AU427239B2 - Pre-chilled liquid beverage cooler and chilled system - Google Patents

Description

32,88 6/71 This invention relates to beverage cooling and chilling systems supplying a plurality of outlets. It is customary with instantaneous cooling systems to have a beverage cooling coil immersed in an intermediate fluid which is circulated around a refrigeration evaporator coil, the circulation being controlled by a pressure control on a flooded evaporator. To ensure quick cooling the temperature difference between intermediate fluid and beverage is high and any defect inthe control system is liable to cause freezing in the beverage tubes with resultant fracture and subsequent contamination of the beverage. It is an object of the invention to provide a beverage heat exchange of sufficient heat transfer capacity to cool the beverage down to its required low temperature, while the plant is operating at the maximum capacity, when the heat exchanger is immersed in a fluid which is maintained at a constant low temperature, the temperature of the fluid being above the freezing temperature of the beverage. It is a feature of the invention to provide a beverage heat exchanger container, cooling fluid in the container, means for maintaining the cooling fluid at a constant low temperature above the freezing point of the beverage, a heat exchanger in the container immersed in the cooling fluid, the heat exchanger surfaces being adequate to cool the beverage at the maximum demand rate when the fluid is maintained at the said constant low temperature.

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32.886/71 In the abovementioned cdnventional cooling system

when supplying several outlets, independent coils are

immersed in the same intermediate fluid container

involving long beverage lines with high heat absorbing

capacities resulting in warm beverages being supplied

if the plant is not in constant use, furthermore long supply lines constitute a cleaning problem. It is a further feature of the invention that a plurality of heat exchanger containers through which intermediate cooling fluid is circulated from a remote- central supply are maintained at constant temperature each container housing a beverage heat exchanger connected to adjacent dispensing outlets. A further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby simple methods of cleaning the beverage tubes may be used. With some of the previously used installations, the' tubes are in direct communication with refrigerants, and it is not always possible to use hot water for cleaning since some refrigerants develop extremely high pressures when at the temperature of boiling water and unless precautions are taken to prevent this pressure build up, damage can be caused. The invention includes as a further feature the use of an intermediate cooling fluid having a low freezing point to eliminate ice formation and means for preventing any build up in pressure in the heat exchanger while cleaning the beverage tube, the said feature enabling one

32,886/71 heat exchanger to be cleaned with hot water, even while the others are in operation. To ensure rapid cooling of the beverage it is important- to maintain a high rate of heat flow between the cooling fluid and the beverage coil which is achieved by causing the cooling fluid to scour the outer surface of the tubes. To achieve this object one form of the invention includes as a further feature means of circulating the intermediate cooling fluid in intimate contact with the beverage tubes. The broadest form of the invention comprises a refrigerating plant, an intermediate cooling system and a beverage cooling and dispensing system, the refrigeration plant comprising a compressor, a condenser. and a heat exchanger evaporator, conduit means inter- connecting the compressor, condenser, and evaporator, and a plurality of controls arranged to maintain the evaporator at constant temperature, an intermediate cooling system comprising an insulated intermediate cooling fluid container housing said evaporator, a plurality of beverage heat exchanger containers, supply and return conduit means connecting the beverage heat exchanger containers to the intermediate cooling system, and a circulating pump operatively connected to said conduit, the conduits and all the containers being hermetically sealed, the beverage cooling and dispensing system comprising a plurality of beverage cooler heat exchangers each immersed

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3 2, 88 6/71 a respective said in the intermediate cooling fluid.in of beverage heat exchanger container, a plurality each beverage beverage dispensers, conduit means between a cooler container and a respective said dispenser, between beverage storage container, and conduit means cooling the beverage storage container and the beverage maintain containers, the controls being arranged to low the intermediate cooling fluid at a constant temperature above the freezing point of the-beverage. hereunder An embodiment of the invention is described as illustrated in in further detail with reference to and the.accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through a beverage dispenser, Fig. 2 is a sectional plan through the same dispenser, Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the cooling system. In this embodiment the beverage cooling system comprises a refrigeration plant, an intermediate cooling a fluid container, control means arranged to maintain constant temperature in the container, a plurality of said beverage dispensing means, conduit means connecting and intermediate container and the said dispensing means and means of circulating fluid between dispensing means the intermediate container. The refrigeration plant comprises a compressor 21, an a condenser 22 a receiver 23 an expansion valve 25 and evaporator coil 24. The evaporator coil 24 is housed in an insulated intermediate cooling fluid container

