Cold Plate Beverage Dispenser for Beer Foam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage dispensing systems face issues with excessive foaming when the temperature of beer rises above 30°F, leading to waste and decreased profits due to the instability of carbon dioxide gas, which causes foam generation and makes serving beer difficult at ambient room temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained tabletop beverage dispenser with a refrigerant-chilled cold plate system, including a compressor, condenser, thermal expansion valve, and microprocessor-controlled solenoid valves, which manages refrigerant flow and temperature to maintain optimal cooling and prevent foaming by controlling the refrigerant flow and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the beer temperature is maintained at or below 30°F, then the carbon dioxide gas remains stable and does not foam, but the system requires continuous refrigeration which increases energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling of the beer to 30°F or below before dispensing, ensuring the carbon dioxide remains stable during the dispensing process. This preliminary action prevents foaming without requiring continuous energy-intensive refrigeration throughout the entire dispensing cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the beer to maintain it at or below 30°F, which fundamentally alters the stability characteristics of the carbon dioxide gas. By controlling this critical parameter, the system achieves gas stability that prevents foaming while allowing for energy-efficient operation cycles.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the beer is warmed to ambient room temperature (45°F or more), then energy consumption decreases, but excessive foaming occurs making the beer unservable
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary cooling to bring the beer temperature down to 30°F or below before the dispensing process begins. This preliminary thermal treatment ensures that even though the beer may warm slightly during dispensing, it remains below the critical 45°F threshold where excessive foaming occurs, thus preventing the harmful foaming effect while allowing for reduced energy consumption.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the refrigerant flow is increased to maintain lower temperatures, then beer stability is improved, but the risk of freeze-up in beverage lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system carefully controls the refrigerant flow parameters to maintain the beer temperature at or slightly above 30°F, avoiding the dangerous threshold where freeze-up would occur. By precisely adjusting this temperature parameter, the system achieves sufficient beer stability to prevent foaming while maintaining a safety margin that prevents freezing of the beverage lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs temperature sensing and control mechanisms that provide feedback on the beer and line temperatures, allowing dynamic adjustment of refrigerant flow. This feedback control ensures that cooling is sufficient to maintain beer stability but not excessive to cause freeze-up, optimizing both beer stability and preventing harmful freezing.
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 system effectively maintains beer at a stable temperature, reducing foaming and waste, allowing for efficient dispensing and maintaining profitability by ensuring consistent refrigeration and immediate restart capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate in fluid communication with said refrigerant reservoir, wherein the refrigerant lines extend through said cold plate, wherein beverage lines also extend through said cold plate adjacent to said refrigerant lines
Implementation Method 2
A thermal expansion valve is provided downstream of the reservoir upstream of and close to the refrigerant inlet of the cold plate, for metering refrigerant into the cold plate in response to a thermal bulb at the outlet of the refrigerant lines on the cold plate
Implementation Method 3
If freeze-up of the beverage in the beverage lines occurs, refrigerant may be controlled by means of a hot gas valve to divert the flow of refrigerant from the cold plate, adding hot gas from the high side of the compressor to the cold plate refrigerant inlet line
Data Source
AI summary
A microprocessor-controlled beverage dispenser is disclosed, which provides a cold plate having disposed therein beverage lines and refrigerant lines. The refrigerant lines may be connected to a cooling or refrigeration system, including a heat exchanger. The beverage lines may be connected to a beverage supply for dispensing a desired beverage. Valves and pressure sensors in the refrigerant line are engaged with a microprocessor. If the temperature falls below a desired value, then the cooling system is shut off. This permits the microprocessor to closely control the temperature of the beverage being dispensed.