Carbonated Beverage Oxygen Reduction via Two-Stage CO2 Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of low-oxygen carbonated beverages faces challenges in accurately controlling oxygen reduction and CO2 content, leading to quality losses and increased costs due to complex and unreliable degassing processes, particularly in the filling of beverages into coated cans.
Innovation Solution
A method involving two-stage carbonation, where oxygen-reduced water is blended with a mixing component, and CO2 is added as a stripping gas to remove oxygen, with precise measurement and regulation of CO2 content to achieve the desired carbonation level, using a bottling plant with a first container under negative pressure and a second container for initial degassing, allowing for efficient and controlled oxygen reduction and carbonation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional single-stage carbonation is used, then the process is simpler, but oxygen content cannot be sufficiently reduced and CO2 content cannot be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the carbonation process into two distinct stages: a first stage where CO2 is added to oxygen-reduced water to create a CO2-enriched beverage mixture, and a second stage where oxygen is stripped from this mixture in a container under reduced pressure. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each stage, achieving precise control over both oxygen reduction and CO2 content while maintaining manageable process complexity through modular station design.
2Reliability
If high quantities of stripping gas are used to reduce oxygen, then oxygen content decreases, but costs and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary oxygen reduction in the water before carbonation by using oxygen-reduced water as the base. This preliminary action removes the bulk of oxygen content before the beverage mixture is formed, significantly reducing the amount of stripping gas needed in the second stage. The combination of preliminary oxygen removal and controlled CO2 addition achieves effective oxygen reduction with minimized gas consumption.
3Ease of manufacture
If oxygen is introduced when syrup is added to degassed water, then the mixing process is simpler, but oxygen content increases and quality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses oxygen-reduced water as the base liquid before adding syrup and other beverage components. This preliminary oxygen removal ensures that the water foundation has low oxygen content, and the subsequent addition of syrup occurs in an environment where oxygen levels are already controlled. The process maintains simplicity by combining ingredients in a single mixer while preventing oxygen introduction through the use of pre-treated water.
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 approach ensures a reliable and efficient production of carbonated beverages with well-controlled oxygen and CO2 levels, reducing aroma losses, stripping gas requirements, and enhancing the shelf life of bottled beverages.
Implementation Method 1
adding a gas comprising CO2 (and potentially N2) to the beverage mixture to obtain a CO2-enriched beverage mixture; reducing the oxygen content of the CO2-enriched beverage mixture in a first (stripping gas) container
Implementation Method 2
The first container can be under negative pressure, for instance from 0.7 to 0.9 bar absolute
Implementation Method 3
adding further CO2 to the discharged oxygen-reduced, CO2-enriched beverage mixture based on the determined CO2 content to obtain a fully carbonated beverage
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention presents a method for producing a carbonated beverage, comprising the steps of: providing oxygen-reduced water; mixing the oxygen-reduced water with a mixture component to obtain a beverage mixture; adding a gas comprising CO2 to the beverage mixture to obtain a carbonated beverage mixture; reducing the oxygen content of the carbonated beverage mixture in a first container to obtain an oxygen-reduced carbonated beverage mixture; venting the oxygen-reduced carbonated beverage mixture from the first container; determining the CO2 content of the oxygen-reduced carbonated beverage mixture; and adding further CO2 to the vented oxygen-reduced carbonated beverage mixture based on the determined CO2 content to obtain a final carbonated beverage.