Dynamic Foaming Control for Beverage Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for foaming beverages in containers fail to maintain consistent energy input due to fluctuations in production line performance, leading to insufficient or excessive foaming, and are inefficient in terms of mechanical stress and foaming medium usage.
Innovation Solution
A high-pressure injection device with a frequency-controlled pump and adjustable injection pressure, regulated by a control device that adjusts the pump's speed and power based on production line performance and product-specific parameters, ensuring consistent energy input and minimal foaming medium usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pump is always operated at high power to generate sufficient foaming pressure, then foaming is achieved, but the pump is subject to great mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The pump's speed and power are dynamically adjusted based on actual production line performance rather than operating at constant high power. The control device receives signals about the number of containers treated per unit time and adjusts pump parameters accordingly, reducing mechanical stress when full power is not needed while ensuring sufficient foaming pressure when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operating parameters of the pump based on production conditions. By adjusting speed and power parameters according to actual production line performance, the system achieves the necessary foaming effect while minimizing unnecessary mechanical stress on the pump components.
2Ease of operation
If the injection pressure and volume flow are fixed for a specific target performance, then the foaming process is simple to control, but fluctuations in production line performance lead to incorrect foaming
Solution Approach 1:
The control device receives feedback signals about the actual performance of the production line, including the number of containers treated with foaming medium per unit time. Based on this feedback, the control device automatically adjusts the injection pressure and volume flow parameters to maintain correct foaming despite fluctuations in production speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection parameters are made dynamic rather than fixed. The system continuously adapts injection pressure and volume flow to match actual production line performance, ensuring consistent foaming quality across varying production conditions while maintaining automated control.
3Productivity
If the injection pressure is increased to compensate for high production line performance, then foaming is achieved, but the energy input and foaming medium consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes injection parameters by changing pressure and volume flow settings based on actual production requirements. Rather than using high pressure and high volume flow simultaneously, the control device adjusts parameters to achieve the necessary energy input for foaming while minimizing overall energy consumption and foaming medium usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device uses stored setpoint values that represent optimized parameter combinations for different production scenarios. These pre-determined setpoints allow the system to replicate successful foaming conditions without requiring excessive energy input or foaming medium consumption.
4Productivity
If a high volume flow is used to ensure sufficient foaming at high production speeds, then foaming is achieved, but foaming medium is wasted when production speed is low
Solution Approach 1:
The volume flow parameter is dynamically adjusted based on production line performance. When production speed is high, volume flow is increased to ensure sufficient foaming. When production speed decreases, volume flow is reduced proportionally, preventing waste of foaming medium while maintaining adequate foaming quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes volume flow dynamic rather than constant. The control device continuously adjusts volume flow to match actual production needs, ensuring that foaming medium is used efficiently without waste during low-production periods while maintaining sufficient supply during high-production periods.
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 device achieves consistent foaming by regulating injection pressure over a wide range, maintaining energy input stability across varying production rates, reducing mechanical stress and foaming medium consumption, and preventing over-foaming.
Implementation Method 1
at least one injection nozzle (3) which is used to introduce the foaming medium, to which the foaming medium is supplied under pressure
Implementation Method 2
the speed and/or power of the pump is readjusted in such a way that the actual value corresponds to the setpoint
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for controlled foaming of a filling material accommodated in bottles (2) or similar containers, under application of at least one spray nozzle (3), over which a liquid foaming medium is injected under pressure into the containers passing the nozzle, wherein the injection pressure is raised with increasing number of containers passing the nozzle per unit time, i.e. with increasing container count per unit time.