Beverage Container Inner Surface for Nitrogen Bubble Nucleation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for initiating bubble formation in nitrogen supersaturated beverages, such as stout beer, require specialized equipment and are not easily incorporated into packaging, limiting the production efficiency and cost-effectiveness of canned beverages.
Innovation Solution
A nanoscale structured surface with pits of 20-100 nm diameter and greater than 15 nm deep, applied to the inner surface of beverage containers, promotes nitrogen and mixed gas bubble nucleation and growth, eliminating the need for widgets or other foam-initiation mechanisms by creating a gas-solid-liquid interface that facilitates bubble formation upon opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If specialized equipment such as widgets or ultrasonic units are used to initiate bubble formation, then bubble nucleation and growth are effectively promoted, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the nucleation function from separate devices (widgets, ultrasonic units) and integrates it directly into the container wall through nanoscale surface structures. The nanoscale pits and protrusions embedded in the container wall serve as permanent nucleation sites, eliminating the need for removable or separate nucleation devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the nucleation function with the container wall structure itself. The nanoscale surface features are incorporated into the wall material or coating, combining the structural and nucleation functions into a single integrated component, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If specialized equipment such as widgets or ultrasonic units are used to initiate bubble formation, then bubble nucleation and growth are effectively promoted, but manufacturing cost and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nanoscale surface structures are pre-formed during container manufacturing, creating ready-to-use nucleation sites before the beverage is filled. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for post-filling device installation or activation, maintaining high production speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The container wall with nanoscale structures serves its own nucleation function inherently, without requiring external assistance from widgets or ultrasonic units. The surface structures automatically provide nucleation sites when the beverage is poured, eliminating the need for additional operational steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional smooth surfaces are used in beverage containers, then manufacturing is simpler, but bubble nucleation and growth are insufficient for nitrogen supersaturated beverages
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces nanoscale surface features (pits of 50-500 nm diameter, protrusions of 10-100 nm height) at specific locations on the container wall where nucleation is needed. These localized structural modifications provide the necessary surface complexity for nucleation while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The nanoscale pits and protrusions create a porous-like surface structure that provides numerous nucleation sites. This porous surface morphology, with features in the 10-500 nm range, enhances bubble nucleation effectiveness while being compatible with conventional coating and manufacturing processes.
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 engineered surface enables spontaneous bubble generation upon opening, resulting in a stable white head with a large number of small bubbles, enhancing the visual appeal and taste of nitrogen supersaturated beverages without the need for specialized equipment, thus simplifying the canning process and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
A nanoscale structured surface with pits of 20-100 nm diameter and greater than 15 nm deep, applied to the inner surface of beverage containers, promotes nitrogen and mixed gas bubble nucleation and growth
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage container or package that includes an internal surface for promoting nitrogen bubble nucleation and growth. The surface incorporates a plurality of nanoscale structures, e.g. between 6 and 100 nanometers in size. Most preferably the structures are pits, greater than 15 nm in depth/height. Upon opening the container filled with a Nitrogen (and carbon dioxide) supersaturated beverage, a foaming effect occurs which provides a desirable head of fine bubbles when transferred to a drinking glass.