Stainless Steel Tanks Research Articles

Variation of Extractable Compounds and Lignin Contents in Wood Fragments Used in the Aging of Wine Brandies

Aging systems of wine brandies have been a target of investigation to reduce the costs and aging time. In this study, the extractives and Klason lignin contents of wood fragments used in the aging of wine brandies in stainless steel tanks were evaluated. Two types of wood fragments, known as staves and tablets, and two wood botanical species, Limousin oak (Quercus robur L. from the Limousin region of France) and Portuguese chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), with heavy toasting levels were used. The wood extractive and Klason lignin contents were analyzed before and 30 months after the aging of wine brandy. The results showed that the chestnut wood presented the highest content of extractives, while the Klason and total lignin contents were higher in the oak wood. A highly significant effect from the tablets was found on the extractives and Klason lignin contents, while the soluble lignin content was more affected by the staves. Oxygenation of the wine brandies during the aging process negatively affected the release of extractives and lignin from the wood to the brandy, and therefore will impact the overall quality of the brandy.

Estimating Preferential Flow in Karstic Aquifers Using Statistical Mixed Models

Karst aquifers are highly productive groundwater systems often associated with conduit flow. These systems can be highly vulnerable to contamination, resulting in a high potential for contaminant exposure to humans and ecosystems. This work develops statistical models to spatially characterize flow and transport patterns in karstified limestone and determines the effect of aquifer flow rates on these patterns. A laboratory-scale Geo-HydroBed model is used to simulate flow and transport processes in a karstic limestone unit. The model consists of stainless steel tanks containing a karstified limestone block collected from a karst aquifer formation in northern Puerto Rico. Experimental work involves making a series of flow and tracer injections, while monitoring hydraulic and tracer response spatially and temporally. Statistical mixed models (SMMs) are applied to hydraulic data to determine likely pathways of preferential flow in the limestone units. The models indicate a highly heterogeneous system with dominant, flow-dependent preferential flow regions. Results indicate that regions of preferential flow tend to expand at higher groundwater flow rates, suggesting a greater volume of the system being flushed by flowing water at higher rates. Spatial and temporal distribution of tracer concentrations indicates the presence of conduit-like and diffuse flow transport in the system, supporting the notion of both combined transport mechanisms in the limestone unit. The temporal response of tracer concentrations at different locations in the model coincide with, and confirms the preferential flow distribution generated with the SMMs used in the study.

Application of a GA–PLS strategy for variable reduction of electronic tongue signals

A genetic algorithm (GA) combined with partial least squares (PLS) regression was applied in order to reduce the considerable number of variables of electrochemical signals recorded by a voltammetric electronic tongue. The algorithm was specifically designed for improving the analysis of data matrices with high collinearity, providing good solutions in terms of both predictive ability and interpretability and, at the same time, minimising the risk of overfitting.The variable reduction was carried out within a wine characterisation performed with an electronic tongue based on voltammetric sensors. In more detail, the aim was the evaluation of differences among wines aged by means of two different processes: the traditional ageing process in oak wood barrels and an alternative method based on the use of stainless steel tanks and oak wood chips or staves. The results show that the variables selected are at least as good as the full signals to separate the two different classes, even though the number of parameters has been reduced from 1980 to 280 variables; furthermore, the models obtained are simpler and more easily interpretable. In fact, it is important to point out that the variables selected by the genetic algorithm are related to the electrochemical activity of the polyphenolic fraction of wine.

A winery-scale trial of the use of antimicrobial plant phenolic extracts as preservatives during wine ageing in barrels

Antimicrobial plant extracts rich in polyphenols have recently been proposed as a total or partial alternative to sulfites during winemaking. This paper reports a first winery-scale trial of the addition of antimicrobial plant extracts during wine ageing in wood. Before being distributed in oak barrels, a Verdejo wine was treated with either a SO2 regular dose (160 mg/L) or with a SO2 half-dose (80 mg/L), together with two phenolic-rich extracts from eucalyptus leaves and almond skins (100 mg/L). Some of the wine was also stored in a stainless steel tank for comparison. After 6 months of ageing, the wine treated with the phenolic extracts remained microbiologically stable and showed correct enological parameters. Also, the volatile and phenolic composition of the wine was specifically determined to ascertain whether the addition of these phenolic extracts would affect the organoleptic properties of the wine. Although the addition of both eucalyptus and almond extracts led to statistically significant changes (p < 0.05) in the concentration of several esters, C13 norisoprenoids, volatile phenols and furanic compounds in the wine, only the concentration of some of these compounds was higher than their odor threshold. With regard to phenolics, addition of both extracts did not significantly modify their content, except for a lower content of hydroxycinnamic acids and esters and flavan-3-ols, which predicts minor changes in wine astringency. As seen from a PCA analysis of all volatile and phenolic data, wines were mainly differentiated by the ageing process itself, by the addition of extracts, and even by the barrel used. Finally, a triangle test showed no significant differences in the global sensory appreciation between wines treated and not treated with the antimicrobial phenolic extracts. These results demonstrated the potential applicability of phenolic extracts as a partial alternative to sulfur dioxide during the ageing of white wines in oak barrels.

