Pervaporation Membrane System for Simultaneous Wine Dealcoholization and Spirits Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing alcohol-free wine often compromise on flavor and nutritional content, and do not efficiently utilize the high-alcohol liquor as a byproduct.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a primary and secondary organic-permselective pervaporation membrane separation system, which separates alcohol from wine at low temperatures, preserving nutrients and allowing the high-alcohol liquor to be used for further spirits production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional distillation methods are used to remove alcohol from wine, then alcohol removal efficiency is improved, but wine quality and nutritional value deteriorate due to high temperature heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional thermal distillation system with a membrane separation system. The pervaporation membrane selectively transports alcohol molecules from the wine solution based on concentration gradient and membrane permeability, eliminating the need for high-temperature heating that damages wine quality while maintaining efficient alcohol removal
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin film pervaporation membrane as the core separation medium. This flexible thin film structure provides selective permeability to alcohol molecules while retaining wine constituents, enabling alcohol removal without thermal damage to the wine's nutritional value and sensory qualities
2Manufacturing precision
If membrane separation is used to remove alcohol from wine, then wine quality is preserved, but the process complexity increases due to additional equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the alcohol removal function and high-alcohol liquor production function into a single integrated membrane separation process. The permeate stream containing concentrated alcohol is directly utilized as feed for spirits production, eliminating the need for separate alcohol recovery and spirits manufacturing systems, thus reducing overall process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane separation system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a dealcoholization unit for alcohol-free wine production, a concentration unit for high-alcohol liquor generation, and a pre-processing unit for spirits manufacturing. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate equipment systems needed
3Object-affected harmful factors
If alcohol is removed from wine to produce alcohol-free beverage, then health benefits are improved, but resource utilization deteriorates as high-alcohol byproduct is not effectively utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful high-alcohol permeate stream, which would normally be considered waste or require costly disposal, into a valuable resource for spirits production. The concentrated alcohol in the permeate is directly utilized as feed material, transforming a harmful byproduct into a beneficial product and achieving complete resource utilization
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the high-alcohol permeate stream from the membrane separation process, the patent recovers and utilizes it as feed material for spirits production. This recovery approach ensures that no alcohol is wasted and maximizes the value of the original wine feedstock
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 system effectively produces alcohol-free wine while obtaining high-alcohol liquor, maintaining wine quality, and enabling maximum resource utilization, thus expanding market opportunities and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
pervaporation method is a new type of membrane separation method currently used to prepare alcohol-free fermented beverages. It achieves separation by making use of the difference in dissolution and diffusion rate of the components passing through the membrane under the driving by vapor pressure difference of the components in the liquid mixture
Implementation Method 2
The significant advantage of this technology for application to wine dealcoholization lies in that it can be operated at atmospheric pressure at a temperature slightly higher than room temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A system for simultaneously preparing alcohol-free wine and high-alcohol liquor, comprising a primary membrane separation system and a secondary membrane separation system. An inlet of the primary membrane separation system is connected to raw materials, and a permeation side of the primary membrane separation system is connected to an inlet of the secondary membrane separation system; both the primary membrane separation system and the secondary membrane separation system comprise an organic matter preferentially-permeable pervaporation membrane. The method for simultaneously preparing the alcohol-free wine and the high-alcohol liquor comprise the following steps: feeding the wine produced by fermentation into the primary membrane separation system, ethanol and aromatic substances therein permeating the membrane in a vapor form to form a primary permeating fluid with alcohol content of 28-32°, and a primary residual permeating fluid being the alcohol-free wine with alcohol content of less than 0.5°.