US20120267070A1

US20120267070A1 - Beverage transport assembly

Info

Publication number: US20120267070A1
Application number: US13/453,515
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Mack
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-22
Filing date: 2012-04-23
Publication date: 2012-10-25

Abstract

An improved beverage transport assembly that functions to provide a vehicle for transporting liquids from a remote storage location (e.g. a cooler or refrigerated room) to a dispensing location (e.g. a bar or concession stand), preferably in a temperature conditioned manner. The improved transport assembly including at least a conduit assembly, the conduit assembly having, an inner and an outer casing with an insulation layer disposed there between and an interior space, the inner casing has a thermal conductivity value of at least two times a thermal conductivity value of the insulation layer; and the transport assembly having one or more product lines disposed within and extending through the interior space; and one or more coolant lines disposed within and extending through the interior space, wherein the coolant line is in thermal communication with the inner casing.

Description

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/478,087, filed Apr. 22, 2011.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved beverage transport assembly, and more particularly to an assembly that ensures that desired temperatures can be maintained in product lines for remote beverage dispensing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to utilize some kind of piping system for the purpose of protecting and running beverage lines throughout a facility that employs remote beverage systems, for example as taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,725,028 and 7,802,445. It is also known to bundle the beverage lines (typically plastic tubing) together with an insulating material when beverage temperature control is desired. Bundles of insulated beverage tubing, commonly referred to as “trunk lines” or “pythons”, may typically contain from one (1) to thirty (30) tubes that carry the beverage (“product lines”) and typically at least two tubes that carry a food-grade glycol coolant. Although there are slight variations from one manufacturer to another, it is believed that the tubing bundles are typically wrapped with a layer of moisture resistant material such as cellophane or other plastic to contain any condensation; a thin layer of reflective material, such as aluminum foil (typically less than about 0.2 mm thick and reflect heat); a layer of insulating material, such as sponge rubber, to protect against temperature loss; and an outer jacket, such as heavy vinyl tape or extruded plastic/rubber material, to protect the insulating layer, reduce friction when pulling the trunk line through a piping system and to maintain its overall integrity. The obvious purpose of an insulated trunk line is to maintain a desirable beverage temperature from the point of storage to the point of dispense. Typically, once these trunk lines are assembled, they are then pulled through the piping system to provide beverage service throughout a facility; much like wiring is pulled through electrical conduit to provide electrical service throughout a facility.
It is believed that the current method and design, widely used throughout the industry, to assemble and install these trunk lines has many inherent flaws, such as being labor intensive, expensive to produce, inconsistent insulation properties, poor heat conduction and heat capacity properties, as well as numerous other issues, thus resulting in a product and system that performs poorly for its intended use.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that heat cannot, of itself, pass from a colder to a hotter body. This means the current and popular configuration of insulated beverage trunk lines, which attempts to contain cold, rather than keep heat out, may be self defeating. As stated before, coolant carrier lines are bundled together with product carrier lines and then wrapped up together with the various layers of materials aforementioned. It is believed that bundling coolant lines among the product lines, causes heat from the surrounding environment to migrate toward and be absorbed by the cooler product carrier lines. Thus, it is desirable to produce a product that helps maintain beverage temperature by absorbing and carrying away heat from the surrounding environment before it reaches the product carrier lines. It is also desirable to achieve this in a more energy efficient manner, as well as at a reduced labor rate and overall cost.
It is believed that another major flaw of the current method is the compression of the insulating component of the trunk line. With nearly all insulation materials, their ability to insulate is significantly reduced as it is compressed. The more it is compressed, the less effective its insulating properties. Compression of the insulating material is inherent of the manufacturing process, packaging, shipping and installation of current beverage trunk line designs. Insulation is compressed when it is pulled over the product and coolant carrier lines. It is also compressed when the outer protective jacket of a trunk line is applied. Further compression of the insulation occurs during packaging, when a trunk line is coiled up in a container or wrapped around a spool; during shipping; and over time, once a system is put into service, due to the weight of the liquid carrying lines within. It is desirable to provide an effective insulating element to maintain a beverage temperature.
Yet another perceived negative aspect of current beverage trunk lines, relates to line failure (product and/or coolant lines). Should an individual product carrier line become damaged or contaminated, the entire trunk line must be replaced, as individual lines cannot be removed or added. It is desirable to provide for individual line additions, should additional beverage service be desired or individual line replacement due to damage, contamination or expired service life
Finally, once a trunk line is assembled, it becomes very heavy and cumbersome. Packaging is bulky and expensive to ship. Large boxes or spools are difficult and dangerous to navigate through buildings to their point of installation. The trunk lines are relatively rigid and may be difficult to pull through a network of conduit. Current specifications generally call for access points every 20 to 30 meters so the entire length of the trunk line can be pulled out each access point and fed back into the piping system, to be pulled to the next access point, until it is ultimately pulled to the final point of service.
