EP1998878A2

EP1998878A2 - Impregnator

Info

Publication number: EP1998878A2
Application number: EP07723664A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Georg Fischer
Original assignee: Carbotek Holding GmbH
Current assignee: Carbotek Holding GmbH
Priority date: 2006-03-29
Filing date: 2007-03-28
Publication date: 2008-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-28
Also published as: WO2007112892A3; DE502007000947D1; WO2007112892A2; ATE434481T1; DK1998878T3; CA2646162A1; JP2009531168A; US8348245B2; ES2328870T3; US20100133708A1; EP1998878B1; MX2008012313A; JP4850947B2; AU2007234086A1; AU2007234086B2; BRPI0709203A2

Abstract

An impregnator is used to admix a liquid (F) which has a low gas content, if any, with gas (G), especially for admixing a non-frothing or weakly frothing or CO<SUB>2</SUB>-containing beer precursor with CO<SUB>2</SUB>, comprising a mixing cell (1), especially a tubular mixing cell (1), which, apart from a liquid feed (6) which opens into it, a gas feed (3) which opens into it and an outlet (7), is sealed off from the environment, at least one impregnation body (11, 13, 15; 213; 513) being arranged in the mixing cell (1) such that the passage of liquid (F) and of the gas (G) through the mixing cell (1) must inevitably pass through the impregnation bodies (11, 13, 15). In the impregnator, at least one impregnation body (11, 13, 15) which is composed of a porous solid, specifically of a foam, a sponge, a hollow fiber module or a sintered material, is arranged in the mixing cell (1).

Description

Imprägnierer

The invention relates to an impregnator for displacing a non- or low-gas liquid with gas according to the preamble of claim 1 and according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a Druckkompensator- arrangement for dispensing equipment according to the preamble of claim 21, an impregnator for inline fumigation dispensing systems with such a pressure compensator arrangement according to the preamble of claim 35, as well as a dispensing system with a pressure compensator arrangement according to the preamble of claim 37. The invention also relates to new uses of a corresponding impregnator.

Impregnation in the sense of the invention is the dissolution of gases in liquids, i. the impregnation of liquids with gases.

Such impregnators are used to impregnate liquids in beverage dispensers or beverage precursors with gases or to dissolve gases in the liquids and thus produce ready to drink drinks only in the dispensing system. Examples of liquids to be impregnated are lemonades, (-sirupe) and, in particular, a low-carbon or low-acid beer precursor. In addition to aroma-containing gases, suitable impregnating gases are, in particular, carbonic acid (to be more precise: CO ₂ ) and nitrogen (more precisely N ₂ ), for example to produce a bubbly lemonade and in particular a carbonated beer.

The term "carbonic acid" or "carbonated" is admittedly lent in beverages, more precisely, however, carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) is added, which binds for the most part only physically in the liquid and no chemical reaction to carbonic acid (H ₂ COs) received.

This physical bond when dissolving gases in liquids is a matter exchange process according to the laws of physical absorption. This exchange process takes place in the gas-liquid phase interfaces. The gas diffuses into the liquid. While non-polar non-electrolytes such as oxygen and nitrogen primarily dissolve in the voids between the liquid molecules, polar electrolytes such as carbon dioxide in water form hydrogen bonds with the equally polar water molecules, which combine with other water molecules to form associates. For example, CO ₂ molecules penetrate very well into the structure of the water molecules. The mass transfer of gases into liquids is described in the simplified form of the first Fick's Law Mi = A (Ci ^* -C1) = (Di / δi) A ξ (Pi ^* - P1).

In which

With the mass flow of a gas from the gas phase into the liquid,

A the surface at which the mass transfer takes place,

(Ci ^* -C1) the concentration gradient between the equilibrium concentration at the phase interface and the instantaneous concentration in the liquid, δ the length of the transport path from the liquid inside to the phase interface,

Di the diffusion coefficient for gases, ξ the absorption coefficient (the solubility of gases) as a function of temperature, pressure and material, and (Pi * -P1) the pressure gradient between the partial pressure of the gas and the momentarily applied pressure in the liquid

equivalent. Thereafter, the velocity (Mi) at which a state of equilibrium is established in a liquid depends on the concentration gradient, the diffusion coefficient for gas, the absorption coefficient, the surface, the length of the transport path, the prevailing pressure and the temperature.

Efficient mass transfer systems must therefore have a large surface area at which the mass transfer can take place, provide great turbulence for the shortest possible transport routes, and provide high pressure and low temperatures in order to achieve the most efficient and rapid mass transfer possible.

In addition to known bubble-forming systems, such as stirring systems, loop reactors or injection systems, which achieve low cost due to their susceptibility and particularly in the injection systems high equipment costs (pressure vessel, pressure pump, cooling system) and accordingly high operating costs, have in the tap beverage beverage enforced with carbonic carbonators or impregnators of the type described.

By a given gas and liquid pressure - in the impregnation of carbonic acid beer precursor with CO ₂ , for example, 4 bar liquid An attempt is made to set the desired ratio of gas to liquid in the mixing cell and an optimum pressure in the mixing cell, so that the desired solution of the gas in the mixing cell and pressure bar 5 bar gas pressure or 5 bar liquid pressure and 5.5 bar gas pressure Liquid takes place.

However, such impregnators are often used in inline fumigation dispensers in which the beverage precursor is conventionally sucked out of a bag with piston pumps from a tank and more recently also with diaphragm pumps, so that the impregnator is exposed on the input side to the pressure surges of the piston pump and no constant fluid pressure can be achieved. Furthermore, the volume flow, which enters the mixing cell per unit time, depends essentially on the dispensing speed with which the tap taps the drink. As the dispensing speed changes, the pressure drop from the gas supply side to the mixing cell is also changed, so that the opening degree of the gas supply and the liquid supply fluctuate although the external pressure is set to a fixed value. As a result, the volume flows entering the mixing cell also change, so that the gas-liquid mixing ratio can deviate from the optimum for dissolving the gas in the liquid at the respective pressure in the mixing cell.

In dispensing systems, a beverage is conveyed from a beverage container via a beverage supply line to a usually higher-lying dispensing tap. In conventional dispensing systems, the beverage supply line consists of a dispensing line, in dispensing systems with inline fumigation or on-side Druckbegasungsstufen can also be arranged in the beverage supply line one or more impregnators, with a beverage precursor is enriched example with carbon dioxide. In so-called postmix dispensing systems mixing valves for syrup with an inline-fumigated water can also be in the beverage supply line and a buffer container in which the water is gassed under a carbon dioxide atmosphere.

To convey the beverage or beverage precursor through the beverage supply line a certain delivery pressure is required. In conventional dispensing systems, this is provided, for example, via a pressurized gas (eg carbon dioxide), the pressure of which is applied to a beverage keg or a beverage container, so that the beverage is pushed up via the decanting line to the tap. In dispensing systems with a side-pressure degassing stage, which operate on the in-line Karbonisierverfahren and in which a so-called. Impregnator is provided to a low-carbon or -lose beverage pre-product in the dispensing system with carbonic acid or the like. on the other hand, a pump is arranged downstream of the beverage container with which the beverage preparation pumped from the beverage container to the impregnator and carbonated there, ie with carbon dioxide (more precisely, carbon dioxide) is added, and then transported as a drink with dissolved carbon dioxide to the tap.

This requires a certain working pressure, which is above the keg pressure and the pouring pressure. When inline-gassing of beer, for example, a pressure in the impregnator of 4 - 5 bar has been found to be suitable.

In order to be able to set the desired dispensing speed at the tap, it is therefore necessary to artificially increase the pressure loss in the dispensing system, so that, for example, an excessively high delivery pressure or the overpressure required for inline filling is reduced, for example to that customary in conventional dispensing systems barrel pressure level. For example, in conventional beer dispensers, max. 1, 5 to 3 bar, often 2.2 to 3 bar barrel pressure usual.

One possibility for this is to wind the line in the form of a helix. Furthermore, so-called pressure compensators are known, which today are usually integrated directly into the tap. In this case, a displaceable throttle body is arranged in the feed line of the tap, the position of the tap can adjust via an adjusting screw so that the throttle body releases an annular gap of a desired thickness and thus change the resistance and can be adapted to the desired conditions. With the adjustment screw, the taper adjusts the tap to a desired flow rate, for example, according to whether it has large vessels such as e.g. 11-Maßugs or small vessels, such as 0.251 Cola glasses want to fill and after the liquid to be tapped, for example, light beer in contrast to wheat beer.

