ENHANCED HEAT TRANSFER TO WATER

摘要

A beverage dispensing apparatus which includes a tank, a liquid inlet and a fluid dispensing system which includes a dispensing fluid conduit having a helical portion at least substantially vertically oriented within the interior volume of the tank. The beverage dispensing apparatus also includes a fluid circulating system that includes at least one fluid circulation conduit having an inlet portion positioned proximate the bottom portion of the tank and at least one outlet. A fluid cycling device is also included in the beverage dispensing apparatus and is configured to move fluid from the bottom portion of the tank to the fluid circulation conduit. The at least one outlet is configured to produce a fluid flow tangential to the orientation of the dispensing fluid conduit configuration. Evaporator coils extend around a perimeter of the tank's exterior sidewall surface and are configured to chill the fluid within the tank.

主权项

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:
a tank configured to receive and retain a fluid and having a bottom surface and at least one upwardly extending perimeter sidewall extending upwards from the bottom surface defining an interior volume and a tank sidewall exterior surface; a carbonator disposed in the tank and configured to dispense carbonated fluid; a liquid inlet configured to deliver the fluid from a fluid source to the interior volume of the tank; a fluid dispensing system comprising:
a dispensing fluid conduit having a helical portion at least substantially vertically oriented within the interior volume of the tank, and wherein the dispensing fluid conduit has an inlet proximate a bottom portion of the tank and an outlet positioned out of the interior volume of the tank, and wherein the inlet receives fluid from proximate the bottom of the tank, and wherein the fluid in the tank and the fluid received from the tank through the inlet are the same fluid;at least one fluid circulation conduit having an inlet portion positioned proximate the bottom portion of the tank and at least one outlet; anda fluid cycling device in fluid communication with the at least one fluid circulation conduit and configured to move fluid from the bottom portion of the tank to the fluid circulation conduit where the at least one outlet is configured to produce a fluid flow of the fluid that is tangential to the orientation of the dispensing fluid conduit configuration; andan evaporator extending around at least a portion of the tank sidewall exterior surface, in thermal communication with the tank and configured to chill the fluid within the tank.