EP0489589A1 - Dissolving a gas in a liquid - Google Patents

Dissolving a gas in a liquid Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0489589A1
EP0489589A1 EP91311311A EP91311311A EP0489589A1 EP 0489589 A1 EP0489589 A1 EP 0489589A1 EP 91311311 A EP91311311 A EP 91311311A EP 91311311 A EP91311311 A EP 91311311A EP 0489589 A1 EP0489589 A1 EP 0489589A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
nitrogen
liquid
food product
pressure
liquid food
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP91311311A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Nicholas Bernard Fitzpatrick
Scott Christian Petersen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BOC Group Ltd
Original Assignee
BOC Group Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BOC Group Ltd filed Critical BOC Group Ltd
Publication of EP0489589A1 publication Critical patent/EP0489589A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
    • B65B31/006—Adding fluids for preventing deformation of filled and closed containers or wrappers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to dissolving a gas in a liquid a part of a process in which flexible containers such as thin walled cans, typically formed of aluminium or steel, and plastics bottles, are charged with the liquid.
  • the canning or bottling process includes saturating the beverage with carbon dioxide under pressure, and then discharging the beverage under pressure into open containers to be filled. The containers are then closed and sealed. Carbon dioxide comes out of solution in the sealed container and thus creates a pressure in the head space of each sealed can sufficient to resist deformation of the of its walls during normal handling and stacking. Typically, more than 2.5 volumes of carbon dioxide are dissolved in each volume of liquid (when measured at 15°C) in order to create the necessary super-atmospheric pressure in the head space of each can.
  • liquid nitrogen droplet dispenser This is a device which delivers a small metered quantity of liquid nitrogen to each filled container before the latter is sealed.
  • the liquid nitrogen vaporises almost instantaneously and is thereby able to create a super-atmospheric pressure in the head space of the vessel, bearing in mind that 1 volume of liquid nitrogen will produce in the order of 600 volumes of nitrogen gas. Since modern canning lines can operate at speeds up to and over 2,000 cans per minute, there have been considerable problems in designing such a droplet dispenser so as to be able to deliver up to 2,000 equal unit quantities of liquid nitrogen per minute.
  • US patent specification 4 347 695 discloses a beverage bottling or canning method for non-carbonated beverages.
  • An inert gas, other than carbon dioxide, such as nitrogen is injected into a non-carbonated beverage.
  • the resulting beverage containing dissolved nitrogen is then introduced into a cooler through which it passes on the way to a filler which is employed to charge the cans or bottles with the nitrogenated beverage.
  • Inert gas is permitted to escape from the beverage in the filled container before sealing the container.
  • the amount of gas released is sufficient to strip dissolved oxygen from the beverage and then purge air from the head space of the container. Sufficient gas is retained in the beverage to exert a super-atmospheric pressure after the container is sealed.
  • the reduction in oxygen content of the head space is stated to be superior to that achieved when passing a stream of nitrogen purging gas into the head space. It is further disclosed that in order to avoid or minimise the formation of excessive foam, the gas is preferably metered and injected into a flowing stream of the beverage.
  • the minimising of the formation of excessive foam is defined as meaning that when containers are filled to a conventional volume, liquid is not carried beyond the closure of the container.
  • GB-A-2 134 496 nominally relates to filling thin walled cans with non-fizzy or substantially non-carbonated drinks. In the process described therein it is, however, required to use carbon dioxide in addition to nitrogen to create an internal can pressure. Such use of carbon dioxide is unacceptable in many liquid food products.