In particular, in dispensing systems with Schank-side Druckbegasungsstufe in which above the conventional dispensing equipment usual tap pressure working pressure in the impregnator is necessary, the problem occurs that the flow control is no longer readily possible on the tap. If the dispensing system is used for beer, the beer "bursts", ie it starts to foam, because carbon dioxide is released, which is based on the fact that the dispensing pressure compensator is designed for a certain pressure range Line pressure now significantly higher than planned, the laminar flow is disturbed and it comes to turbulence, resulting in the release of carbon dioxide. In addition, there may be fluctuations in the delivery pressure when using a compressed air diaphragm pump on the tap. The dispensing pressure should, however, be constant, as otherwise fluctuations in pressure can lead to unwanted release of carbon dioxide.

Such an impregnator is proposed for example in DE 198 51 360 A1. It is a Rohrsiebkarbonator, in which a plurality of mixing screens are lined up in a mixing cell designed as a tube to the gas and liquid supply can be connected. The mixing screens in their entirety provide the desired large surface area at which the mass transfer can take place upon dissolution of the carbonic acid in the beverage precursor. Such a Rohrsiebkarbonator can also be found in the patent application DE 100 55 137 A1.

US Pat. No. 3,761,066 also shows such a tubular sieve carbonator in which the supplied gas and water have to pass through a plurality of wire mesh mixing valves: gas is supplied from the side, water from above. The gas passes through a filter and a subsequent nozzle or baffle plate in a Vorverwirbe- lungsstufe, in which the liquid enters, namely through openings in the circumference of a cylindrical perforated plate. The resulting flow enters through apertures in a conical perforated plate in the actual impregnation. There are arranged cylindrical wire mesh rings, wherein between the individual wire mesh rings each plates are arranged so that the flow drives a slalom through the wire mesh and thereby impregnated. The annular wire mesh elements can also be formed from any material suitable for use in the carbonator shown with (liquid) permeable properties.

Such Rohrsiebkarbonatoren are not only relatively expensive in terms of material costs, but also in terms of the corresponding complex assembly due to the high number of metal screens.

Therefore, also bulk material carbonators have recently been proposed, for example in German patent application DE 101 60 397 A1. This document is to be taken from a bulk material carbonator with a mixing cell, which is filled with a bulk material high surface, such as a quartz granules or the like. Other granules, such as plastic granules or VA steel granules have been proposed as bulk material. However, the achievable with the bulk material surface is limited. Because the flooding of the bulk material from the impregnator must be avoided at least in the food industry, so that the bulk material despite the requirement of a large surface must not be arbitrarily finely ground in order not to add the necessary for bulk material restraint systems. Nevertheless, this will not be completely avoided over time, so that bulk carbonators must be replaced relatively frequently. Furthermore, it is disadvantageous that such bulk material carbonators can be relatively poorly cleaned, so that usually the entire bulk material carbonator is exchanged at the cleaning intervals necessary especially in connection with starchy or sugary drinks from a food hygiene point of view.

It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide an impregnator of the type described, with the high gas release efficiency is achieved at low manufacturing and operating costs, and to provide an impregnator of the type mentioned, for use in the food industry and the Production of beer and to improve the production of beer and other beverages. A further object of the present invention is to further develop a smooth impregnator such that a good mixing result is achieved with high reliability. A further object of the present invention is to provide a pressure compensator arrangement for a dispensing system with such a pressure compensator arrangement or an impregnator with such a pressure compensator arrangement, with which the dispensing pressure almost independent of the need or from the dispensing amount or the dispensing mass flow almost is constant and pressure fluctuations are at least muted. Furthermore, the pressure in the beverage supply line or, if provided, the outlet pressure of the impregnator is to be reduced to the usual tapping pressure in conventional dispensers, in particular beer dispensers, for example max. 3 bar, in particular max. 2.5 bar.

These objects are achieved with regard to the impregnator having the features of claims 1, 11 and 35, with regard to the pressure compensator arrangement having the features of claim 21, with regard to the dispensing line having the features of claim 37 and with regard to beer and beverage production by the use of a Impregnator according to claims 41 to 44.

According to a first aspect of the invention, an impregnating body is arranged in a mixing cell of the impregnator, into which a gas inlet and a liquid inlet discharges and out of which leads an outlet for the liquid-gas mixture, such that the passage of the liquid and the liquid Gas must pass through the mixing cell forcibly through the impregnating through, wherein the impregnating body consists of a porous material, that is a porous solid. The porous or Pore-containing solids may be made of any pore-containing material having a large surface area, for example sintered materials, woven, knitted, woven or felt solids, or sponges or foamed materials or the like. Also a hollow fiber module of hollow plastic fibers, which can be made in size of a hair, would be conceivable. These materials are cheap and in particular the sintered solids with great uniformity of the pore size and arrangement produced so that not only economic aspects advantages are achieved, but also with regard to the quality of the impregnation or carbonization of the gas to be impregnated, in particular carbonizing liquid.

The material used for the impregnating body are all of the above-mentioned materials. However, it has been found that embodiments in which the or one of the impregnating body is made of a sponge, of foamed material or foam or of a body consisting of hollow fibers, have many advantages, since these materials have a high porosity at each Having material adjustable, relatively large number of pores and average pore size and thus have large phase boundaries with low flow resistance and sufficient resistance to material rinsing. In a preferred embodiment, the at least one impregnation body of a polyester or polyether filter foam with a pore size of 90-100 PPI (pores per inch) this corresponds to a pore size of about 250 microns and about 90,000 cells / cm ³ (open cell). It is particularly advantageous for the foam to have the cell structure of a reticulated filter foam which is almost 100% open-celled. Due to the reticulation, the cell membranes are almost completely removed, leaving only one framework. This ensures a very low flow resistance. The phase boundary surfaces are thus no longer located at pores completely enclosed by material walls, but at cells which are merely enclosed by a material framework and otherwise open-walled.

To achieve an even smaller pore size, the foam is advantageously compressed in the carbonator, in particular from originally 150 mm to 8o mm in length. As a result, the foam impregnation body is compacted and the number of cells increases to about 170,000 cells / cm ³ .

Even with sintered materials, however, large phase boundaries and turbulence in the flow can be generated. Depending on the desired gas, liquid, and composition of the starting mixture are different sintered materials with different pore sizes ready, so that the impregnator can be tailored to the respective requirements by selecting the appropriate material for the impregnation. Depending on the requirements, also on the resistance and food compatibility of the impregnating body, a sintered material made of glass, ceramic, plastic or metal can be used.

The impregnation body is advantageously designed as a disk filling the diameter of the mixing tube, so that the liquid, but also the gas, must forcibly flow through the impregnation body and dissolve on the large surface at the pores of the solid. It is advantageous that this solid can be easily introduced into the mixing cell, but also can be easily removed from it again, so that on the one hand cost-effective production and on the other hand maintenance of the impregnator at the predetermined by the hygiene rules intervals is easily possible. A flushing of bulk material is thus effectively avoided without the high cost and the constructive and assembly-related effort as in a Rohrsiebkarbonator incurred.

However, it would also be conceivable to provide the impregnating body with a socket - for example made of plastic - and thus to form a impregnating cartridge which fills the diameter of a mixing cell advantageously designed as a mixing tube.

If it proves necessary to additionally fix the impregnating body in the mixing cell, appropriate fixing means may be provided, such as a perforated plate or a grid which holds the impregnating body in position and with which the impregnating body is optionally compressed.

A further advantageous development relates to a high-frequency or ultrasonic vibration device which acts on the interior of the mixing cell and thus serves as additional impregnation device or as impregnation support device. The vibration device could, for example, be attached to the wall of the mixing cell, have ultrasound generators distributed over the entire circumference of the mixing cell and / or an ultrasound unit arranged in the mixing cell. Due to the vibrations generated by high-frequency vibration and the cavitation caused, high turbulences and thus short transport paths during mass transfer are achieved in the mixing cell. It is particularly advantageous that the ultrasound application takes place under the pressure prevailing in the mixing cell of the carbonator or impregnator (eg 3 to 5 bar) and in the medium flowing through. An impregnator with a mixed-flow and pressurized mixing cell and an ultrasonic or high-frequency impregnation device could also be made the sole object of a separate application, wherein any meaningful combination with the other claimed or described features could be the subject of dependent claims. A method for dissolving gas in a liquid by means of ultrasound is described in European patent EP 0 661 090 B1.

The invention is not limited to an impregnator with a impregnating body. Rather, several impregnating bodies can be arranged in series in the mixing cell. In this case, each or some of the impregnating body may consist of different materials, so that the mixing properties of the impregnator can be better matched to the particular liquid, gas or desired starting composition.