Among the literature that pertains to this technology include the following patent documents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,028; U.S. Pat. No. 7,802,445; U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,632; USPUB 2007/0157656; U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,855; U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,440; U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,500; U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,255; USPUB 2006/0032545; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,018 all incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses one or more of the problems discussed above and provides a unique and surprisingly effective solution. The invention may be comprised of at least an outer tube, pipe, conduit or casing; one or more smaller diameter inner tube, pipe, conduit or casing and a separating layer of insulating material, wherein the inner tube is configured to help provide a temperature controlled space for the product lines.
The outer tube can be made of any material appropriate for the application or environment in which it will be used, e.g., a plastic material for buried applications; aluminum for above ground applications; or heavy steel pipe for hostile environment applications, for example. Any number of materials that are currently used as tube or pipe can be used for the larger diameter outer tube, so long as it appropriate for the external environment and serves to provide at least some protection of the other components of the total system.
In one embodiment, the inner tube(s), or casing, comprises a material capable of effectively conducting temperature and preferably a relatively high heat carrying capacity. It is contemplated that one reason for this specific configuration is to create a desired temperature controlled environment within the inner tube and minimize the amount of heat that reaches the product carrier lines disposed therein. By providing an assembly that incorporates a cold barrier between the product carrier lines and the warmer outside environment, a significant amount of heat may be removed before it reaches the product carrier tubes (product lines), and more importantly, the products therein (e.g. beer). Furthermore, any significant amount of excess heat that does penetrated into the environment of the inner casing should be absorbed and removed before it can affect the temperature of the product within the product carrier lines. It is also contemplated that the inner casing be relatively rigid, at least in as much as it does not crush due to the weight of the full assembly.
The insulation layer is preferably located at least partially between a relatively rigid inner and outer casing. This sandwiching effect provides consistent insulation properties.
The assembly according to the present invention also provides the advantage of replaceable product and/or coolant lines. Since the inner casing may be creating a more effective cooling environment, the individual product and coolant lines may not be tied together as in the traditional trunk line construction and be free to be installed and/or replaced individually.
Additionally, the coolant lines may be formed from a polyethylene material as is widely used in coolant lines of existing beverage trunk lines. In some instances, coolant lines made from a more conductive material, such as annealed copper, aluminum or stainless steel may also be used and produce a colder and more stable environment within the inner tube, thus resulting in an even more energy efficient system.
Accordingly, pursuant to one embodiment of the present invention, there is contemplated a beverage transport assembly including at least: a conduit assembly; one or more product lines disposed within and extending through the interior space; and one or more coolant lines disposed within and extending through the interior space, wherein the coolant line is in thermal communication with the inner casing of the conduit assembly; the conduit assembly including at least: an inner and an outer casing with an insulation layer disposed there between and an interior space, the inner casing has a thermal conductivity value of at least 5 and a thickness of at least 0.5 mm.
The invention may be further characterized by one or any combination of the features described herein, such as a heat capacity of the inner casing is at least two times that of a heat capacity of contents of the interior space; the inner casing comprises a thermally conductive polymer; the inner casing comprises a rigid metallic structure; the metallic structure comprises aluminum; the metallic structure comprises stainless steel; the one or more product lines are independently removable from the interior space; the one or more coolant lines are independently removable from the interior space; the insulation layer is a material with a thermal conductivity value of less than 5 and a thickness of at least 5 mm; the insulation layer has an R-value that varies less than 10% over a 3 m linear length of the beverage transport assembly; the insulation layer comprises a foam; the foam is a polyisocyanurate and polyurethane closed cell foam; the coolant line is in conductive thermal contact with the inner casing; the coolant line is in convective thermal contact with the inner casing; the coolant line is in radiant contact with the inner casing.
Accordingly, pursuant to another embodiment of the present invention, there is contemplated a beverage transport assembly including at least a conduit assembly, the conduit assembly comprising: an inner and an outer casing with an insulation layer disposed there between and an interior space, wherein the inner casing has a thermal conductivity value of at least two times a thermal conductivity value of the insulation layer; the beverage transport assembly also including one or more product lines disposed within and extending through the interior space; and one or more coolant lines disposed within and extending through the interior space, wherein the coolant line is in thermal communication with the inner casing.
The invention may be further characterized by one or any combination of the features described herein, such as a heat capacity of the inner casing is at least two times that of a heat capacity of contents of the interior space; both the inner casing comprises a thermally conductive polymer; both the inner casing comprises a rigid metallic structure; the one or more product lines are independently removable from the interior space up to a length of 100 m; the insulation layer is a material with a thermal conductivity value of less than 5 and a thickness of at least 5 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional side view of a first preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 1A illustrates a sectional side view of a conduit according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional side view of a second preferred embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view with cut away of a junction box according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic of the test set-up according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional side view of an industry standard trunk line inside a conduit as used in the comparative test;

