Geometrical study of the barrel as an element of the wine-making productive process. parameterization and modelling

Resumen

The barrel in the winemaking process is more than a recipient, it also intervenes in its maturation and fermentation. Its geometry determines the exchange of tannins and micro oxygenation, but so far, there is no research that studies the influence of geometry with the stored volume. Geometrically, the free surface according to the barrel filling level determines the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, which influences the oxygenation of the must. The engineering of the productive process should study the optimal form of the barrel, as a resistant element and connecting it with the inner processes. The geometry influences the productive processes, the cost of the barrel and its storage and consequently, the added value of the wine. The methodology employed in this research is the following: 3D modelling of commercial barrels, measuring inner volume and surfaces with 3D-CAD, comparing results with traditional formulas, parameterizing the geometry and simulating the model with the parametric CAD tools. We conclude that the 3D model enables precise measures and delimits mistakes using the traditionally used empirical formulas. Also, the parameterization of the models allows the functional and economic optimization of the barrel, connected with the ratio of the inner exchange area and the storage volume.