Advantageously, a the mixing cell gas and liquid supply side against the environment sealing head piece is provided, which is provided with a connection for a liquid supply line and a connection for a gas supply line. The impregnator can thus be easily installed in existing systems.

The impregnator is preferably produced as a one-piece end product, for example as a one-piece injection-molded component with a welded-in impregnation body. Alternatively, the impregnator can also be constructed so that it can be disassembled and cleaned in its individual parts, whereby a simple replacement of the impregnated or the impregnated body is possible. Particularly advantageous is the impregnator total (except for the impregnating or the impregnating) or at least the housing of the mixing cell made of a plastic, which does not swell and can be formed with sufficiently accurate tolerances.

If the head piece is screwed to the mixing tube and the gas inlet opens centrally into the mixing tube and the liquid channel eccentric or annular, the gas outlet can be provided, for example, on a mixing tube screwed on the inside of the head piece pipe stub.

Furthermore, a second Gaszuführleitungsan- circuit may be provided on the mixing cell for mixing a second gas. It would also be conceivable, for this purpose, to connect a plurality of impregnators in series such that the passage of a preceding impregnator with the liquid feed of a subsequent impregnator is connected so as to provide a impregnation plant for mixing a liquid with a plurality of gases. Such impregnators with a plurality of gas connections can advantageously be used to displace a non-or only weakly CO 2 -containing beer precursor with CO 2 and nitrogen. Nitrogen is added to beers - at least in non-polluting countries - for better foam stability, whereas CO ₂ has to be added to beer precursors that are not or only weakly CCK-containing.

Further advantageous uses of the impregnator according to the invention are obtained when adding a beverage precursor with aromas, since aromas or fragrances are often present in gaseous form. This use is particularly suitable for substances that are not long lasting when mixed or in low concentrations and freshly prepared on an ongoing basis. By way of example, an apple juice with a cherry flavor could be added. A similar advantageous use has already been mentioned in connection with the impregnator with two gas feeds. Of course, the impregnators according to the invention, which have only one gas feed, can also be used with particular advantage for adding a non-sparkling or weakly bubbling, or non-weak or weakly CO.sub.2-containing beer feedstock with CO.sub.2. On the other hand, they can also be used to treat beer or beer precursor with nitrogen.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a gas inlet valve and a liquid inlet valve configured to release and close the impregnator gas and liquid inlet according to the magnitude of a pressure gradient from the inlet side to the mixing point, the gas inlet valve being a gas inlet closing element disposed in a gas inlet channel and the liquid inlet valve has a liquid inlet closing element disposed in a liquid inlet channel, and wherein the gas inlet closing element and the liquid inlet closing element are coupled with each other so that the gas inlet valve releases the gas inlet to a predetermined opening degree depending on an opening degree of the liquid inlet.

By means of the coupling according to the invention of the opening degree of the gas inlet with the degree of opening of the liquid inlet, it is thus possible to set a mixing ratio suitable for the impregnation process in the mixing cell interior for different dispensing speeds. Depending on the selected liquid or gas and the optimum ratio of the two to one another for the respective pressure, the coupling can be linear or degressive or progressive with the pressure rising. If the liquid inlet opens wide, the gas inlet also opens correspondingly wide so that, for example, the carbon dioxide required for impregnating a non-carbonated beer precursor flows. On the other hand, if the degree of opening of the liquid inlet is decreased, the opening degree of the gas inlet also decreases correspondingly, so that, in turn, a mixing ratio of gas and liquid suitable for the impregnation operation in the mixing cell is established.

In this way, it is possible to balance both the effects of pressure fluctuations on the mixing cell side on the ratio of inflowing gas to inflowing liquid, as well as the effects of pressure fluctuations on the liquid inlet side. For, when the pressure in the mixing cell drops, the liquid inlet closing element reduces the opening degree of the liquid inlet, and thus the gas inlet closing element coupled thereto, corresponding to the opening degree of the gas inlet. The same applies to an increase in the pressure in the mixing cell, whereby the gas inlet closing element reduces the degree of opening either in the same ratio, or according to the appropriate impregnation process (mixing ratio variation over the pressure), as predetermined by the liquid inlet closing element.

On the other hand, if there are pressure surges on the liquid inlet side, which can be triggered by the use of piston pumps as described above, the liquid inlet valve will release the liquid inlet to a certain degree, depending on the existing at any time pressure drop from the liquid inlet to the mixing cell the coupling of the gas inlet valve and the gas inlet is opened accordingly wide.

Advantageously, the liquid inlet closing element is biased towards the liquid inlet side and integrally connected to the gas inlet closing element, so that a displacement of the liquid inlet closing element is transmitted to the gas inlet closing element. The unit thus formed may be formed in the manner of a piston valve, when the mixing cell head or the head piece of the impregnator is constructed like a T-piece, i. when liquid inlet and gas inlet are aligned. It is thus possible in a structurally simple manner to establish the inflowing liquid mass flow as well as the incoming gas mass flow as a function of the pressure gradient from the liquid inlet side to the mixing cell.

Alternatively, an electrical coupling of the closing elements could be provided. Furthermore, a piston slide unit consisting of the gas inlet closing element and the liquid inlet closing element in the manner of a directional control valve could also be used in a mixing head in which two parallel inlet channels in lead the mixing cell interior. For this purpose, for example, a closed position could be provided, in which the spool seals both the gas inlet channel, and the liquid inlet channel, and an open position in which the spool is pushed with one or more openings penetrating it both in front of the liquid and gas inlet opening, so that the respective inlet is released. In this arrangement, however, an additional measure is necessary to actuate the spool in response to the pressure drop from the liquid inlet side to the mixing cell out, for example, a corresponding bypass line to an end face of the spool from the liquid inlet side and acting on the other end face of the spool biasing device. However, this structure is relatively complicated.

Therefore, a T-piece type mixing head with aligned liquid inlet channel and gas inlet channel is preferred, in which the piston slide formed by liquid inlet closing element and gas closing element sits directly in the liquid inlet channel and the gas inlet channel and by displacement in the direction of the gas inlet both the gas inlet and the liquid inlet desired degree releases. On the other hand, a displacement towards the liquid inlet closes both the gas inlet and the liquid inlet.

In a first embodiment, this response to the pressure drop from the liquid inlet to the mixing cell could be accomplished by the gas inlet closing element being a gas flared conically expanding piston located in a likewise tapered gas inlet channel section and a piston slide section having the liquid inlet closing element connected is. The Flüssigkeitsseinlassschließelement may be a tapered to the liquid supply side slide, which is located in a tapered also to the liquid supply side fluid supply and is biased on its side facing away from the liquid supply side to the liquid supply.

However, because of a simple and less expensive construction, an embodiment is preferred in which the liquid passage from the liquid supply side into the mixing cell is made through the liquid inlet closing member and the gas supply through the gas inlet closing member. For this purpose, the liquid-closing element can be a hollow body enclosed on several sides, which is open towards the liquid supply side, wherein at least one liquid passage opening for the liquid is provided in the walls enclosing the hollow body on several sides. In the closed position, in which the liquid inlet closing element the liquid inlet Thus, no fluid passage takes place. If, however, the liquid inlet closing element is brought into an open position in which it protrudes into a mixed-cell-side volume, the liquid passage is at least partially released and the beverage precursor which has flowed from the liquid feed side into the hollow body can flow into the mixing cell.

The gas inlet closing element may also be provided in this case as a conical sliding element in a conical gas inlet channel. However, it is also advantageous to provide a hollow body as a gas inlet closing element on the gas inlet side, but this hollow body is open towards the mixing cell and in a closed position fills the gas supply channel and is displaced into a gas supply side volume in an open position so far that at least one gas passage opening for the gas is released, through which the gas can flow from the gas supply side into the mixing cell interior.

It goes without saying that in the event that the force acting on the spool from the gas side is greater than the force acting from the liquid side, it is also possible to provide the liquid-side hollow body with an opening to the mixing cell and with closable Liquid passages to the liquid supply side, when at the same time the gas inlet closing element is open to the gas side and closed to the mixing cell.

In this case, a sealing element is advantageously provided between the gas inlet closing element and the gas inlet blocking section.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the liquid passages are bores distributed over the wall of the liquid inlet closing element, ie are relatively small in relation to the diameter of the liquid inlet blocking section, but are present in high numbers. The same applies to the gas passages. Advantageously, the diameter ratio closing element: Durchtrittsbohrung here about 1: 10, preferably about 1: 20. In this way, it is possible to accurately meter the number of available for the gas or liquid passage through holes depending on the position of the valve spool.

