Intelligent simulation of plant
operation in the wine industry
V. Nivi&et, P. Grenier”‘, J.-M. Roger*, F. Sevila$ and
M. Oussalah$
A model simulating winery operation is proposed. Each elementary set of
knowledge used in the model has been defined as an entity gathering constant data,
variable parameters and expert calculation functions. The model is structured
hierachically. It has been implemented in object-oriented programming and the
language C + + has been chosen. This expert simulation software produces
dynamic balances of resources. For more accuracy and efficiency, uncertain
knowledge will have to be represented in the simulator.
Keywords: enology; dynamic simulation; knowledge-based systems
INTRODUCTION
During the period of grape picking, enologists have to
manage resources as varied as human power, grapes,
process equipment and thermal power. Refrigerating
or warming the grapes is necessary for the elaboration
of quality wines. A simple way of optimizing the use of
these resources is via dynamic simulation of the winery
operation (Grenier and Niviere, 1990).
In the winery, refrigeration is generally the resource
which is controlled in addition to the vintage. Even so,
the rules for its management are quite simplistic. An
inputs calendar is translated into refrigeration needs by
assuming an average fermentation activity with an
imposed temperature set-point. The refrigeration
power is overdesigned. Graphics permit determination
of refrigeration requirements (Le Roux et al., 1986).
Recent software contains more precise calculations
(Maron and Blouin, 1989; Lopez and Secanell, 1992),
but the use of resources in the equipment is not
simulated.
In order to simulate the operation of a winery,
flexibility is required. We need to integrate the wine-
maker’s expertise so that inclusion of his knowledge
and reasoning would make the simulation more real-
istic. In addition, the enological conditions may change
‘IMECA, BP 94, 34800, Clermont-L’Herault, France.
‘CEMAGREF, BP 5095, 34033, Montpellier cedex 1.
France, ‘EERIE/LERI, Part Scientifique Georges Besse,
30000, Nimes, France. *To whom correspondence should be
addressed
0956-7135/94/02/0091-05 @ 1994 Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd
from one winery to another and one must be able to
modify the simulator by a simple change in the winery
configuration or in the enologist’s expertise. The
techniques which make it possible to maximize the
flexibility of programming and to facilitate imple-
mentation of enologists’ expertise are relevant to
artificial intelligence (AI).
Hitzmann et al. (1991) insist on implementing exper-
tise by means of expert systems methodology combined
with other algorithmic approaches. Although they deal
with supervision and not with simulation, their experi-
ence reinforced our conviction that the structure of our
simulator should be able to host any kind of representa-
tion of expertise. According to Konstantinov and
Yoshida (1992), the results so far achieved in the field
of knowledge-based control of fermentations lead to
the conclusion that modern expert systems should
typically integrate various methodologies including
rule-based approaches, fuzzy sets, mathematical
models and neural nets. AI is consequently of interest
for our simulation.
In the food industry, optimization of the plant as a
whole is a new concern, whereas in chemical engineer-
ing there is more experience, e.g. the software
SpeedUp makes it possible to simulate complex plant
situations (Lucas et al., 1988; Daubas et al., 1991). In
the food industry, however, productivity and cost are
less important than the notion of quality, which is based
on skill. This essential difference between food plant
and chemical plant means that recipes from chemical
engineering cannot be applied directly. We have
consequently elaborated an original dynamic simula-
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Intelligent plant simulation: V. Nivi&e et al.

