NZ583404A - Fluid blending system to blend fluid from multiple storage containers and return the mixed fluid to at least one container - Google Patents

Abstract

The plurality of source fluid storing (1, 2 3) is for storing the respective component fluids. The blending means (210) receive the component fluids by fluid communication means (111, 121, 131) from the plurality of source fluid storing means to form a blended fluid. The distribution means (140) convey and deliver the blended fluid to one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

Description

1 FLUID BLENDING SYSTEM CLAIM OF PRIORITY The present application for patent claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2007904090 entitled "Fluid Blending System", filed 30 July 2008, which is hereby expressly 5 incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the blending of component fluids to form a blended fluid. In a particular form, the present invention relates to the blending of component beverages to form a 10 blended beverage.

BACKGROUND In the food processing industry there are many examples of where a blended beverage is formed from a number of component beverages. At industrial scale this will involve the use of a number 15 of large individual source vessels or tanks which function as containers for the component beverages. In one non limiting example directed to the forming of a blended wine, different base wine components will be stored in individual source tanks and pumped to one or more mixing or holding tanks where the blended wine may be further mixed through the use of agitators and mixers and then pumped off to be individually bottled or otherwise packaged.

In a large scale winery, each of the individual tanks may vary in capacity from 100 kilolitres (kL) up to 1500 kL thereby representing a significant capital investment. Furthermore, the logistical task of blending a number of different blended wines each formed from different base wine components is considerable as the mixing or holding tanks will always be in demand. The 25 overhead costs involved in cleaning the mixing or holding tanks and then re-routing various pipes and/or hoses from the different source tanks to the different mixing or holding tanks in between the processing and forming of different blends is considerable.

Furthermore, the scope for error is significant as it is not unusual to have up to ten different base 30 wine components that may have to be blended together thus requiring a large number of fluid connections to be manually connected between the large number of different source tanks to the mixing or holding tank where the blended wine will be stored prior to further packaging. As such, current blending systems are labour intensive and also rely on many manual measurements to establish the required volumes of the base wine components in the target tanks. As a result, 35 overflows where too much of a base wine component is pumped to a target tank are a common problem resulting in an incorrect blend being formed. In many cases, verification of the final blended wine will not occur until substantial amounts have been processed resulting in a large 2 amount of wastage. Accordingly, there is a need for an alternative fluid blending system that provides an alternative to current blending systems capable of improving the efficiency and accuracy of the blending process.

SUMMARY In a first aspect the present invention accordingly provides a system for blending a plurality of component fluids to form a blended fluid, the system including: a plurality of source fluid storing means for storing the respective component fluids; blending means to receive the component fluids by fluid communication means from the 10 plurality of source fluid storing means to form a blended fluid; and distribution means to convey and deliver the blended fluid to one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

In an embodiment the blending means includes a blending station incorporating a blending 15 chamber.

In an embodiment the blending station receives the component fluids in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow of the blended fluid exiting the blending chamber.

In an embodiment the blended fluid is received into the blending chamber by a plurality of feed inlets corresponding to the plurality of source fluid storing means.

In an embodiment the blended fluid is received into the blending chamber by a single feed inlet.

In an embodiment the blended fluid exits the blending chamber by one or more outlets corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

In an embodiment the blended fluid exits the blending chamber by a single outlet.

In an embodiment the blending station further includes an outlet chamber in fluid communication with the blending chamber.

In an embodiment the blended fluid exiting the outlet chamber exits in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow of the blended fluid into the outlet chamber.

In an embodiment the blended fluid exits the outlet chamber by one or more outlets corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means. 3 In an embodiment the blended fluid exits the outlet chamber by a single outlet.

In an embodiment the distribution means includes layering means for facilitating the layering of 5 the blended fluid on remaining component fluid in the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

In an embodiment the layering means includes a diffuser to deliver the blended fluid to the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means designated to store the blended fluid.

In an embodiment the diffuser is operative to deliver the blended fluid with a reduced flow velocity when compared to a flow velocity of incoming blended fluid to the diffuser.

In an embodiment the diffuser is operative to deliver the blended fluid with a changed direction of 15 flow when compared to a direction of flow of incoming blended fluid to the diffuser.

In an embodiment the layering means includes temperature modification means to change the density of the blended fluid.

In an embodiment the component fluids are base wine components and the blended fluid is a blended wine.

In an embodiment the blending means further includes mixing means to facilitate the mixing of the component fluids.

In a second aspect the present invention accordingly provides a method for blending a plurality of component fluids to form a blended fluid, the method including: (a) storing the component fluids in a plurality of source fluid storing means; (b) blending the component fluids to form a blended fluid; and (c) distributing the blended fluid to one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

In an embodiment the method further includes repeating steps (a) to (c) in a continuous process.