It is particularly advantageous if the liquid and / or gas passage bores are provided as a chain of bores arranged spirally around the side wall of the respective closing element. Because in this case, the number of holes available for the passage of liquid or gas does not rise abruptly on, or decreases abruptly, but increases or decreases when moving the spool gradually around one hole, so that the desired gas or liquid mass flow can be adjusted more accurately depending on the pressure gradient from the liquid inlet side to the mixing cell out.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a pressure compensator arrangement is provided for installation in a dispensing system, with a throttle body movably arranged in a line piece, on the surface of which a beverage can flow past during the dispensing operation and which releases a cross-section of the line piece for the beverage to be dispensed during the dispensing operation , Unlike the known, integrated in the tap pressure compensator whose position is fixed by means of an adjusting screw, the throttle body according to the invention, however, is biased by a biasing device against the beverage flow. The biasing force may only be so high that the cross section is not released only below a predetermined pressure difference on the inlet side of the pressure compensator assembly and the outlet side of the pressure compensator assembly. On the other hand, above the predetermined pressure difference, the cross-section should be successively released. The size of the released cross section then depends on the pressure on the downstream side of the throttle body. For dispensing systems with dispensing pressure stage on the side of the dispenser, an impregnator whose beverage outlet is formed by such a pressure compensator arrangement is also proposed. Furthermore, a dispensing system with such, built into the beverage supply line pressure compensator arrangement is proposed.

Experiments have shown that with this arrangement good tap properties are achieved with regard to the most constant dispensing pressure with a different set purchase quantity. The inventor has first recognized that the pressure loss in the beverage supply line changes with the flow rate or the demand demanded at the tap. With the invention it is ensured that the pressure at the outlet of the pressure compensator arrangement is at least approximately constant, independent of the mass flow. In addition, a possibly too high pressure level compared to conventional dispensing systems in the dispensing line can be lowered to a desired pressure level, for example, max. 3 bar, in particular max. 2.5 bar at the compensator outlet. Furthermore, pressure surges can be damped if a reciprocating pump is used to convey the beverage or beverage precursor. This has proven to be suitable for dispensers with Druckbegasungsstufe or with an impregnator. When the dispensing nozzle of the dispensing system is opened, press on the inlet side of the pressure compensator assembly, the beverage with the inlet-side working pressure, which is higher than the outlet-side line pressure, against the throttle body. On the outlet side, however, the biasing force of the biasing means and the pressure prevailing on the outlet side in the dispensing line against the throttle body acts. Since the inlet side working pressure in the bleed line is higher than the outlet side bleed pressure, the throttle body thus releases a cross section of the line piece so that the beverage flows past the throttle body when the biasing means has a suitably selected biasing force (biasing force <working pressure - pressure at the outlet of the pressure - chamber arrangement).

If the tap is closed, the pressure on the back of the throttle body is equalized to the working pressure on the inlet side of the throttle body, as long as the cross section of the throttle body is released. Since the biasing means acts against the beverage flow direction, the throttle body is more and more pressed into a line piece closing position until it completely closes the beverage supply line or the line piece inserted into the beverage supply line.

If the tap is now opened, liquid is removed on the outlet side of the dispensing line and relieves the remaining liquid in the line, so that the throttle body opens again to counteract the tendency of decreasing pressure on the outlet side, until at constant flow through the released from the throttle body Cross section again sets a balance of power. Regardless of whether the tap opens the adjusting screw on the tap wide, so a high flow rate or allows a high flow rate, or the adjustment screw on the tap does not open so far and a lower flow rate requests the pressure loss at the pressure compensator according to the invention thereby the biasing force of Biasing device, as it results from the equilibrium of forces on the throttle body. If the taper requests a low flow rate and thus the pressure in the outlet side region remains relatively high, therefore, the throttle body will release a smaller cross section than when the taper requests more flow and the pressure in the outlet side region is therefore relatively low. Thus, although only a smaller mass flow occurs due to the smaller released cross section, the pressure loss per mass is higher in comparison with a higher mass flow with a larger released cross section, since the gap width or the released cross section is smaller. The pressure compensator assembly of the present invention thus acts as a valve adjusting itself to the desired pressure loss per mass flow unit in response to the tap dispensed by the tapper. Alternatively, the use of a controlled proportional valve would be conceivable.

The test results also correspond to a theoretical consideration. According to Hagen-Poisseulle, the mean velocity in a stationary flow-through pipe with a circular cross-section applies

v _m = V / A = Δp _v d ² / (32 Δl) or

Δp _v = v _m 32 ηl / d ² , where

v _{m is} the mean velocity in the pipe, V is the volume flow, A is the cross-section Δp _v, the pressure loss over the length I, d the diameter of the pipe, and η the dynamic toughness.

In this case, the flow velocity v _{m increases} with the tap volume V at a constant pipe diameter d, but the pipe diameter d also increases with the tap volume V, so that they have opposing influences on the pressure loss Δp _v . For ring gaps, appropriate correction factors must be introduced into the equations.

When the biasing means applies the biasing force via a spring, the spring can be selected such that the biasing force is constant at least approximately over the entire range of movement of the throttle body. In addition to springs with degressive course of the spring size but also springs with progressive course or with a spring constant into consideration, for example, to be able to dampen pressure fluctuations.

Further conceivable measures - alternatively or as a supplement to the spring - would be pretensioning devices with compressed air balloons, hydraulic damper or cylinder, pneumatic springs etc., as far as it makes economic sense.

It has proven to be particularly advantageous when the spring force is adjustable. This can be achieved either by an adjusting device, ie For example, an adjusting screw is provided, or in that constructive measures are taken so that the spring is replaceable and thus different acting springs can be used.

As an alternative or in addition to a spring-based pretensioning device, a bypass line could also be provided from the inlet side to the rear side of the throttle body, so that the desired preload force results, for example, via a pressure divider or pressure reducer connected upstream of the bypass line.

In order to prevent tearing of the flow into turbulence and thus foaming at the tap, in particular in the case of beer, it is furthermore advantageous if the throttle body releases a longitudinally extending annular gap. For this purpose, an elongated throttle body may be provided, which thickened in a truncated cone with a corresponding expansion of the pipe section in which it is arranged. Advantageously, the throttle body is further rounded on the inlet side.

The line piece may comprise a sleeve which can be inserted, pushed or pressed at a suitable point of the beverage supply line. Advantageously, the inlet-side section, in which the line section of the pressure compensator arrangement widens, lies in the region of the sleeve. The biasing means thus pushes the throttle body into the sleeve. On the opposite side of the spring of the biasing device can then be provided on the outlet side of the sleeve subsequent tubular body having a stop for the spring. Alternatively, the line piece may also comprise a threaded plug which can be screwed into the beverage supply line at the desired point or a throttle body receptacle provided in an end plug which terminates a mixing cell of an impregnator on the outlet side.

The spring can be supported on a wall of the line piece or pipe body opposite the throttle body when the flow channel branches off. Advantageously, however, the spring is designed as an annular spring, so that the stop can be designed as an annular shoulder around the flow channel around and the flow can pass through the spring without pressure losses due to a pipe bend occur and without the direction of the tap line must be changed , This is advantageous not only in generally arranged in the vertical direction bar lines, but especially when the pressure compensator adjoins an impregnator, since this is preferably installed with vertically upwardly directed flow direction, because in this way CO ₂ bubbles rise in the impregnator and in one Settling chamber or zone can be intercepted without ascending in the upper areas of the tap line.

If the tube body adjoining the sleeve on the outlet side is designed as a threaded plug which can be connected to the beverage supply line on its inlet side, the pressure compensator arrangement according to the invention can be particularly easily attached to an impregnator whose mixing cell terminates on the outlet side Wall is designed as a female thread flange.

Advantageous developments are the subject of the other dependent claims.

In the context of the invention, it is of course possible to freely combine the various claimed features, if deemed appropriate. It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the specified combination but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention. The invention is not limited to the claimed uses.

So could any suitable impregnator for displacing beer with nitrogen or for displacing a Getränkevorprodukts with gaseous flavorings or mover non- or weakly-CO ₂ -containing precursors beer with CO ₂ a stand-alone application are made the subject of a use.

In the following, individual advantageous embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a solid state impregnator according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2a is a sectional view of an impregnator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2b is a sectional view corresponding to Figure 2a of a further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the axis of the gas and liquid inlet channel in Figure 2b perpendicular to the sheet direction;

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3 of a slightly modified form of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2b;

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 of a slight modification of FIGS

Figure 2b shown embodiment;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of an impregnator according to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a valve spool in FIG. 6.

