Dual-Spout Beverage Tap with Segmented Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beer taps face challenges in achieving fast dispensation without increased foaming, as they provide significant flow restriction, and upgrading infrastructure or increasing pressure leads to undesirable foaming and high costs.
Innovation Solution
A tap design with a horizontal inlet and dual spouts, featuring axially-slidable valves and a variable flow device with a floating torpedo, allowing for adjustable flow rates and reduced flow restriction, enabling faster dispensation of beer with minimal foaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If flow restriction in the tap is reduced to increase dispensation speed, then volumetric flow rate increases and dispensation becomes faster, but the amount of fobbing increases and head quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tap is divided into two separate outlets: a primary outlet for bulk beverage dispensing with minimal flow restriction, and a secondary outlet for foam generation with controlled flow restriction. This segmentation allows each outlet to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other
Solution Approach 2:
Different flow characteristics are applied to different parts of the system: the primary outlet has a smooth, unrestricted flow path for fast dispensing, while the secondary outlet has a restricted flow path with turbulence-inducing features specifically designed for foam generation
2Productivity
If beverage lines with greater internal diameters are used to increase volumetric flow rate, then dispensation speed increases, but infrastructure upgrade costs become extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
A variable flow device with an adjustable floating torpedo is installed in the primary flow path, allowing the flow restriction to be dynamically adjusted. This enables optimization of dispensation speed without requiring permanent infrastructure changes, and the device can be adjusted to match different serving requirements
3Productivity
If beverage is pumped at greater pressure to increase flow rate, then volumetric flow rate increases, but fobbing increases and equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow paths are segmented into primary and secondary outlets with different pressure requirements. The primary outlet maintains lower pressure for smooth flow, while the secondary outlet uses flow restriction to generate foam at controlled pressure, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumping across the entire system
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 tap achieves faster dispensation of a UK pint in 6-22 seconds while maintaining a good beer head without excessive foaming, and allows for easy cleaning without shutting off the keg flow.
Implementation Method 1
a flow restriction for inducing turbulence in the beverage flow, so as to produce foam
Data Source
AI summary
A tap having a body, a horizontal inlet, and primary and secondary downwardly-extending spouts, the tap having primary and secondary flow paths. The primary flow path is adapted to dispense a bulk portion of beverage and includes a horizontally oriented primary valve having a primary valve stem and a primary valve seal. The secondary flow path is adapted to dispense a foamed portion of beverage and comprises a flow restriction for inducing turbulence in a beverage flowing through the secondary flow path to produce foam, the secondary flow path including a horizontally-oriented secondary valve with a secondary valve stem and a secondary valve seal. The primary and secondary valves operate independently and have valve stems sliding on spaced apart axes. The primary valve is operatively connected to a handle oriented perpendicular to the horizontal inlet, such that, rotation of the handle in a substantially vertical plane causes the primary valve to open or close and actuation of the secondary valve, for example, by pushing a button operatively connected to the secondary valve stem, causes the secondary valve to open or close.