  • GB-A-2 203 417 relates to charging a flexible container such as a can or plastics bottle with non-carbonated liquid. Argon is dissolved in the liquid. The liquid is then passed to a filler bowl and the containers are filled with the liquid therefrom. The containers are then sealed. In view of the greater solubility of argon than nitrogen, relatively higher head space pressures can be created thereby. Unfortunately, argon is not an approved food additive in the United Kingdom and other countries, and this drawback has lead to a delay in the commercial exploitation of the method described in GB-A-2 203 417.
  • GB-A-2 089 191 discloses creating a super-atmospheric pressure in a sealed container by pre-dissolving an inert gas in a liquid food before the container is filled with the food. The gas is dissolved in the liquid food in a gasifying device on its way to the canning filling station.
  • FR-A-2 636 918 discloses a method in which in order to fill a thin walled container with a fruit juice, nitrogen is dissolved in refrigerated water and the resulting nitrogenated water is mixed with deoxygenated concentrated fruit juice in line on its way to the filling station. The containers are then filled and sealed and the nitrogen comes out of solution to create the necessary super-atmospheric pressure therein.
  • This method has the disadvantage that mixing the chilled water with the deoxygenated fruit juice will reduce the level of dissolved nitrogen in the water and hence limit the maximum pressure that can be created in the container.
  • a method of charging containers having flexible walls with a non-carbonated liquid food product comprising the steps of dissolving nitrogen in the liquid food product, holding the liquid food product containing dissolved nitrogen for a period of at least 10 minutes under a pressure of nitrogen, said period being of sufficient duration for foam formed during the dissolution of the nitrogen to subside, and then introducing the liquid into the containers and thereafter closing the containers gas-tight, the concentration of dissolved nitrogen in the liquid that is introduced into the containers being such that after their closure dissolved nitrogen is able to come out of solution in each container to create therein a super-atmospheric internal pressure that resists deformation of its walls during normal handling.
  • a plurality of holding vessels may be used, whereby one or more are used to deliver nitrogenated liquid to a filling station, while the other or others are being charged with or holding the nitrogenated liquid food product.
  • a single holding vessel may be employed, the vessel having an outlet of liquid located sufficiently below the inlet for liquid that liquid free of foam may be continuously withdrawn from the outlet.
  • the liquid food product has nitrogen dissolved in it under a pressure of nitrogen in excess of the holding pressure.
  • the dissolving pressure is in the range of 3 to 6.5 atmospheres absolute and the holding pressure is in the range of 2 to 3.5 atmospheres absolute.
  • sufficient nitrogen is brought into contact with the liquid food product to saturate it with nitrogen at the dissolving pressure, although it is to be appreciated that not all this nitrogen may be dissolved, and indeed it is generally not essential to saturate the liquid food product at the dissolving pressure.
  • any conventional apparatus for dissolving nitrogen in a liquid may be used.
  • the nitrogen is dissolved in a turbulent, pressurised stream of the liquid food product.
  • the technique of introducing the nitrogen into the liquid food product is preferably one which facilitates the formation of small bubbles of nitrogen.
  • the nitrogen may be introduced into the stream through a venturi. The shape of the venturi naturally creates turbulence in the stream which helps to dissolve the nitrogen.
  • An alternative technique is to use a sparger, which is a pipe having a plurality of orifices of small size (for example 0.012 mm each) typically located within the pressurised stream so as to create turbulence by its presence.
  • Dissolution of nitrogen is considerably facilitated if a turbulent stream of the beer containing undissolved nitrogen bubbles is passed through a heat exchanger of the plate or plate-fin type whereby the plates provide an enhanced surface area of the transfer of nitrogen from the gas phase to liquid phase.
  • an appreciable quantity of nitrogen is dissolved as the liquid nitrogen food product passes through the chiller.
  • the chiller also preferably adjusts the temperature of a liquid food product such that it leaves the chiller at a temperature at or close to 0°C.