In an embodiment the method further includes measuring inline physical characteristics of the blended fluid. 4 In an embodiment the physical characteristics include one or more of the temperature, density, concentration or colour.

In an embodiment the method further includes layering the blended fluid on top of the source fluid 5 located in the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

In an embodiment the component fluids are base wine components and the blended fluid is a blended wine.

In a third aspect the present invention accordingly provides a blended fluid produced by a method in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be discussed with reference to the 15 accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a system overview diagram of a blending system in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a system overview diagram of a blending system in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 3 is a side view of a first example blending station that may be employed with the blending system of the present invention; FIGURE 4 is a side view of a second example blending station that may be employed with the blending system of the present invention; FIGURE 5 is a side view of a third example blending station that may be employed with the 25 blending system of the present invention; FIGURE 6 is a side view of a fourth example blending station that may be employed with the blending system of the present invention; FIGURE 7 is a system overview diagram of a blending system in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 30 FIGURE 8 includes front perspective and component views of a diffuser that may be employed with the blending system of the present invention.

In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

WO 2009/015429 PCT/AU2008/001100 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a blending system 100 in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The present invention will have numerous 5 applications, however for the purposes of description only, the invention will be described in relation to one application namely its use in relation to forming a blended wine from three different base component wines each stored in their respective source fluid storing means or tanks 110, 120, 130. In this exemplary embodiment, the source tanks are 700 kL stainless steel tanks where source tank 110 contains shiraz, source tank 120 contains cabernet and source tank 130 10 contains merlot.

As would be apparent to those skilled in the art, the different base component wines need not be of different grape varieties but may be of the same variety but sourced from different locations. As an example a blended chardonnay may be formed from ten different components that includes 15 chardonnays that are sourced from different locations and hence have different characteristics that the winemaker wishes to blend as well as other wine varieties such as semillon or the like.

Each source tank 110, 120, 130 has a respective outlet 111, 121, 131 where each base component wine is delivered by respective fluid communication means such as pipe or hose sections to a 20 large diameter (e.g. 150 mm) pipe or hose 140 which in this exemplary embodiment functions to receive and blend each of the component base wines and further to convey or deliver the blended wine back to one or more of the source tanks 110, 120, 130 by virtue of respective inlets 112,122, 132. Thus, pipe or hose 140 functions in this exemplary embodiment both as a blending means to blend the component wines and as a distribution means to deliver the blended wine to the source 25 tanks. In this manner, the source tanks 110, 120, 130 will receive the blended wine and function as storage tanks for the blended wine.

Depending on the degree of blending required the blended wine may be allowed to go through the above-described process a number of times in a continuous in-line process. During the blending 30 process the temperature, density and composition of both the base wine components and the resultant blended wine may be continuously measured.

Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a blending system 200 in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Blending system 200 when compared to 35 blending system 100 now incorporates blending station 210 that functions as a blending means to receive and blend the base component wines together to form a blended wine before being 6 conveyed to the source tanks 110, 120, 130 by pipe or hose 140 which in this embodiment functions as a distribution means to deliver the blended wine.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a first example blending station 300 that includes a 5 blending chamber 320 incorporating a plurality of feed inlets 310(1,2,...., N) which function to deliver the component wines into blending chamber 320 substantially perpendicularly (as generally indicated by arrow 311) to the direction of flow out of blending chamber 320 (as generally indicated by arrow 331) via outlet 330 and then by hose or piping 140 back to the source tanks 110, 120, 130. In this example, a single outlet 330 is employed which would be connected to 10 pipe or hosing 140 but equally a number of outlets corresponding to the number of source tanks 110, 120, 130 may be employed with hose or piping from each of the outlets taking blended wine from the blending chamber 320 to individual source tanks 110, 120, 130, thereby functioning as a distribution means for the blended wine. As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the first exemplary embodiment described above with reference to Figure 1 may be adapted to employ 15 perpendicular flows.

As would be apparent to those skilled in the art, the exact form of the distribution means may be varied according to the requirements of the blending system. Thus the distribution means may include any appropriate network of fixed pipes, pumps and hoses or even channels or conduits. 20 This will depend on, amongst other things, the configuration of the blending system, the type and number of component fluids and the physical layout of the source tanks involved.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a second example blending station 400 that includes a blending chamber 420 incorporating a plurality of feed inlets 410 (1, 2, ...., N) which once again 25 function to deliver the component wines into blending chamber 420 substantially perpendicularly (as generally indicated by arrow 411) to the direction of flow out of blending chamber 420 (as generally indicated by arrow 431) via outlet 430. In this example, the blended wine is then conveyed to outlet chamber 440 via transfer piping 432. Outlet chamber 440 further incorporates a plurality of feed outlets 450 (1, 2,N), each connected to a source tank, which are oriented 30 substantially perpendicularly (as generally indicated by arrow 451) to the direction of flow of blended wine into outlet chamber 440 (as generally indicated by 433).

Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a third example blending station 400 that includes a blending chamber 520 incorporating a plurality of feed inlets 510(1,2, ...., N) which function to 35 deliver the base component wines into blending chamber 520 substantially parallel or tangential or inline (as generally indicated by arrow 511) to the direction of flow of the blended wine out of RECEIVED at IPONZ on 17 August 2011 7 blending chamber 520 (as generally indicated by arrow 531) via outlet 530 and then by hose or piping back to source tanks 110,120, 130.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown a fourth example blending station 500 that includes a 5 blending chamber 620 incorporating a plurality of feed inlets 610(1,2,...., N) which function to deliver component wines into blending chamber 620 substantially parallel or tangential or inline (as generally indicated by arrow 611) to the direction of flow of the blended wine out of blending chamber 620 (as generally indicated by arrow 631) via outlets 630 (1, 2 N) and then by hose or piping 140 which in this example would be connected between each of the outlets 630 to respective 10 source tanks. Blending chamber 620 incorporates a pair of baffles 621, 622 which function as a mixing means to deviate the flow of the incoming component fluids, thereby causing a degree of turbulence in the input streams and further enhancing the mixing of these fluids prior to them exiting blending chamber 620.

As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the configuration of blending station may be varied depending on the types of component fluids that are being blended together. As such a combination of the various example blending stations described herein incorporating the use of perpendicular, tangential or angled flows may be employed depending on the number and types of base component fluids. Furthermore, as well as baffles and the like other direct stirring or agitating 20 means may be employed to further mix and blend the fluid in the blending chamber. Similarly, the size and configuration of the blending chamber may be varied according to the volumes of fluid involved and their associated flow rates.

Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown a blending system 300 in accordance with a third exemplary 25 embodiment of the present invention. Blending system 300 when compared to blending system 200 now incorporates diffusers 710, 720, 730 in each source tank 110, 120, 130.

Diffusers 710, 720, 730 function as a layering means by modulating the flow to diffuse and disperse the flow of the blended wine as it enters the source tank, thereby minimising intermixing between the layers. In this manner, the blended wine or more generally the blended fluid will settle as a blended 30 wine layer 160 on top of the original base wine component layer 150, thereby ensuring that the base wine component layer 150 and the blended wine layer 160 remain substantially separated in the source tank.

This layering of the blended fluid on top of the component fluid facilitates the blending process as it 35 will generally reduce the number of pump overs that will be required. However, as would be apparent to those skilled in the art, this layering is not essential to the blending process as satisfactory blending may still occur even where there has been intermixing between the layers.

WO 2009/015429 PCT/AU2008/001100 8 Referring now to Figure 8, there is shown a front perspective view of a diffuser 800 as may be employed in a blending system in accordance with the present invention. Diffuser 800 is designed to be suspended from the top of a source tank (which in many cases will be cone shaped) such as 5 diffuser 610 in source tank 110 as shown in Figure 6. Diffuser 800 includes a diffuser inlet 810, a closed cylindrical shaped diffuser body 820 includes a perforated wall region 850. Mounted internally to diffuser body 820 are a pair of spaced apart circular distributor plate members 830, 840 (shown shaded and in enlarged views A and B) which function to interrupt and change the direction of flow of the incoming blended fluid entering via diffuser inlet 810.

First distributor plate member 830 includes a central disc region 831 supported by four equally spaced radial support struts 833 extending to an outer ring 834 which is attached to the inner wall 860 of diffuser body 820. This configuration defines four part-annular apertures 832, each one bounded on each side by a pair of opposed struts 833 with the inner boundary formed by the 15 central disc region 831 and the outer boundary by the outer ring 834.

Second distributor plate member 840 includes a central circular shaped aperture 841 circumscribed by an annulus region 842 supported by four equally spaced radial support struts 843 extending to an outer ring 844 which again is attached to the inner wall 860 of the diffuser body 20 820 but spaced apart and below first distributor plate member 830. Central disc region 831 of first distributor plate member 830 is accordingly substantially aligned with the central circular shaped aperture 841 of second distributor plate member 840.

In operation, blended wine will enter diffuser 800 via diffuser inlet 810 and contact the central 25 disc region 831 of first distributor plate member 830 in this process having its flow velocity reduced and the direction of flow directed radially towards the inner wall 860 of the diffuser body 820 through the four part annular apertures 832. Upon contacting the inner wall 860 of diffuser body 820, the blended fluid will be deflected primarily towards the central aperture 841 of the second distributor plate member whereupon it enters the portion of the diffuser body 820 having 30 perforated wall region 850.