FIG. 6 illustrates a table and graph of the results of the comparative test, showing the results for the industry standard trunk line; and

FIG. 7. illustrates a table and graph of the results of the comparative test, showing the results for one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description and appended drawings describe and illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner.
The present invention relates to an improved beverage transport assembly that functions to provide a vehicle for transporting liquids from a remote storage location (e.g. a cooler or refrigerated room) to a dispensing location (e.g. a bar or concession stand), preferably in a temperature conditioned manner. The assembly consists of a number of components and component assemblies, each of which will be described in greater detail in the following paragraphs.

Conduit Assembly

The beverage transport assembly 10 of the present invention includes a conduit assembly, which functions to provide a main passageway for both product lines (e.g. delivery means for liquids such as beer and other food stuffs) and coolant lines. It is contemplated that the conduit assembly is capable of protecting the lines from exposure to the outside environment and aids in maintaining a desired temperature in the product lines. In one embodiment the conduit assembly 20 may include at least three main components: an outer casing 30; an inner casing 40; and an insulation layer 50 generally disposed in between, generally shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. It In another embodiment, more than one inner casing 40 may be provided within a singular outer casing 30 and that these multiple inner casings 40 may or may not be separated from one another by the insulation layer 50. In an illustrative example, shown in FIG. 2 (with the product and coolant lines), an outer casing 30 encloses two inner casings 40 and is separated by an insulation layer 50.
Insulated junction boxes 120 may be used in the beverage transport assembly 10, for example as shown in FIG. 3. These boxes 120 may function to join two or more sections of conduit 20 together and/or serve as a splitting area for the product or coolant lines 60, 70 respectively. It is preferred that the boxes 120 have a similar construction as the conduit 20 (e.g. inner and outer casings 40, 30 respectively, with an insulation layer 50 disposed there between).

