ES1304308U - Portable Beer and Beverage Dispenser Cooler (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system; characterized by using a Peltier plate cooling system (1 and 1.1) to cool the amount of beer or drink that is going to be served, which on its cold side is in direct contact with the cooling liquid that is inside a reservoir tank. (12) and that in this same coolant reservoir tank (12) a block of exchange plates (5) and a recirculation pump for the coolant liquid (6) are installed, and in its other part at the outlet, the beer dispensing conduits (14) and connectors (15), to cool the cooling liquid, the heatsink is used with the cold side of the peltier plate (4 and 4.1) whose hot face is in contact with a set of heatsinks (3 and 3.1) and forced air fans (2 and 2.1) that extract heat to the outside through the ventilation grille, powered by a power supply (8). (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system

Technical sector

Beverage preparation machines sector: portable domestic and industrial beer taps

Background of the invention

The portable beer cooling/dispensing system is made up of different commercial elements based on the interaction of its different components, improving the current ones sold on the market.

Using the cooling Peltier effect (1), which is one of the three classic thermoelectric effects (SeedBeck, Peltier and Thomson).

The Seebeck effect was discovered in 1821 by the German physicist Thomas Johann Seebeck. By establishing a closed circuit between two different metals and applying a temperature difference between both junctions, an electric current appears.

In 1832, the Frenchman Jean Charles Athanase Peltier discovered the opposite effect, that is, in a closed circuit formed by two different metals, when a current circulates, a temperature difference appears between both junctions.

The reason for both phenomena is the different concentration of free electrons between both metals that establish two potential barriers to the passage of electrons, reversed in each junction, which produces an emission or absorption of heat.

However, its practical applications had to wait since the effect on metals is small. It was not until 1947 with the invention of the transistor and the development of high-purity doping semiconductor materials that materials became available to take advantage of these effects.

A Peltier plate (1) is made up of multiple cells of N and P materials located between two ceramic faces. Tellurium and Bismuth are usually used as semiconductors and aluminum oxide for the ceramic plates, the different cells are connected in series, and the joints are arranged so that the N-P joints are in contact with one of the ceramic faces of the Peltier plate (1 ) and the P-N junctions with the other face.

When current circulates through the device, one of the faces absorbs heat and the other emits it. The role of each face depends on the direction of the current. In fact, it is possible to reverse the heat flow by reversing the direction of the current.

The use of these elements and the clear improvement in the thermal inertia and efficiency of the system by optimally uniting these components, gives the system a notable efficiency and advantage over other systems since it consists of almost instantaneous cooling, the beer as it passes through the system, achieving optimal flow and cooling times.

In addition, the system implies a notable improvement in thermal efficiency due to the thermal energy stored in its reserve and exchange tank, which allows greater cooling efficiency, improving the number of liters/hours of dispensing and better dispensing temperature, keeping to a minimum. the thermal jump between each dispensed drink and with the great advantage of reducing the dimensions and lightening the weight of the set with respect to other cooler dispensers by 70%.

Currently, only small-sized beer dispensers with flow/hour are marketed with cold compressor systems that are similar to those for more intensive use in their configuration or refrigerator-type systems where the barrels are stored to cool them when they are at service temperature. , taking several hours to achieve the optimal temperature to serve or being too heavy to handle.

Explanation of the invention

In the beer coolers/dispensers on the market, a Peltier cell (1) or refrigerant compressor is used to cool a chamber where the barrel is introduced, taking hours to cool it.

Current shooters with refrigerant gas compressors of an industrial or domestic nature also need several hours to reach the working temperature of the shooter and start working when they need to create an ice bank in their water reservoir. They are also very heavy and difficult equipment. to manage mobility or events, with portable equipment that is smaller in size, but also heavy and with the problem of waiting times.

Other smaller, portable equipment works with a compressor and is marketed to cover events, but its weight is still high, reaching 40 kilos.

All of these systems use gas compressors, with gases that can damage the planet's ozone layer.

This new portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system uniquely optimizes the use of Peltier cells (1), to cool the cooling thermal inertia reserve by configuring within the thermal exchange system the volume of beer or liquid that is left. to dispense, without the need to cool the beer barrel, being able to keep it at room temperature.

With this portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system, the optimal service temperature is reached in minutes and from there it is capable of cooling the following beers to be dispensed in a continuous flow of up to 40 liters/hour, at service temperature. , which is a clear advantage over the cold systems of current shooters that have a much greater weight, so it is also a very low weight system with weights in its base models of 4 to 6 kilos and as an addition for its greater usability in the new types of barrels with inner bag a small air compressor (7) to push the product into barrels that have an inner bag.

The portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system, the object of this utility model, has important advantages, such as a smaller configuration, with much less weight, more efficient that not only cools but also dispenses the product, in a single compact machine, with greater efficiency of the Peltier cells (1), making it possible to have greater cooling power in smaller dimensions, with a better thermal efficiency system, due to the combination of the Peltier system (1) with an accumulator tank ( 12) and thermal exchange (5) of fluids with recirculation pump (6).

This entails a greater surface area in contact with the cold side of the Peltier cells (1) and an effective cooling system on the hot side of the cells, which dissipate the heat emitted with heatsinks (3) combined with a fan (2) that It exchanges cold air on its contact surface, improving its effectiveness and electrical consumption and efficiency of the power supply (8).

The entire assembly is thermally insulated with a thermally insulated casing (13) and a separation system that isolates the hot side from the cold side of the cells.

It also offers the advantage of providing better temperature control (11) in the cooling block (5), thanks to the use of a temperature probe (9) located in the liquid exchange tank (12), furthermore, this makes it easier to the temperature is constant and homogeneous.

The beer arrives from the barrel through the connectors (14) driven to the stainless steel cooling and thermal exchange block (5), through the connectors (15) at the lower inlet of the block, driven by pressure, towards the outlet. of its own through the regulated flow dispensing tap (10).

Once in the exchange plate block (5) inside the cooling reservoir (12), the beer is cooled by contact with the plate block (5) and the countercurrent flow driven by the adjustable flow pump (6) that after departure of the exchange plate block (5) is ready to be dispensed at the top from the tap with variable flow regulator (10).

The beer cooling/dispensing system cooled with Peltier plates (1) has a forced air sink (3) in contact with the hot side of the Peltier cells (1) and a centrifugal fan (2) that, due to the flow of Air directed to the hot part of the Peltier cells (1) cools the heatsink (3) and therefore the plates (1) on their hot side, improving the efficiency and exchange in the heatsink (4) of the cold part that in turn improves electrical consumption. The cooling assembly consisting of the dissipation plate (3) channeled with a design of air cooling fins, added to the fan (2) located in such a way that its air flow cools the assembly, performs two tasks: protecting the cells. Peltier (1) from excess heat, which would end up damaging the Peltier cells (1) and in turn maintain the thermal difference between the faces of the Peltier cells (1), generating cold on the face configured as a cold emitter with the heatsinks ( 4) installed inside the tank, and the heat sinks (3) of the Peltier plate (1) configured as hot.

Peltier cells (1) convert a large part of the electrical energy they consume into heat and approximately 30 to 40% into cold, which is why it is very important that the configuration is well thermally insulated between the components on the cold side and of the hot side of the Peltier cells (1), which is why the portable beer and beverage cooling and dispensing system has thermal insulation surrounding all of the cells.

In addition, the coolant liquid reservoir (12) once the configured working temperature is reached helps maintain the thermal inertia of the assembly and is controlled by the thermostat (11) which receives the temperature through the control thermocouple (9). It must be taken into consideration that the dimensions of the heatsink (3) and the air flow affect the behavior of the machine, knowing that the greater the amount of coolant liquid in the exchange tank (12) the machine will need a little more time to reach the initial working temperature but then, each time a beer is dispensed, the machine is more efficient by keeping the liquid (12) in its tank at a lower temperature while maintaining greater thermal inertia.

By having the temperature variable of the beer in the barrel since it is at ambient temperature outside, this variable can modify the initial start-up times and optimal service temperature, but once the whole is stabilized, the control of the Temperature (11) is improved, because the thermal steps are greatly reduced.

The Peltier plate cooling block (1) provides sufficient contact surface on one side for the heatsinks (3) that are in contact with the cooling liquid in the tank (12), delivering all its cooling capacity and are equivalent on its surface to the hot face of the Peltier cells (1), which similarly release their temperature upon contact with the heat sink (3), with the hot face of the cells (1) that are thermally insulated between them. with respect to the exterior of the system, which is protected and isolated by the outer casing (13).

In this way, the cooling system is reduced and efficient and allows not only to cool the product with continuous flow rates and temperature, but at the same time dispenses the product, being able to regulate the flow rate at the dispensing tap (10) and the temperature of service with the thermostat (11). It should be taken into consideration that using larger plate blocks with more Peltier cells (1) or a plate exchange block (5) with more exchange capacity will increase the cooling capacity liters/hour.