The effect of aeration on the removal of wastewater-derived pharmaceutical residues from groundwater – a laboratory study

Several studies on waste- or drinking water treatment processes as well as on groundwater have recently shown that some pharmaceutical residues (PRs) are redox-sensitive. Hence, their (bio)degradation depends on the redox conditions prevalent in the aquifer. Groundwater, providing raw water for drinking water production, is often anoxic and aeration is a widespread treatment method applied mainly to eliminate unwanted iron and manganese from the water. As a side-effect, aeration may trigger the elimination of PRs. Within the present study the influence of aeration on the fate of a number of wastewater derived analgesics and their residues as well as several antimicrobial compounds was investigated. For this purpose, anoxic groundwater was transferred into stainless steel tanks, some of which were aerated while others were continuously kept anoxic. Results prove that the degradation of six phenazone type compounds is dependent on oxygen availability and compounds are efficiently removed under oxic conditions only. Concerning the antimicrobials, doxycycline and trimethoprim were better removed during aeration, whereas a slightly improved removal under anoxic conditions was observed for clindamycin, roxithromycin and clarithromycin. The study provides first laboratory proof of the redox-sensitivity of several organic trace pollutants. In addition, results demonstrate that aeration is an effective treatment for the elimination of a number of wastewater derived PRs.

Contribution of oak wood ageing to the sweet perception of dry wines

Background and Aims Winemakers observe a sensory effect of oak ageing in wines, but the phenomenon has never been fully described. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the ageing container on the sweetness of dry wines and to evaluate the contribution of oak volatile compounds. Methods and Results Both white and red dry wines were produced in various containers, such as stainless steel and oak tanks, and new and used oak barrels. Sensory analysis (with or without use of nose clip) by a panel of experts showed an increase in sweetness when wine was in contact with wood. Oak volatile compounds (vanillin, β-methyl-γ-octalactone and eugenol) were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and then added to the wines to obtain the same concentration in all samples. To determine the contribution of the volatiles to the increase in sweetness, the treatments were tasted again after such an ‘oak aroma’ homogenisation. The ranking of the wines remained unchanged. Conclusion These results demonstrate that the sweet perception of dry wines depends on the nature of the ageing container, and that these oak volatiles are not involved in this phenomenon. Significance of the Study This work confirms an empirical observation and establishes for the first time the sweetening effect of oak ageing, strongly suggesting the existence of sweet non-volatile compounds in oak wood.

S163015 ドラム式洗濯乾燥機の「自動おそうじ機能」の開発([S163]人と協調する機械の知能化)

The interest of the visitor for the dirt (including a sebum dirt and the detergent refuse) of the invisible part of the washing tub is high, and the customer dissatisfaction degree for dirt such as the black mold of the washing tub and the serious consideration degree are high conventionally. I develop an "automatically cleansing" function to automatically wash away the inside of the backside and the outside cistern of the stainless steel tank (cistern) in a shower of pure water at every washing in order to support the market needs and speak the example which I adopted to a drum type washing dryer.

Characterization of mannoproteins during white wine (&lt;em&gt;Vitis vinifera&lt;/em&gt; L. cv. ENCRUZADO) ageing on lees with stirring in oak wood barrels and in a stainless steel tank with oak staves

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aim&lt;/strong&gt;: To compare the evolution of mannoproteins in a white wine submitted to two different stirring of lees processes: in French oak barrels (BA) and in a stainless steel tank equipped with French oak staves (IN).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and results&lt;/strong&gt;: Total colloids were obtained by ultrafiltration and ethanol precipitation. Mannoproteins were isolated by adsorption on concanavalin-A and molecular weight separation. Sugar residues were characterized by GC analysis of their alditol acetates and protein content was determined according to Lowry method. Wines were submitted to sensory analysis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion&lt;/strong&gt;: Three polysaccharide fractions were isolated from both BA and IN wines. Regarding sensory attributes, the only significant difference between BA and IN wines was the round mouth-feel. The BA wine showed a higher final polysaccharide concentration, which can be related to the rounder mouth-feel.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Significance and impact of the study&lt;/strong&gt;: This study is a technological approach of a process largely used by white wine producers who want to market a fresh wine produced with stirring of lees with a woody character. It reports the evolution of mannoproteins through four months of ageing on lees with two different stirring processes that can have a direct impact on the cost of the final product.&lt;/p&gt;