Outer Casing

The outer casing 40 functions to provide a protective outer shell for the beverage transport assembly 10. The outer casing 40 may be constructed of any number of materials (e.g. plastic; ceramic; concrete; aluminum; and/or steel) and may be any number of shapes (e.g. round, square, triangular; elliptical), depending on the environment. It may be constructed in relatively long straight sections and/or include turns or bends to allow it to traverse the distance from the remote storage location to the dispensing location. Bends should have a centerline radius equal to or greater than the minimum bend radius of the carrier and coolant lines contained within. It also may vary in size (e.g. diameter in the case of a round tubular structure) locally along its length. The walls of the casing may be contiguous or may have local interruptions (e.g. holes). Preferably, the outer casing 40 will maintain its shape and will not crush due to the weight of the other components of the beverage transport assembly 10.
In one illustrative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an outer casing 30 is in the form of a tube with a diameter that is greater than that of the inner casing 40, which is also in the form of a tube. Preferably, the diameter of the outer casing 30 is sufficiently larger than that of the inner casing 40 such that an insulation layer 50 that is disposed there between has sufficient insulating properties to function as intended. It is preferred that the outer casing 30 is dimensioned such that a gap G_Ois generally maintained between the inner and outer casing 40, 30 respectively. Preferably, G_Ois about 10 mm or more, more preferably about 15 mm or more, and most preferably about 25 mm or more, and G_Ois about 60 mm or less, more preferably about 50 mm or less, and most preferably about 35 mm or less.
The outer casing 30 may also be further defined as having an outer surface 32, and inner surface 34, and a thickness T_O. It is contemplated that the thickness T_Omay generally range from as little as about 0.2 mm (e.g. in the case of a metallic structure) to as much as about 60 mm (e.g. in the case of concrete). In the one illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and in a preferred embodiment, the outer casing 30 is about 1.2 mm thick and constructed primarily of aluminum.
It is also contemplated that the outer casing 30 may be coated (inside, outside, or any combination thereof) with other materials that may improve its functionality, such as paints, elastomers, reflective media, for example.

Insulation Layer

The insulation layer 50 functions to impede the movement of heat energy from the external environment to the inner casing 40 and ultimately the product lines 60. It is contemplated that the insulation layer 50 cannot prevent heat from reaching the inner casing 40, but functions to reduce the rate at which heat can reach it. This impedance can be defined in terms of thermal conductivity (“k”). In physics, thermal conductivity, k, is the property of a material's ability to conduct heat. It appears primarily in Fourier's Law for heat conduction. Heat transfer across materials of high thermal conductivity occurs at a faster rate than across materials of low thermal conductivity. In the International System of Units (SI), thermal conductivity is measured in Watts per meter Kelvin (W/(m·K)) (all values for k are assumed to be at or about 25° C.).
In the scope of the present invention, the insulation layer 50 provides a barrier that slows the progression of heat in reaching the inner casing 40 and preferably has a conductivity k of at most about 4, more preferably at most about 2, and most preferably at most about 0.02, and preferably at least about 0.001.
Another way of defining the insulation layer 50 is that it provides a certain “R” value between the outer and inner casings 30, 40 respectively. The R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. R-values, in SI units, are defined as square-metre Kelvins per watt or m²·K/W (or equivalently to m²·° C./W). In a preferred embodiment, the insulation layer 50 can provide an R-value of at least about 0.5, more preferably at least about 1.0, and most preferably about 1.5, and preferably less than about 15, more preferably less than about 7, and most preferably less than about 6. Of note, United States R-values are approximately six times SI R-values because of the units commonly used.
In one aspect of the present invention, it is contemplated that the insulation layer 50 generally has an R-value that varies very little over the length of the assembly 10. Preferably, the R-value varies less than about 10% over a 20 cm linear length of the beverage transport assembly 10.
It is contemplated that the insulation layer 50 may be comprised of foam (open or closed cell); fiber glass; elastomeric; polyethylene; glass bead media; ceramic bead media; aerogels; microgels; nanogels; or any combination thereof, so long as it adequately performs the functions described above.
In one preferred embodiment, the insulation layer 50 comprises closed cell foam, and more particularly a polyurethane/polyisocyanurate based foam. It is contemplated that this added to the full beverage transport assembly via spray or pour application, introduced between the inner and outer casings.