tion methodology and we have implemented it by ones. Process Unit has the choices of the enologist
building a knowledge-based simulator. This generator concerning the process control as structural variables;
has been structured around a hierarchical model as its state variables describe the evolution of phenomena
defined by Oussalah (1988) and Mozetic (1990). We such as thermal transfers or fermentations; its know-
have given a special attention to winemaking. We ledge functions evaluate the feasibility for accepting an
present here the validation of the simulator. The input flux or give an output flux according to the values
interest of this simulator under development is illus- of its state variables and they evaluate the opportunity
trated by some examples. of a change of activity of the Winemaking Subsystem
described in this first level of abstraction.
Second level of abstraction. A set of knowledge that
RESULTS we have called Winemaking System, has been defined
with two classes of objects: Operation, Material. We
Design of the expert simulator jump to this second level of abstraction by the
aggregation of several objects Process Unit which have
The model the same type of action on Material and can conse-
We started from a concept of the winery where wine- quently be considered as belonging to the same
making follows process lines, each one being a succes- Operation. Operation has global input and output
sion of operations, e.g. reception of grapes, pressing, fluxes of Material. Its knowledge functions evaluate the
thermal transfer, settling, centrifugation, maceration, feasibility of accepting an input or an output flux, and
fermentation, storage. Each operation gathers a set of they also evaluate the opportunity of a change of
units making the same kind of transformation on the activity of the Winemaking System described at this
material. We have imagined a hierarchy between units, second level of activity.
operations, process lines and the winery, with four Third level of abstraction. At this level we have
levels of abstraction, respectively (Figure 1). defined the Process Line linked to Material. We jump
First level of abstraction. A set of knowledge that we to this third level of abstraction by describing a
have called a Winemaking Subsystem has been defined succession of Process Operations to achieve. Process
by means of five objects, respectively Process Unit, Line has global input and output fluxes of Material.
Material (treated by the Process Unit), Phenomenon Fourth level of abstraction. This is the level of
(taking place in the Process Unit), Main Equipment Winery, linked to Vintage. We jump to this fourth level
(container of the Process Unit such as a tank, an of abstraction by aggregation of all Process Lines.
exchanger, . . .) and Accessory Equipment (such as a Vintage describes all grapes brought to the winery and
pump for refilling a tank). Each object is characterized the object Winery contains knowledge functions simu-
by its fixed data (structural variables), its parameters lating the decision of the winemaker to dispatch the
(state variables) and the functions manipulating the vintage among process lines.
information. In this way, Material has as structural
variables: inital sugar content, grape variety, ferment-
ability index; and as state variables sugar and alcohol Dynamic simulation
content, density, temperature, fermentation rate, The Winemaking Subsystem described at the first
phase (liquid, solid). We have not yet created calcula- level of the hierarchical model is a discrete events
tion functions in this class of objects, but it could system: its behaviour, imposing input and output
be a correlation between variety, initial sugar content fluxes, depends on the activity in which it is implied. A
and fermentability for some specific conditions. Winemaking Subsystem may have the activities ‘On’
Main Equipment and Accessory Equipment have and ‘Off’ if it is continuous or ‘Standby’, ‘Refilling’,
their physical characteristics as structural variables and Storage’, ‘Emptying’ if it is batch. The logics of
their available capacities as state variables. Pheno- evolution of the state variables of the objects of the
menon has only knowledge functions which read the Winemaking Subsystem rely on its activity.
state variable values of Process Unit and calculate new Three sets of functions regulate the activity of the
Winemaking Subsystems and Systems. We have called
them Determine TabRec, Determine Mode and Trans-
Main equipment form Action. Each one of these functions is defined
Phenomenon
twice, at the first and at the second level of the
Accessory equipment 2 hierarchical model, in a different way: this is called
/
.
*-__ r polymorphism in AI. A first Determine TabRec func-
-\ I
- - - Press Unit : tion sets up a table describing the state in which Process
‘\ Unit would like to be, and a higher level Determine
\
\ TabRec function synthesizes at the level of Operation
ll ‘4
Process Operation - - - - :n Material the changes required by the Process Units composing
/ this Operation. The Determine Mode function decides
,
,
I at the level of Operation whether it is opportune or
l-i I
Process Line ’ not to modify its mode according to the calculations
of Determine TabRec and to flux constraints with the
previous Operation of the Process Line. The lower
3 Vintage level Determine Mode function accordingly affects a
mode to each Process Unit. The Transform Action
Figure 1 Presentation of the hierarchical model of the winery. Each
name represents a class of objects; =+, link is composed of; +. function modifies the state variables of Process Units
link is associated to according to the new modes of activity. Finally a higher

92 Food Control 1994 Volume 5 Number 2

 Intelligent plant simulation: V. Nivibre et al.

level Transform Action function modifies the state

variables of Operation containing these Process Units.

Validation

The expert simulator has been implemented in the

language C + + . This is currently one of the most
efficient languages for gathering conditions of easy
implementation of expertise, mathematical calculations
and portability.
At the Saint-Genies-des-Mourgues winery (France,
Henault), we have studied one process line, classical
red winemaking, with alcoholic fermentation split into
two operations of maceration without thermal control
1 360 720
and liquid phase fermentation with temperature con-
trol. The fermentation phenomena have been modelled Time (hl
according to Sablayrolles and Barre (1989) and Lopez Figure 3 Potential USC of the hierarchical model: simulation of the
and Secanell (1992). We have estimated grape and influence of grape input variations on vat and refrigeration needs.
must fluxes through the Operations and the Process Assumed grape input in first period of harvest: 800 tons; in second
period of harvest: 400tons. Actual maceration duration: 72 h.
Units (Table I). We have compared these estimations Variable values at cursor location: time, 201 h; vat number, 17;
to the simulations (Figure 2). We could observe that the refrigeration needs. 30416 kcabh. -. Vat number; v-v.
refrigeration needs
Table I Input data for the simulation of red winemaking at the
Saint-Genies-des-Mourgues winery in 1991
4
Types of grapes = I
Average grape characteristics: input temperature 25”C, initial
sugar content = 19Og/l. density = 1085. fermentability = 1 (rank-
ing from 0 to 1)
Harvest periods according to input flow rates = 2:
from days l-6. 1237.9 tons of grapes processed, from days 8-12.
775.5 tons
Daily input priods = 2:
from 9a.m. to 1p.m. 40% of input, from 2p.m. to 7p.m. 60”/,