Extraction/oxidation kinetics of low molecular weight compounds in wine brandy resulting from different ageing technologies

This study provides innovative information on the influence of new technologies of ageing (stainless steel tanks with wood staves or wood tablets of chestnut or Limousin oak), in comparison with traditional technology (oak wooden barrels), on the extraction/oxidation kinetics of low molecular weight compounds of wine brandy. The brandy was sampled and analysed by HPLC during the first year of ageing. The results show that most of the compounds tend to increase over the time, but their extraction/oxidation kinetics depend on the ageing technology. The wooden barrels promote greater enrichment in the majority of the compounds. However, gallic acid, ellagic acid and syringaldehyde, and vanillin and 5-methylfurfural, which are strong antioxidants and key-odourant compounds, respectively, present higher contents in the brandy aged with the alternative technologies. Chestnut proves to be a suitable alternative to Limousin oak for the ageing of brandy in all the studied technologies, inducing faster evolution and high quality.

Spontaneous cocoa bean fermentation carried out in a novel-design stainless steel tank: Influence on the dynamics of microbial populations and physical–chemical properties

Spontaneous cocoa bean fermentations carried out in a novel-design 40-kg-capacity stainless steel tank (SST) was studied in parallel to traditional Brazilian methods of fermentation in wooden boxes (40-kg-capacity wooden boxes (WB1) and 600-kg-capacity wooden boxes (WB2)) using a multiphasic approach that entailed culture-dependent and -independent microbiological analyses of fermenting cocoa bean pulp samples and target metabolite analyses of both cocoa pulp and cotyledons. Both microbiological approaches revealed that the dominant species of major physiological roles were the same for fermentations in SST, relative to boxes. These species consisted of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora sp. in the yeast group; Lactobacillus fermentum and L. plantarum in the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group; Acetobacter tropicalis belonging to the acetic acid bacteria (AAB) group; and Bacillus subtilis in the Bacillaceae family. A greater diversity of bacteria and non-Saccharomyces yeasts was observed in box fermentations. Additionally, a potentially novel AAB belonging to the genus Asaia was isolated during fermentation in WB1. Cluster analysis of the rRNA genes-PCR-DGGE profiles revealed a more complex picture of the box samples, indicating that bacterial and yeast ecology were fermentation-specific processes (wooden boxes vs. SST). The profile of carbohydrate consumption and fermentation products in the pulp and beans showed similar trends during both fermentation processes. However, the yeast-AAB-mediated conversion of carbohydrates into ethanol, and subsequent conversion of ethanol into acetic acid, was achieved with greater efficiency in SST, while temperatures were generally higher during fermentation in wooden boxes. With further refinements, the SST model may be useful in designing novel bioreactors for the optimisation of cocoa fermentation with starter cultures.

Investigating Primary Marine Aerosol Properties: CCN Activity of Sea Salt and Mixed Inorganic–Organic Particles

Sea spray particles ejected as a result of bubbles bursting from artificial seawater containing salt and organic matter in a stainless steel tank were sampled for size distribution, morphology, and cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) activity. Bubbles were generated either by aeration through a diffuser or by water jet impingement on the seawater surface. Three objectives were addressed in this study. First, CCN activities of NaCl and two types of artificial sea salt containing only inorganic components were measured to establish a baseline for further measurements of mixed organic–inorganic particles. Second, the effect of varying bubble residence time in the bulk seawater solution on particle size and CCN activity was investigated and was found to be insignificant for the organic compounds studied. Finally, CCN activities of particles produced from jet impingement were compared with those produced from diffuser aeration. Analyses indicate a considerable amount of organic enrichment in the jet-produced particles relative to the bulk seawater composition when sodium laurate, an organic surfactant, is present in the seawater. In this case, the production of a thick foam layer during impingement may explain the difference in activation and supports hypotheses that particle production from the two methods of generating bubbles is not equal.

Einwegsysteme in zellkulturbasierten Herstellprozessen für Biopharmazeutika

Production of biopharmaceuticals from mammalian cells is classically performed using stainless-steel tanks and pipes for cell culture, purification and fill and finish. Recently, disposable systems have been used successfully along the entire process flow up to the 2.000 l scale. It will be crucial to characterize these systems further in particular to ensure a profound process understanding and reliable transfer between stainless-steel and fully disposable facilities.

