METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLED AIR INJECTION INTO A VINIFICATION TANK

• US 20170321175A1
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsec S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Parsec S.R.L.
• Inventors: FLORIDIA, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 10,563,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/403 for mixing liquids B01F33/402, B01F33/405, B01F33/406 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/408 Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: C12G 1/02 Preparation of must from grapes; Must treatment and fermentation
• CPC Class Codes: C12G 1/0216 with recirculation of the must for pomage extraction

Abstract

A method and a device for air injection into a vinification tank (1) use air injection nozzles (2) installed therein. A rule is applied for automatic variation of injections with time, by a coordinated and combined action of the nozzles, so that for each of the installed nozzles the delivered air jets may be modulated in duration and frequency and combined with the jets delivered by the other nozzles according to a programmable sequence.

Claims

1. A method for controlled air injection into a vinification tank equipped with compressed air injection nozzles within said tank for delivering intermittent air jets, air injection is carried out cyclically and comprises the following steps:

applying a predetermined modulation rule to duration and frequency of the air jets delivered by each nozzle; and

sequentially activating the nozzles with a modulated delay time between one nozzle and a next nozzle,

said steps being carried out at a same time in each air injection cycle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delay time is modulated so that the actuation of a successive nozzle is carried out at an end of operation of a previously activated nozzle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delay time is modulated so that the activation of a successive nozzle is carried out before an end of operation of a previously activated nozzle with a prefixed operation overlapping time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the duration of the air jets delivered by each nozzle in each injection cycle is selected from increasing duration, decreasing duration or constant duration.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the air jets delivered by each nozzle in each injection cycle is selected from increasing frequency, decreasing frequency or constant frequency.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein air injection is carried out with repeated cycles for each nozzle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each air injection cycle comprises at least a first step in which the air jets are intermittent and a second step comprising a continuous air jet of prefixed duration.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second step of the injection cycle of a nozzle overlaps the first step of the injection cycle of the successive nozzle within the nozzle activation sequence.

9. A device for injecting air in a vinification tank comprising:

at least three nozzles for injecting compressed air supplied through an air distribution circuit and a microprocessor controlling air injection into said tank, control valves of air flow delivered to each nozzle are provided on said air distribution circuit, said nozzles being mounted in said tank at a level not higher than one third of a total height of said tank and said microprocessor is programmable for actuating said control valves to modulate frequency and duration of the air jets delivered from each nozzle and delay time of each nozzle with respect to a successive nozzle in a nozzle actuation sequence.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein said nozzles are mounted on a side wall of said tank.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein said nozzles have a substantially open-L shape.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein an opening angle of said nozzles ranges from 110°

to 180°

.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein an opening angle of said nozzles ranges from 115°

to 170°

.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein an opening angle of said nozzles ranges from 115°

to 150°

.

15. The device according to claim 9, wherein said nozzles are mounted in equally spaced relationship.