First of all, reference is made to FIG. 1. Reference 1 denotes a tubular mixing cell. In the mixing cell 1, disk-shaped impregnating bodies 11, 13, 15 are pressed in series one after the other so that the liquid flowing through the mixing cell 1 and the gas flowing through the mixing cell 1 or the already premixed gas-liquid mixture must pass through the impregnating bodies 11, 13, 15 and so on the surface of the indicated with points pores can go into solution. In this case, the first impregnation body 11 seen from the feed side is made of a finer-pored sintered material than the two subsequent impregnation bodies 13, 15.

The impregnation body is followed by a calming section, designated 10, in which the gas-liquid mixture emerging as turbulent flow from the outlet-side impregnating body 15 is calmed to a laminar flow before it emerges from the impregnator through a drain opening 7 and, for example, to a tap in FIG the dispenser is led.

The drain pipe 7 is provided in a screwed onto the mixing tube 1 cover, which is sealed with an O-ring against the mixing tube. On the inlet side, the mixing tube 1 is also closed with a screwed-in component, a head piece 21 and sealed with an O-ring.

On the one hand - in the drawing on the left - the gas supply G on and on the other hand - in the drawing on the right - the liquid supply F can be connected to the head piece 21. For this purpose, the head piece 21 is penetrated by a gas supply channel, which via a Pipe stub 3 opens into the mixing cell, and from a liquid passageway, which opens at a location designated 6 eccentrically in the mixing cell 1. Both on the gas supply side and on the liquid supply side, threaded bores are provided in the head piece into which are screwed connection pieces 33, 31, in each of which a check valve 29, 27 is received, with which the gas or liquid supply channel against return from the mixing cell 1 are secured. In turn, a connecting pin 23 is screwed into the gas supply-side connecting piece 33, which can be plug-connected to a gas supply line, whereas a connection pin 25 is screwed into the local connection piece 31 on the liquid supply side, to which a liquid hose can be plugged with a suitable plug-in piece. In this case, the gas supply channel in the region of the gas supply-side connecting pin 23 has a cross-sectional constriction, designated 22, which serves as a pressure-limiting nozzle 22. With the pressure limiting nozzle 22 it is ensured that the gas pressure is not so high that the gas displaces the liquid in the mixing cell, the gas pressure and above the mixing process still remains sufficiently controllable.

The above-mentioned pipe stub 3, in which the headpiece penetrating gas supply channel opens centrally, has on its side facing away from the head piece 21 a plate 5 and a circumferential shoulder 5, and is on its the head piece 21 facing side in the with an internal thread provided, centrally screwed to the mixing tube center axis A extending gas supply channel. Between the plate 5 and a corresponding peripheral stop on the head piece 21, a pre-impregnation sleeve 17 is clamped. The Vorimprägnierhülse 17 is the headpiece side sealed with a trained as an inner shoulder on a paddle wheel 19 sealing ring against the head and the other end against the plate 5 of the pipe stub 3, wherein in the drawing, the pipe stub 3 in a not yet fully entered into the threaded hole in the head state is. The paddle wheel 19 has guide vanes distributed over its circumference, with which the liquid entering the mixing cell 1 at the liquid inlet 6 is placed in a spiral swirling flow. The pipe stub 3 forming the gas inlet into the mixing cell 1, on the other hand, has on its circumferential surfaces two long holes 4 through which the gas from the gas supply channel can pass through the preimpregnating sleeve 17 into the mixing cell 1.

The mixing process is as follows: From a connected gas supply G gas is passed through the head 21 penetrating the gas supply channel to the slots 4 of the pipe stub 3 and exits there. The escaped gas forcibly diffuses through the preimpregnation sleeve 17, which is received in a sealed manner at both ends, whereby the gas flow entering as gas jet is distributed to a surface of the preimpregnation sleeve 17 facing the mixing cell 1 over a large area, at the surface of the pores of the porous material the Vorimprägnierhülse 17 is formed, swirling gas injection converts before it enters the mixing cell 1.

At the same time, liquid from an attached liquid supply F exits the mixing tube central axis A eccentrically through a liquid supply channel penetrating the head piece 21 at the point 6 into the mixing cell 1. There, the liquid flow impinges on the guide vanes 41 of the impeller 19 and is acted upon by this with a swirl in the transverse direction to the inflow direction, so that the liquid inlet inflow is first braked and swirled. Due to the fact that the pre-impregnation stage 17 consists of a merely semipermeable, hydrophobic material, the fluid inflow can not penetrate as far as the gas outlet openings 4. A first premixing of the turbulent gas inflow distributed over a large area and the swirling liquid inflow in the mixing cell 1 thus takes place in the inflow region in the vicinity of the head piece 21.

The preimpregnation stage 17 and the pre-Verwirungsungsstufe (paddle 19) could also be omitted. As an alternative to the pre-impregnation stage 17 and the Vorverwirbelungsstufe (paddle 19), an ultrasonic vibrator could also be provided to effect a pre-impregnation. Alternatively, the ultrasonic vibrator could also be arranged downstream of the impregnating bodies 11, 13, 15 described below. Instead of an ultrasonic vibrator, a high-frequency vibrator could also be provided. As high frequency frequencies above 12000 Hz are referred to within the scope of the invention.

The flow already existing from the liquid already premixed with the liquid enters the first impregnation body 11, which consists of a finely porous material. The surface of the porous Festkörperimprägnierkörpers 11 is formed not only by its outer surface, but also by the surface of the pores in the interior of the impregnating 1 1 and is therefore very large, so that there is a large turbulence of the passing flow and high due to the large phase interface Solution of the gas in the liquid comes. To the first impregnation body 11, two further impregnation bodies 13, 15 can be connected, with which the fine Position of the mixing ratio of the gas-liquid mixture is made. In this case, the impregnating bodies 11, 13, 15 are produced from a porous sintered material in a disc shape and stuffed into the mixing tube 1 so that they completely close their diameter and the inflow is forced to diffuse through the material of the impregnated bodies 11, 13, 15 , The two impregnation bodies 13, 15 have a smaller number of pores than the foremost impregnation body 11.

However, the sintered solids 1 1, 13, 15 can, as has recently been found, are also replaced by foam impregnating body, in particular by polyester or Polyetherfilterschäume, preferably reticulated.

After passing through the main impregnation, which is formed by the impregnation 11, 13, 15, the gas-liquid mixture enters a separated by the impregnating body 11, 13, 15 of the remaining mixing cell 1 calming area 10, in which the decelerated turbulent flow and is converted into a laminar flow, which can escape via the drain opening 7 from the mixing cell.

FIG. 2 a shows an embodiment of the impregnator according to the invention in which the impregnation also takes place according to the same principle as in the impregnator shown in FIG. 1, wherein, however, a valve arrangement is provided on the inlet side of the mixing cell in which a gas inlet closing element 121 and a liquid inlet closing element 127 is coupled, whereas a pressure compensator arrangement is provided on the outlet side of the mixing cell. Even with strongly fluctuating pressure conditions and mass flow rates, a consistently good impregnation result can be achieved and at the same time the churnability of the beverage produced can be ensured. The mixing cell inlet-side valve arrangement and the mischzellenauslasssei- term pressure compensator complement each other in terms of intercepting pressure or volume fluctuations in the inlet and on the tap side. This is of great importance, in particular with regard to the beer-side beer aeration with CO ₂ , since beer is a beverage which starts to foam easily. However, when the beer or beer-gas mixture in the dispenser tears under foam formation, no satisfactory Zapfergebnis can be achieved.

The liquid flows through the liquid inlet F and the gas through the gas inlet G into the mixing head 121 and is forwarded there into the mixing cell 1, in which the actual impregnation takes place. In this case, the gas inlet closing element 129 has the shape of a piston tapering conically towards the gas inlet G, the liquid inlet closing element 127 being in the shape of a truncated cone for insertion into the liquid. Let is tapering piston and the two closing elements 127, 129 are connected via a sectionally needle-like connecting portion 128 to a valve slide unit. The liquid inlet closing element 127 is biased against the liquid inlet by a ring spring 134 which, on the one hand, is supported on the rear side of the liquid inlet closing piston 127 and on the other side on a wall of the liquid inlet channel, enclosing the connecting section 128.

