METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A BEVERAGE DISPENSER

摘要

A method of controlling a frozen beverage dispenser having a plurality of refrigerated beverage barrels (4) cooled by a refrigeration circuit (2) having a common compressor (14) is disclosed. The refrigerant is supplied to the circuit of a first beverage barrel to cause a partially frozen beverage to form therein. The ice fraction of the beverage of each subsequent beverage barrel is compared to a predetermined value when the ice fraction of the beverage of the barrel being cooled reaches a maximum value. If the ice fraction of the beverage in any subsequent beverage barrel is below the predetermined value, the flow of the refrigerant is switched from the refrigerant circuit of the barrel being cooled to the refrigerant circuit of a subsequent beverage barrel containing beverage having an ice fraction below the predetermined level until the ice fraction of the beverage of all of said beverage barrels is above the predetermined value. The compressor (14) is switched off when the ice fraction of all of the beverage barrels is above the predetermined value and is switched on to supply refrigerant to a beverage barrel when the ice fraction of the beverage falls below a minimum value that is less than the predetermined value.