External Heat Exchanger for Mash Heating Rate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mash heating systems in beer production face limitations in achieving high heating rates while using heating media heated with recuperative thermal energy, especially with large mash vessels having unfavorable diameter-to-height ratios.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an additional external heat exchanger in conjunction with the interior heating system, allowing for increased heating rates and maintaining a low return temperature of the heating medium, enabling efficient reuse of thermal energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If an internal heating system is used in large mash vessels, then the heating coverage is improved, but the heating rate decreases due to unfavorable diameter-to-height ratio and small A/V ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external heat exchanger system that operates in a different dimensional space outside the mash vessel. The mash is circulated externally through heat exchanger jackets where heating occurs, then returned to the vessel. This external heating dimension bypasses the limiting internal surface area constraints of large-diameter vessels, enabling high heating rates while maintaining full recuperative energy utilization.
2Productivity
If the heating medium flow rate is increased to achieve high heating rates, then the heating rate is improved, but the return temperature of the heating medium increases which reduces heat absorption capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is segmented into multiple stages using series-connected heat exchanger jackets. The heating medium flows through multiple jackets in sequence, with each jacket contributing a portion of the total heating. This segmentation allows the temperature rise to be distributed across multiple stages, maintaining a low return temperature (e.g., below 85°C) while achieving high overall heating rates through the cumulative effect of multiple heating zones.
3Loss of energy
If recuperative thermal energy is used for heating mash, then energy efficiency is improved, but the achievable heating rate is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two heating approaches: recuperative heating using cooled process water (energy efficiency) and external heat exchanger heating with enhanced heat transfer surfaces (heating rate). The external heat exchanger system with its large heat transfer area and optimized flow characteristics enables high heating rates while the recuperative heating medium maintains excellent energy efficiency. Both systems work together in the external circulation loop to simultaneously achieve high heating rates and maximum energy recovery.
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 enables higher heating rates and improved energy recuperation, allowing for efficient heating of large mash systems using low-temperature heating media, thereby reducing primary energy consumption and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
an additional external heat exchanger (5) for heating the mash (13) with a heating medium (14)
Implementation Method 2
The recovery of thermal energy is limited by the temperatures of the process media from which energy is recovered and by the temperatures required when using a heating medium heated by recuperative heat recovery
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a mashing device (1) and a method for heating mash (13) in beer production with a container (2), an internal heater (3) arranged in the container (2) for heating the mash with a heating medium (14) wherein the mashing device (1) has an external heat exchanger (5) for heating the mash with the heating medium (14).