A double cooled draft beer machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional draft beer machines suffer from slow refrigeration speed and a short beer shelf life due to inefficient cooling mechanisms, where the beer pipe is cooled by water in a tank, leading to prolonged cooling times and increased risk of beer spoilage.
Innovation Solution
A double cooled draft beer machine design featuring a cold storage chamber with a refrigeration tube and beer pipe wound in an abreast and helical manner, forming a quick cooler, which enhances cooling capacity transfer and maintains a low temperature, reducing start-up time and extending beer freshness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If beer is cooled by water in a tank using a compressor, then the beer can be refrigerated, but the refrigeration speed is slow and the machine cannot be used immediately upon switching on
Solution Approach 1:
The beer pipe is pre-cooled by placing it inside the cold storage chamber before the machine is switched on. The evaporator continuously maintains the cold storage chamber at low temperature, so when the machine starts, the beer pipe is already cooled and ready for immediate use, eliminating the need for pre-cooling wait time
Solution Approach 2:
The beer pipe is extracted from the water tank cooling system and placed directly into the cold storage chamber with the evaporator. This separates the beer cooling function from the water cooling system, allowing direct refrigeration of the beer pipe by the evaporator without relying on water temperature changes
2Device complexity
If the cask is placed outside the draft beer machine at normal temperature, then the machine structure is simple, but the beer shelf life is short and quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cask is nested inside the cold storage chamber of the draft beer machine. The cold storage chamber provides a low-temperature environment for the cask, extending beer shelf life and maintaining quality. The evaporator continuously cools the cold storage chamber, ensuring the cask remains at optimal temperature throughout operation
3Temperature
If a water tank cooling system is used, then the beer can be cooled, but the cooling capacity transfer efficiency is low and energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beer pipe is extracted from the water tank and placed directly into the cold storage chamber, eliminating the water tank as an intermediate cooling medium. This direct placement allows the evaporator to cool the beer pipe directly, improving heat transfer efficiency and reducing energy loss through the water tank
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The double cooled design achieves faster refrigeration, reduces energy loss, and ensures a consistent serving temperature, eliminating the need for pre-cooling and allowing the machine to be ready for use immediately upon switching on, while maintaining beer quality and extending its shelf life.
Implementation Method 1
there is a refrigeration circuit inside the cabinet, including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. Inside the cabinet, there is a cold storage chamber used to hold the cask, and the evaporator can refrigerate the cold storage chamber
Implementation Method 2
the refrigeration tube and the beer pipe are wound in an abreast and helical manner to form at least one mixing layer (10a) of a round or an elliptic cylindrical shape into a quick cooler
Implementation Method 3
the refrigeration tube and the beer pipe are wound in an abreast and helical manner... enhances cooling capacity transfer
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A draft beer machine comprising a cabinet (1), and a refrigeration circuit inside the cabinet (1), including a compressor (2), a condenser (3), and an evaporator (4). Inside the cabinet (1), a cold storage chamber (6) is used to hold the cask (5), and the evaporator (4) can refrigerate the cold storage chamber (6). A beer pipe (7) is also inside the cabinet (1), and a beer tap (8) is fixed to the outside of the cabinet (1). The outer end of the beer pipe (7) is connected to the beer tap (8), and its inner end is used to connect to the cask (5). The cold storage chamber (6) has a single chamber structure. Inside the cold storage chamber (6), there is a refrigeration tube (9). The refrigeration tube (9) is connected to the refrigeration circuit and is in parallel with the evaporator (4). The refrigeration tube (9) and the beer pipe (7) are wound into a quick cooler (10) of a round or an elliptic cylindrical shape, in an abreast and helical manner.