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US 4,997,660 AGranted
Method and apparatus for controlling foam in a vinegar fermentation process
AssigneeHeinrich Frings GmbH & Co. KG
InventorRudiger Wittler
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AssigneeHeinrich Frings GmbH & Co. KG
InventorRudiger Wittler
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for controlling the foam in a vinegar fermentation process. As in the prior art, the foam accumulating on the upper surface of the fermentation substrate is moved along a given path axially through a rotor of the apparatus and revolved about the path by the rotor so as to be subjected to centrifugal forces and broken up into a gas portion which is exhausted in the direction of movement along the path and a liquid portion, possibly still including some foam particles, which is separated from the gas portion in a direction radially of the path. According to the invention, in order to minimize the foam accumulation in the fermentation tank, it is proposed to completely eliminante the liquid portion of the broken-up foam from the fermentation process, i.e., not to recycle the separated liquid portion into the fermentation tank, either by disposing of it or by further processing it and/or mixing it with the recovered vinegar end product apart from the fermentation process.
In a method for controlling the foam in a vinegar fermentation process, in which the foam accumulating on the upper surface of the fermentation substrate within a fermentation tank is extracted from the latter and moved along a given path axially through a vaned rotor mounted for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to or coincident with the path, so that the foam, while moving along that path as the rotor is rotating, is subjected to centrifugal forces and is broken up thereby into a gas portion which is exhausted axially of the rotor in the direction of the path and a liquid portion, possibly still including some foam particles, which is separated from the gas portion in a direction radially of the rotor and the path;
In an apparatus for controlling the foam generated in a fermentation tank in the course of a vinegar fermentation process, which apparatus includes a housing having opposite ends and defining between said ends a path of movement for foam extracted from said fermentation tank, said housing having at said opposite ends thereof a foam inlet and a gas exhaust, respectively, with said foam inlet being in communication with the interior of said fermentation tank in the region thereof where foam accumulates, said housing further having intermediate said opposite ends thereof a liquid discharge opening, a rotor disposed in said housing and mounted for rotation about an axis extending in the direction of said path of foam movement, said rotor having a plurality of substantially radial vanes spaced from one another circumferentially of the axis of rotation and defining between adjacent vanes a plurality of axial open-ended passageways, and drive means for rotating said rotor so that, upon rotation thereof, foam moving along said path through said passageways is subjected to centrifugal forces and is broken up into a gas portion which is exhausted axially of said rotor in the direction of said path and a liquid portion, possibly still including some foam particles, which is separated from the gas portion in a direction radially of said rotor and said path;
In an apparatus for controlling the foam generated in a fermentation tank in the course of a vinegar fermentation process, which apparatus defines a path of movement for foam to be extracted from said fermentation tank and includes a rotor having opposite ends and mounted for rotation about an axis extending in the direction of said path of foam movement, said rotor having a plurality of substantially radial vanes spaced from one another circumferentially of said axis of rotation and defining between adjacent vanes a plurality of open-ended passageways, said rotor further providing at one end thereof a foam inlet to said passageways and at the other end a gas exhaust from said passageways, a liquid drainage duct communicating with said rotor, and drive means for rotating said rotor so that, upon rotation thereof, foam moving along said path through said passageways is subjected to centrifugal forces and is broken up into a gas portion which is exhausted axially of said rotor in the direction of said path and a liquid portion, possibly still including some foam particles, which is separated from the gas portion in a direction radially of said rotor and said path;
In an apparatus for controlling the foam generated in a fermentation tank in the course of a vinegar fermentation process, which apparatus defines a path of movement for foam to be extracted from said fermentation tank and includes a rotor mounted for rotation about a vertical axis extending in the direction of said path of foam movement and having opposite upper and lower ends, said rotor further having a plurality of substantially radial vanes spaced from one another circumferentially of said axis of rotation and defining between adjacent vanes a plurality of open-ended passageways, with said lower end of said rotor constituting a foam inlet to said passageways and said upper end of said rotor constituting a gas exhaust from said passageways, a liquid drainage duct communicating with said rotor, and drive means for rotating said rotor so that, upon rotation thereof, foam moving along said path through said passageways is subjected to centrifugal forces and is broken up into a gas portion which is exhausted at said upper end and axially of said rotor in the direction of said path and a liquid portion, possibly still including some foam particles, which is separated from the gas portion in a direction radially of said rotor and said path;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.