Constant-Head Water Chamber for Stable Beverage Dispensing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Atmospheric boilers in the hospitality industry face issues with varying flow rates and temperatures at beverage dispensing fonts, affecting the quality of prepared beverages due to fluctuations in water volume and temperature per unit time.
Innovation Solution
A device with a chamber system that maintains a constant head of water by allowing excess water to return to the source, ensuring equal or greater inlet flow rate than draw-off flow rate, and featuring a stand pipe arrangement for adjustable head height, allowing for efficient circulation and temperature maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If atmospheric boilers are used as hot water sources in hospitality industry, then space can be saved by using under-counter boilers, but the flow rate and temperature at dispensing fonts vary depending on boiler load, affecting beverage quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into multiple independent chambers, each capable of maintaining its own constant head of water. This allows each chamber to operate independently, ensuring consistent flow rate and temperature at each dispensing point regardless of overall boiler load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
A constant head chamber acts as an intermediary between the atmospheric boiler and the dispensing font. The chamber maintains a constant water level and pressure, buffering variations in boiler output and ensuring stable flow rate and temperature at the dispensing point.
2Device complexity
If atmospheric boilers are used as hot water sources in hospitality industry, then equipment can be compact and under-counter, but the temperature and volume per unit time from fonts vary, affecting beverage quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a constant head of hot water in each chamber before dispensing occurs. This preliminary action ensures that when water is drawn off, it maintains consistent temperature and pressure, eliminating variations that would otherwise occur with direct connection to the boiler.
Solution Approach 2:
The constant head chamber maintains continuous circulation and pressure of hot water, ensuring uninterrupted and consistent temperature delivery. The inlet flow rate is maintained equal to or greater than the draw-off flow rate, ensuring the chamber remains filled with hot water at all times.
3Productivity
If water is pumped from the boiler to dispensing fonts, then hot water can be delivered, but flow rate varies with boiler load, causing volume and temperature variation per unit time
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the inlet flow rate to be equal to or greater than the draw-off flow rate, maintaining a constant head of water in the chamber. This dynamic balance ensures consistent dispensing performance regardless of variations in boiler output or demand fluctuations.
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 provides a consistent flow rate and higher dispense temperature, improving beverage quality and reducing energy costs by eliminating the need for individual water tanks and heating systems, while offering space-saving designs for installation.
Implementation Method 1
any excess water in the chamber will return to the source of hot water by gravity flow
Implementation Method 2
the water is pumped to the inlet
Implementation Method 3
the head of water can be altered by changing the length of the stand pipe
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~9
AI summary
A device (10) for use in the preparation of beverages, for managing the draw-off of water from a source of hot water comprises a chamber (11) having a base (12), a cylindrical wall (13) mounted on the base (12) and a top section illustrated generally at (14). An inlet (15) and a return outlet (16) are mounted in the base (12), and both the inlet (15) and the return outlet (16) are connectable to a source of hot water. Three draw-off outlets (17, 19) are also mounted in the base (12). The return outlet (16) consists of a hollow tube section (32), which passes through the base (12) to form a stand pipe (33). In use, hot water is introduced into the chamber (11) through inlet (15) and the chamber (11) is orientated such that return outlet (16) is positioned above the inlet (15). The inlet flow rate is equal to or greater than the draw-off flow rate, and any excess volume of hot water in the chamber (11) is returnable, to the source of hot water, through the return outlet (16), thereby creating a constant head of water above the draw-off outlets (17, 9).