by enabling direct and rapid heating of the mash, reducing evaporation rates, and minimizing energy losses, while allowing for space-saving upgrades without major replacements of existing components.
Implementation Method 1
a hot water storage device (10) having a high-temperature range and a low-temperature range
Implementation Method 2
a vapor condenser (6) with a low-temperature water connection and a high-temperature water connection
Implementation Method 3
thermal energy recovered from wort boiling and wort cooling is collected in the energy storage tank
Implementation Method 4
the high-temperature water outlet of the hot water storage device is in fluid communication with a hot water inlet of the mash vessel via a mash water line
Implementation Method 5
The thermal energy recovered from wort cooling using a wort cooler can be used for indirect mash heating
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
In a brewing system comprising a hot water storage device (10') having a high-temperature area (2') and a low-temperature area (2"), which has at least one high-temperature water inlet (20, 21A, 22), at least one high-temperature water outlet (23A), at least one low-temperature water inlet (24) and at least one low-temperature water outlet (25), with a mash vessel (3), a lauter tun (4) or mash filter fluidly connected to the mash vessel (3) via a mash line (34), a wort kettle (5) having a lauter wort inlet (50), a wort outlet (51) and a vapor condenser (6) with a low-temperature water connection (60) and a high-temperature water connection (61), wherein the lauter wort inlet (50) is connected indirectly or directly to the lauter tun (4) or the mash filter via a lauter wort line (52). fluid-connectedwherein the low-temperature water outlet (25) of the hot water storage device (10') is in fluid communication with the low-temperature water connection (60) of the vapor condenser (6) and the high-temperature water inlet (21) of the hot water storage device (10') is in fluid communication with the high-temperature water connection (61) of the vapor condenser (6), it is provided that the hot water storage device (10') comprises at least one first hot water storage tank (2A) having or forming the high-temperature area (2') and at least one second hot water storage tank (2B) having or forming the low-temperature area (2"), and that the hot water storage tanks (2A,2B) The hot water storage device (10') is connected to a fresh water reservoir (7') via a fresh water supply line (70) and the high-temperature water outlet (23) of the hot water storage device (10') is connected to a hot water inlet (33) of the mash vessel (3) via a mash water line (32).