Wort Cooler Intermediate Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Breweries face economic and environmental issues due to excess hot water production during wort cooling, leading to energy wastage and increased wastewater disposal costs, especially in breweries without energy storage systems and those with low total evaporation rates.
Innovation Solution
A brewhouse system that heats water in the wort cooler to an intermediate temperature above the main hot water tank temperature, reducing the amount of water required for wort cooling and allowing the stored thermal energy to be reused in other brewery processes, thereby minimizing excess hot water generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If water is heated in the wort cooler from cold water temperature to hot water temperature for wort cooling, then the wort is cooled down to pitching temperature, but a considerable excess of hot water is produced that cannot be used and must be disposed of via the sewage system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the heating process. Instead of heating water only to the standard hot water temperature (78-85°C), the system heats water to an intermediate temperature above this range. This parameter change allows the heated water to be used for multiple purposes including wort cooling, mash heating, and cleaning, thereby eliminating excess hot water that would otherwise be disposed of.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the heating system multi-functional. The same heating infrastructure and heated water are used for multiple brewery processes: wort cooling in the wort cooler, mash heating in the mash tun, and cleaning operations. This universality ensures that all heated water is utilized productively across different departments, preventing excess hot water generation and disposal.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If water is heated to hot water temperature in the main hot water tank, then hot water is available for brewing processes, but the amount of water required increases due to energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent raises the temperature parameter of the heated water above the standard hot water temperature range. By heating water to an intermediate temperature higher than 85°C, the system increases the energy content per unit volume of water. This allows the same thermal energy requirement to be met with less water volume, reducing overall water consumption while maintaining energy availability for brewing processes.
3Loss of energy
If thermal energy from vapor during wort boiling is recovered via vapor condenser and stored in energy storage system, then energy can be reused for heating wort, but the system becomes economically unviable due to low total evaporation rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and utilizes the thermal energy directly from the vapor condensation process during wort boiling. Instead of storing this energy for later use, the system immediately applies the condensed vapor heat to preheat the cooling water in the wort cooler. This direct extraction eliminates the need for complex energy storage systems while effectively recovering thermal energy that would otherwise be lost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the cooling water as an intermediary medium to transfer thermal energy. The cooling water absorbs heat from the condensing vapor and subsequently transfers this heat to the wort in the wort cooler. This intermediary approach enables direct heat recovery without requiring energy storage systems, simplifying the overall process while maintaining energy efficiency.
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 approach reduces excess hot water production, conserves energy, and optimizes water usage within the brewery, avoiding unnecessary wastewater disposal and enhancing resource management.
Implementation Method 1
Heat exchangers are usually used as wort coolers, with the heat being transferred from the wort to suitable cold water in the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
the water in the wort cooler is first heated to an intermediate temperature that is above the hot water temperature in the main hot water tank. By absorbing more thermal energy in the water and the resulting higher energy density in the water
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for wort production, wherein the wort (07), after wort boiling and before addition of yeast, is cooled using a wort cooler (05) from a hot-wort temperature to the desired pitching temperature, wherein the wort cooler (05) is constructed in the manner of a heat exchanger, and wherein the wort (07) is cooled with water (06) in the wort cooler (05), and wherein the water (06) in the wort cooler (05) is heated from a cold-water temperature, and wherein the heated water (11) is stored at a hot water temperature in a main hot water tank (12), wherein the water (06) in the wort cooler (05) is heated to an intermediate temperature which is above the hot water temperature of the water (11) in the main hot water tank (12).