Application of multi-way analysis to UV–visible spectroscopy, gas chromatography and electronic nose data for wine ageing evaluation

In this study, a multi-way method (Tucker3) was applied to evaluate the performance of an electronic nose for following the ageing of red wines. The odour evaluation carried out with the electronic nose was combined with the quantitative analysis of volatile composition performed by GC–MS, and colour characterisation by UV–visible spectroscopy. Thanks to Tucker3, it was possible to understand connections among data obtained from these three different systems and to estimate the effect of different sources of variability on wine evaluation. In particular, the application of Tucker3 supplied a global visualisation of data structure, which was very informative to understand relationships between sensors responses and chemical composition of wines. The results obtained indicate that the analytical methods employed are useful tools to follow the wine ageing process, to differentiate wine samples according to ageing type (either in barrel or in stainless steel tanks with the addition of small oak wood pieces) and to the origin (French or American) of the oak wood. Finally, it was possible to designate the volatile compounds which play a major role in such a characterisation.

Hydrogen Production from Biomass Pyrolysis in Molten Alkali

Pyrolysis of biomass to hydrogen rich gas in molten alkali media has been conducted in a stainless steel tank reactor. Molten alkali was used as thermal pyrolysis media. Six kinds of biomass were selected as feedstock. The experiments were carried out under atmospheric pressure and 350-550°C. The pyrolysis gas was analyzed by gas chromatograph. The effects of the type of biomass, addition of additives and reaction conditions, including temperature and N2 flow rate, on hydrogen content in pyrolysis gas and yield of hydrogen were investigated. This paper reports the feasibility for producing hydrogen rich gas through the pyrolysis of biomass in molten salt media.

Changes in aromatic compounds of cabernet sauvignon wines during ageing in stainless steel tanks

The influence of age on the volatile composition of cabernet sauvignon red wines, aged in stainless steel tanks during different years was studied. For this purpose, the evolution of volatile compounds: alcohols, esters, fatty acids, aldehydes and ketones, of the four wines were determined using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). Quantitatively, alcohols formed the most abundant group in the aromatic components of the four wines studied, followed by esters and acids. The sum of the individual aroma compounds studied increased progressively, and the compounds that changed significantly were alcohols and esters. The profiles of all the aroma compounds for cabernet sauvignon wines were increasingly diverse. The ability to distinguish the aroma of the four wines was probably due to the dominance of alcohols, ethyl esters of fatty acids, and their contributions to the global aroma. Key words : Cabernet sauvignon, stainless steel tanks, aromatic compounds, headspace/solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

Identification, amounts, and kinetics of extraction of C-glucosidic ellagitannins during wine aging in oak barrels or in stainless steel tanks with oak chips

The C-glucosidic ellagitannins are found in wine as a result of its aging in oak barrels or in stainless steel tanks with oak chips. Once dissolved in this slightly acidic solution, the C-glucosidic ellagitannins vescalagin can react with nucleophilic entities present in red wine, such as ethanol, catechin, and epicatechin, to generate condensed hybrid products such as the β-1-O-ethylvescalagin and the flavano-ellagitannins (acutissimin A/B and epiacutissimin A/B), respectively. During this study, we first monitored the extraction kinetic and the evolution of the eight major oak-derived C-glucosidic ellagitannins in red wines aged in oak barrels or in stainless steel tank with oak chips. Their extraction rates appeared to be faster during red wine aging in stainless steel tanks with oak chips. However, their overall concentrations in wines were found higher in the wine aged in barrels. The formation rates of the vescalagin-coupled derivatives were also estimated for the first time under both red wine aging conditions (i.e., oak barrels or stainless steel tanks with oak chips). As observed for the oak-native C-glucosidic ellagitannins, the concentrations of these vescalagin derivatives were higher in the red wine aged in oak barrels than in stainless steel tanks with oak chips. Despite these differences, their relative composition was similar under both red wine aging conditions. Finally, the impact of the oak chips size and toasting level on the C-glucosidic ellagitannins concentration in wine was also investigated.

Design of automatic control system for the precipitation of bromelain from the extract of pineapple wastes

In this work, bromelain was recovered from ground pineapple stem and rind by means of precipitation with alcohol at low temperature. Bromelain is the name of a group of powerful protein-digesting, or proteolytic, enzymes that are particularly useful for reducing muscle and tissue inflammation and as a digestive aid. Temperature control is crucial to avoid irreversible protein denaturation and consequently to improve the quality of the enzyme recovered. The process was carried out alternatively in two fed-batch pilot tanks: a glass tank and a stainless steel tank. Aliquots containing 100 mL of pineapple extract were fed into the tank. Inside the jacketed tank, the protein was exposed to unsteady operating conditions during the addition of the precipitating agent (ethanol 99.5%) because the dilution ratio aqueous extract to ethanol and heat transfer area changed. The coolant flow rate was manipulated through a variable speed pump. Fine tuned conventional and adaptive PID controllers were on-line implemented using a fieldbus digital control system. The processing performance efficiency was enhanced and so was the quality (enzyme activity) of the product.

