Filling Machine Gas Channel for Pre-charge Carbonation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filling machines are inefficient in rapidly filling and carbonating containers with liquid materials, particularly those containing carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrogen (N2), as they often require complex coordination and longer processing times due to the risk of foam formation and incomplete carbonation.
Innovation Solution
A filling machine design that introduces CO2 or N2 into the container via a gas channel before filling, generating a preload pressure, and then fills the container with liquid at a pressure exceeding the preload, ensuring immediate carbonation of the liquid filling material, while using a sealing element to prevent gas escape and incorporating a vacuum channel for air removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the liquid is pre-mixed with CO2 or N2 before filling, then the carbonation is achieved, but foaming occurs during filling
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-pressurized with CO2 or N2 gas through the gas channel before liquid filling begins. This preliminary action creates a controlled gas atmosphere inside the container that prevents foaming during subsequent liquid filling, while still achieving the desired carbonation effect in the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The filling process is segmented into distinct phases: first gas pre-pressurization through the gas channel, then liquid filling through the liquid channel. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized independently - gas phase for pressure control and foam prevention, liquid phase for filling - avoiding the foaming problem that occurs when CO2 is mixed with liquid before filling.
2Quantity of substance
If the bottle is purged with CO2, then carbonation is achieved, but the filling time becomes relatively long
Solution Approach 1:
The gas channel and liquid channel operate in continuous sequence without interruption. The gas pre-pressurization and liquid filling are continuous processes that occur back-to-back in the same container, eliminating the need for separate carbonation steps and significantly reducing total processing time compared to traditional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The carbonation function is merged into the filling process itself. By pre-pressurizing the container with CO2/N2 gas and then immediately filling with liquid through the same sealing element, the carbonation and filling operations are combined into a single integrated process, eliminating the need for separate carbonation equipment and time.
3Quantity of substance
If the CO2 is applied to the product shortly before filling, then carbonation is achieved, but the device requires finely tuned components and precise coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element serves multiple functions: it seals the container opening for both gas pre-pressurization and liquid filling operations. The filling element structure is universal, handling both gas channel and liquid channel operations through the same mechanical interface, eliminating the need for separate carbonation device components and reducing coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The carbonation function is extracted from a separate complex carbonation device and integrated into the filling element itself. By using the filling element's sealing capability to also handle gas pre-pressurization, the invention eliminates the need for finely tuned separate carbonation components and their complex coordination with the filling valve.
4Quantity of substance
If the container opening is sealed before filling, then gas can be retained for carbonation, but the filling pressure must exceed the pre-charge pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses pneumatic pressure control through the gas channel to pre-pressurize the container with CO2/N2 gas. The sealing element maintains this pre-charge pressure while the liquid filling channel introduces liquid at a higher pressure. The pneumatic system efficiently manages the pressure differential, allowing the liquid to force its way into the pre-pressurized container while the gas dissolves into the liquid for carbonation.
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 approach allows for rapid and efficient filling and carbonation of containers, ensuring the desired CO2 content is achieved quickly and simply, with the option to reuse partially carbonated liquids for re-carbonation, and reduces the complexity of the filling process.
Implementation Method 1
designed to introduce CO2 or N2 into a container (5) via the gas channel (10) before filling with liquid material and to generate a pre-charge pressure in the container
Implementation Method 2
introduce the liquid material into the container via the liquid channel at a filling pressure exceeding the pre-charge pressure
Implementation Method 3
the CO2 already present in the container dissolves directly into the liquid, thus carbonating it
Implementation Method 4
Each filling element includes a sealing element for sealing the container's opening. When the container's opening is sealed by the sealing element, there is no longer any connection between the container's interior and the surrounding air or atmosphere
Implementation Method 5
incorporating a vacuum channel for air removal
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a filling machine (1) for filling containers (5) with liquid contents, the filling machine (1) having a plurality of filling positions (3), each filling position (3) having a filling element (4), and each filling element (4) comprising: - a sealing element (8) for sealing an opening (5.1) of the container (5); - a liquid channel (9), which can be closed by means of a filing valve (12); and - a gas channel (10), which can be closed by means of a gas valve (13), the liquid channel (9) being fluidically connected to the interior (5.2) of the container (5) when the filling valve (12) is open, and the gas channel (10) being fluidically connected to the interior (5.2) of the container (5) when the gas valve (13) is open. The filling machine (1) is characterized in particular in that the filling machine (1) is designed to introduce CO2 into the container (5) via the gas channel (10) and to produce a preload pressure in the container (5), the CO2 contained in the container (5) under preload pressure having the amount required for carbonating the liquid contents, and to introduce the liquid contents into the container (5) at a filling pressure via the liquid channel (9), the filling pressure being greater than the preload pressure. The invention also relates to a method for filling containers (5) with liquid contents by means of a filling machine (1) according to the preceding description.