The blended fluid will then be forced out of the perforations and be generally dispersed radially at a relatively low velocity over the surface of the base wine component in the process substantially forming a layer on the base wine component remaining in the relevant source tank (as shown in 35 Figure 6). As an example, the flow rate into diffuser 800 may vary between 5 and 30 m3 per hour with the fluid velocity being reduced from approximately 1.8 m per second to less than 20cm per 9 second after being pumped through the diffuser 800. As would be apparent to those skilled in the art, the exact implementation of the diffuser will depend on the nature of the blending system.

Whilst in this exemplary embodiment a diffuser has been employed as a flow modulation means 5 to provide a layering of the base component fluid and the blended fluid equally other layering means are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention. In one alternative embodiment, multiple tank inlets are located about the top portion of the tank, each inlet delivering a portion of the blended fluid, thereby facilitating the formation of a layer of blended fluid. In another embodiment, the temperature of the blended fluid is increased by approximately 0.2 to 2 °C to 10 enhance the density difference and hence the stratification between two layers i.e. the base component fluid layer and the blended fluid layer.

Whilst the present invention is described in relation to the formation of a blended wine it will be appreciated that the invention will have many other applications consistent with the principles 15 described in the specification. Some other examples would include the forming of other blended beverages such as fruit juices, whiskeys, milk and the like. Equally, the present invention may be employed in many industrial processes that involve the blending of a number of component fluids such as the blending of solvents, paints and fuels.

Similarly, the present invention may be embodied in an automated control system such as known in the art that is programmable to control and operate equipment such as variable speed pumps, inlet and outlet valves and further to monitor flow rates, temperatures, levels, densities, colour and other relevant physical and chemical characteristics of the various fluids being stored and transferred in various embodiments of the blending system described herein.

A brief consideration of the above described embodiments will indicate that the invention provides an extremely economical solution to the problem of blending component fluids which is effective to significantly reduce the amount of storage that is required for both component and blended fluids and improve the accuracy and analytical traceability of the blend through inline 30 measurement throughout the blending process.

Although a number of exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in the foregoing detailed description, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and 35 substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth and defined by the following claims.

Claims (25)

1. A system for blending a plurality of component fluids to form a blended fluid, the system including: a plurality of source fluid storing means for storing the respective component fluids; 5 blending means to receive the component fluids by fluid communication means from the plurality of source fluid storing means to form a blended fluid; and distribution means to convey and deliver the blended fluid to one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blending means includes a blending station 10 incorporating a blending chamber.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the blending station receives the component fluids in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow of the blended fluid exiting the blending chamber.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the blended fluid is received into the blending chamber by a plurality of feed inlets corresponding to the plurality of source fluid storing means. 15

5. A system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the blended fluid is received into the blending chamber by a single feed inlet.

6. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the blended fluid exits the blending chamber by one or more outlets corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means. 20

7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the blended fluid exits the blending chamber by a single outlet.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the blending station further includes an outlet chamber in fluid communication with the blending chamber.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the blended fluid exiting the outlet chamber exits in a 25 direction substantially perpendicular to the flow of the blended fluid into the outlet chamber. WO 2009/015429 PCT/AU2008/001100 11

10. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the blended fluid exits the outlet chamber by one or more outlets corresponding to the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the blended fluid exits the outlet chamber by a single outlet. 5

12. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the distribution means includes layering means for facilitating the layering of the blended fluid on remaining component fluid in the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the layering means includes a diffuser to deliver the blended fluid to the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means designated to store the 10 blended fluid.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the diffuser is operative to deliver the blended fluid with a reduced flow velocity when compared to a flow velocity of incoming blended fluid to the diffuser.

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 or 14, wherein the diffuser is operative to deliver the blended 15 fluid with a changed direction of flow when compared to a direction of flow of incoming blended fluid to the diffuser.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the layering means includes temperature modification means to change the density of the blended fluid.

17. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the component fluids are 20 base wine components and the blended fluid is a blended wine.

18. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the blending means further includes mixing means to facilitate the mixing of the component fluids.

19. A method for blending a plurality of component fluids to form a blended fluid, the method including: 25 (a) storing the component fluids in a plurality of source fluid storing means; (b) blending the component fluids to form a blended fluid; and (c) distributing the blended fluid to one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means. WO 2009/015429 PCT/AU2008/001100 12

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, further including repeating steps (a) to (c) in a continuous process.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19 or 20, further including measuring inline physical characteristics of the blended fluid. 5

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, where the physical characteristics include one or more of the temperature, density, concentration or colour.

23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 22, further including layering the blended fluid on top of the source fluid located in the one or more of the plurality of source fluid storing means. 10

24. A method as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 23, wherein the component fluids are base wine components and the blended fluid is a blended wine.

25. A blended fluid produced by the method of any one of claims 19 to 24.