Oxygen-Free Wine-Making Using Inflatable Bladder Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wine-making processes face challenges in preventing oxidation of grape must due to oxygen contact, with previous solutions either being complex to implement or increasing costs significantly due to pressurization requirements.
Innovation Solution
A wine-making apparatus featuring a stainless steel tank with an auxiliary tank and a sealing device, such as an inflatable air-bladder, inert gas supply, or floating cover, that isolates the must from the atmosphere, allowing fermentation without oxygen exposure, thus eliminating the need for antioxidants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an inflatable air-bladder is used to prevent oxygen contact with must, then oxidation protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful factor (oxygen) is excluded by extracting it from the contact path with the must. The air-bladder is inflated to displace air from the headspace, creating an oxygen-free environment above the liquid surface without requiring complex pressurization systems.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible air-bladder made of thin material is used to create a simple barrier that separates the oxygen-containing atmosphere from the must. This flexible membrane approach is much simpler than rigid pressurized container systems while achieving the same oxidation protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pressurization is used to prevent oxidation, then oxidation protection is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air-bladder is a simple, inexpensive, disposable component that can be easily manufactured and replaced. It avoids the need for expensive pressurized container construction while providing effective oxidation protection during the fermentation process.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of pressurizing the entire container, the invention uses simple pneumatic inflation of an internal bladder to displace oxygen. This localized pneumatic approach is much cheaper than building and maintaining pressurized fermentation tanks.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the air-bladder fills the entire volume above liquid, then oxidation protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air-bladder does not need to fill the entire volume above the liquid to be effective. It only needs to displace enough oxygen from the critical headspace region to prevent oxidation, allowing for a simpler, smaller bladder design that is easier to manufacture and install.
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
Enables the wine-making process to occur without oxygen contact, enhancing wine health characteristics while maintaining organoleptic qualities and reducing costs by avoiding the need for antioxidants.
Implementation Method 1
an inflatable air-bladder arranged between the free surface of the liquid contained in the wine-making tank and the upper wall of the wine-making tank. The inflatable air-bladder expands as the dregs are discharged from the lower part of the wine-making tank and prevents contact between the air and the must.
Implementation Method 2
a sealing device, such as an inflatable air-bladder, inert gas supply, or floating cover, that isolates the must from the atmosphere
Data Source
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AI summary
A wine-making apparatus (10) comprising a wine-making tank (12) having a bottom wall (14), a side wall (16) and an upper wall (18), which enclose a wine-making volume (20), and an auxiliary tank (42) located outside the wine-making tank (12) above the upper wall (18), wherein the auxiliary tank (42) has a lower end that communicates with the wine-making volume through said upper wall (18), so that the liquid contained in the wine-making tank (12) enters the auxiliary tank (42) when the wine-making volume (20) is completely filled with liquid, and the free surface of the liquid contained in the auxiliary tank (42) is above the upper wall (18) of the wine-making tank (12), and wherein the auxiliary tank (42) comprises a sealing device (48) which isolates the free surface of the liquid contained in the auxiliary tank (42) from the atmosphere.