A rapid cooling apparatus

Abstract

A cooling apparatus 1 for rapid cooling of beverages in beverage containers (20, fig 4 - bottles / cans) comprises a water bath 2 cooled by an evaporator / cooling coil 5, a semi-submersible pump 6 pr

Description

“A Rapid Cooling Apparatus” Introduction The invention relates to an apparatus for the ultra-rapid cooling of beverages in beverage containers, rapidly cooling the beverage from an ambient or warm temperature to a chilled temperature. The popularity of large outdoor events such as music festivals has given rise to a huge demand for large quantities of chilled drinks and the need to have drinks cooled on demand. Providing sufficient cooling machines such as fridges can be logistically challenging and very expensive. The majority of attendants who camp at festivals bring their own canned drinks to the campsite from home to drink all weekend, but do not have any way to cool them. Beverage cans get particularly warm when it is sunny, as they are usually stored in tents, which trap heat. Quick cooling devices have been developed specifically for use with beverage containers. However, these devices typically involve the cooling of a single beverage can or single bottle of wine. U.S. Patent No. 5,505,054 to Loibl et al. describes an extremely rapid method and device for cooling beverages. One or more beverage containers are rapidly rotated substantially along their respective longitudinal axes while being downwardly sprayed with a cooling water spray, with the water being recycled from a 0° C ice water bath. The volumetric rate of the water in the water spray is sufficient to form a continuous coating on the rotating container. Rotation of the containers is effected in a horizontal direction with the containers being nested between adjacent rotating rollers and rotated with a speed of between 200-500 rpm. Standard 12 oz. beverage cans can be cooled thereby from room temperature to a drinking temperature of 5° Cin under one minute. There is a real need to provide an improved means to facilitate the ultra-rapid cooling of ambient or warm beverages in beverage containers. Statements of Invention According to the invention there is provided a cooling apparatus for rapidly cooling beverages in beverage containers comprising; a water bath; an externally mounted condensing unit; an electrical control panel; an evaporator / cooling coil; a semi-submersible jet water pump; and a series of cooling tubes; wherein a number of beverage containers are floated individually and simultaneously within the cooling tubes and rotated at high speed to rapidly cool the beverage within the container. In one embodiment the cooling tubes comprise tubes open at both ends mounted vertically in the water bath. In one embodiment each cooling tube comprises an injection port, preferably the injection port is connected tangentially on the side of the cooling tube located at a position 2 / 3 the height of the cooling tube. Most preferably the injection port in use is located 65mm below the water level in the water bath. In one embodiment of the invention the injection port is connected to the jet water pump. Preferably ice water is pumped by the jet water pump from the water bath to a distribution manifold, through a pipeline and valve to the injection port. In one embodiment of the invention the ice water pumped through the injection port into the cooling tube creates a forced vortex in the cooling tube. Preferably the forced vortex rotates the beverage containers in the cooling tube up to 650 rpm. In one embodiment of the invention the forced vortex rotates the beverage container and effects additional agitation of the liquid inside the beverage container. In another embodiment of the invention the cooling tubes are permanently mounted to a frame. In one embodiment of the invention each cooling tube comprises a lifting bar pivotally mounted to an outer vertical side of the cooling tube. Preferably the lifting bar is angled at both ends and the lower end extends under the open end of the cooling tube. Most preferably the distal end of the lifting bar comprises a dome-headed nut. In one embodiment of the invention the temperature of the water bath in use is less than 1°C. Preferably the temperature of the water bath in use is 0.5°C. In one embodiment of the invention the beverage containers are cooled from ambient temperature to below 8°C in less than 100 seconds. Preferably in less than 90 seconds and most preferably the beverage containers are cooled from ambient temperature to below 8°C in less than 60 seconds. In one embodiment of the invention the cooling tubes are sized to fit the beverage containers. Preferably the space between the beverage container and the inner sidewall of the cooling tube is about 4 mm. In one embodiment of the invention the beverage containers are beverage cans. In another embodiment of the invention the beverage containers are beverage bottles. According to the invention there is also provided a method of rapidly cooling beverages in a number of beverage containers simultaneously using the cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising the steps of; forming an ice bank on the evaporator / cooling coil and cooling the water in the water bath; agitating the water in the water bath to further decrease the temperature of the water bath to below 0.5°C; inserting a beverage container into each of the cooling tubes; and rotating the containers under a forced vortex within the cooling tubes for less than 100 seconds to bring the temperature of the beverage in the containers to below 8°C. In one embodiment of the invention the beverage containers are rotated up to 650rpm. Another embodiment of the invention comprises the step of lifting the cooled beverage