When a force is exerted on the liquid inlet closing element 127 by the incoming liquid, which force is greater than the counterforce resulting from the mixing cell internal pressure on the inside of the liquid inlet closing element 127, the spring force and the gas pressure on the gas inlet closing element 129, the liquid inlet closing element opens 127 the liquid inlet and - via the connecting portion 128 - the gas inlet closing element 129 the gas inlet. In this case, the conical course of the gas inlet closing element 129 and of the gas inlet barrier section enclosing it is matched to the truncated cone-like course of the liquid inlet closing element 127 or the liquid inlet barrier section enclosing it so that the optimum mass flow ratio for each impregnation process is: gas for each pressure gradient between liquid inlet and mixing cell Adjusting fluid. The gas supply G takes place through a Vorimprägnierkörper 117 therethrough, on which the liquid feed F flows annularly. In order to compensate for mixing cell inlet-side pressure fluctuations, a compressible balloon 26 can furthermore be provided as a volume compensation body.

The impregnator is in the overhead position, i. the mixing head 121 is below and the mixing cell 1 with the impregnating bodies 13 has a vertically upward flow pattern. In the mixing cell 1 after passing through the impregnating 13 still existing gas bubbles B can ascend in this way and be intercepted in a calming 10 of the mixing cell 1, without entering the pressure compensator at the mixing cell outlet and thereby lead to turbulence on the tap.

Alternatively, the mixing head 121 may be arranged at the top. Because, as has been shown, even better results are achieved. This is due to the fact that the carbonated liquid is still in a kind of sedimentation tank before the (bottom) exit from the mixing cell. In addition, unbound gas, especially CO2 in the liquid, tends to rise, ie, back towards the proportional valve to be bound in liquid there. If the liquid or the beverage impregnated in the impregnating or mixing cell 1, for example carbon dioxide, reaches the inlet for the pressure compensator arrangement, then it presses against the throttle body 108 with the working pressure in the mixing cell 1. This pressure is acted upon by the prestressing force the back against the throttle body 108 oppressive spring 109, which can be adjusted via an adjusting screw 9a. Further, the pressure on the outlet side A acts against the working pressure in the mixing cell, the tap opens the tap line adjoining the outlet side A, the pressure drops on the outlet side A and the throttle body 108 is pushed up so far that the in the mixing cell 1 impregnated liquid can flow through the pressure compensator assembly through to the tap.

The gap width between the sleeve 102 and the throttle pin 108 determines the flow velocity and thus the mass flow and at the same time has an influence on the pressure loss at the pressure compensator arrangement. If the tapper requires a large amount of, for example, tap-proof impregnated beer, the pressure drops sharply on the tap side and the throttle body 108 opens onto a large gap width. If the pressure drops less on the tap side (because the tap requires a smaller amount) opens the throttle body 108 to a smaller gap width.

The pressure compensator assembly also acts on the inlet valve assembly because the pressure compensator assembly will buffer pressure changes in the mixing cell resulting from the various bleed rates thereby reducing the gas metering problems to be intercepted through the inlet valve assembly at different pressure gradients between the fluid inlet and mixing cell as the pressure fluctuations become smaller become.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2b. The throttle body 108 shown in FIG. 2a and, correspondingly, the sleeve 102 are somewhat slimmer than the body 8 or sleeve 2 shown in FIG. 2b, so that overall the friction losses are slightly lower. Further, the sleeve 102 is completely received in the stopper 120 closing the mixing cell on the outlet end face, to which the outlet piece 130 is flanged with a side-going outlet A and sealed to the sleeve 102 with an O-ring. Also, the plug 120 is sealed with an O-ring and a front side inserted flat gasket against the side walls of the mixing cell. The pressure compensator assembly thus comprises a line piece 2, 30, 12, which is screwed into an (inner) threaded flange 20 of an impregnator, which forms the end wall of the mixing cell 1. The line piece 2, 30, 12 has an inlet-side sleeve 2, which is pressed into a corresponding receiving opening in the mixing cell 1 on the outlet end wall of the final threaded flange 20 final. In the sleeve 2, a throttle body or pin 8 is arranged, which tapers towards the inlet side and thus corresponds to the local expansion of the sleeve 2. On the pin 8 acts a spring 9, which urges the pin 8 to the inlet of the sleeve 2, so that the inlet of the sleeve 2 and the line piece 2, 30, 12 is closed, if no pressure from the inlet side on the pin 8 acts. For this purpose, the spring 9 is supported on an annular shoulder 16 in the pipe section 30, wherein the pipe piece 30 is screwed sealed into the internal thread of the threaded flange 20 and holds the sleeve 2 in the receptacle in the threaded flange 20 and with her a continuous, to the environment forms sealed conduit. On the outlet side, a connecting piece 12 is inserted into the pipe section 30, so that the impregnator can be connected via the pressure compensator assembly to the dispensing line.

The pressure compensator arrangement of FIG. 2b thus differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 2a essentially in that the beverage outlet takes place here through the annular spring 9 and then kink-free vertically upward, whereas according to FIG. 2a a lateral beverage outlet connection is provided. Although the inlet valve arrangement differs even more fundamentally from the embodiment shown in Fig. 2a, similar reference numerals have been given here as in Fig. 2a, as in the case of the pressure compensator arrangement for functionally similar or identical components.

The liquid inlet closing element 227 is in turn supported by an annular spring 234 against the liquid inlet pressure, which encloses a connecting portion 228 which connects the liquid inlet closing element 227 with the gas inlet closing element 229 to a piston slide unit, which is displaceable in the aligned gas inlet channel and liquid inlet channel. In this case, the hollow cylinder forming the liquid inlet closing element 227 is open towards the liquid inlet and closed with an end wall on the mixing cell side, whereas the hollow cylinder needle forming the gas inlet closing element 229 is closed towards the gas supply side by a front wall and several more are distributed to the mixing cell 1 over its circumference 2b, not shown in FIG. 2b (see reference numeral 232 in FIGS. 3 and 4). In this case, the hollow cylinder forming the liquid inlet closing element 227 is in a bore forming a liquid inlet blocking section with little play. and the hollow cylinder needle constituting the gas inlet closing member 229 is formed in a bore forming a gas inlet portion, and a gas seal 239 is provided between the bore and the hollow cylinder needle and the two holes are aligned with each other.

With 236 is a spiral around the peripheral side wall of the Flüssigkeitsseinlass- closing element 227 circulating chain of fluid passage openings designated by 238 a spiral around the peripheral side wall of the Flüssigkeitsseinlassschließ- element 227 circulating chain of gas passage openings. If a correspondingly high pressure is applied to the liquid inlet closing element 227 from the liquid inlet side, the entire piston or valve slide arrangement shifts to the left in the drawing, whereby the liquid inlet closing element 227 with its side facing the mixing cell opens into an open volume 237 protrudes. As a result, depending on the applied liquid pressure, gas pressure and mixed cell internal pressure, at least part of the liquid passages 236 are released, so that the liquid mass flow flowing into the mixing cell is correspondingly adjusted.

Similarly, when the gas inlet closing element 229 is displaced to the left via the connecting section 228, it protrudes with its end facing the gas supply into a free volume 235, whereby a part of the gas passage bores 238 corresponding to the released part of the liquid passages 236 be released, so that adjusts the optimum for the impregnation gas mass flow for each inflowing liquid mass flow.

Between the sleeve 2 and the head piece 221, a impregnation body 213 may be pressed, through which the flow must pass. The impregnation body 213 is dimensionally stable to the extent that no further fastening means are required, that is, for example, consists of a dimensionally stable hollow fiber module. Except for the calming area 10, he completely fills the mixing cell 1. Again, it has been shown that the impregnator is best operated in a position in which the mixing head is up, ie in a relation to the drawing rotated by 180 ° position.

FIGS. 4 and 5 each show modifications of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2b. In FIG. 4, an open position of the valve spool consisting of the liquid inlet closing element 227, the connecting section 228 and the gas inlet closing element 429 is indicated by a hatched line. It can be seen that the chain of the gas passages 438 revolves around the side circumferential wall of the gas inlet closing element 429 with a smaller pitch. Thus, a greater number of gas passages are released per unit length by which the valve slide is moved into the open position than in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2b. Thus, for example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 may be used for the production of a different beverage than the embodiment shown in FIG. 2b, for example for the production of wheat beer from a non-carbonated wheat beer precursor and carbon dioxide as opposed to the production of light beer a non-carbonated barley beer precursor and carbon dioxide.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, on the other hand, both the entire circumferential side wall of the liquid inlet closing member 327 and the gas inlet closing member 329 are perforated with passages 336 and 338, respectively.

6 shows a further embodiment of the impregnator according to the invention, and FIG. 7 shows the valve slide of this impregnator consisting of the liquid inlet closing element 527, the connecting section 528 and the gas inlet closing element 529. In this case, functionally similar or identical parts have been provided with similar reference numerals.

