Summary: Carbonation is the process of dissolving carbon dioxide into beverages like beer, sparkling wine, and seltzer water. This is traditionally accomplished by exposing the uncarbonated beverage to an atmosphere of carbon dioxide in the head space of a vessel containing the beverage or bubbling carbon dioxide into the liquid through a porous “carbonation stone.” The time to carbonate beverages to the desired volumes of dissolved gas depends upon the gas pressure, flow rate, and size of bubbles emitted from carbonation stones. Carbonation in vessels known as bright tanks in the brewing industry can take up to two days to reach the desired volume of carbon dioxide in the beverage.
Description: This invention can carbonate beverages at the rate of several gallons per minute or higher, depending upon the design of the carbonation vessel, which is at least an order of magnitude faster than a brite tank. This means that beverages can be packaged and sold much sooner, increasing throughput in the beverage manufacturing facility. The invention accelerates the rate that carbon dioxide is dissolved in water or other liquids by breaking up the liquid into small droplets in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide. As the droplets are made smaller, their surface area-to-volume ratio increases. Since the rate of gas adsorption into a liquid is directly proportional to the surface area of the liquid, the production of small liquid droplets will enhance the rate of gas adsorption.
Advantages: • This invention can carbonate beverages at the rate of several gallons per minute or higher, depending upon the design of the carbonation vessel, which is at least an order of magnitude faster than a brite tank • Beverages can be packaged and sold much sooner, increasing throughput in the beverage manufacturing facility • Such an approach can simultaneously reduce the size of equipment compared to traditional bright tanks used in the brewing industry and increase the rate of product carbonation.
Application: Any industry, large or small, that produces a carbonated beverage. The initial focus of the project has been on producing beer.
Patent: Patent(s) applied for
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