Patent Grant
12138600
Not Applicable
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for enhancing carbonation of drinking water and drinking beverages, resulting in carbonated water and carbonated drinking beverages (by mixing carbonated water with syrups). Carbonated water and other carbonated drinks are typically formed by combining pressurized chilled water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) within a metal chamber; or in a few cases, instantaneously mixing them on-line, at a point of dispensation.
When the carbonated drink is produced at a beverage production facility, the resulting carbonated beverage is dispensed in bottles, cans, or other containers for distribution. Some beverages are produced with higher level of carbonation than others. Level of carbonation varies from beverage to beverage. The level of carbonation may be a function of consumer taste. It may also be influenced by a desire to maintain the carbonation at a certain level over a period of time. In consideration of the longevity of CO2 in beverages, it is known that certain PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) containers (e.g., plastic bottles in which carbonated beverages are contained), leak carbon dioxide from their walls over time, therefore drastically reducing the duration of carbonation in beverages. This happens because, initially the carbonated beverage is kept under pressure; and once a bottle or a can is opened, the carbonation will begin to decrease as carbon dioxide bubbles are dissipated from the beverage very quickly due to atmospheric pressure and at ambient temperature. The same is true with a point-of-use dispenser (e.g., a soda fountain) which combines, at high pressures, the carbon dioxide with the refrigerated water to generate highly carbonated water, and mixes the highly carbonated water with syrups inside the dispensing nozzle (e.g., post-mix dispenser).
It is well known that the solubility of carbon dioxide gas in water is fixed at 25° C. and atmospheric pressure. Under these boundary conditions, only a small fraction of CO2 in water exists as carbonic acid and the majority of CO2 in water is not converted to acid and remains as CO2 (aq), i.e., the CO2 (aq) is not bonded to the water and can rapidly be released from the water. To increase the amount of CO2 dissolved in water (in the event that sparkling water must be generated) the Food and Beverage Industry has developed a process using water refrigerated, at low temperature, that is mixed with gas under high pressure. In fact, mixing water with carbon dioxide at temperatures close to water freezing (0° C./32° F.), dramatically increases the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2 aq) that is retained in (chilled) water. By increasing the carbon dioxide gas pressure while mixing it with highly pressurized (chilled) water is an additional step that is commonly used by the Food and Beverage Industry to amplify the carbonation level in beverages. Consequently, when producing carbonated water, low temperatures (close to water freezing, 0° C.) and high pressures (over 400 pounds per square inch (psi)) of both liquid and gas are the solutions currently used in beverage production plants as well as in point-of-use post-mix beverage dispensers.
In typical carbonated beverages, gas bubbles quickly form when the beverage is dispensed. Under atmospheric pressure and at room temperature, gas (CO2) bubbles grow inside the water solution until they are quickly released from the surface of the beverage, resulting in a “flat” beverage in relatively short amount of time. In order to produce highly carbonated water suitable for drinking in an open glass, it is necessary to dissolve a larger quantity of carbon dioxide gas in water, and to avoid the gas quickly dissolving in the atmosphere.
The electrical bond between water (H2O) molecules and the carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules is understood to be a dominant factor in the ability to maintain the amount of carbon dioxide inside the water (in a form of carbonic acid). This bond assists in allowing sparkling water to retain its carbonation level for a longer period of time after being dispensed. Unfortunately, that bonding between H2O and CO2 molecules is known to be very weak (i.e., water molecules prefer to bond to each other rather than with carbon dioxide molecules). In general, an equilibrium condition exists when a chemical reaction (CO2/H2O bonding) and its reverse reaction (CO2/H2O separation) occur at equal rates. That equilibrium is typically determined by the partial pressure of CO2 (gas) on the water.
Both water and carbon dioxide molecules are polarized molecules. As described below, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus whereby, in addition to the use of conventional (low) temperatures and (high) pressures to provide carbonating, the extended chains of water molecules are broken up, and the natural polarization of the molecules of water and carbon dioxide is also increased to enhance the bonding between water (H2O) molecules and carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules. This produces more highly carbonated water, which retains its carbonation level for a more extended period of time.
Enhancing the polarization property of the molecules of water and carbon dioxide allows the molecules to be more readily oriented for greater bonding, particularly in combination with providing a substrate to which the molecules (particularly carbon dioxide molecules may be captured for facilitating bonding activity. The water solution can then be carbonated to a higher level and retain that elevated level of carbonation for a longer time after being dispensed.