Inner Casing

The inner casing 40 provides a number of functions as it relates to the entire beverage transport assembly 10. It provides a protective pathway (physically and environmentally) for the product and coolant lines 60, 70 respectively, and it provides heat conduction and heat storage functionality. It is contemplated that this inner casing 40 may be constructed of any number of materials so long as it provides the above functionality. It also may vary in size (e.g. diameter in the case of a round tubular structure) locally along its length. The walls of the casing 40 may be contiguous or may have local interruptions (e.g. holes). Preferably, the inner casing 40 will maintain its shape and will not crush due to the weight of the other components of the beverage transport assembly 10.
In one illustrative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an inner casing 40 is in the form of a tube with a diameter that is less than that of the outer casing 30, which is also in the form of a tube. In any form, the inner casing 40 should be constructed of a material that has a relatively high thermal conductivity (“k”), preferably at least twice that of the insulation layer 50.
The inner casing 40 may also be further defined as having an outer surface 42, an inner surface 44, and a thickness T_I. It also has a perimeter length L_IPwhich is the total linear length of the casing 40 and a unit area A_Cof L_IPmultiplied by T_I. The area inside the casing walls (e.g. between the inner surface 44) is referred to as A_Iand calculation of its value depends on the given shape of the casing 40. For example, if the casing is a circle, then A_Iis calculated by (pi)*(radius)²or πr², where end point of r is the inner surface 44.
It is contemplated that heat capacity (typically denoted by a capital C), or thermal capacity, is the measurable physical quantity that characterizes the amount of heat required to change a body's temperature by a given amount. In the International System of Units (SI), heat capacity is expressed in units of joules per Kelvin. With respect to the current invention, at least in one aspect thereof, it is contemplated that (per unit area) the heat capacity of the inner casing 40 should be greater than a heat capacity of contents of the interior space (e.g. air, product lines, and coolant lines). Preferably the inner casing 40 will have a greater heat capacity of at least about 1.2 times that of the contents of the interior space, more preferably at least about 1.5 times, and most preferably at least about 2 times, and preferably no more than about 100 times.
In another aspect of the present invention, it is also contemplated that the thermal conductivity k of the inner casing 40, in conjunction with its thickness T_I, be sufficiently high such that when heat does transfer from the insulation layer 50 it has little effect (e.g. 0 to about 5° C. change) on the contents of the interior space. It is contemplated that so long as the inner casing 40 can transfer heat faster than the insulation layer 50 and has sufficient thickness/mass (or heat capacity) and with the presence of the coolant lines 70, then a “cold barrier” between the product lines 60 and the warmer outside environment will be formed. Preferably, the material of the inner casing 40 should have a thermal conductivity k of at least about 2 times or more that of the insulation layer 50. In another way of characterizing the inner casing, it preferably has a thermal conductivity k of at least about 5, more preferably at least about 10, and most preferably at least about 20, and preferably at most about 1000, more preferably at most about 500, and most preferably at most about 275. As for thickness T_I, the inner casing thickness is at least about 0.5 mm, more preferably at least about 1.0 mm, and most preferably at least about 1.2 mm, and preferably at most about 10 mm, more preferably at most about 5 mm, and most preferably at most about 3 mm.

Product Lines

Product lines 60 function as the passageway for whatever product one wants to transport from the remote storage facility to the dispensing location. For example, as in a sporting arena, taking beer from a central cooler to a tap located somewhere else in the building. Product lines 60 are typically pipes or tubes, as shown in FIG. 1, and may be constructed of any number of materials, such as polymers, metals, or ceramics. In the present invention, it is contemplated that product lines 60 may be installed and/or removed from the assembly 10 individually or in groups. The most commonly used product line today consists of food grade polyethylene tubing. In one aspect of the present invention, it is contemplated that the product lines 60 are independently removable from the interior space (inside the inner casing 40) over a relatively long length, up to a length of 100 m or more.

