Beverage gasification system
A beverage gasification system for concurrently extracting solid particulates from a solution of a liquid and a gas and increasing absorption of the gas into the liquid, in which a particle separator is located downstream of a gas supply assembly. A method of forming a clarified gasified beverage is also disclosed, in which gas is injected into the liquid at a location upstream of the point at which solids are removed from the liquid.
1. A beverage gasification system, the system comprising:
a liquid supply source including a pump, wherein the liquid supply source provides a liquid containing solid particulates therein;
the liquid supply source having a downstream outlet in fluid communication with a gas supply arrangement, wherein the gas supply arrangement is configured to introduce a gas into the liquid to form a solution of liquid and gas; and
a particle separator separate from and located downstream of the pump of the liquid supply source and downstream of the gas supply arrangement; wherein the particle separator includes an inlet and an outlet, wherein the solution of liquid and gas is supplied to the inlet of the particle separator and wherein the particle separator is operable independently of the pump between the inlet and outlet of the particle separator to concurrently extract the solid particulates from the solution and increase absorption of the gas into the liquid to form a clarified gasified liquid at the outlet of the particle separator.
2. The beverage gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the particle separator is a centrifuge.
3. The beverage gasification system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas supply arrangement comprises at least one injection chamber having:
a first upstream inlet in fluid communication with the downstream outlet of the liquid supply source, and configured to receive the liquid containing solid particulates at the injection chamber;
a second upstream inlet configured to receive the gas from a downstream outlet of a gas supply source;
a downstream, outlet configured to discharge the solution of liquid and gas; and
a length disposed between, the inlets and the outlet wherein the gas is introduced into the liquid containing solid particulates.
4. The beverage gasification system of claim 3 wherein, the gas supply source is a carbon dioxide gas source.
5. The beverage gasification system of claim 3 wherein, the gas supply source is a nitrogen gas source.
6. The beverage gasification system of claim 3 , wherein the downstream outlet of the gas supply arrangement is in fluid communication with an upstream inlet of a gas flow control valve configured to selectively regulate the flow rate of the gas to the second upstream inlet of the at least one injection chamber.
7. A beverage gasification system, the system comprising:
a liquid supply source configured to provide a liquid containing solid particulates therein;
the liquid supply source having a downstream outlet in fluid communication with a gas supply arrangement, wherein the gas supply arrangement is configured to introduce a gas into the liquid to form a solution of liquid and gas; and
a particle separator located downstream of the liquid supply source and the gas supply arrangement; wherein the solution of liquid and gas is supplied to the particle separator and wherein the particle separator is configured to concurrently extract the solid particulates from the solution and increase absorption of the gas into the liquid to form a clarified gasified liquid at a downstream outlet of the separator, wherein the downstream outlet of the particle separator is in fluid communication with an upstream inlet of a flow control valve configured to selectively regulate the flow rate of the solution through the particle separator.
8. The beverage gasification system of claim 7 , further comprising at least one sensor disposed downstream of the particle separator and upstream of the flow control valve, where the at least one sensor is selected from a group comprising a flow sensor, a turbidity sensor and a gas sensor.
9. A beverage gasification system, the system comprising:
a liquid supply source configured to provide a liquid containing solid particulates therein;
the liquid supply source having a downstream outlet in fluid communication with a gas supply arrangement, wherein the gas supply arrangement is configured to introduce a as into the liquid to form a solution of liquid and gas; wherein the gas supply arrangement comprises at least one injection chamber having a first upstream inlet in fluid communication with the downstream outlet of the liquid supply source, and configured to receive the liquid containing solid particulates at the injection chamber; a second upstream inlet configured to receive the gas from a downstream outlet of a gas supply source; a downstream outlet configured to discharge the solution of liquid and gas; and a length disposed between the inlets and the outlet wherein the gas is introduced into the liquid containing solid particulates, wherein the s supply source comprises first and second gas supply sources, wherein a first injection chamber is in fluid communication with the first gas supply source and a second injection chamber is in fluid communication with the second gas supply source; and
a particle separator located downstream of the liquid supply source and the gas supply arrangement; wherein the solution of liquid and gas is supplied to the particle separator and wherein the particle separator is configured to concurrently extract the solid particulates from the solution and increase absorption of the gas into the liquid to form a clarified gasified liquid at a downstream outlet of the separator.
10. The beverage gasification system of claim 9 wherein the first gas supply source is a carbon dioxide gas source and, the second gas supply source is a nitrogen gas source.
11. A beverage gasification system, the system comprising:
a liquid supply source configured to provide a liquid containing solid particulates therein;
the liquid supply source having a downstream outlet in fluid communication with a gas supply arrangement, wherein the gas supply arrangement is configured to introduce a gas into the liquid to form a solution of liquid and gas; wherein the gas supply arrangement comprises at, least one injection chamber having a first upstream inlet fluid communication with the downstream outlet of the liquid supply source, and configured to receive the liquid containing solid particulates at the injection chamber; a second upstream inlet configured to receive the gas from a downstream outlet of a gas supply source; a downstream outlet configured to discharge the solution of liquid and gas; and a length disposed between the inlets and the outlet wherein the gas is introduced into the liquid containing solid particulates;
wherein the downstream outlet of the gas supply arrangement is in fluid communication with an upstream inlet of a gas flow control valve configured to selectively regulate the flow rate of the gas to the second upstream inlet of the at least one injection chamber;
at least one flowmeter disposed downstream of the gas supply arrangement and upstream of the gas flow control valve; and
a particle separator located downstream of the liquid supply source and the gas supply arrangement; wherein the solution of liquid and gas is supplied to the particle separator and wherein the particle separator is configured to concurrently extract the solid particulates from the solution and increase absorption of the gas into the liquid to form a clarified gasified liquid at a downstream outlet of the separator.
12. A method of forming a clarified gasified beverage, comprising the steps of:
operating a pump to supply a volume of a liquid containing solid particulates therein to a gas supply arrangement;
mixing the volume of liquid containing solid particulates therein with a volume of a gas from the gas supply arrangement to form a solution of liquid and gas; and
supplying the solution of liquid and as via the pump to an inlet of a particle separator separate from and located downstream of the pump and the gas supply arrangement, wherein the particle separator includes an outlet; and
operating the particle separator independently of the pump, wherein the particle separator concurrently extracts the solid particulates from the solution and increases absorption of the gas into the liquid to form a clarified gasified liquid at the outlet of the particle separator.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of supplying the volume of the gas at the gas supply arrangement, wherein the gas is selected from a group comprising one or more of carbon dioxide gas and nitrogen gas.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the solution of liquid and gas are in a first gasified state at a downstream outlet of the gas supply arrangement and the clarified gasified liquid is in a second gasified state at a downstream outlet of the particle separator; and
wherein a pressure of gas in the solution al the first gasified state is lower than a pressure of gas in the clarified gasified liquid at the second gasified state.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein absorption of the gas increases from the first gasified state to the second gasified state.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein homogenization of the gas and liquid increases from the first gasified state to the second gasified state.