By electrostatically charging and orienting the polarizations of the water molecules, and to a lesser extent the carbon dioxide molecules, a greater number of chemical bonds between the two molecules is generated, resulting in higher levels of carbonic acid (H2CO3 concentration) is present in the water which, in turn, translates to a lower level of pH in the resulting sparkling water. For example, in pure water the Bjerrum plot shows a pH of 5.7 under atmospheric conditions. By enhancing the orientation of the polarized molecules, more dipole bonds are formed between water and carbon dioxide molecules, resulting in a sparkling water with a pH that can reach 3.6 pH or less, under atmospheric pressure (pCO2=1 atm). This same low value of pH is equivalent to a level that would normally result at a much higher CO2 pressure level, i.e., in a Bjerrum plot, to a pCO2 level exceeding 5 bars.
As described further below, the present invention provides a methodology and apparatus for enhancing the bonding between the carbon dioxide and water molecules by, inter alia, mitigating bonds among the water molecules, polarizing the water molecules and then orienting the water molecules so that carbon dioxide molecules have a higher probability of bonding with the more water molecules.
Carbonation apparatus is provided for carbonating a mixed input flow of pressurized and refrigerated carbon dioxide and water. A first cartridge is disposed within the carbonation chamber, defining a porous micromesh net in fluid communication with the input flow and a central cavity in fluid communication with the carbonation chamber output port. The micromesh net is configured to break up chains of water molecules passing through the net, to enhance bonding between the water and carbon dioxide molecules within the cartridge. The net also responds to the flow of water and carbon dioxide molecules impacting and passing through the net by generating a passive polarizing field that has a polarizing influence on the water molecules to further enhance. Beads may be provided within the cartridge for capturing and stabilizing carbon dioxide molecules to yet further enhance bonding between the water and the carbon dioxide molecules.
Multiple carbonation chambers may be utilized, generally in a serial arrangement.
In one embodiment the carbonation apparatus is implemented as a pair of carbonation chambers, with the first carbonation chamber including a cylindrical micromesh net and the second carbonation chamber including a plurality of beads disposed therein.
In another embodiment both carbonation chambers include an associated micromesh net within the carbonation chamber, with the plurality of beads disposed within the area defined by the micromesh net. The net and the beads may be of similar or different sizes.
In one embodiment the carbonation chambers defining the internal volume of between 2 to 400 cm3.
The micromesh nets may be formed of stainless steel strands, of between 2 to 100μ in diameter, and defining an open mesh area of between 5 to 800μ2.
In one embodiment the first carbonation chamber includes a cartridge defining a 100μ micromesh net, housing the 5 mm diameter beads, where the second carbonation chamber includes a cartridge defining a 400μ mesh net and beads having a diameter between 0.5 and 3 mm.
The input flow to the carbonation apparatus is expected to be the pressure of approximately 160 psi and a flow of 1.5 gallons per minute (GPM). The input to the second carbonation chamber may be at a lower pressure of 65 psi and a lower flow rate of 1.1 GPM.
A fluid flow compensator may be provided at the output of the carbonation chambers, for reducing the pressure and flow rate from the carbonation chambers to a pressure suitable for dispensation, e.g., a pressure of 15 psi and a flow rate of 0.5 to 1 GPM.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will be better appreciated in view of the following drawings and descriptions in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
In general, the present invention modifies previously existing techniques and apparatus for the enhancement of carbonation of water or other beverages (i.e. utilizing low temperature and high pressure) with the addition of the techniques and apparatus as described below. Such modified techniques and apparatus are directed toward breaking the molecular structure of water compounds, while orienting polarized molecules of water and carbon dioxide to enhance and multiply the bonds between carbon dioxide and water molecules as described in more detail below. In the described embodiments, the techniques and apparatus are primarily designed and optimized for use in conjunction with a point of use soda/sparkling water dispenser.
In accordance with the present invention, water is carbonated by the process and using a system generally shown in
In accordance with the carbonation apparatus 10, shown at
Carbon dioxide nozzle(s) 43, 47 and water nozzle(s) 45, 49 are provided at the intersection of the streams and oriented substantially perpendicular to each other, to cause a low-pressure area to be created downstream from the point where the carbon dioxide and water merge. As noted above, the low-pressure area creates a Venturi effect, enhancing the flow of the carbon dioxide and water and facilitating the mixing of the carbon dioxide and water molecules to initial carbonation levels prior to entry into the carbonation chamber(s).
The enhanced mixture of the water and carbon dioxide facilitates the functionality of the carbonation chamber(s) by stabilizing the flow into the first carbonation chamber, avoiding multiple laminar flows that may mitigate the bonding of the water and carbon dioxide molecules in the first carbonation chamber.