The gas passages 538 extending as a chain around the circumference of the gas inlet closing element 529 have a diameter of 0.2 mm, only the first gas passage on the side of the gas inlet is somewhat larger, in the embodiment shown here 0.3 mm. On the other hand, the liquid passages 536 arranged as a chain around the circumference of the liquid inlet closing member 527 have a diameter of 2.2 mm. The diameter ratio is thus in a range of 1: 9 to 1: 1, which appears to be suitable overall for proportional valves for impregnating the type according to the invention for beer production.

The gas flows through the gas passages 538 into an inner bore 540 which extends along the gas inlet closing element 529 and is otherwise closed to the gas inlet side, which is illustrated in FIG. From the inner bore 540, the gas flows via two outlet openings 532 (diameter 2.2 mm) at the periphery of the connecting portion 528 in the mixing cell. The inner bore 540 may be in contact with the liquid side, but does not have to. In the example shown, it is drilled from the liquid side into the valve slide, so that it can be manufactured in one piece. Due to the higher gas pressure (eg 5.5 bar compared to 4.5 bar liquid pressure), in each case a flow of liquid to the gas inlet side is prevented even with the slide open and sufficient gas flow is ensured in the direction of the mixing cell. The gas also can not penetrate far to the liquid inlet side, because it is entrained by the massively much larger liquid flow through the liquid passages 536.

Moreover, the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 differs essentially only from the following points from the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2b to 5: the mixing cell is completely surrounded by a foam made of a compressed foam in its upper region ¹ 'impregnating solid body 513 filled, which is pressed by means of a designated 514 perforated plate in position and held there. The perforated plate 514 is in turn held on its outer periphery by a threaded plug 520 in position with which the mixing cell is sealed on the output side. The impregnating body is in particular made of polyester or polyether filter foam with a pore size of 90-100 PPI (pores per inch), for example measured according to the PPI measuring method. This corresponds to a pore size of approx. 250 μm and approx. 90,000 cells / cm ³ (open-pored cells). The cell structure is that of a reticulated filter foam, ie nearly 100% open-celled. As an alternative to the mounting of the impregnating body by means of the perforated plate 514, an impregnating body filling out the entire mixing cell could also be provided. The impregnator is installed for the reasons already mentioned in the position shown in Fig. 6 with overhead head piece.

Furthermore, the compensator pin 508 is arranged in the threaded plug 520 in a correspondingly shaped recess 502 which tapers conically towards the mixing cell.

Of course, deviations from the illustrated embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the features of the illustrated embodiments may be combined as desired.

Thus, it is particularly advantageous in the case of the impregnators shown in FIGS. 2a to 7 that both impregnating solids and the inlet-side proportional valve and the outlet side pressure compensator can be used. For example, by employing impregnated solids, clogging or malfunctioning of the pressure compensator is prevented and the inlet pressure control valve reduces the pressure fluctuations on the pressure compensator and vice versa. However, within the scope of the invention, embodiments of an impregnator would also be conceivable which each have the features shown only with regard to the filling of the mixing cell, the inlet or the outlet or in which only two of these aspects of the invention are realized.

In addition to beer and lemonade, drinks such as cider, sparkling wine, champagne, apple juice, cola can be prepared by carbonating from a corresponding, low-carbon or -lose precursor with the impregnator according to the invention. As an alternative to the coupling of gas inlet closing element and liquid inlet closing element shown in FIGS. 2a to 7 and claimed in claims 11 to 20, a control or regulation of an impregnator having the features of the preamble of claim 21 can also be provided within the scope of the invention the COΣ content in the beverage produced by the impregnator according to the invention is regulated via the input-side gas pressure as a manipulated variable. If you want to have less CO2 in the beverage than currently available, the gas pressure is reduced, e.g. from 5.5 bar to 5 bar gas pressure. If you want more CO2 in the beverage, then the gas pressure is increased, e.g. at 6 bar. Thus you can always set the desired, beverage-specific COΣ content on the gas pressure, but always depending on the respective liquid pressure. The higher the liquid pressure, the lower the COΣ concentration in the beverage produced while the gas pressure remains the same. In order to increase the fluid pressure, e.g. from 5.5 bar to 6 bar, to get the same COΣ concentration in the beverage produced, the gas pressure would also have to be corrected upwards until the ratio is right again. The CO 2 concentration in the beverage produced can be measured and the gas pressure can be adjusted according to a suitable control algorithm. In the case of a known fluid pressure, the suitable gas pressure can also be read as a parameter recorded in advance in a characteristic diagram of the respective impregnator and of the respective beverage and adjusted accordingly.

Claims

1 . Impregnator for displacing a non- or low-gas-containing liquid (F) with gas (G), in particular for displacing a non-bubbling or low-bubbling CO ₂ -containing beer precursor with CO ₂ , with a particularly tubular mixing cell (1), which except one opening liquid inlet (6), an inlet gas inlet (3) and a drain (7) is sealed off from the environment, in the mixing cell (1) at least one impregnating body (11, 13, 15, 213, 513) is arranged so that Passage of the liquid (F) and the gas (G) through the mixing cell (1) forcibly by the impregnation (11, 13, 15) must pass through, characterized in that in the mixing cell (1) at least one impregnating (11, 13 , 15) which consists of a porous solid, namely a foam, a sponge, a hollow fiber module or a sintered material. 2. Impregnator according to claim 1, characterized in that the impregnating body (11, 13, 15) as a diameter of the mixing tube (1) filling disk is formed.

3. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the impregnating provided with a socket is formed to a diameter of the mixing tube filling impregnating cartridge.

4. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the interior of the mixing cell (1) acting high-frequency or ultrasonic vibration device is provided.

5. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first impregnating body (11) made of a first porous material, at least one second impregnating body (13, 15) of one or more other porous materials in the mixing cell (1) is arranged downstream.

6. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one impregnating body (11, 13, 15) is followed by a calming area (10), in particular one of the inlet side of the mixing tube (1) by the impregnating body (11, 13, 15) separate mixing pipe section (10) or to the mixing cell (1) subsequent calming chamber.

7. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a mixing cell (1) gas and liquid supply side against the environment off A sealing head (21; 121; 221) is provided with a connection (25; 225) for a liquid supply line and a connection (23; 223) for a gas supply line.

8. An impregnator according to claim 7, characterized in that the head piece (21) is penetrated by a particular eccentric or annular to a Mischrohrachse (A) in the mixing tube (1) opening fluid channel, which is preferably secured with a check valve (27) and from a gas passage channel, which opens into the mixing tube (1), in particular centrally with respect to the mixing tube axis (A), which is preferably also secured with a check valve (27). 9. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed to be separable into its individual parts, wherein the head piece (21) is preferably screwed to the mixing tube (1) and the gas outlet (4) in a mixing tube inside the pipe head screwed pipe stub (3) is provided. 10. Impregnator according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second gas inlet or a second gas supply line connection for supplying a second gas is provided in the mixing cell.

1 1. Impregnator for in-line gassing of liquids, such as sodas, soft drinks, water or juice with carbon dioxide or nitrogen and in particular a low-carbon or -Lohlen Biervorprodukts with carbon dioxide or nitrogen, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, with a mixing cell (1) which ₁ has a mixture outlet (a) a gas inlet (G) and a liquid inlet (F), wherein a gas inlet valve (129; 229; 329; 429; 529) and a liquid inlet valve (127; 227; 327; 427) are provided, which are arranged to release and close the gas and liquid inlet (G, F) according to the magnitude of a pressure gradient from the inlet side to the mixing cell (1), the gas inlet valve (129; 229; 329; 429; 529) being in one Gas inlet closing element (129; 229; 329; 429; 529) and the liquid inlet valve (127; 227; 327; 527) located in the liquid inlet channel liquid inlet closing element (127; 227; 327; 527), characterized in that the gas inlet closing element (129; 229; 329; 429; 529) and the liquid inlet closing element (127; 227; 327; 529) are coupled together so that the gas inlet valve (129; 229; 329; 529) the gas inlet (G) depending on a opening degree of the liquid inlet (F) releases to a predetermined opening degree.

12. An impregnator according to claim 12, characterized in that the liquid inlet closing element (127; 227; 327; 527) is biased toward the liquid inlet side by biasing means (134; 234) and the gas inlet closing element (129; 229; 329; 429 527) and the liquid inlet closing member (127; 227; 327; 527) are integrally connected to each other so that displacement of the liquid inlet closing member (127; 227; 327; 527) to the gas inlet closing member (127; 227; 327; 527 ) is transmitted. An impregnator according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the liquid inlet channel has a liquid inlet barrier section aligned with a gas inlet section of the gas inlet channel, the liquid inlet closing element (127; 227; 327; 527) and the gas inlet closing element (129; 229; 329; 529) are connected to an elongate valve slide unit (127, 129, 227, 228, 229, 327, 329, 227, 428, 429, 527, 528, 529), and wherein the liquid inlet closing member (127; 227; 327; 527) the liquid inlet section and the gas inlet closing element (129; 229; 329; 429; 529) fills the gas inlet section in a closed position and, in an open position, releases a flow to a degree corresponding to the pressure gradient towards the mixing cell.

