TopScan - A Glance into the black box Fermenting Tank

By Matthias Weinzierl and K. Wasmuht GmbH, Freising, Germany. This poster was originally presented at the MBAA 112th Anniversary Convention, Keystone, Colorado, 1999.

Abstract
TopScan from Steinecker is a new system for monitoring and reg- ulating the fermenting process. At the same time, the cleaning of the closed cylindro-conical fermenting tank can be controlled to an extent that was not possible up to the present. This produces maximum pos- sihle safety and extensive savings with respect to cleaning. This rep- resents an important contribution to the prevention of waste water. Furthermore, TopScan is an effective tool in achieving quality consistency, quality assurance and controllability. A camera mounted on the tank supplies images of the inside of the tank that are displayed on a PC. Just as with open tuns, the individual phases of fermentation can be identified with the aid of TopScan, and visual evaluation of the course of the fermenting process is enabled. During cleaning, the images are automatically evaluated and the course of the process correspondingly automated. When the image analysis shows no further dirt, a safety interval of several minutes is observed, and then the cleaning procedure ends. In this manner, the greatest possible safety is attained. Because the adjustment of the cleaning program is dependent upon the actual circumstances present, the process can be drastically shortened and the use of cleaning agents minimized. Three pressure sensors are required in the tank for continuous measurements of the breakdown of the extract, The principle involved here is based on the measurement of the hydrostatic pressure caused by the breakdown of the extract during the course of the pri- mary fermentation.
Keywords: Tank Cleaning, Cylindro-Conical Tanks, TopScan System, Fermentation Monitoring  

Sintesis
CominEl TopScan de la Steinecker un Nuevo sistema para monitorear Y regular el prceso de fermentado. Al mismo tiempo, la Limpieza del tanque cerrado de fermentacion de forma cilindro conica Puede ser controlado en cierta forma que no era possible sino hasta el presente. Esto produce la maxima seguridad possible asi como grades ahorros en lo que respecta a la limpieza. Esto representa una importante contribucion a la precencion de agua de desecho. Es mas, el TopScan es una herramienta efectiva para alcanzar la consistencia de calidad, y el control de calidad. Una camara montada en el interior del tanque provee imhgenes del interior del tanque que son mostradas en una computadora personal, Tal coma en los tinacos abiertos, las fases individuales de fermentacion pueden ser identificadas con la ayuda del TopScan y se permite la evaluaci6n visual del curso del proceso de fermentacion. Durante la limpieza, las imageries son evaluadas automaticamente y el curso del process se automatiza. Cuando el analisis de imagenes ya no muestra mugre, un periodo de segurided de varios minutos se observa y despues el proceso de limpieza acaba. De esta manera, se obtiene la mhxima seguridad possible. Por medio del ajuste del pro grama de limpieza dependiendo de las circunstancias presentes actuales, el proceso puede ser acortado drssticamente y se disminuye el uso de agentes de limpieza, Se requieren tres sensores de presion en el tanque para la medida continua de la degradation del extracto, El principio aqui involucra- do se basa en la medida de la presion hidrostatica causada por la degradacion del extracto durante el curso de la fermentation pri- maria.