Sensory and Color Changes Induced by Microoxygenation Treatments of Pinot noir before and after Malolactic Fermentation

Different microoxygenation procedures before and after malolactic fermentation were applied to Pinot noir wines from two consecutive vintages using the same Pinot noir block and a standardized winemaking protocol. The effects of microoxygenation treatments were investigated by spectrophotometry, HPLC-DAD, and descriptive sensory analysis. Microoxygenation before malolactic fermentation was carried out in 250-L red wine fermentors at oxygen dosages of 20 and 100 mg/L/month for 20 days. Oxygen dosages of 1 and 5 mg/L/month were applied for three months after malolactic fermentation using 100-L stainless-steel tanks. CIELab results showed that microoxygenation in 2006 tended to yield light-colored wines with an increase in yellow tonality. Examining monomeric polyphenols after alcoholic fermentation, this oxygen-induced color loss may be related to the high flavan-3-ol to anthocyanin ratio in this vintage. Furthermore, twice the increase in acetaldehyde content upon microoxygenation after malolactic fermentation was observed in 2006, which indicated excess oxygen for these wines. By contrast, a low flavan-3-ol to anthocyanin ratio was determined after alcoholic fermentation in wines of vintage 2007. Predominantly, these wines showed an increase in blueness upon microoxygenation treatments. Low correlations among astringency related attributes proved that the chosen attributes independently characterized the sensory variation in tannic structure among the microoxygenated Pinot noir wines. Descriptive analysis revealed that microoxygenation predominantly diminished green tannins in 2006 wines. Dry tannins, although decreasing in course of microoxygenation with low oxygen doses, rose again at higher oxygen doses. Beneficial aroma changes in 2006 and the increase of color intensity in 2007 were more salient upon microoxygenation prior to malolactic fermentation. An unfavorable impact on Pinot noir aroma occurred primarily due to microoxygenation after malolactic fermentation.

Direct measurement of the atmospheric neutron flux in the energy range 10–500 MeV

The results of a direct measurement of the atmospheric neutron flux in the energy range 10–500 MeV performed at 42°25′11″ N, 13°31′2″ E, rigidity cutoff 6.3 GV, altitude 970 m a.s.l. (LNGS external site) on November 2008, during minimum solar activity, are reported. The detector consists of a 1.5 × 1 × 1 m 3 stainless steel tank filled with 1.2 tons of 0.1% Gd doped liquid scintillator, monitored by three photomultipliers and surrounded by a 4 π active muon veto. The measurement is performed by observing events formed by two un-vetoed pulses inside a temporal window 95 μs long: the first one due to a recoiling proton scattered by a neutron, the second one due to the neutron capture (n, Gd). The resulting atmospheric neutron fluxes are: Φ ( E > 10 MeV ) = 47 ± 5 neutrons s - 1 m - 2 ; Φ ( E > 20 MeV ) = 42 ± 4 neutrons s - 1 m - 2 .

Application of an electronic tongue to study the effect of the use of pieces of wood and micro-oxygenation in the aging of red wine

The ageing of red wines matured in oak barrels and wines treated soaking pieces of wood of different sizes (chips or staves) in micro-oxygenated stainless steel tanks has been monitored periodically using an electronic tongue, chemical analysis and a panel of experts. The use of micro-oxygenation in stainless steel tanks, lets get wines with characteristics similar to wines aged in oak barrels. However, differences in the phenolic content and in particular in the anthocyanin levels are observed during the first steps of ageing and in the final product. In the early stages of ageing, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) calculated from the electronic tongue outputs have permitted the discrimination between wines aged with traditional and alternative methods due to the faster rate of ageing caused by chips or staves. After 5 months of ageing, the use of alternative ageing methods cannot be longer detected. However, when the ageing continues in a reducing atmosphere (bottled wines), the electronic tongue has demonstrated a good capability to discriminate and classify bottled wines previously aged in oak barrels from those previously treated with oak chips and oak staves. The effect of the size of the pieces and of the type of wood can also be detected by the e-tongue. Using Partial Least Squares (PLS-1) good correlations have been found between the electrochemical signals provided by the array of sensors and the polyphenolic content parameters. Good correlations have also been established with the scores given by the panel of experts, in particular with the astringency.