What’s It For?
Variable Capacity tanks are famous for leaks in the sealing ring, and this can damage the wine. Our system continuously manages seal pressures in up to 5 tanks and alerts you to large leaks.
The Business Case
The seals in Variable Capacity tanks are the most unreliable parts of the tank. Leaks can occur in the seal itself, the pump, or any of the connections. If the seal deflates, then the contents of the tank are exposed to the air, which can lead to aldehyde formation and microbial spoilage. If not detected soon enough, this can lead to a total loss of the contents, or a significant decrease in wine quality.
If the wine is lost, the flow-on effects can be major – for any winery it represents a direct loss, but the indirect costs could be even more significant. For a contract processor it could be loss of reputation. For a small winery it could be the loss of an entire vintage of a wine and the loss of customers, requiring significant effort to get the wine re-listed in future years.
The Solution
Instead of fiddling with the valve trying to pump without letting all the air out, just connect the tank to the supply line and it will be up to pressure within 30 seconds. Inflation is a one handed operation! To deflate, just disconnect. Tanks can also be disconnected without deflation, for example in a small winery when VC tanks are moved around the winery.
Maintain the Pressure
The system is constantly monitored and the pressure is kept within a pre-determined band so tank seals will always be kept inflated.
Detect Leaks
VC seals are easy to damage, so our system monitors inflation time as a leak check. If the compressor is operating repeatedly this may indicate a minor leak. If the compressor runs for longer than 5 minutes, the compressor is switched off to protect the unit. In either case, an alarm buzzer and flashing light let you know something is wrong. Also, the design of the system prevents the other tanks from losing pressure if there is a leak in one tank.
Monitor from afar*
Receive a text-message alert if there is a major leak, plus a daily “pulse” to let you know the system is working.
*This service is subscription-based due to the operating costs.
Future Developments
While we think the current solution is great, we are also working on a solution that will allow you to inflate seals using your inert gas system while still providing the leak detection function.
Want to buy?
Distributed in Australia by Grapeworks / Tanium, and in Canada by Elnova.