System and method for harvesting energy savings on a remote beverage system
View Patent ↗A method and system that detects if a carbonator has cycled in a beverage system and deactivates a circulator pump that circulates carbonated water in the beverage system based on if the carbonator has cycled.
1. An energy saving method for use in a beverage system, said method comprising:
detecting if a carbonator cycle has occurred in said beverage system by a controller, wherein during said carbonator cycle, a motor of a carbonator pump and a carbon dioxide valve is energized and then said motor of said carbonator pump and said carbon dioxide valve is de-energized to end said carbonator cycle;
if said carbonator cycle has not occurred, deactivating a circulator pump by said controller, said circulator pump generating a flow of said carbonated water from said circulator pump to a beverage dispenser; and
if said carbonator cycle has occurred after said circulator pump is deactivated, activating said circulator pump by said controller.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting said end of said carbonator cycle;
setting a carbonator elapsed time to zero; and
incrementing the carbonator elapsed time.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining if the carbonator elapsed time is greater than a carbonator elapsed time set point.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining if a temperature of the carbonated water circulated by the circulator pump is below a carbonated water set point.
5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining the presence of an error code.
6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
setting an energy saving elapsed time to zero prior to deactivating the circulator pump.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
deactivating an agitator in a water bath.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
detecting if said carbonation cycle has occurred after deactivating the agitator in the water bath;
incrementing the energy saving elapsed time; and
detecting if the energy saving elapsed time is greater than an energy saving elapsed time set point.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
activating the agitator and the circulator pump if the energy saving elapsed time is greater than the energy saving elapsed time set point.
10. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
detecting if a second circulator pump is present.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting if the second circulator pump is deactivated.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a water bath having a cooling medium that is in thermal communication with said carbonated water; and
determining if a bath temperature of the cooling medium is below a bath set point.
13. An energy saving system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory having instructions stored therein in a form that is readable by said processor, wherein said instructions, when read by said processor, cause said processor to perform the steps of:
detecting if a carbonator cycle has occurred in a beverage system, wherein during said carbonator cycle, a motor of a carbonator pump and a carbon dioxide valve is energized and then said motor of said carbonator pump and said carbon dioxide valve is de-energized to end said carbonator cycle;
if said carbonator cycle has not occurred, deactivating a circulator pump, said circulator pump generating a flow of said carbonated water from said circulator pump to a beverage dispenser; and
if said carbonator cycle has occurred after said circulator pump is deactivated, activating said circulator pump.
14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
detecting the end of said carbonator cycle;
setting a carbonator elapsed time to zero; and
incrementing the carbonator elapsed time.
15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining if the carbonator elapsed time is greater than a carbonator elapsed time set point.
16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining if a temperature of the carbonated water circulated by the circulator pump is below a carbonated water set point.
17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining the presence of an error code.
18. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
setting an energy saving elapsed time to zero prior to deactivating the circulator pump.
19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:
deactivating an agitator in a water bath.
20. The system of claim 19 , further comprising:
detecting if said carbonator cycle has occurred after deactivating the agitator in the water bath;
incrementing the energy saving elapsed time; and
detecting if the energy saving elapsed time is greater than an energy saving elapsed time set point.
21. The system of claim 20 , further comprising:
activating the agitator and the circulator pump if the energy saving elapsed time is greater than the energy saving elapsed time set point.
22. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
detecting if a second circulator pump is present.
23. The system of claim 22 , further comprising:
detecting if the second circulator pump is deactivated.
24. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
providing a water bath having a cooling medium that is in thermal communication with the carbonated water; and
determining if a bath temperature of the cooling medium is below a bath set point.