Modeling temperature gradients in wine fermentation tanks

Extreme temperatures are common in large wine fermentation tanks. If not controlled properly, they can lead to problematic fermentations. Thus, efficient cooling and automatic control systems must be designed. However, it is rather difficult to design and implement effective cooling and control systems without adequate models able to reproduce the complex dynamic behavior observed in large fermentors. Therefore, we developed a compartmental dynamic mass-and-energy-balance model able to simulate temperature and concentration gradients in large wine fermentation tanks. This paper presents the model, along with all its parameters. It discusses simulations of temperature, alcohol content, density, biomass, and sugar concentrations. Finally, it presents a sensitivity analysis of the must temperature dynamics. The model reproduced reasonably well the values of the observed variables, including the most critical one: must temperature (with an absolute mean error of 1.4 °C). After proper calibration, it can be used to design control strategies for cooling in large wine fermentation tanks. Our research efforts will be directed in designing such control strategies.