Fermentation and aging apparatus and method for controlling fermentation and aging apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fermentation and aging apparatuses face challenges in accurately controlling temperature and efficiently dispensing beverages, particularly when the remaining amount of beverage is reduced, leading to potential supercooling and increased operational rates of refrigerant cycle devices.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes a temperature controller with a refrigerant cycle device and a heater, along with a gas pressure sensor and a method to calculate the dispensed and remaining beverage amounts using pressure measurements, adjusting the storage temperature to prevent supercooling and optimize operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the refrigerant cycle device operates at high rate to maintain temperature when beverage amount is reduced, then temperature control is improved, but power consumption increases and supercooling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a gas pressure sensor to continuously monitor the beverage remaining amount and provides feedback to the controller. Based on this feedback, the controller adjusts the refrigerant cycle device operation rate and temperature setpoint dynamically, preventing unnecessary operation when beverage amount is low and avoiding supercooling while reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the storage temperature and refrigerant cycle device operation rate based on the real-time beverage remaining amount. When beverage amount decreases, the system lowers the operation rate and adjusts temperature setpoint, transitioning from static high-rate operation to dynamic adaptive control, thereby preventing supercooling and reducing energy consumption.
2Measurement precision
If a flow rate sensor is installed to accurately measure dispensed beverage amount, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses gas pressure as an intermediary parameter to indirectly measure the beverage dispensed amount. Instead of directly measuring liquid flow with a flow rate sensor, the system measures the pressure change of gas in the sealed container, which correlates with the beverage amount. This intermediary measurement approach simplifies the device while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical flow rate sensor with a gas pressure sensor and calculation algorithm. Instead of using a mechanical device to directly measure liquid flow, the system uses pneumatic pressure measurement combined with mathematical calculation to determine dispensed amount, thereby reducing device complexity while achieving measurement precision.
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 effectively prevents supercooling and maintains the beverage within a desired temperature range, reducing the operational rate of the refrigerant cycle device and minimizing power consumption, while accurately calculating beverage amounts without a separate flow rate sensor.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature controller (11) which controls an inner temperature of the fermentation container (12)
Implementation Method 2
a temperature controller (11) which controls an inner temperature of the fermentation container (12), wherein the beverage dispensing operation comprises: heating the beverage in the fermentation container (12) by the heater (14)
Implementation Method 3
a gas pressure sensor (72) which measures an inner pressure of the fermentation container (12)
Data Source
AI summary
A fermentation and aging apparatus may include a fermentation tank defining an accommodation space in which a beverage is accommodated, a refrigerant cycle device configured to cool the fermentation tank and the beverage, a temperature sensor mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the fermentation tank, and a controller configured to control driving of the refrigerant cycle device based on a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and a predetermined storage temperature, check a remaining amount of the beverage accommodated in the fermentation tank, and reset a storage temperature of the beverage when the checked remaining amount is lower than a predetermined reference amount.