GB2396345A

GB2396345A - A method of dispensing a chilled beverage

Info

Publication number: GB2396345A
Application number: GB0327893A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Robert Davis
Original assignee: IMI Cornelius Inc
Current assignee: Cornelius Inc
Priority date: 1999-11-16
Filing date: 2000-10-25
Publication date: 2004-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2020-10-25
Also published as: GB2396345B; GB0327893D0

Abstract

A beverage, e.g. from a bulk supply, by chilling the beverage to a temperature close to its freezing point. The system includes a beverage recirculation loop passing through a thermoelectric device (24) and a dispense valve (26) located in the beverage recirculation loop. The thermoelectric device (24) is operable to cool the beverage to low temperature for dispense and to heat the beverage to prevent the beverage freezing in the recirculation loop between dispenses. The recirculation loop may pass through a chiller (10) for cooling the beverage to a first temperature with the thermoelectric device (24) being arranged between the chiller (10) and the dispense valve (26) to cool the beverage to a second, lower temperature for dispense. The thermoelectric device 24 chills the beverage in a first mode and heats it in a second mode.

Description

1 2396345

BEVERAGE DISPENSE SYSTEM

This invention relates to a beverage dispense system in which a chilled beverage is presented to the consumer. It is particularly 5 applicable to beverages- such as beer or lager.

Conventional beer/lager cooling systems typically have a bulk beverage supply located at a separate location (called a cellar room) from the bar counter and the beverage is chilled in the cellar by being passed through an ice bank cooler to a temperature just below its 10 ultimate dispense temperature. The chilled beverage is then pumped from the cellar room to the bar within an insulated python.

If one wishes to dispense the beverage at very cold temperatures e.g. below 0 C, such a system has problems. In particular, one has to chill the beverage in the cellar room to an even lower temperature.

15 Whilst one can utilise glycol mixtures in the ice bank cooler instead of water to obtain lower beverage temperatures, the lower the required beverage temperature the greater the risk that it will freeze solid in the cooler or the python during periods when the beverage is not being dispensed. It will then be impossible to operate the dispense system 20 when the next drink is required to be dispensed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system which is capable of successfully dispensing a chilled beverage from a bulk supply to a temperature close to the freezing point of the beverage.

Accordingly the invention provides a chilled beverage dispense 25 system including a beverage recirculation loop and a water recirculation loop, a dispense valve located in the beverage recirculation loop, a first chiller, through which both loops pass, for cooling both the beverage

and the water, and a second chiller through which both loops pass, the second chiller comprising a thermo-electric device and being located between the first chiller and the dispense valve whereby the beverage to be dispensed is further cooled in the second chiller and the water 5 removes heat from the second chiller.

The thermo-electric device is typically one or more layers of Pettier plate assemblies. As is well known, when connected to a voltage supply, a cold side and a hot side are generated at the assembly.

The first chiller may be a single ice bank cooler of conventional 10 design with a portion of each recirculation loop immersed in water/ice within the cooler. Typically, the system is such that the first chiller cools both the beverage and the water to just above 0 C, say 0.5 C, whilst the second chiller may cool the beverage several degrees cooler (depending upon the freezing temperature of the beverage). With 15 beer/lager, this may be cooler by a further 4 or 5 C, i.e. down to -3. 5 C or-4.5 C. Water which has passed through the thermo-electric chilling device may also pass through one side of a heat exchanger before returning to the first chiller. The second side of such heat exchanger 20 may carry recirculating beverage which has by-passed the dispense valve and is returning to the first chiller. The cold beverage may, thereby, be warmed from its below zero temperature before re-entering the first chiller.

The second chiller is preferably actuated only when dispense from 25 the dispense valve is required e.g. power is supplied to the Pettier (thermoelectric) device upon the pressing of a dispense button. After a predetermined dispense time or predetermined flow of beverage from

the dispense valve, the power supply to the device may be cut off.

Alternatively, at the end of the dispense cycle the current supplied to the thermo-electric device may be switched off and then reversed for a short time, e.g. a couple of seconds, before being switched off again. This 5 slightly increases the beverage temperature in the device and avoids the risk of beverage freezing in this region. This slightly warmed beverage is not dispensed, since the control system will have closed the dispense valve before the warmed beverage reaches it.

During operation of the thermo-electric device to further chill the 10 beverage before it is dispensed, the water passing through the thermo-

electric device is warmed by the Pettier junction effect. As this water passes into the heat exchanger it acts to warm the recirculating beverage on its way back to the first chiller, as indicated above.

The heat exchanger may be of the tube-in-tube type with water 15 travelling parallel to the beverage.