  • the resulting stream leaving the chiller is typically in the form of a foam.
  • the nitrogenated liquid food product may be held for a substantial period of time with a concentration of nitrogen such that, at the end of the holding period, there is sufficient dissolved nitrogen to provide adequate internal container pressure on completion of the method according to the invention.
  • nitrogen is desirably passed into the head space of the holding vessel without its passing through the liquid food product.
  • the step of introducing the liquid food product into the containers typically includes transferring the nitrogenated liquid food product from the holding vessel to a filling vessel.
  • the filling vessel may for example be a conventional filler bowl. While it is resident in the filling vessel, the nitrogenated liquid food product is preferably held under a pressure of nitrogen at least equal to the pressure of nitrogen under which the beer is held in the holding vessel. Accordingly, a positive displacement pump is preferably used to transfer the liquid food product from the holding vessel to the filling vessel. If desired, a buffer vessel may be employed intermediate the holding vessel and the filling vessel.
  • a pressurised nitrogen atmosphere is preferably provided in the head space of any buffer vessel.
  • a low pressure e.g. 0.4 psig
  • Such nitrogen flow helps to minimise the amount of air that enters into the head space of the cans after filling and before closure.
  • this period is typically kept to a very short duration by operating the canning line at or near to its maximum speed.
  • this step is preferably performed upstream of said step of dissolving the nitrogen therein.
  • the deoxygenation may be performed by passing nitrogen bubbles through the liquid so as to drive dissolved oxygen out of solution. Although such a deoxygenation step will help to provide some dissolved nitrogen in the liquid food product, this level will be well below that necessary for creation of a pressure in each filled container sufficient to resist deformation during normal handling.
  • the step of mixing is preferably performed upstream of said step of dissolving nitrogen in the liquid food product.
  • the flexible containers may be charged with any one of a wide range of different liquid food products that have been nitrogenated in accordance with the invention.
  • the liquid food product may for example be a fruit juice, milk, a soft drink, wine, an edible oil, or a vegetable juice.
  • a stream of deoxygenated liquid food product is pumped at a pressure of 5 atmospheres absolute by a pump 2 through a gas dissolution device 4 of a kind in which the gas to be dissolved is introduced into a turbulent stream of the liquid food product through a sparge pipe (not shown) having a multiplicity of small orifices for the gas to be dissolved.
  • a stream of nitrogen typically at a pressure of 6 atmospheres absolute, is introduced into the turbulent stream of liquid food product flowing through the gas dissolving device 4.
  • the nitrogen enters the turbulent stream of liquid food product in the form of bubbles.
  • the ratio of the volumetric rate of flow of nitrogen into the gas dissolution device 4 to that of the liquid stream is typically 1 to 3.
  • the dissolution device 4 is typically operated at a temperature between 0 and 4°C.
  • the resulting turbulent stream of liquid food product containing dissolved nitrogen and undissolved bubbles of nitrogen then flows to a chiller 6 which is of a plate-fin kind. While some nitrogen bubbles dissolve upstream of the chiller 6, further dissolution of the nitrogen takes place in the chiller 6 as a result of the enhanced liquid-gas contact that the chiller 6 provides. As a result of the intimate contact between the nitrogen and the liquid, the stream of liquid food product leaves the chiller 6 in the form of a foam.
  • Holding tanks 8 and 10 are provided for the nitrogenated liquid food product.
  • Manually or automatically operable stop valves 12 and 14 associated with the tanks 8 and 10 respectively are operable to place either of the tanks 8 and 10 in communication with the outlet of the chiller 6.
  • the tanks 8 and 10 are employed first to receive the nitrogenated liquid food product and hold it under nitrogen pressure, the holding period being of sufficient duration to allow the foam to subside, and second to deliver the liquid to a filler 20.