Coolant Lines

Coolant lines 70 function to provide a way to take heat away from a system. It is contemplated that coolant lines 70 made from polyethylene and widely used as coolant lines 70 in beverage trunk lines, may be used in conjunction with the invention. In one aspect of the present invention, the assembly 10 includes one or more coolant lines 70 that are in thermal communication with the inner casing 40. This thermal communication may be convective, conductive, radiant or all three. In another aspect of the present invention, it is believed that tubing (cooling line) made from a more thermally conductive material, such as annealed copper, aluminum or stainless steel may also be used and will produce a colder and more stable environment within the inner casing 40, resulting in a more energy efficient system.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

A comparative test between what is considered the “industry standard” trunk lines or pythons configuration and a single embodiment of the present invention is conducted. Both subject to similar inputs and measurements, the exemplary set-up shown in FIGS. 4, 5 (industry standard), and 1 (inventive system), the results shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Temperatures of: the Product (at dispensing point, or end of the product line), Glycol Bath, Glycol Return, Ambient Air Temperature, Artificial Heat Source, and 3 points along the beverage transport assembly are taken (Internal 1 (1001), Internal 2 (1002), and Internal 3 (1003)). Total electrical energy use by the cooling unit is also tracked.

“Industry Standard”

Place a “10 product” trunk line 500 (with 2 coolant (glycol) lines 170, and 10 product lines 160) in an aluminum conduit 600 with a length of about 100 ft. (30.5 meters). Securely affix thermocouples to designated data points. Set up keg system 1000. Adjust keg CO₂pressure to about 20 psi (138 KPa). CO₂pressure may require adjustment to achieve required about 1 oz/second (29.5 ml/second) flow rate. Using the keg system, fill and cap nine (9) product lines of the industry standard trunk line with beer of the same source and temperature. Be certain all air has been evacuated from product lines. Connect one end of remaining product line to keg system. Connect other end to beer tap. Fill line with beer, evacuating all air. Leave line connected to keg system. Reduce beer temperature in keg to about 33° F.±2° (0.5° C.±3.5°). Maintain temperature for duration of entire test. Connect glycol lines to chiller unit. Plug energy consumption meter into outlet and plug glycol circulator into energy consumption meter. Mix glycol per manufacturer's instructions and fill glycol chiller's glycol bath reservoir 1100. Turn on glycol chiller recirculation pump to charge glycol lines. Activate refrigeration and set return temperature to about 30° F. (−1° C.). Turn on radiant heat source 1200. Allow system to run for a minimum of 24 hours before beginning data acquisition.
The test shall be conducted at ambient room conditions. Ambient room temperature is not required to be controlled, but shall have a dedicated data channel and be recorded for the duration of the test. Dispense about 12 oz (336 ml) of beer into suitable container and record temperature using probe thermometer. Discard beer. Record all remaining data points. Wait one (1) hour ±5 minutes and repeat dispense and record steps. Repeat an additional seven (7) times for a total of eight (8) readings over an 8 hour period. After eight (8) consecutive readings have been taken, dispense about 64 oz (1893 ml) of beer into suitable container and record temperature. Discard beer. Repeat every 10 minutes ±1 minute until a total of eight (8) readings are acquired. End test cycle.