In another alternate embodiment, a water supply nozzles 45, 49 and the carbon dioxide supply nozzles 43, 47 are oriented such that one or more of the nozzle(s) (e.g., the carbon dioxide nozzle 43, 47 is oriented to have a leading-edge that substantially coincides with the flow axis from the associated water nozzle 45, 49. That leading-edge may further be rounded and canted away from the flow of the pressurized water to enhance the flow across the face of the canted carbon dioxide nozzle resulting in a more defined low-pressure area. This permits a higher regulation of the Venturi, and therefore the flow, in response to adjustment of the pressure of the water impacting upon the canted carbon dioxide nozzle.
As further shown in
As shown at
As noted above, bonding between the carbon molecules and the water molecules may, in accordance with the present invention, be further enhanced by polarization of the molecules, so that the molecules are better oriented for bonding. Such orientation may be done in various ways. In one embodiment of the present invention, orientation of the molecules is effected as a result of a polarized magnetic field passively created on the micromesh grid, as a consequence of the activity of the hydrogen molecules and carbon dioxide molecules as they impact, break up and pass through the micromesh net. Such passive polarization of the micromesh net is understood to result in stripping away electrons from the upstream surface of the micromesh net (e.g., which may be formed of stainless steel), creating a small temporary positive charge on the upstream surface of the net, with a more negative charge on the downstream side of the netting. Such an induced polarization is believed to occur in a manner similar to that which occurs when a glass rod is rubbed with a silk cloth, stripping some electrons from the surface of the glass rod and temporarily giving the glass rod a positive charge.
As the water molecules pass through the micromesh net, the charge on the net is believe to influence water molecules to be oriented with the more positively charged oxygen atom to be oriented towards the net and the less positively charged hydrogen atom to be oriented away from the net, i.e., towards the direction of flow, for bonding with the carbon dioxide molecules in the flow and/or captured and stabilized on the surface of the beads. Such passive polarization, created as a consequence of the interaction of the molecules and the net, thereby enhances the dipole bonding between the water and carbon dioxide molecules.
Alternatively, the micromesh net may be implemented as a pair of concentric nets connected to a voltage source, to provide active polarization of the nets to enhance orientation of the water molecules passing through the net. As will apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the particular orientation of current flow through the nets may be implemented in accordance with the desired polarization of the water molecules as they pass through the nets.
As indicated above, the first carbonation chamber may include the micromesh net, through which the input water and gas mix passes, is preferably formed of one or more independent rings of micromesh metal, such as stainless steel. The passage of the carbonated water through the micromesh net, breaks the long molecule compounds of water while creating a weak electrostatic field due to the high-speed passage of more polarized molecules which, within a short period of time (less than one second) the more polarized molecules of the fluid mix (water and carbon dioxide) so the short (broken) chains of water molecules have a higher likelihood of forming dipole to dipole electrostatic connections with the carbon dioxide molecules. In the present embodiment, static electric fields are self-induced by the passage of polarized molecules: creating electrical induction. Other embodiments of the same apparatus may utilize a process in which electric fields are artificially generated externally, through a common DC power supply, or multiple DC power supplies, resulting in highly polarized water and gas molecules that are immediately oriented, in accordance with the electrical field generated on the net. Whichever is the solution adopted (induced electrical field or artificially generated), the result is high polarization and orientation of the molecules of liquid and gas. In case of passively induced electrical fields, not only does the induced static electric field contribute to the polarization of molecules transiting within, but the polarization itself modifies the electric field that is generated.
Although the electrostatic field herein generated by the passage of polarized molecule is expected to be relatively weak, the resulting increase in the polarization of water molecules increases the likelihood of the formation of bonds between the water molecules and the carbon dioxide molecules. This is because as the degree of polarization of each water molecule is increased the total number of water molecules with a high degree of polarization is increased. By breaking the long chains of molecules and gradually orienting the same, in response to the electrostatic field, there is an increase in the (temporary) formation of carbonic acid inside the water, and the resulting water has been found to be more highly carbonated. In addition, the water molecules have been found to retain a bond with the carbon dioxide molecules that mitigates dispersion of the carbon dioxide molecules, (i.e., bubbling, when the carbonated water is exposed to air during dispensing). As bonds are increased, the carbonization in water is higher and more durable over time, as the carbonated water sits in an open glass or bottle.
The electrostatic field created by the metal mesh tends to align the water molecules with respect to the electrostatic field because of the dipolar character of water molecules. The alignment could lead to longitudinal electrostriction causing water molecules to become denser and include cross-sectional dilation. The longitudinal electrostriction and cross-sectional dilation increases the probability of the partially negative charged water molecules interacting with the carbon dioxide molecules, which possess partially positive charged carbon moieties, and could be present in the system, to form stable carbonic acid molecules.
In the illustrated embodiments, the micro mesh nets are formed of thin stainless-steel strands of approximately 2 to 100μ in diameter, having an open mesh area of approximately 5 to 800μ2. However, it is anticipated that the micro mesh net may be formed of other materials, and the size of the strands/open mesh areas, may be varied as suited for specific pressure levels, flow rates, desired levels of carbonation and other factors.