  • the valves 12 and 14 are operated so that while the tank 8 receives and holds nitrogenated liquid food product, the tank 10 delivers to the filler 20 liquid food product that has been held for a sufficient period of time to enable foam to subside.
  • the tank 8 is used to deliver liquid food product and the tank 10 to receive and hold such product.
  • Each of the tanks 8 and 10 has an outlet at its bottom through which liquid is delivered to the filler 20.
  • the tank 8 has a manually or automatically operable on-off valve 16 located in its outlet, and the tank 10 a similar manually or automatically operable stop valve 18 located in its outlet. Accordingly, by appropriately opening and closing the respective valves 12, 14, 16 and 18, continuous delivery of the nitrogenated liquid food product to the filler 20 is made possible. This enables continuous production of canned liquid food product to be effected.
  • both tanks 8 and 10 Prior to commencement of the delivery of the liquid food product to a selected tank 8 or 10, both tanks 8 and 10 are purged, and then filled, with nitrogen under pressure.
  • This pressure is, for example, 3 atmospheres absolute, which pressure is maintained in the ullage space of each tank by having a continuous flow of nitrogen into and out of the ullage space 32 thereof via respective inlet pipes 22 and 24 and outlet pipes 26 and 28.
  • the holding period of the liquid food product in a chosen tank is typically at least one hour. At the end of this period the foam has almost completely subsided. This enables the exact quantities of liquid food product to be dispensed from the filler 20 to each can.
  • the filler 20 comprises a filler bowl 34 having a dispensing nozzle 36 at its bottom.
  • a super-atmospheric pressure of nitrogen say 3 atmospheres absolute, is maintained in the ullage space 38 of the filler bowl 30 by controlled passage of nitrogen therethrough.
  • Cans (not shown) are advanced one at a time under the filler 20 and filled with a chosen volume of nitrogenated liquid food product. Nitrogen is passed or blown across the open mouth of each can while it is being filled and until its closure. The cans are then closed by means of a lid which is immediately sealed thereto by a seaming machine. The contents of the cans may then be pasteurised.
  • the filled and sealed cans typically have an equilibriated internal can pressure of from 20 to 30 psig (at 20°C).
  • FIG. 2 of the drawings the apparatus depicted therein is similar to that shown in Figure 1 and like parts in the two figures are identified by the same reference numerals.
  • the essential difference between the apparatus of Figure 2 and that of Figure 1 is that whereas in Figure 1, two holding tanks 8 and 10 with associated valves 12, 14, 16 and 18 are employed, in the apparatus shown in Figure 2, just one holding tank 50, relatively large in size, is used.
  • the holding tank 50 is operated with a super-atmospheric head space nitrogen pressure of, say, 3 atmospheres absolute. This pressure is maintained by passage of nitrogen into and out of the head space 52, and an inlet 54 and an outlet 56 are provided for this purpose.
  • the capacity of the tank 50 is large enough to enable continuous withdrawal of liquid free of foam from a bottom outlet 58 to be performed while a stream of foam is being received through an inlet 60.
  • the average residence time of the liquid in the holding tank 50 is sufficient to allow the foam to subside.
  • operation of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 is analogous to that shown in Figure 1.
  • the filler 20 may typically form part of a conventional apparatus for charging cans with a carbonated beverage.
  • the nitrogen dissolving apparatus and the vessels and associated equipment for holding the nitrogenated liquid food product can then be retro-fitted to the filler 20.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Vacuum Packaging (AREA)
  • Filling Of Jars Or Cans And Processes For Cleaning And Sealing Jars (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
  • Non-Alcoholic Beverages (AREA)
  • Food Preservation Except Freezing, Refrigeration, And Drying (AREA)
EP91311311A 1990-12-05 1991-12-04 Dissolving a gas in a liquid Withdrawn EP0489589A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9026385 1990-12-05
GB909026385A GB9026385D0 (en) 1990-12-05 1990-12-05 Dissolving a gas in a liquid

