Onda® is a patented tank by Ghidi Metalli srl, tested by the Course of Viticulture and Oenology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Pisa, made up of three innovative characteristics:
1. Injection of technical gases from the bottom (compressed air, nitrogen, argon, CO2 );
2.Punching down and mixing the cap of the must with the fermenting wine without the assistance of any pumps;
3. Great flexibility of use during each phase of winemaking: pre/postfermentative maceration, fermentation, aging (also on lees), storage of red and white wines
1. Technical gas injection system from the bottom of the tank
The tank is equipped with a set of probes (5) which inject from inside, directly from the bottom, the technical gases (compressed air, nitrogen, argon, CO2).
The gas entrance in each probe is regulated by a valve.
The volume and the pressure of the injected gas are modulated through a series of flowmeters and a pressure gauge connected to each probe.
The general control board allows to preset the number and duration of the gas insufflations over a 24 hour period. To the general control board are applied a series of rapid specific connectors for each type of usable gas.
2. System of punching down and mixing the must cap with the fermenting wine
The punching down and mixing the must cap with the fermenting wine system is entirely built in stainless steel and it’s made up of a pneumatic ram (1), which makes a pipe, split on the upper side, go up and down (2), to which a disc is applied (3) and a check valve (4).
To each down thrust the disc produces a delicate and undulatory movement to the liquid part of the must, while the check valve makes the liquid rise up along the pipe. After 3 or 5 thrusts by the pneumatic ram, the pipe is totally filled with the liquid, which as a consequence leaks out of the opening on the upper side and creates a delicate shower which gets to moisten the upper side of the cap; while at the same time the disc (which is immersed in the liquid part of the must) creates a wave which hits the cap on the lower side.
Even if Onda® might look like a normal punch-down system its functioning is completely different because it doesn’t exert any direct mechanical action on the cap.
Through the general control board is possible to preset the number and duration of the working cycles over a 24 hour period.
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