Single Embodiment of the Present Invention

Repeat set-up and test, same as the “Industry Standard”, with the exception that one embodiment of the inventive system 10 is used (ten (10) product lines 60 and two (2) coolant lines 70) and does not go into a separate aluminum conduit. End test cycle.
It is contemplated that the embodiments or examples described above may not be mutually exclusive and may be used in combination with each other.
Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components can be provided by a single integrated structure. Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided into separate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed. A person of ordinary skill in the art would realize however, that certain modifications would come within the teachings of this invention. Therefore, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of the invention.
Any numerical values recited in the above application include all values from the lower value to the upper value in increments of one unit provided that there is a separation of at least 2 units between any lower value and any higher value. As an example, if it is stated that the amount of a component or a value of a process variable such as, for example, temperature, pressure, time and the like is, for example, from 1 to 90, preferably from 20 to 80, more preferably from 30 to 70, it is intended that values such as 15 to 85, 22 to 68, 43 to 51, 30 to 32 etc. are expressly enumerated in this specification. For values which are less than one, one unit is considered to be 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01 or 0.1 as appropriate. These are only examples of what is specifically intended and all possible combinations of numerical values between the lowest value and the highest value enumerated are to be considered to be expressly stated in this application in a similar manner.
Unless otherwise stated, all ranges include both endpoints and all numbers between the endpoints. The use of “about” or “approximately” in connection with a range applies to both ends of the range. Thus, “about 20 to 30” is intended to cover “about 20 to about 30”, inclusive of at least the specified endpoints.
The disclosures of all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes.
The term “consisting essentially of” to describe a combination shall include the elements, ingredients, components or steps identified, and such other elements ingredients, components or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the combination.
The use of the terms “comprising” or “including” describing combinations of elements, ingredients, components or steps herein also contemplates embodiments that consist essentially of the elements, ingredients, components or steps.
Plural elements, ingredients, components or steps can be provided by a single integrated element, ingredient, component or step. Alternatively, a single integrated element, ingredient, component or step might be divided into separate plural elements, ingredients, components or steps. The disclosure of “a” or “one” to describe an element, ingredient, component or step is not intended to foreclose additional elements, ingredients, components or steps. AH references herein to elements or metals belonging to a certain Group refer to the Periodic Table of the Elements published and copyrighted by CRC Press, Inc., 1989. Any reference to the Group or Groups shall be to the Group or Groups as reflected in this Periodic Table of the Elements using the IUPAC system for numbering groups.

Claims

1. A beverage transport assembly comprising:

a conduit assembly, the conduit assembly comprising:

an inner and an outer casing with an insulation layer disposed there between and an interior space, wherein the inner casing has a thermal conductivity value of at least 5 and a thickness of at least 0.5 mm;

one or more product lines disposed within and extending through the interior space; and

one or more coolant lines disposed within and extending through the interior space, wherein the coolant line is in thermal communication with the inner casing.

2. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein a heat capacity of the inner casing is at least two times that of a heat capacity of contents of the interior space.

3. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner casing comprises a thermally conductive polymer.

4. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner casing comprises a rigid metallic structure.

5. The beverage transport assembly of claim 4, wherein the rigid metallic structure comprises aluminum.

6. The beverage transport assembly of claim 4, wherein the rigid metallic structure comprises stainless steel.

7. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more product lines are independently removable from the interior space.

8. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more coolant lines are independently removable from the interior space.

9. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer is a material with a thermal conductivity value of less than 5 and a thickness of at least 5 mm.

10. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the insulation layer has an R-value that varies less than 10% over a 3 meter linear length of the beverage transport assembly.

11. The beverage transport assembly of claim 9, wherein the insulation layer comprises a foam.

12. The beverage transport assembly of claim 11, wherein the foam is a polyisocyanurate and polyurethane closed cell foam.

13. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the coolant line is in conductive thermal contact with the inner casing.

14. The beverage transport assembly of claim 1, wherein the coolant line is in convective thermal contact with the inner casing.

15. A beverage transport assembly comprising:

a conduit assembly, the conduit assembly comprising:

an inner and an outer casing with an insulation layer disposed therebetween and an interior space, wherein the inner casing has a thermal conductivity value of at least two times a thermal conductivity value of the insulation layer;

16. The beverage transport assembly of claim 15, wherein a heat capacity of the inner casing is at least two times that of a heat capacity of contents of the interior space.

17. The beverage transport assembly of claim 15, wherein the inner casing comprises a thermally conductive polymer.

18. The beverage transport assembly of claim 15, wherein the inner casing comprises a rigid metallic structure.

19. The beverage transport assembly of claim 15, wherein the one or more product lines are independently removable from the interior space up to a length of 100 m.

20. The beverage transport assembly of claim 15, wherein the insulation layer is a material with a thermal conductivity value of less than 5 and a thickness of at least 5 mm.