GB2518693A - Excalibur gas recycling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A system which is mounted to the wall in close proximity to the appropriate beer to be dispensed and uses the pressurized gas from an empty beer keg 9 to dispense beer from another keg 12 through the changeover valve. The empty keg acts as a secondary supply of gas to enable continuation of beer dispense. The system is connected to the existing gas supply using the changeover valve 6 which is located between the original isolation valve 3 and the keg that is to be dispensed, this then allows the reutilisation of the gas from the previously used keg. The pressure gauge 6D is to indicate the pressure left in the empty keg. The switch 6E on the valve should be turned to point towards the pressure gauge to use the gas from the empty keg and turned the other way to use gas from the bottle supply.

Description

Description

Title -A Gas Recycling System The "Excalibur DCEGO1" is a System that reuses inert mixed gas in beer kegs that have had the beer taken out via the usual dispense system.

It reuses this gas to then dispense from the next keg of beer to be used -thus reducing the amount of C02 released into the atmosphere.

This all happens in the cellar in which the kegs of beer are kept and once recycled the kegs can then be returned to the breweries for cleaning and refilling without the need to vent off unused gases.

The "DCEGOl" valve (6) is a purchased pre assembled unit that comprises of a brass manual changeover valve with a powder coated handle a X" BSP threaded male outlet and 2 x 34" BSP mate threaded inlets, also a brass "Tee" with a 34" BSP concentric female thread and 2 x%" BSP female threads, the top part of this "Tee" has the 6 Bar pressure gauge threaded into it, these are aH assembled to form the valve.

The Keg couplers (8) are purchased and are available on the open market; these are "A" Type, "5" Type, "G" Type or "U" Type couplers, type used is depended on the type of coupler used on the relevant keg.

The pipe (or tubing) (5) used is a purchased pipe made of 3/8" MDP 250 x 375 which has been manufactured and is sold as a dispense gas pipe.

The adaptors that join the pipe to the valves (3 & 6) and Keg couplers (8 & 11) together are purchased 3/8" x 34 " BSP push fit adaptors.

Introduction and Background to the invention

First -we attach the "DCEGO1" valve (6) to the wall or white board in the cellar in close proximity to the beer keg as is practically possible using two screws or strong adhesive.

At the gas shut off valve (3) part of the existing system on the bottled gas supply, we remove the existing pipe that leads to the keg of beer being dispensed and insert this pipe into our "DCEGO1" valve at the bottom exit connector (6A), we then measure and cut a length of pipe to go from the gas shut off valve (3) to the right hand port connector (GB), we then cut another length of 3/8" pipe to go from the keg (9) now empty of beer to the left hand port connector (6C), on the other end of this pipe we then fit the required keg coupler appropriate for each type of beer being dispensed.

The valve switch located on the top of the "DCEGO1" valve (GE) is then turned to point towards the gauge (GD) for the system to allow the gas from the empty beer keg to flow through the "DCEGO1" valve and dispense the beer from the full keg, this allows approximately 35-40% of the full keg to be dispensed using the gas from the previous keg, each time a keg is emptied of beer it can be attached to the "DCEGOl" system and the gas reused -thus saving the necessity to release unused C02 into the atmosphere.

When the empty beer keg is depleted of the gas the switch on the top of the "DCEGOl" valve can be turned around to point towards the bottled gas inlet, this allows the continuation of the beer to be dispensed until that beer has ran out and so allowing that keg to be utilised for its gas content.

Possible modification and variations It is possible to substitute the manual change over valve for an automatic version, this would reduce the percentage of gas used and so would give a slightly lower saving on costs.

During our trials, we managed to achieve a variety of dispense volumes, this was due to mimicking several different cellar set-ups, we set the system up to represent a cellar at over 90 feet away and then as close as possible at about 2 feet away, then we set up the trial to dispense at a head height of 12 feet and a set up of about 18 inches.

Advantages of the invention We offer this system to clients wishing to reduce their costs of dispense gas and also to help reduce their carbon footprint and an overall reduction of global carbon emissions.

There are no systems available on the market for us to be able to make a comparison to, therefore this totally unique system is revolutionary and is completely unprecedented and as such we can't offer any comparables or differences.

Claims (5)

1. Claims 1. A recycling system that reuses inert mixed gas from beer kegs that have had the beer taken out via the usual dispense method, It reuses this gas directly from the empty keg to then dispense from the next keg of beer to be used, it uses existing components and purchased components to achieve this.
2. 2. A recycling system according to claim 1, whereby it uses the pressure of the gas in the empty keg to be reused by passing through the changeover valve which then displaces a percentage of the contents of the attached full keg.
3. 3. A recycling system according to claim 1, is attached to the kegs using purchased adaptors and purchased keg couplings to allow the flow of gas through the changeover valve to displace the next keg of beer for serving.
4. 4. A recycling system according to claim 2, uses the gas previously used in dispensing the first keg which is now know as the empty keg.
5. 5. A recycling system according to claim 1, almost completely depletes the gas remaining in the empty keg by passing through the changeover valve.