Grape Sugar Chromatography and Crystallization Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processes for producing sugar products from grapes result in a gelatinous mass instead of a crystalline or powder form, are unstable, costly due to ethyl alcohol use, and difficult to industrialize, with unsatisfactory dryness, taste, and smell.
Innovation Solution
A chromatographic process using multiple columns for glucose and fructose separation, concentration, and crystallization, eliminating the need for ethyl alcohol, and achieving efficient water removal to produce stable, easily workable crystalline or powder sugar products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If ethyl alcohol is used to extract water from rectified concentrated must, then water removal is achieved, but the product becomes a gelatinous mass instead of crystalline form and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts water from rectified concentrated must through evaporation and concentration processes without using ethyl alcohol as an extracting agent. The water is removed by heating the must to evaporate water vapor, leaving behind concentrated sugar that crystallizes naturally, thus achieving water removal while maintaining crystalline product structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the rectified concentrated must by controlling temperature and concentration levels during processing. By heating to specific temperatures and maintaining controlled evaporation rates, the sugar concentration increases until crystallization occurs, transforming the product from liquid to crystalline form without gelatinous intermediates.
2Loss of substance
If ethyl alcohol is used for water extraction and crystal formation, then separation occurs, but production costs increase due to purchase and recovery of ethyl alcohol
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a self-service approach where the rectified concentrated must undergoes natural evaporation and concentration processes using heat energy alone, without requiring external chemical agents like ethyl alcohol. The system uses evaporators and concentrators that rely on thermal energy to separate water from sugar, eliminating the need for costly chemical purchase and recovery operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical mechanism of ethyl alcohol extraction with a thermal-mechanical system consisting of evaporators, concentrators, and crystallizers. This mechanical-thermal system uses heat transfer and phase change (water evaporation) to achieve separation, substituting chemical extraction with physical processes that eliminate alcohol-related costs.
3Shape
If crystal formation is allowed to proceed naturally, then crystals form, but the process takes very lengthy time (at least 15 days) making industrialization difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-concentrating the rectified concentrated must to high sugar content levels (90-95° Brix) using evaporators and concentrators before the crystallization stage. This preliminary concentration ensures that when crystallization begins, the supersaturation level is already optimal, triggering rapid crystal nucleation and growth, thus reducing the crystallization time from 15+ days to a much shorter period suitable for industrialization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by controlling the transition of sugar from dissolved state to crystalline solid state through controlled cooling and concentration. By rapidly concentrating the must to supersaturation and then controlling the crystallization process through temperature management, the patent accelerates the phase transition, reducing crystal formation time while ensuring proper crystal structure development.
4Manufacturing precision
If washing is performed to remove impurities, then purity improves, but the fructose/glucose weight ratio is modified due to differential water solubility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts impurities from the crystalline sugar product through washing with cold water or alcohol, but immediately re-concentrates the wash liquids using evaporators to recover dissolved sugars. The wash liquids, containing dissolved fructose and glucose, are concentrated back to crystallization point and the recovered crystals are reintegrated into the main product, thus removing impurities while preserving the original fructose/glucose ratio.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a discard-and-recover system where wash liquids that contain dissolved sugars are not discarded but instead are concentrated and recrystallized. The recovered crystals from wash liquids are added back to the main product batch, ensuring that the fructose/glucose ratio remains unchanged while still achieving impurity removal through the initial washing step.
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
The process efficiently produces high-quality, stable, and easily workable crystalline or powder sugar products with improved dryness, taste, and smell, reducing costs and facilitating industrialization.
Implementation Method 1
A possible embodiment consists of treating a solution of liquid rectified concentrated must by chromatography, to separate at least one sugar contained in it
Implementation Method 2
at least one of which is then separated from the liquid solution containing it by crystallization
Data Source
AI summary
A process for producing sugar products from grapes includes treating a solution of liquid rectified concentrated must by chromatography, to separate at least one sugar contained in it. A plant for producing sugar products from grapes comprises a plurality of columns connected together in series, each column implementing in succession all steps of the chromatographic process, but implementing steps of the process which are different from the other columns. A recirculation step is provided in passing from one step to the next.