Oak Barrel Vacuum Extraction for Trapped Liquid Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The porosity of oak barrels traps liquid after emptying, leading to product loss and reduced yield, with existing methods involving double handling and additional water use, increasing labor, storage, and utility costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heating the barrel with less than about 10 mL of free liquid and applying negative pressure to extract trapped liquid without adding additional fluids, using a system with a heating station, vacuum station, and collection container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If existing liquid extraction methods are used, then liquid can be recovered from barrels, but double handling and additional water use increase labor, storage, and utility costs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts trapped liquid directly from the barrel pores using vacuum pressure without adding water or other fluids. The system applies negative pressure to pull liquid out through the barrel staves, eliminating the need for double handling and additional water use required by conventional methods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the pressure parameter by applying vacuum (negative pressure) to the barrel interior. This pressure differential forces liquid out of the porous wood structure, enabling recovery without adding water or performing multiple handling operations
2Reliability
If oak barrels are used for aging spirits, then rich and complex flavors are achieved, but porosity traps liquid after emptying causing product loss
Solution Approach 1:
The invention exploits the porous structure of oak barrels by applying vacuum pressure to force liquid out through the same pores that allowed absorption during aging. The porosity that caused product loss is converted into a recovery pathway
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of porosity (liquid trapping and loss) into a beneficial effect (liquid recovery pathway). The same porous structure that caused product loss becomes the mechanism for extracting and recovering the trapped liquid
3Productivity
If heating is applied to expand pores for liquid extraction, then extraction efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces thermal energy input with mechanical vacuum pressure to achieve liquid extraction. Instead of heating to expand pores and facilitate flow, the system uses negative pressure to directly pull liquid through the pore structure at ambient temperature
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses pneumatic principles by applying vacuum pressure to the barrel interior. The negative pressure differential forces liquid out through the porous wood, achieving extraction without thermal energy input
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 method efficiently extracts trapped liquid over a short period, reducing storage expenditures and improving yield by processing barrels quicker without additional water or fluids.
Implementation Method 1
heating a barrel with less than about 10 mL of free liquid disposed therein to expand pores in the barrel
Implementation Method 2
applying, after the heating, a negative pressure to an interior of a vessel in which the barrel is disposed, such that an amount of liquid is extracted from the barrel
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods of extracting liquid from empty barrels. In one aspect, a method includes heating a barrel with less than about 10 ml of free liquid disposed therein to expand pores in the barrel. The method further includes applying, after the heating, a negative pressure to an interior of a vessel in which the barrel is disposed, such that an amount of liquid is extracted from the barrel. The method includes collecting, after the applying, the amount of liquid within a collection container. In some embodiments, collecting the amount of liquid includes pumping the liquid through a tube that is disposed between an outer surface of the barrel and the collection container. In some embodiments, heating the barrel is via a heated blanket wrapped around the barrel. In some embodiments, heating the barrel is via placing the barrel in an oven.