containers out of the cooling tubes. Brief Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: - Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rapid-cooling apparatus of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of a cooling tube fixture in the rapid-cooling apparatus of the invention; Fig. 3 is a top view of the cooling tube fixture of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side perspective view of the cooling tube fixture with a beverage can in position before being lowered into the water bath of the rapid-cooling apparatus of the invention; and Fig. 5 is a further side perspective view of the cooling tube fixture of Fig 4 with a beverage can in position after being lowered into the water bath. Detailed description The apparatus of the present invention provides a means for the ultra-rapid cooling of warm beverages in beverage containers. In particular, the apparatus provides for the ultra-rapid cooling of a high volume of beverage containers at any one time. The apparatus of the present invention would have particular use at festivals, mass gatherings, can bars and the like where there is a huge demand for large quantities of chilled drinks. The apparatus of the invention can rapidly reduce the temperature of a beverage in a container from ambient temperature of up to 25°C to a chilled serving temperature within approximately 90 seconds. The preferred chilled temperature for a can of beer is anything below 8°C which is pleasantly chilled for any beer. Beverages which are warmer to begin with or need to be a colder serving temperature may take slightly longer to achieve the desired cooled temperature. Beverage containers may include any type of beverage cans or bottles. The apparatus 1 of the present invention comprises an insulated water bath 2. The water bath is preferably a stainless steel water bath. The water bath has a cover 7 (partially shown). Mounted externally to the water bath 2 is a condensing unit 3 and electrical control panel 4. The water bath 2 comprises a copper evaporator / cooling coil 5 which extends around the lower half of the water bath 2. The refrigeration circuit comprises the evaporator coil 5 and the externally mounted condensing unit 3. Fixed to the cover 7 of the apparatus 1 is a semi-submersible jet water pump 6. The semi-submersible water pump must be capable of agitating the water in the ice water bath very thoroughly to ensure good heat transfer and homogenous water bath temperature. The water pump is connected to a distribution manifold 16 feeding a plurality of pipelines 18. When the water bath is filled with clean water and the device is powered on, the refrigeration system is energised, and refrigerant expands rapidly around the copper evaporator / cooling coil 5 vaporising and cooling it to a temperature of approximately -10°C. This causes ice to form on the coil 5, over time creating a ‘bank’ of ice in the lower half of the water bath 2. A sensor 9 detects when sufficient ice has been generated and disengages the refrigeration system. When there is sufficient ice on the evaporator coil 5, agitating water in the water bath 2 reduces the water temperature in the bath 2 to below 0.5°C. Ice bank cooling has the unique advantage of stored cooling capacity in the form of ice. The apparatus of the invention can accommodate huge peaks in cooling demand without the temperature of the coolant (ice water) increasing. This is the ‘latent heat’ effect. Loading a cooler with a huge cooling demand typically just melts more ice. However, in the apparatus 1 of the present invention so long as the ice bank on the evaporator / cooling coil 5 is maintained, and the water is agitated ensuring no “warm zones “ are created, the coolant remains at a temperature of less than 0.5° and the apparatus operates perfectly regardless of fluctuating refrigeration load. The water bath 2 comprises a series of beverage container cooling fixtures in the form of cooling tubes 10. The cooling tubes 10 are permanently fixed to a frame 8. The frame 8 is slidably attached to the side of the water bath 2. The cooling tubes are described for holding beverage cans however it is understood that the cooling tubes may also be used for containing other beverage containers such as beer bottles or wine bottles. The size of the cooling tubes may be adjustable to accommodate different sized beverage cans or bottles. The apparatus 1 may comprise different sized cooling tubes to accommodate different sized containers being cooled at the same time. The cooling tubes 10 are preferably stainless steel tubes open at both ends and mounted vertically in the water bath 2 (i.e. with an open end facing upward). Each cooling tube 10 has a diameter matching the standard diameter of a beverage can. The space between the beverage can and the inner sidewall of the cooling tube is sufficient for the cans to rotate rapidly. The cooling tube is slightly wider in diameter than the beverage container it is to hold. Cooling tubes of different diameter may be used to suit different sizes of beverage container. For example, the internal diameter of cooling tubes optimised for standard 66mm diameter metric cans (330 and 500ml cans) is approximately 74mm. The clearance between the sides of the cooling tube all around the can is approximately 4mm. Narrower cans may also be cooled in this diameter cooling tube. They cool within the same time it takes a larger can to cool in the cooling tube. A narrower can will not spin as fast however they have less volume of liquid to cool. On the side of each cooling tube 10 is an injection port 15. The injection port 15 is located approx. 