To improve control, a temperature probe (9) has been installed in the coolant tank that acts on a thermostat (11) that activates or deactivates the Peltier plate cooling assembly (1). The beer cooling/dispensing system can be configured to increase the dispensing lines by installing a greater number of Peltier cells (1) or expanding to a greater capacity of the coolant reservoir (12), depending on the temperature and working time. that they wish to achieve. The equipment is covered all around with thermal insulation (13) and a metallic or plastic finish to facilitate its use and handling and as an addition for greater usability in the new types of barrels with an inner bag, a small air compressor is installed to Push the product into barrels with an inner bag (7).

Brief description of the drawings

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, where, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, the following has been represented. following:

Figure 1.- Shows schematically a possible configuration of the beer cooling/dispensing system. From this perspective, you can see the assembly with casing (13), the entry of the product to the block through the input connector (15), with its tubes (14), the Peltier plates (1 and 1.1) with the heatsinks (3, 4 and 3.1 and 4.1) and the fan (2 and 2.1), the coolant tank (12) and pump (6), the plate block (5), the probe (9) and the thermostat (11) and the beer dispensing tap (10), the power supply (8) and the air compressor to push the product into barrels with an inner bag (7).

Figure 2.- Shows schematically the same configuration of the cooling system and arrangement of the set of Peltier plates (1 and 1.1), heatsinks (3, 4 and 3.1 and 4.1) and fan (2 and 2.1) with the separators between the zones hot and cold.

By representing the design through schematic figures, only the most important components have been drawn to improve understanding of the utility model.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

By way of example and in a non-limiting manner, a practical implementation model of the portable beer cooling/dispensing system and object of this utility model is represented.

Siguiendo los dibujos se puede apreciar el bloque de enfriamiento e intercambio de acero inoxidable (1) que puede contener hasta 330 ml de volumen interior para alojar la cerveza a enfriar y 330 ml de líquido refrigerante impulsado por la bomba interior (6), ya que esta es la medida media habitual de las copas de cerveza. Para enfriar el depósito (12) acumulador, y por lo tanto la cerveza, se utilizarán seis células Peltier (1) TEC1-12715 que funcionan entre 12 y 15 voltios y por las que circulan 15 amperios que proporcionan cerca de 100 watios a cada célula Peltier (1).1.

Following the drawings you can see the stainless steel cooling and exchange block (1) that can contain up to 330 ml of internal volume to house the beer to be cooled and 330 ml of cooling liquid driven by the internal pump (6), since This is the usual average size of beer glasses. To cool the accumulator tank (12), and therefore the beer, six TEC1-12715 Peltier cells (1) will be used that operate between 12 and 15 volts and through which 15 amps circulate, providing about 100 watts to each cell. Peltier (1).

It must be taken into account that the usual serving temperature is between 3 and 7 degrees Celsius in most beers, with the Peltier cells (1) previously indicated being more than sufficient to reach these serving temperatures.

The coolant tank (12) will work at a temperature of between -2 and 0° since beer, being an alcoholic beverage and being under pressure between 1 and 3 bars in commercial taps, has a freezing point well below of 0°C. However, the ideal temperature for most beers is 4-5°C, which can be achieved in just a few minutes after the equipment has been turned on and the liquid tank reaches the working temperature.

The heat generated by the hot side of the Peltier cells (1) is extracted from the inside of the machine by the heatsink (3 and 4) and fan (2) assembly, outside the equipment through mesh ventilation openings to prevent entry of dirt or objects that damage the assembly.

The portable beer cooling/dispensing system has a set of elements that only need a few minutes to cool the coolant tank and therefore make it possible to cool the beer that will be served in just seconds.

Claims (4)

I.Portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system; characterized by using a Peltier plate cooling system (1 and 1.1) to cool the amount of beer or drink that is going to be served, which on its cold side is in direct contact with the cooling liquid that is inside a reservoir tank. (12) and that in this same coolant reservoir tank (12) a block of exchange plates (5) and a recirculation pump for the coolant liquid (6) are installed, and in its other part at the outlet, the beer dispensing conduits (14) and connectors (15), to cool the cooling liquid, the heatsink is used with the cold side of the peltier plate (4 and 4.1) whose hot face is in contact with a set of heatsinks ( 3 and 3.1) and forced air fans (2 and 2.1) that extract heat to the outside through the ventilation grille, powered by a power supply (8). 2. Portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system, according to claim 1; characterized by having a temperature probe (9) in the cooling tank (12), with temperature control (11) and dispensing system (10) and plate exchanger (5) with its cold part inside the liquid reservoir refrigerant (12) to cool the product. 3. Portable beer cooling/dispensing system, according to claim 1; characterized by having a thermal insulating coating (13) around the cooling block (12). 4. Portable beer and beverage cooling/dispensing system according to claim 1; characterized by using a tap-type dispensing valve with flow control (10) that serves to regulate the beer dispensing flow rate and an air compressor (7) to push the product from the product barrels.