Beverage Carbonation System Using Liquid CO2 Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for carbonating beverages, such as beer, are inefficient, leading to significant waste of carbon dioxide gas and introduction of oxygen, which affects beer quality and increases greenhouse gas emissions, while also limiting the control over dissolved gas ratios, particularly for craft brewers seeking unique flavor profiles.
Innovation Solution
A system that automatically controls the carbonation process by supersaturating beer with gas in a saturation tank and then injecting it into the carbonation tank, eliminating the need for a gas headspace and allowing precise control over dissolved gas ratios through programmable logic controllers and pressure management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CO2 gas is bubbled through beer in a carbonation tank with diffusers, then CO2 dissolves into the beer, but approximately half or more of the gas does not dissolve and is vented to the air, causing waste and increasing greenhouse gas emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of CO2 from gas to liquid by cooling it to below its critical temperature (31°C). Liquid CO2 is then injected directly into the beer, where it dissolves efficiently without forming excessive bubbles. This parameter change (from gas to liquid phase) fundamentally improves carbonation efficiency and eliminates the waste problem associated with gas bubbling methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses liquid CO2 as an intermediary form between gaseous CO2 and dissolved CO2 in beer. Instead of directly bubbling gas through beer (which causes waste), the system first converts CO2 to liquid form, then injects this liquid intermediary into the beer. This intermediary approach allows for controlled dissolution and eliminates the need to vent undissolved gas.
2Stress or pressure
If a gas headspace is maintained in the carbonation tank to collect and vent undissolved CO2, then pressure can be controlled, but oxygen from air can enter the tank and have detrimental effects on beer quality and reduce shelf life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the gas headspace that contains oxygen by using liquid CO2 injection. The system operates with the beer itself filling the tank, and liquid CO2 is injected directly into the liquid phase. This creates an inert CO2-rich environment without oxygen-containing air headspace, preventing oxidation and quality degradation while still allowing pressure control through the dissolved CO2 and liquid CO2 reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the gas headspace component from the carbonation system. Instead of having a separate gas phase above the beer that requires venting, the system eliminates this phase entirely by injecting liquid CO2 directly into the beer. The CO2 that would have formed a headspace is now injected as liquid, dissolving directly into the beer without creating an oxygen-containing gas phase.
3Manufacturing precision
If CO2 gas is continuously added to maintain desired dissolved CO2 content, then carbonation level can be controlled, but the process requires continual venting to maintain pressure, increasing operational complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-regulating system where liquid CO2 is injected into the beer, and the dissolution process automatically controls the pressure. As CO2 dissolves, it increases the dissolved gas content without requiring venting. The system self-regulates because the liquid CO2 injection rate can be controlled to match the dissolution rate, eliminating the need for complex venting mechanisms and continuous pressure management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition properties of CO2, specifically injecting it in liquid form below its critical temperature. This phase choice (liquid rather than gas) fundamentally changes the dissolution behavior - liquid CO2 dissolves directly into the beer without forming a gas headspace that would require venting. The phase transition approach simplifies the system by eliminating the gas-liquid equilibrium management and associated venting requirements.
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 method reduces carbon dioxide usage and emissions, ensures consistent carbonation, and allows for precise control over dissolved gas ratios, enhancing beer quality and enabling craft brewers to create unique flavor profiles.
Implementation Method 1
a pump pressurizes a stream of beer and injects it into a saturation tank to become supersaturated with carbon dioxide
Implementation Method 2
A saturation tank is provided and a pump pressurizes a stream of beer and injects it into the saturation tank
Implementation Method 3
The pressure in the carbonation tank is used to control the final, saturated dissolved CO2 content of the beer. As the pressure of the gas and beer is increased, the beer can hold more dissolved CO2.
Implementation Method 4
The current method for dissolving carbon dioxide (CO2) into beer is to place diffusers at the bottom of a pressurized carbonation tank and bubble CO2 gas through the diffusers into the beer. The gas dissolves into the beer as the bubbles rise through the beer.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of controlling a concentration of one or more gases dissolved in a beverage is shown. The system includes a saturation tank having a gas head space, a brite tank, and a beverage supply system to pass the beverage between the saturation tank and the brite tank. A beverage supersaturated with the gas from the head space is formed in the saturation tank. The supersaturated beverage is passed from the saturation tank to the brite tank. Once the amount of gas added to the beverage exceeds saturation, some of the gas escapes from solution from the beverage and the pressure in the brite tank increases. Once the pressure within the brite tank reaches a pre-defined pressure, a pump supplying the beverage to the saturation tank is shut-off and the inlet and outlet valves of the brite tank are closed.