2 / 3 the height of the tube 10. The injection port 15 comprises a horizontal %” pipe welded tangentially to the cooling tube 10. The injection ports 15 are connected via valves 17 to pipelines 18 which are connected to the distribution manifold 16 and to the jet pump 6. The number of cooling tubes required determines the size of pump required. One jet pump can capably service up to 7 cooling tubes. The jet pump 6 produces a water circuit. It draws water from the bottom of the water bath 2 into the distribution manifold 16, through each of the pipelines 18, through the associated valves 17 and through the injection ports 15 into each of the cooling tubes 10. The pump needs to have sufficient power to force water through all the injection ports on the cooling tubes and create a vortex within each cooling tube such that the beverage container in the cooling tube is rotated at up to 650rpm. In use the position of the injection port must be a certain depth in the water to ensure the beverage containers are not floating too high above the injection port. If this happens the vortex will not be able to spin the container sufficiently to cool the contents of the container. The cooling tubes must be submerged in the water bath to a depth such that the injection port is approximately 65mm below the surface of the water. A lifting bar 11 is pivotally mounted to the vertical side of each cooling tube 10 and slidable vertically along the side of the cooling tube 10. The lifting bar 11 is angled at both ends. The cooling tube 10 comprises U shaped brackets 14 attached on the side of the tube 10 through which the lifting bar 11 slides. Any other suitable means of holding and allowing the lifting bar 11 to slide vertically along the side of the cooling tube may be used. The lower end of the lifting bar is angled and extends under the open end of the cooling tube 10. The distal end of the angled lifting bar 11 under the tube 10 comprises a dome-headed nut 12. The dome-headed nut 12 fits snugly into the domed recess on the underside of a beverage can 20 or beverage container and serves as a pivot point should the buoyancy imparted upon the container be insufficient to keep it afloat. Different beverage containers may have slightly different levels of buoyancy. In use the water bath 2 in the rapid cooling apparatus 1 of the present invention is filled with clean water and powered on. The refrigeration system builds an ice bank in the water bath. The jet pump is powered on. When the jet pump 6 is energised, it agitates the ice water (coolant) in the bath by circulating the water in the water bath and the cooling tubes. The water in the water bath is also agitated by means of the jets in the impellor housing of the jet pump 6. This has the effect of reducing the entire bath temperature, including all the cooling tubes to below 0.5°C consistently throughout the entire operation of the machine. The pump 6 injects the ice water into all the cooling tubes 10, simultaneously, on an ongoing basis through the injector ports 15. This creates a forced vortex in each of the cooling tubes 10. Cans 20 are dropped into each of the cooling tubes 10 submerged in the cold water. This has the effect of enveloping the cans in the rapidly moving coolant, which significantly improves cooling performance. The forced vortex causes the beverage containers in the cooling tubes 10 to rotate rapidly up to 650rpm. The rotating can in the vortex experiences precession which effects additional agitation of the liquid inside the can, further improving the cooling performance. The ice water (coolant) imparts buoyancy on the beverage container and reduces any friction between the beverage container and the cooling tube. The apparatus of the present invention has been found to significantly increase the rate at which a beverage in a beverage can may be rapidly cooled from ambient temperature to temperatures below 8°C. The apparatus of the present invention can bring a beverage with a temperature of 25°C to a temperature of approximately 4°C within 60 seconds. The apparatus of the present invention is fully scalable. The scalability depends on the availability of space in the water bath to create a sufficient bank of ice and the power of the water pump sufficient to create a vortex to rotate the beverage containers in the cooling tubes at up to 650rpm. A larger apparatus would be capable of dealing with higher volumes and peak demands for cooled beverages. While the rapid cooling apparatus of the present invention is shown comprising two pumps for cooling up to 12 beverage containers at the same time, it will be appreciated that a smaller apparatus may also be used for the cooling of fewer beverage containers at one time. While the rapid cooling apparatus of the present invention is shown for cooling beverage cans it may also be used for the rapid cooling of unopened or sealed beer bottles and wine bottles. The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus for rapidly cooling beverages in beverage containers comprising;5 a water bath;an externally mounted condensing unit;an electrical control panel;an evaporator / coolingcoil;a semi-submersible jet water pump; and10 a series of cooling tubes each comprising an injection port;wherein, in use, water in the water bath is cooled by forming an ice bank on the evaporator / cooling coil, the cooling tubes are submerged in the water, a water circuit is produced by the jet pump and cooled water is pumped through the15 injection ports into the cooling tubes creating a forced vortex within each coolingX XI_ tube, a beverage container is inserted into each of the cooling tubes and theCMcontainers rotated at speed by the forced vortex rapidly cooling the beverage within each container.20 2. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cooling tubes comprisetubes open at both ends mounted vertically in the water bath.

3. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the injection port is connected tangentially on the side of the cooling tube.

254. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the injection port is located at a position 2 / 3 the height of the cooling tube.

5. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the injection port in use is30 located 65mm below the water level in the water bath.

6. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the injection port is connected to the jet water pump.

7. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein ice water is pumped by the jet 5 water pump from the water bath to a distribution manifold, through a pipeline and valve to the injection port.

8. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the forced vortex rotates the beverage containers in the cooling tube up to 650 rpm.

09. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the forced vortex rotates the beverage container and effects additional agitation of the liquid inside the beverage container.^“15 10. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cooling tubesCM are permanently mounted to a frame.1—11. A cooling apparatus as claimed in in any preceding claim wherein each cooling tube1—comprises a lifting bar pivotally mounted to an outer vertical side of the cooling20 tube.

12. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the lifting bar is angled at both ends and the lower end extends under the open end of the cooling tube.25 13. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claims 11 or 12 wherein the distal end of thelifting bar comprises a dome-headed nut.

14. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the temperature of the water bath in use is less than 1°C.3015. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the temperature of the water bath in use is 0.5°C.

16. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims wherein the beverage containers are cooled from ambient temperature to below 8°C in less than 100 seconds.

517. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the beverage containers are cooled from ambient temperature to below 8°C in less than 90 seconds.10 18. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the beveragecontainers are cooled from ambient temperature to below 8°C in less than 60 seconds.

19. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the cooling tubes 15 are sized to fit the beverage containers.CM20. A cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the space between the1—beverage container and the inner sidewall of the cooling tube is about 4 mm.CM20 21. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims wherein the beveragecontainers are beverage cans.

22. A cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims wherein the beverage containers are beverage bottles.2523. A method of rapidly cooling beverages in a number of beverage containers simultaneously using the cooling apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising the steps of;30 forming an ice bank on the evaporator / cooling coil and cooling the waterin the water bath;submerging the cooling tubes in the water;agitating the water in the water bath to further decrease the temperature of the water bath to below 0.5°C;inserting a beverage container into each of the cooling tubes; androtating the containers under a forced vortex within the cooling tubes for 5 less than 100 seconds to bring the temperature of the beverage in thecontainers to less than 8°C.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23 wherein the beverage containers are rotated up to 650rpm.

025. A method as claimed in claim 23 and 24 comprising the step of lifting the cooled beverage containers out of the cooling tubes.21 10 24

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