Beverage Dispensing Recirculation Loop for Chilled Fluid
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage dispensing systems struggle to maintain carbonated water at a chilled temperature over extended periods, leading to foaming issues during subsequent dispensing due to warming of fluids in the lines upstream and downstream of the cold plate.
Innovation Solution
A recirculation loop is introduced that uses a brushless pump/motor combination with a magnetic impeller to continuously circulate carbonated water from just upstream of the valve and manifold assembly back to the cold plate's inlet port, ensuring the fluid remains chilled through a bypass fitting and insulation on the lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cold plate is used to chill carbonated water, then the beverage dispensing system can provide chilled beverages, but the fluid in the lines may warm up over time between dispensing actions
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculation pump continuously circulates carbonated water through the cold plate between dispensing actions, ensuring the fluid remains chilled at all times rather than allowing temperature to rise during idle periods. This continuous circulation maintains the thermal conditioning of the carbonated water in the lines upstream and downstream of the cold plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-chills the carbonated water by continuously passing it through the cold plate before dispensing occurs. The recirculation pump ensures that the carbonated water is already at the desired temperature in the lines before any dispensing action takes place, preventing foaming issues that would occur if warm carbonated water were dispensed.
2Productivity
If carbonated water is kept in the dispensing lines for extended periods, then the system is ready for quick dispensing, but the carbonated water warms up and causes excessive foaming
Solution Approach 1:
The recirculation pump operates continuously to maintain carbonated water at chilled temperature in the dispensing lines, eliminating the harmful foaming effect that would otherwise occur during extended idle periods while preserving immediate dispensing readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses temperature feedback control where the recirculation pump responds to temperature changes in the carbonated water lines. When the carbonated water temperature rises above the desired setpoint between dispensing actions, the pump increases circulation through the cold plate to cool it back down, preventing foaming while maintaining dispensing readiness.
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
This solution effectively maintains carbonated water at a chilled temperature, reducing foaming and ensuring consistent dispensing quality by continuously recirculating the fluid through the cold plate, even when the dispensing system is not in use.
Implementation Method 1
The cold plates have multiple inlet ports and multiple outlet ports. The inlet ports receive syrup, water, and/or soda water from a multiplicity of sources. The fluids run through the cold plate and out the outlet ports.
Implementation Method 2
A recirculation loop is introduced that uses a brushless pump/motor combination with a magnetic impeller to continuously circulate carbonated water from just upstream of the valve and manifold assembly back to the cold plate's inlet port
Implementation Method 3
The recirculation loop includes lines with insulation thereon
Implementation Method 4
a carbonator engaging the fluid supply to carbonate the fluid being carried in the fluid supply line
Data Source
AI summary
A recirculation loop for a beverage dispensing system. The beverage dispensing system has a fluid supply, a cold plate, a valve/manifold assembly, and a bar gun connected to the valve/manifold assembly. The recirculation loop draws off fluid being carried from the cold plate to the valve/manifold assembly and, having a pump as part thereof, pumps some of that fluid to a point just upstream of the cold plate. In this manner, the recirculation loop keeps fluid cool, even when the bar gun is not dispensing beverages therefrom, for long periods of time. That is, the pump runs independent of the bar gun and is typically on all the time, so that fluid in the line from the cold plate to the valve/manifold assembly stays chilled.