An impregnator according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the liquid inlet closing member (227; 327; 527) is a multi-sided hollow body open to the liquid feed side (F) and the gas inlet closing member (229; 329; 429; 529) at least one mixing cell opening (232, 532) to the mixing cell side (237), wherein in each of the respective hollow body enclosing walls at least one liquid passage (236; 336; 536) for the liquid and at least one gas passage (238; 338; 438; 538) are provided for the gas, and wherein the liquid inlet closing element (227; 327; 527) in an open position projects into a mixing cell side volume (237) such that the liquid passage (236; 336; 536) at least is partially released, and the gas inlet closing element (229; 329; 429; 529) so into a gas inlet side volume n (235) that the gas passage (238; 338; 438; 538) is at least partially released.

An impregnator according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that at least for the gas inlet closing element (229; 329; 429; 529) a seal (239; 539) is provided on the gas inlet blocking section.

16. An impregnator according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that the liquid barrier section has a larger diameter than the gas barrier section, wherein the liquid inlet closing element (227; 327; 527) via a

Shoulder at the Gaseinlassschließelement (229; 329; 429; 529) connects, at which a biasing means (134; 234) acting annular spring (134; 234) supported at one end, the gas inlet closing element (229; 329; 429; 529) in a Enclosed piston spool portion (228; 528), and at the other end to a wall bounding the mixing cell side volume (237).

17. Impregnator according to one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that the liquid passages (236; 336; 536) are bores (236; 336; 536) distributed over the wall of the liquid inlet closing element (227; 327; 527). An impregnator according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that the gas passages (238; 338; 438; 538) are bores (238; 338; 438; 538) distributed over the wall of the gas inlet closing element (227; 327).

19. An impregnator according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the liquid inlet closing element (227; 327; 527) and / or the gas inlet closing element (229; 329; 429; 529) are cylindrical bodies or have a cylindrical shape.

20. An impregnator according to claim 20, characterized in that the liquid (236; 536) and / or gas passages (238; 438; 538) are arranged as a helically arranged around the side wall of the respective closing element (227, 229; 527, 529) chain of Bores are arranged.

21. Pressure compensator arrangement for mounting in the beverage supply line of dispensing systems, in particular of beer dispensing systems, with a line section (2, 30, 12, 102, 130, 502, 530, 512) forming a section of the beverage supply line and one in the line section (2, 30, 12 102, 130, 502, 530, 512) movably arranged throttle body (8, 108, 508), which during the tapping process a cross section of the line piece (2, 30, 12, 102, 130, 502, 530, 512) for releases the beverage to be tapped, so that a beverage flows past on its surface, characterized in that the throttle body (8; 108; 508) via a biasing device (9, 16; 109, 9a; 509) against the beverage flow to a wall of the Line piece (2, 30, 12; 102, 130; 502, 530, 512) is biased so that the cross section is not released below a predetermined pressure difference between the inlet side and the outlet side.

22.Pressure compensator arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the pretensioning device (9, 16; 109, 9a; 509) comprises at least one spring (9; 109; 509) over which the throttle body (8; 108; 508) faces the beverage flow is supported.

23.Druckkompensatoranordnung according to claim 22, characterized in that the spring force is adjustable. 24.Druckkompensatoranordnung according to claim 23, characterized in that an adjusting screw (9a) is provided, via which the spring force is adjustable.

25.Druckkompensatoranordnung according to any one of claims 22 to 24, characterized in that the spring (9; 509) is exchangeable, so that the spring force is adjustable. 26.Druckkompensatoranordnung according to any one of claims 21 to 25, characterized in that a throttle body bypassing the bypass line is provided from the inlet side of the pressure compensator assembly to the back of the throttle body.

27. The pressure compensator arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the cross section of the line piece (2, 30, 12; 102, 130; 502, 530, 512; 102, 130; 502, 530, 512) which can be cleared by the throttle body (8; 108; 508) forms an annular gap is.

28. The pressure compensator arrangement according to claim 21, characterized in that the line piece (2, 30, 12; 102, 130; 502, 530, 512) expands at least in its inlet-side section in the direction of the tap and the throttle body (8; 108; 508) is in the form of an elongate body which widens in a truncated cone with the widening of the pipe section (2, 30, 12; 102, 130; 502, 530, 512).

29. The pressure compensator arrangement according to claim 28, characterized in that the inlet-side tip of the throttle body (8; 108; 508) is rounded. 30. The pressure compensator arrangement according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that the line piece (2, 30, 12, 102, 130) comprises a recess (502) widening in the direction of the tap in a threaded plug (520) against which in the direction of the tap towards expanding wall of the throttle body (8; 108) is biased.

31.Power compensator arrangement according to claim 28, 29 or 30, characterized in that the line piece (2, 30, 12; 102, 130; 502, 530, 512) comprises a tube body (30; 130; 530) following the outlet side on the inlet side section on which a stop (16; 9a) for the spring (9; 109; 509) is provided.

32. pressure compensator arrangement according to one of claims 28 to 31, characterized in that the tubular body (30; 530) as on an internal thread flange (20; 520) screwed threaded plug (30; 530) is formed. 33. pressure compensator arrangement according to one of claims 28 to 32, characterized in that the tubular body (30; 530) on the outlet side a connection piece (12; 512), with which the line piece (2, 30,12; 502, 530, 512) on its outlet side is connectable to the beverage supply line.

34. Pressure compensator arrangement according to claim 28 to 33, characterized in that the spring (9; 509) is designed as an annular spring (9; 509) and the tubular body (30;

530) has an inner shoulder (16) on which the annular spring (9; 509) is supported, so that the beverage flow through the of the annular spring (9; 509) enclosed

Room cylinder passes through.

35. Impregnator, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 20, for a dispenser with inline fumigation, with a tubular mixing cell (1), which has a liquid inlet (F), a gas inlet (G) and a beverage outlet (A), characterized characterized in that the beverage outlet (A) of the impregnator is formed by a pressure compensator arrangement according to one of claims 23 to 36, wherein the wall closing the mixing cell (1) on the outlet side as a connecting piece (20; 120; 520) for the line piece (2, 30, 12, 102, 130) in which the throttle body (8, 108) is arranged.

36. Impregnating plant for mixing a liquid with a plurality of gases, characterized in that a plurality of impregnators are connected according to one of claims 1 to 20 or 35 in series so that the flow of a preceding impregnant is connected to the liquid feed of a subsequent impregnator ,

37.Schankanlage, in particular for beer, and in particular dispensing system with inline fumigation, with a beverage supply line to a tap, characterized in that in the beverage supply line a Druckkompensatoranordnung according to one of claims 21 to 34 or an impregnator according to one of claims 1 to 20 or 35 or an impregnation plant according to claim 36 is provided.

38.Schankanlage, according to claim 37, characterized in that the pressure compensator pensatoranordnung downstream of an impregnator fluidly. 39.Schankanlage according to claim 37 or 38, characterized in that the line piece (2, 30, 12; 502, 530, 512), in which the throttle body (8; 108) is arranged, has a flow-like straight course.

4O.Schankanlage according to claim 39, characterized in that the line piece (2, 30, 12; 502, 530, 512) connects to an impregnator with a vertical, preferably downwardly directed flow direction in the mixing cell (1).

41. Use of an impregnator according to one of claims 1 to 20, or 35 or an impregnation plant according to claim 36 or a dispensing installation according to one of claims 37 to 40 for the addition of a non-bubbling or slightly bubbling or CO ₂ -containing beer precursor with CO ₂ . 42.Use of an impregnator according to any one of claims 1 to 20, or 35 or an impregnation system according to claim 36 or a dispensing system according to one of claims 37 to 40 for the addition of beer with nitrogen.

43.Use of an impregnator according to any one of claims 1 to 20, or 35 or an impregnation system according to claim 36 or a dispensing system according to one of claims 37 to 40 for the addition of a non-bubbling or weakly bubbling or CO ₂ -containing beer precursor with CO ₂ and Nitrogen.

44.Use of an impregnating agent according to any one of claims 1 to 20, or 35 or an impregnating plant according to claim 36 or a dispensing plant according to any one of claims 37 to 40 for displacing a beverage precursor with flavors.