Total number of vats = 66, with associated volumes (from 350hl to

1OOOhl)
Number of processes = 1 (classical red winemaking)
Number of operations = 3: viz. maceration, fermentation, storage
Maximum input and output flow rates and number of dedicated vats
for each operation: 8OOhl/h. gOOhl/h. 19 vats for maceration;
8OOhl/h, 300hllh, 10 vats for fermentation, and 300hllh. 0. 5 vats 360
1 720
for storage
Operation characteristics: maceration duration = 72 h. fermentation Time (h)
temperature set-point 28°C Figure 4 Potential use of the hierarchical model: simulation of the
influence of a change in process technology on vats and refrigeration
needs. Actual grape input in first period of harvest: 1237.9 tons; in
second period of harvest: 775.5 tons. Assumed maceration duration:
48 h. Variable values at cursor location: time, I65 h; vat number, 19;
refrigeration needs, 104012 kcal/h. -, Vat number; v----v.
refrigeration needs

fluxes of material were well simulated: the number of

used tanks simulated was equal to the number of used
tanks observed by one unit due to the assumption
that maceration was three days whereas in fact its
duration was fluctuating.

f location Use of the simulator

Influence of the input flux of grapes in the process line

360 720
on the availability of resources
Time (h) We have simulated the number of tanks necessary for
Figure 2 Validation of the hierarchical model: result of the simula- the process line of classical red winemaking at the
tion of vats and refrigeration needs at the cooperative winery of Saint-Genies-des-Mourgues winery with the data of
St-Genies-des-Mourgues (France) as a function of time during
Table I except for a change in input grape flux (Figure
the 1992 harvest. Actual grape input in first period of harvest:
1237.9 tons; in second period of harvest: 775.5 tons. Actual macera- 3). We have assumed an input of 800 tons of grapes
tion duration: 72 h. Variable values at cursor location: time 239 h; vat in period 1 and 400 tons in period 2. By comparing
number, 26; refrigeration needs 44842 kcal/h. -, Vat number; the simulations obtained, we could study the effect of
v-v. refrigeration needs this factor on refrigeration needs in the winery, such as

Food Control 1994 Volume 5 Number 2 93

Intelligent plant simulation: V. Niviere et al.

tanks and refrigeration power. The maximum number refrigeration power makes a good tool for optimization
of used tanks simulated passed from 26 to 17 and the of these resources. If we want the simulator to do more
maximum refrigeration needs passed from 70000 to than simulating the expert, flexible constraint satisfac-
45 000 kcal/h, which is correlated with the ratio of input tion problem is a promising way. This new computer
fluxes. For more subtle variations in grape inputs, it is tool mixes recent concepts of computer science with
clear that only a simulation can predict the dynamics valorization of expertise and this will be important in
of the needs. the future of wine engineering.
Besides the use of the dynamic simulation of
Influence of the process technology on the availability of resources in the winery, AI will have industrial
resources applications at the level of vintage reception and
We have assumed a maceration duration of 48 h dispatching for optimizing the links between selection
instead of 72 h and we noticed that the number of tanks in the vineyard and processing, and also for supervision
required did not change significantly whereas the of pressing or for piloting alcoholic fermentations
refrigeration needs drastically increased (Figure 4). In (Grenier et al., 1988).
this case we could predict this result because the
operation for maceration was without temperature
control whereas the operation of fermentation in liquid
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
phase was controlled.
The authors are grateful to Mr Orange, Director of
DISCUSSION the Winery of Saint-Genies-les-Mourgues (France,
Henault) for his welcome during the 1991 grape picking
and Dr Lopez, Professor at the University of Lerida
We plan to extend the simulation to several parallel
(Spain), for his help in the model validation.
process lines. We have taken another example where
the Champagne method is applied to winemaking with
two process lines: maceration prior to pressing, and
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