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0489589A1 true EP0489589A1 (en) 1992-06-10

Family

ID=10686484

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91311311A Withdrawn EP0489589A1 (en) 1990-12-05 1991-12-04 Dissolving a gas in a liquid

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0489589A1 (ko)
KR (1) KR920011902A (ko)
CN (1) CN1036128C (ko)
AU (1) AU642789B2 (ko)
CA (1) CA2056924A1 (ko)
GB (1) GB9026385D0 (ko)
IE (1) IE914209A1 (ko)
MY (1) MY108572A (ko)
NZ (1) NZ240804A (ko)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999010272A1 (de) * 1997-08-22 1999-03-04 Tuchenhagen Gmbh Verfahren und anordnung zur abfüllung stiller getränke in durch innendruck stabilisierte dünnwandige gebinde
WO2000064803A1 (de) * 1999-04-21 2000-11-02 Messer Austria Gmbh Verfahren zum druckstabilisieren von mit stillen getränken gefüllten pet-getränkeflaschen
WO2002034624A1 (fr) * 2000-10-26 2002-05-02 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme A Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Procede et installation et conditionnement de produit liquide dans un emballage
WO2014045275A1 (en) * 2012-09-20 2014-03-27 The Central Bottling Company Ltd. A method for filling bottles

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NZ501823A (en) * 1997-07-10 2002-03-28 Amcor Packaging Au Pty Ltd Producing beverages using nitrous oxide with nitrogen or carbon dioxide
CN1078157C (zh) * 1999-05-10 2002-01-23 李羽堃 一种速溶饮料保鲜的灌装工艺方法
DE102013202306B4 (de) 2013-02-13 2014-12-18 Adidas Ag Sohle für einen Schuh
USD776410S1 (en) 2013-04-12 2017-01-17 Adidas Ag Shoe
CN105992735B (zh) * 2015-01-22 2017-09-26 株式会社悠心 气体和液态物质的填充包装方法
USD783264S1 (en) 2015-09-15 2017-04-11 Adidas Ag Shoe
CN114014458B (zh) * 2021-10-29 2023-06-27 兰州石化职业技术学院 一种经碳中和回用外排水的方法

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4347695A (en) * 1980-03-26 1982-09-07 General Foods Corporation Beverage bottling method
GB2134496A (en) * 1983-02-08 1984-08-15 Asahi Breweries Ltd Method of filling cans with substantially non-carbonated drinks
FR2636918A1 (fr) * 1988-09-26 1990-03-30 Air Liquide Procede et installation de conditionnement d'un liquide non carbonate dans des emballages

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SE454168B (sv) * 1982-09-27 1988-04-11 Tetra Pak Ab Sett och anordning for dosering av fyllgods vid tillverkning av forpackningsbehallare
US5033254A (en) * 1990-04-19 1991-07-23 American National Can Company Head-space calibrated liquified gas dispensing system

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4347695A (en) * 1980-03-26 1982-09-07 General Foods Corporation Beverage bottling method
GB2134496A (en) * 1983-02-08 1984-08-15 Asahi Breweries Ltd Method of filling cans with substantially non-carbonated drinks
FR2636918A1 (fr) * 1988-09-26 1990-03-30 Air Liquide Procede et installation de conditionnement d'un liquide non carbonate dans des emballages

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999010272A1 (de) * 1997-08-22 1999-03-04 Tuchenhagen Gmbh Verfahren und anordnung zur abfüllung stiller getränke in durch innendruck stabilisierte dünnwandige gebinde
WO2000064803A1 (de) * 1999-04-21 2000-11-02 Messer Austria Gmbh Verfahren zum druckstabilisieren von mit stillen getränken gefüllten pet-getränkeflaschen
WO2002034624A1 (fr) * 2000-10-26 2002-05-02 L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme A Directoire Et Conseil De Surveillance Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude Procede et installation et conditionnement de produit liquide dans un emballage
FR2815937A1 (fr) * 2000-10-26 2002-05-03 Carboxyque Francaise Procede et installation et conditionnement de produit liquide dans un emballage
WO2014045275A1 (en) * 2012-09-20 2014-03-27 The Central Bottling Company Ltd. A method for filling bottles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU8836291A (en) 1992-06-11
CN1036128C (zh) 1997-10-15
CA2056924A1 (en) 1992-06-06
NZ240804A (en) 1994-06-27
CN1062877A (zh) 1992-07-22
IE914209A1 (en) 1992-06-17
GB9026385D0 (en) 1991-01-23
AU642789B2 (en) 1993-10-28
KR920011902A (ko) 1992-07-25
MY108572A (en) 1996-10-31

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