32, 886/71 33 sensitive to the Control means comprise a thermostat and operably connected to intermediate fluid temperature a pressure control 34 connected the expansion valve 25 and is arranged to stop the to the inlet to the compressor pressure become too low. compressor should the inlet 29 is connected by Each beverage dispensing means pipes 27 and 28 to the respective supply and return circulates intermediate cooling container 35 and a pump 26 sealed system. fluid around a hermetically a container 1 Each dispensing means comprises The container 1 is of vertical surrounded by insulation 12. ends with a vertical cylindrical shape with hemispherical a Tee branch 7 tubular inlet 16 at the top having The top of the tube is sealed constituting a fluid outlet. tube 17 passes through and a concentric vertical inner through a valve 6 the seal and is connected externally inner tube 17 extends to a fluid inlet conduit 5. The terminating in an adaptor to the bottom of the container facing tubular arms 19 with upward 8 having a plurality of radial 2. outlets or nozzles. A beverage heat exchanger coil the inlet end of the coil surrounds the said inner tube, inlet 3 passing through the being connected to the fluid base and the outlet end side of the container near the 4 at the top. is connected to the fluid outlet 9 are attached to Angularly disposed baffle plates by the coil, the baffles and the inner tube and surrounded to the cooling fluid nozzles imparting a swirling motion assisting in passing upwards through the container

3 2, 886171 promoting a uniformly high heat transfer. With the above system the intermediate cooling fluid used has a low freezing temperature but is never allowed to fall to water freezing terperature thus ensuring freedom from ice at all times. Each beverage heat exchanger

coil is of ample capacity to handle the maximum demand at all times but because the temperature of the cooling fluid is maintained above freezing, no controls are required on the dispenser. The intermediate cooling fluid is preferably of Freon 11, Freon 113 or any similar fluid having a comparatively 0 low pressure at temperatures between 200 and 260 thus

enabling the beverage coils to be cleaned with hot water under pressure and by closing the inlet valve 6 on a particular container, cooling fluid is cut off and any refrigerant gas in the container is vented back into the system during the cleaning operation.

32,88 /71 The claims defining the invention are as follows:-

1. A beverage cooling system comprising a refrigerating plant, an intermediate cooling system and a beverage cooling and dispensing system;

the refrigeration plant comprising a compressor, a condenser and a heat exchanger evaporator, conduit means inter-connecting the compressor, condenser, and evaporator, and a plurality of controls.arranged to maintain the evaporator at constant temperature;

an intermediate-cooling system comprising an insulated intermediate cooling fluid container housing said evaporator, a plurality of beverage heat exchanger cont- ainers, supply and return conduit means connecting the beverage heat exchanger containers to the intermediate cooling system, and a circulating pump operatively connected to said conduit, the conduits and all the containers being hermetically sealed;

the beverage cooling and dispensing system comprising a plurality of beverage cooler heat exchangers each immersed in the intermediate cooling fluid in a respective said beverage heat exchanger container, a plurality of beverage dispensers, conduit means between each beverage cooler container and a respective said dispenser, a beverage storage container, and conduit means between the beverage storage container and the -beverage cooling containers, the controls being arranged to maintain the intermediate cooling fluid at a constant low temperature above the freezing point of the beverage. 8 427239

2. 32, 88 617f A beverage cooling system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each beverage dispensing means comprises a cylindrical chamber housing a beverage cooling -coil with means of scouring the surface of the coil with circulating cooling fluid fed into the chamber with a swirling motion.

3. A beverage cooling system in accordance with Claim 2 wherein the swirling motion is produced by discharging the cooling fluid through nozzles.

4. A beverage cooling system inaccordance with Claim 2 or 3 wherein the swirling motion is assisted by baffle plates in the said chamber..

A beverage cooling system in accordance with any preceding claim wherein the intermediate cooling system is hermetically sealed.

6. A-beverage cooling system in accordance with- any preceding claim wherein the intermediate cooling fluid is a low freezing temperature refrigerant with a pressure not exceeding 150 lbs. per square inch at the temperature of boiling water.

7. A beverage cooling system in accordance with any preceding claim wherein each beverage dispensing means is provided with an isolating valve on-the intermediate cooling fluid Inlet and no restriction on the outlet.

S. A beverage cooling system constructed substantially as herein described in accordance with and as illustrated in h accompanying drawings.

Dated this -4th ""day of August, 1972. -ROY GEORGE HILTON, By his Patent Attorneys, R.K. ADD~~ ASOCITES.

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