In order to ensure that beverage which has been sufficiently chilled is dispensed, the dispense control system may provide for valve actuation (opening) only after the beverage exiting the second chiller has reached a predetermined temperature e.g. -.5 C. This requires a 20 temperature sensor, which may be located in the beverage recirculation loop between the second chiller and the dispense valve or in the dispense valve housing or even a little downstream of the dispense valve in the beverage recirculation loop. Alternatively, a time delay may be incorporated into the control system so as to open the valve a 25 predetermined time after initiation.

In the event that the temperature of the beverage or water.

returning to the first chiller is such that it is starting to freeze, it would

then be warmed to the desired temperature in the first cooler. Moreover, as beverage and water continue to be pumped around the recirculation loops and the thermal mass should be sufficient to prevent any permanent freezing of the water or beverage.

5 A water dispense valve may be provided in the water recirculation loop, preferably before the water enters the second chiller. Controlled quantities of chilled water may be dispensed from this valve in response to signals from the dispense control system. Typically such chilled water is projected or sprayed onto a beverage receptacle shortly before 10 the opening of the beverage dispense valve. This enables the receptacle to be cooled by the chilled water ahead of, and possibly during or after, beverage dispense.

As either or both of the beverage and water recirculation loops are depleted by dispense, such loops are topped up by fresh liquid.

15 Typically the incoming connections to the loops are located just ahead of the first chiller. Such incoming liquids may be at ambient temperature or they could be pre-chilled in high temperature environments. The invention provides a system in which cooler than usual 20 beverage can be dispensed safely and without risk of freezing. A conventional ice bank cooler can be used for the initial cooling (first chiller) and to maintain the cooled effect between dispenses and the thermo-electric device (second chiller) is used to provide the extra cooling when required for a dispense and may also be used as a 25 temperature control means in the manner indicated above. Between dispenses the second chiller is inactive and the system "idles" at the temperature achieved by the first chiller.

The dispense valve is permanently chilled and so does not harmfully affect dispense temperature after standing unused.

The system is simple to maintain with a minimum of moving parts and the risk of freezing is substantially eliminated.

5 Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing (Figure 1) which is a schematic illustration of a beverage dispense system according to the invention.

A beverage recirculation loop from a remote beverage source (not 10 shown) is indicted by single-headed arrows. A water recirculation loop, e.g. from the mains, is indicated by double-headed arrows. Both loops pass through a first chiller lo which is an ice/water bath containing refrigeration coils 12 connected in conventional manner to a refrigerant circulation means (not shown). Beverage passes through chiller 10 in 15 coils 14 and water in coils 16, which coils are all immersed in the ice/water in the bath. The chiller 10 also contains a paddle 11 driven by a motor 13 which operates to stir the contents of the bath.

A Dow turbine 18 is provided in the inlet to the beer recirculation loop. 20 The beverage and the water are pumped around the respective recirculation loops by pumps 20, 22 respectively.

From the first chiller 10 they are passed through a second chiller 24, which is a Pettier plate assembly generating a hot and a cold side by connection to a voltage supply (not shown). The beverage recirculation 25 loop passes across the cold side of the assembly and the water recirculation loop passes across the hot side in order to remove the heat generated. As indicated above, the beverage and the water may be

cooled to, for example, about 0.5 C in the first chiller and the beverage may be cooled further to, say -3.5 C to -4.5 C in the second chiller.

The water may be circulated at a higher rate, e.g. 6 to 7 litres/minute, than the beverage.

5 From second chiller 24 the beverage recirculation passes to dispense valve 26. If the valve is closed the beverage continues around its recirculation loop and returns to the first chiller lo via a heat exchanger 28 and then via a Tjunction 30 with its source supply line.

The water warmed in the second chiller 24 also then passes through heat 10 exchanger 28 before returning to the first chiller lo via a Tjunction 32 with its source supply line. One way check valves 34, 36 between the heat exchanger and the respective Tjunctions ensure that the beverage and water cannot pass wrong-way around their recirculation loops.

A water branch line leading off from its recirculation loop at a 15 junction 38 between the first and second chillers leads to a valve 40, which when opened dispenses cold water via jets 42 around a glass or other beverage receptacle 44 positioned beneath beverage dispense valve 26. Water valve 40 may be controlled to open for a period just before, during and/or after valve 26 is opened so that beverage is 20 dispensed into a cooled receptacle. The receptacle is shown standing on a drip tray 46 through which the water may drain away as indicted by arrow A. A temperature sensor 48 is in the beverage flow loop in valve 26.

When a beverage dispense is activated, the temperature sensor 48 feeds 25 the temperature information of the beverage to a control unit (not shown) and the second chiller 24 is activated. Beverage continues to circulate around its loop until its temperature at the valve 26 has reached

the pre-programmed temperature and then the control unit activates opening of the valve 26. As the valve is opened, flow volume data may be fed from flow turbine 18 to the control unit, which then closes valve 26 when a predetermined volume has been dispensed. When the 5 dispense valve is closed, the current to the second chiller may be reversed for a few seconds to increase beverage temperature a little to eliminate the possibility of any ice formation.

