BREWERY AUTOMATION

Thesis Overview

<p><b>1.1 INTRODUCTION&nbsp;</b></p><p> Microbreweries across Quebec, Canada, and the United States tend towards manual labour and lack of automation. Because the brewer is necessarily present adjusting heat inputs, turning on and off valves, and generally spending more time than necessary for a single production he must sacrifice other valuable aspects of his/her business. Generally, they work far more than full time in compensation. As well, they tend to run the business aspects such as employees, finances, and so on (Personal Observation, 2012).&nbsp;</p><p>Time and quality gained by brewery automation and control could reduce the cost per unit volume of beer, reduce the pressure on the brewer, improve the reputation of the brewery (hence attracting new clients) and free up time to work on other aspects of the business. Lastly, the microbreweries tend to find the sizing of pumps, piping and heating requirements difficult. Because this is closely tied in to the brewery automation, it will be included in the design process. Briefly, the major constraints and criteria that of the design are:&nbsp;</p><p> Safety of the system; protection of people and property from any risks that may evolve from the implementation and operation of the technology.&nbsp;</p><p> The technology must cost roughly the net return (not profits) of two to four days of production. This allows for a desirable internal rate of return.&nbsp;</p><p> Reduce time and effort required to produce a batch.&nbsp;</p><p> Require limited technical training and understanding to operate.</p><p>&nbsp;Several potential solutions are available ranging from highly advanced technology such as those seen in large industrial processes to almost technology-free, labour intensive, brewing. Overly automated brewing systems would not meet the requirement of being cost effective and would also require training/education.&nbsp;</p><p>Manual labour is also something to be avoided as it is both dangerous to the brewer and employees – manipulating boiling liquids, piping, etc. – but also a much longer process. The ideal solution was somewhere in between. PID controllers were considered since once they are setup (likely by an engineer or trained individual) the brewer only needs to enter the desired temperature or intensity or the heating. PID’s are also quite versatile and inexpensive; they can be added to solenoid valves, interact with a timer, and can work to cool or heat. This means the same technology can be used across the production of the batch: from water heating, to changing streams, to cooling the fermenters.&nbsp;<br></p><p> <b>OBJECTIVES&nbsp;</b></p><p>ï‚· Develop an optimized process flow diagram&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Find equipment specifications based on this process</p><p>&nbsp;ï‚· Design automation to meet these criteria, taking into account risk assessments, technical components, etc.&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Build functional prototype&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Collect data and analyze value of the design&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Propose improvements and optimize the design <br></p><p> <b>PROCESS OVERVIEW&nbsp;</b></p><p>The ideal process would fill all dead time with another task and reduce time spent brewing and thus cost. Which specific tasks can be performed simultaneously will ultimately dictate some of the component specifications. The process flow diagram below requires 6 hours to complete, a full 2 hours faster than the breweries that were collaborating on this project. For this to be possible, good timing and control is invaluable. Note: the brewing process will be covered briefly but the focus is placed on equipment and general steps not how each step should be controlled to improve product quality (unless it directly correlates to the equipment). For example during the boiling phase, isomerization of alpha acids, elimination of DMS, and Maillard reactions are of great concern to the brewer yet not for the purpose of engineering design; it will only be described as boiling and shall ignore the other aspects. As the hot liquor tank heats up to the ideal strike temperature, the brewer can weigh the grain and begin milling. Milling can begin as soon as the first type of grain is weighed, and the other grains can be weighed while the first one is milling. By the time this step of the process is complete the strike water is ready and the next step can begin. Mashing is the process of maintaining a specific temperature for a specific duration of time. It could involve more than one temperature step as well. Therefore the design should be able to maintain any given temperature for any period of time and be able to change temperatures efficiently without direct heating of the grain.&nbsp;</p><p>Heating the grain directly could cause unwanted results. Lautering, the next step in the timeline, has three goals:&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Recirculation of the wort through the grain bed&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Pump wort from the mash tun to the boil kettle&nbsp;</p><p>ï‚· Add fresh water at the desired temperature.</p><p>Boiling involves bringing the wort up to the boiling point and maintaining it. Also, it is desirable to control the intensity of the boil. This is will influence the design and setup of the electrical components. Once the boiling is complete, a whirlpool is often performed to remove any solids in suspension. By adding a coagulant and stirring – or tangential pumping - a vortex is made in the center of the vessel so that the solids will accumulate and begin to settle on the bottom in the shape of a circular cone. The clear wort can then be pumped out and cooled.&nbsp;</p><p>The wort needs to hit a specific fermentation temperature if fermentation is to begin quickly and vigorously. Exposed, warm, sweet wort would be at risk of contamination. Essentially, the cooling needs to be both precise and quick.&nbsp;<br></p>