Draft Dispenser Line Length for Ultra-High Gravity Beverage Foaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensing systems for ultra-high gravity fermented beverages, such as beer and cider, face challenges in maintaining consistent pressure and preventing excessive foaming when blending with carbonated or nitrogenated water, leading to suboptimal pouring characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A beverage system that combines ultra-high gravity beverages with carbonated or nitrogenated water using a hybrid approach, featuring a significant length of fluid line between the mixing point and the dispensing tap to maintain pressure and prevent gas escape, along with temperature control and pressure regulation to ensure smooth pouring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ultra-high gravity beverage is blended with carbonated or nitrogenated water at high pressure, then the beverage can be dispensed at desired flow rates, but excessive foaming and gas breakout occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary mixing of ultra-high gravity beverage with carbonated or nitrogenated water in a dedicated mixing chamber before dispensing. This preliminary action allows the gases to dissolve into the beverage under controlled pressure conditions, preventing gas breakout and excessive foaming during actual dispensing while maintaining desired flow rates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mixing chamber and fluid lines as mediators between the beverage source and dispensing tap. These intermediary components provide a transition zone where pressure and gas dissolution can be controlled, allowing the beverage to be properly prepared before reaching the dispensing point, thus eliminating excessive foaming
2Reliability
If long fluid lines are used to connect beverage source to dispensing tap, then pressure can be maintained and gas breakout prevented, but system complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of fluid line length to an extended length (1-150 feet) to provide sufficient resistance and maintain pressure. This parameter change allows the beverage to be properly pressurized and prevents gas breakout while the system is installed, accepting the trade-off of increased installation complexity for reliable pressure maintenance
3Speed
If high pressure is applied to dispense ultra-high gravity beverage, then dispensing speed increases, but carbonation and nitrogenation are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary carbonation and nitrogenation of the ultra-high gravity beverage in the mixing chamber before dispensing. This preliminary action ensures that the desired gas content is established before the beverage undergoes pressure changes during dispensing, maintaining composition stability while enabling fast dispensing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous pressure throughout the fluid lines from the mixing chamber to the dispensing tap, ensuring that the carbonation and nitrogenation achieved during mixing is preserved during transport and dispensing. This continuous pressurization allows fast dispensing without compromising gas retention
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 achieves a smooth and consistent pour with reduced foaming, maintaining the quality of the beverage by controlling pressure and gas dissolution, allowing for efficient dispensing of ultra-high gravity beverages at desired flow rates and concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
a second source comprising a carbonated and/or nitrogenated water at a pressure of about 12 psig to about 150 psig (82.7 to 1034.2 kPa) and a temperature of about 0 to about 8° C.
Implementation Method 2
a first source comprising ultra-high gravity beverage at a pressure of about 12 psig to about 150 psig (82.7 to 1034.2 kPa)
Implementation Method 3
a second source comprising a carbonated and/or nitrogenated water at a pressure of about 12 psig to about 150 psig (82.7 to 1034.2 kPa) and a temperature of about 0 to about 8° C.
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage system that produces a fermented beverage from two or more liquid streams, includes a first source including an ultra-high gravity beverage at a pressure of 82.7 kPa to 1034.2 kPa; a second source including a carbonated and/or nitrogenated water at a pressure of 82.7 kPa to 1034.2 kPa and and a temperature of 0° to 8°; a mixing point that allows mixing of the ultra high gravity beverage to blend with the carbonated and/or nitrogenated water to produce a fermented beverage; and a fluid line fluidly coupled to the mixing point and configured to allow the fermented beverage to flow to a dispensing tap. The fluid line has a length of 0.3048 m to 45.72 m and an inner diameter of 3.2 mm to 15.9 mm for at least a portion of the line.