When the carbonated water is discharged from the first carbonated chamber, the output is communicated to the second carbonation chamber, where the carbonation level is further enhanced. As noted above, while the first carbonated chamber may or may not include beads, as shown in
It is anticipated that if 10% of collisions have favorable molecular orientation initially, adding surface catalysts into the flow can increase that to 30%. This means that the rate at which the formation of bonds between water molecules and carbon dioxide molecules will triple (if all other conditions remain the same). This means that the water molecules and carbon dioxide molecules have a substantially greater chance to bond when one of them is more stationary than the other, rather than both moving freely.
In comparison to the water and carbon dioxide molecules, the surface catalyst has a massive amount of surface area relative to the size of the water and carbon dioxide molecules. The seemingly smooth surface of glass beads, is quite bumpy at the atomic scale. That bumpiness, or surface irregularity, serves to capture and therefore stabilize, water molecules. This enhances the ability of water compatible molecules to bond to the captured water molecules.
The surface irregularities in the glass beads may match with, or otherwise be compatible with, the shape or spacing of the carbon dioxide molecules and/or the water molecules. As such, a carbon dioxide molecule, for example, may bump into the surface of the glass bead and stick to it. Once the carbon dioxide is no longer moving freely, the likelihood of a well-oriented collision with a water molecule, i.e., in which the molecule may bond, goes up dramatically. In this way, the surface catalyst helps to produce more carbonic acid and fewer free carbon dioxide molecules, resulting in a carbonation that persists for a much longer lasting period of time.
Once bonded, the impact of other colliding molecules can knock the trapped carbonic acid molecules free of the glass bead surface. The water molecules or carbon dioxide molecules, trapped but unbounded, may similarly be released or knocked free. However, the release of the carbonated molecules is expected to be of minimal significance as another passible molecule will likely be quickly trapped. Once a water molecule and a carbon dioxide molecule are hydrogen bonded to form carbonic acid, they are more easily retained in carbonated water. This leads to a carbonated beverage which stays carbonated for longer and retains the preferred taste profile.
In the presently preferred embodiment, the carbonation apparatus 10 includes two carbonation chambers 20, as depicted in
The carbonation apparatus 20 shown in
The cartridge 27 defines a micromesh net 34 about the interior chamber 33, in which the glass beads 38 may be disposed. The cartridge 27 is disposed in fluid sealing engagement with the cap 25, by engagement of the sealing member 35 to the side wall 19 of cap 25. As shown at
Fluid flow into and out of the carbonation chambers may be varied to enter or exit the cartridge through the upper port or the side port, as may be illustrated by a comparison of the flow paths in
In the presently preferred embodiment, each carbonation chamber, is of substantially cylindrical geometry, as shown at
Carbonated water output from the second carbonation chamber may be communicated to a flow compensator, which is further described below. Different embodiments of suitable flow compensators are set forth at
The carbonated water output from the second carbonation chamber is typically at a higher level of carbonation than the output from the first carbonation chamber, despite the flow of the molecules remaining substantially indiscriminate. Flow compensators, function to reduce the turbulent flow and increase the semi-laminar flow of the highly carbonated water, instantaneously bringing the pressure of the mixture down to atmospheric pressure. The flow compensator additionally functions to regulate the pressure and flow of the carbonated water to levels suitable for input to a point of use dispenser, e.g., to a pressure of 15 psi and a flow rate between 0.5 to 1.6 GPM. Different embodiments of a flow compensator useful in conjunction with the present invention are shown at
In the embodiment shown at
Other embodiments may include a compensator that functions using the same physics principles (reducing the pressure and stabilizing the flow) but with a different geometry. The embodiment shown at
The carbonation levels and other characteristics of the carbonated water output from the flow compensator is described in the chart set forth at
As shown in
The particulars shown herein are by way of example and are only for purposes of illustrative discussion. They are presented to provide what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the various embodiments of the methodology and apparatus for providing a stabilized, highly carbonated beverage. In this regard, no attempt is made to show any more detail than is necessary to provide a fundamental understanding of the different features of the various embodiments and the descriptions given with the drawings to make apparent to those skilled in the art, how these may be implemented in practice.
As such, the above description is given by way of example and not limitation. Given the above disclosure; it is determined that one who is skilled in the art and trade could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. This would include various ways of enhancing and stabilizing carbon dioxide levels of water. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
The application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/329,043, filed Feb. 27, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,318,427, which application claims benefit of International Application No. PCT/US2017/51225, filed Sep. 12, 2017, which application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/393,604 filed Sep. 12, 2016, each of which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
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