The flow turbine 18 may, if desired, be positioned closer to the dispense valve 26, e.g. between that valve and the second chiller. Valve 10 50, shown positioned between check valve 34 and Tjunction 30 in the beverage recirculation loop is then activated to close the recirculation loop during dispense so that the flow turbine registers only flow through valve 26.

A purge tap may conveniently be added to each recirculation 15 loop, e.g. between heat exchanger 28 and the check valves 34, 36 so that the system may be primed to remove air before first use.

1. A beverage dispense system including a beverage supply line provided with a dispense valve wherein the beverage supply line passes through a thermoelectric device for cooling the beverage in a first mode 5 of operation and for heating the beverage in a second mode of operation.

2. A beverage dispense system according to claim 1 in which the thermoelectric device comprises a Pettier plate assembly.

3. A beverage dispense system according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the thermoelectric device is operable in the first mode to cool the 10 beverage when dispense from the dispense valve is required.

4. A beverage dispense system according to Claim 3, in which power

to the thermoelectric device is arranged to be switched off after a predetermined dispense time or predetermined flow of beverage from the dispense valve.

15 5. A beverage dispense system according to any preceding claim, in which the thermoelectric device is operable in the second mode to heat the beverage at the end of a dispense.

6. A beverage dispense system according to any preceding claim, in which power to the thermoelectric device is arranged to be reversed for 20 switching the thermoelectric device between the first and second modes of operation. 7. A beverage dispense system according to any preceding claim, in which the thermoelectric device is operable to cool dispensed beverage and to warm up undispensed beverage.

25 8. A beverage dispense system according to any preceding claim, in which the supply line includes a beverage recirculation loop for circulating beverage through the thermoelectric device.

9. A beverage dispense system according to claim 8, in which a dispense control is connected to a temperature sensor in the beverage

recirculation loop, the control allowing the opening of the dispense valve only after the beverage has reached a predetermined temperature.

10. A beverage dispense system according to Claim 9, in which the temperature sensor is located between the thermoelectric device and the 5 dispense valve.

11. A beverage dispense system according to Claim 10, in which the temperature sensor is located in a housing of the dispense valve or just downstream thereof in the beverage recirculation loop.

12. A beverage dispense system according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, 10 having a dispense control incorporating a time delay to open the dispense valve a predetermined time after actuation of the thermoelectric device.

13. A beverage dispense system according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the beverage supply line passes through a chiller upstream of the thermoelectric device.

15 14. A beverage dispense system according to claim 13, in which the chiller is a single ice bank cooler.

15. A beverage dispense system according to claim 13 or claim 14, in which the chiller cools the beverage to just above 0 C and the thermoelectric device cools the beverage several degrees lower for 20 dispense.

16. A beverage dispense system according to any preceding claim, in which means is provided for removing heat from the thermoelectric device in the first mode of operation.

17. A beverage dispense system according to claim 16, in which the 25 means for removing heat from the thermoelectric device comprises a water recirculation loop.

18. A beverage dispense system according to claim 17, in which the water recirculation loop includes a dispense valve for dispensing water to cool a receptacle arranged to receive beverage from the dispense valve in

the beverage recirculation loop.

19. A beverage dispense system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of dispensing a beverage including the steps of providing 5 a beverage supply line with a thermoelectric device operable to cool beverage in the supply line in a first mode of operation and to heat beverage in the supply line in a second mode of operation.

21. A method according to claim 20, in which the thermoelectric device is operable to cool dispensed beverage and to heat undispensed beverage.

10 22. A method according to claim 20 or claim 21, in which the thermoelectric device is arranged downstream of a chiller through which the beverage supply line passes to cool the beverage to a first temperature and the thermoelectric device is operable to cool the beverage to a second, lower temperature for dispense.

15 23. A method of dispensing a beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A chilled beverage dispense system including a beverage recirculation loop and a water recirculation loop, a dispense valve located in the beverage recirculation loop, a first chiller, through which both 20 loops pass, for cooling both the beverage and the water, and a second chiller through which both loops pass, the second chiller comprising a thermoelectric device and being located between the first chiller and the dispense valve whereby the beverage to be dispensed is further cooled in the second chiller and the water removes heat from the second chiller.

25 25. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 24, in which the therrno-electric device comprises one or more layers of Pettier plate assemblies. 26. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 24 or 25, in which the first chiller is a single ice bank cooler and a portion of each

recirculation loop is immersed in water/ice within the cooler.

27. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 24,25 or 26, in which the first chiller cools both the water and the beverage to just above 0 C and the second chiller cools the beverage several degrees 5 cooler.

28. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 27, in which the second chiller cools the beverage to-3.5 C to-4.5 C.

29. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 28, in which the water which has passed through the second chiller 10 passes through one side of a heat exchanger before returning to the first chiller. 30. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 29, in which recirculating beverage which has passed the dispense valve passes through the other side of the heat exchanger before returning to the first chiller.

15 31. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 29 or 30, in which the heat exchanger is of the tube-in-tube type.

32. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 31, in which the second chiller is only actuated when dispense from the dispense valve is required.

20 33. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 32, in which the power supply to the second chiller is arranged to be switched off after a predetermined dispense time or predetermined flow of beverage from the dispense valve.

34. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 25 to 33, in which at the end of a dispense, the power to the thermo- electric device is arranged to be switched off, reversed and switched on again for a short time and then switched off again.

35. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 34, having a dispense control connected to a temperature sensor in the

beverage recirculation loop, the control allowing the opening of the dispense valve only after the beverage has reached a predetermined temperature. 36. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 35, in which 5 the temperature sensor is located between the second chiller and the dispense valve.

37. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 35, in which the temperature sensor is located in the housing of the dispense valve or just downstream thereof in the beverage recirculation loop.

10 38. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 35, having a dispense control incorporating a time delay to open the dispense valve a predetermined time after actuation of the second chiller.

39. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 38, in which a water dispense valve is provided in the water 15 recirculation loop.

40. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 39, in which the water dispense valve is positioned in its loop before the water reaches the second chiller.

41. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 39 or 40, in 20 which controlled quantities of chilled water may be dispensed from the water dispense valve in response to signals from a dispense control.

42. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 39, 40 or 41, in which the dispensed chilled water is passed to means to project or spray it onto a receptacle to receive the dispensed beverage.

25 43. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 42, which includes a connection to each recirculation loop before the first chiller, one connection being connected to a source of beverage and the other to a source of water, whereby the loops may be replenished as required.

44. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 to 43, which includes a flow meter to measure the quantity of beverage dispensed. 45. A chilled beverage dispense system according to any of claims 24 5 to 44, which includes a purge tap in each recirculation loop.

46. A chilled beverage dispense system according to Claim 24, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

J

Claims

. c::::e::: Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows ': I,::.: ' ' 2 CLAIMS

1. A method of dispensing a chilled beverage comprising providing a source of a beverage to be dispensed, supplying the beverage to a dispense valve for dispense, and, between the beverage source and the 5 dispense valve, cooling the beverage to a first temperature in a first chiller, further cooling the beverage to a second temperature lower than the first temperature in a second chiller, and re-circulating the beverage in a beverage re-circulation loop including the dispense valve and second chiller between dispenses, wherein the second chiller comprises a 10 thermoelectric device for cooling the beverage in a first mode of operation and for heating the beverage in a second mode of operation, and removing heat from the thermoelectric device in the first mode of operation with a water re-circulation loop.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the thermo-electric device 15 comprises a Pettier plate assembly.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the thermoelectric device is operable in the first mode to cool the beverage when dispense from the dispense valve is required.

4. A method according to Claim 3, in which power to the 20 thermoelectric device is arranged to be switched off after a predetermined dispense time or predetermined flow of beverage from the dispense valve.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, in which the thermoelectric device is operable in the second mode to heat the beverage at the end of a dispense.

25

6. A method according to any preceding claim, in which power to the thermoelectric device is arranged to be reversed for switching the thermoelectric device between the first and second modes of operation.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, in which the thermoelectric device is operable to cool dispensed beverage and to warm

r r # or À À À

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V' up undispensed beverage.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a dispense control is connected to a temperature sensor in the beverage recirculation loop, the control allowing the opening of the dispense valve 5 only after the beverage has reached a predetermined temperature.

9. A method according to Claim 8, in which the temperature sensor is located between the thermoelectric device and the dispense valve.

10. A method according to Claim 9, in which the temperature sensor is located in a housing of the dispense valve or just downstream thereof in 10 the beverage recirculation loop.

11. A method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, having a dispense control incorporating a time delay to open the dispense valve a predetermined time after actuation of the thermoelectric device.

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which 15 the first chiller is a single ice bank cooler.

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the first chiller cools the beverage to just above 0 C and the thermoelectric device cools the beverage several degrees lower for dispense. 20

14. A method according to claim 13, in which the thermoelectric device cools the beverage to -3.5 C to -4.5 C.

15. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the water recirculation loop includes a dispense valve for dispensing water to cool a receptacle arranged to receive beverage from the dispense 25 valve in the beverage recirculation loop.

16. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which beverage in the beverage recirculation loop downstream of the dispense valve and water in the water recirculation loop downstream of the thermoelectric device pass through opposite sides of a heat exchanger.

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17. A method of dispensing a chilled beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.