Control of dissolved gases in liquids
AssigneePermea, Inc.
InventorsJohn K. R. Page, Dilip G. Kalthod
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a gas/liquid contactor module having hollow fiber membranes and a process for controlling dissolved gases in liquids such as water, beer and the like, by passing the liquid through the shell side of the contactor module to allow addition or removal of dissolved gases by the diffusion of the gases through the membranes into or from the hollow fiber bores. The process permits control of the quantity of such dissolved gases as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
Claims26
A gas/liquid contactor module suitable for controlling the quantity of dissolved gas in a liquid, which comprises a module containing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module containing liquid and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers containing gas, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than 500 Angstroms and a surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute.
A process for controlling the quantity of a dissolved gas in a liquid to a predetermined level which comprises:
- placing the liquid under a predetermined pressure;
- transporting the pressurized liquid into the shell side of a gas/liquid contactor module containing hollow fiber membranes, the module having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than about 500 Angstroms and a membrane surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute;
- and
- increasing or decreasing the quantity of the dissolved gas in the liquid by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the gas in the bores of the hollow fibers by an appropriate amount to obtain the predetermined level of the dissolved gas.
A process for controlling the quantities of dissolved carbon dioxide and dissolved nitrogen in beer to predetermined levels which comprises:
- placing the beer under a predetermined pressure;
- transporting the pressurized beer into the shell side of a contactor module containing hollow fiber membranes, the module having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than about 500 Angstroms and a surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute;
- increasing or decreasing the carbon dioxide content of the beer by increasing or decreasing the pressure of carbon dioxide in the bores of the hollow fibers by an appropriate amount;
- and
- subsequently increasing the nitrogen content of the beer by increasing the pressure of nitrogen in the bores of the hollow fibers by an appropriate amount.
An apparatus for the control of dissolved gases in a beverage comprising:
- a contactor module containing non-flooding hollow fiber membranes, the module having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than about 500 Angstroms and a surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute;
- means for pressurizing the beverage to a predetermined pressure;
- means for controlling the flow of the pressurized beverage to the shell side of the contactor module;
- and
- means for controlling the pressure of a dissolving gas in the bores of the hollow fibers.
A process utilizing a single contactor module for preparing an alcoholic beverage having predetermined quantities of each of dissolved nitrogen and dissolved carbon dioxide which comprises:
- placing the beverage under a predetermined pressure;
- transporting the pressurized beverage into the shell side of the contactor module containing hollow fiber membranes, the module having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than about 500 Angstroms and a surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute;
- and
- increasing the quantity of the dissolved nitrogen in the beverage by increasing the pressure of the nitrogen in the bores of the hollow fibers by an appropriate amount to obtain a predetermined level of dissolved nitrogen in bubble-less form in the beverage while continuously maintaining the pressure of the beverage;
- substantially removing the nitrogen from the bores of the hollow fibers;
- and
- increasing or decreasing the quantity of the dissolved carbon dioxide in the beverage by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the carbon dioxide in the bores of the hollow fibers by an appropriate amount to obtain a predetermined level of dissolved carbon dioxide in the beverage while continuously maintaining the pressure of the beverage and retaining the dissolved carbon dioxide and dissolved nitrogen in bubble-less form in the beverage.
A process for the carbonation of water for a soda dispense system comprising:
- transporting pressurized water through a check valve into the shell side of a contactor module containing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module containing liquid and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers containing gas, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than about 500 Angstroms and a surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute;
- maintaining the water pressure in the contactor module at least about 20 psig;
- simultaneously passing carbon dioxide under pressure through the bores of the membranes at a pressure sufficient to provide the desired carbonation of the water in bubble-less form;
- and
- controlling each of the water pressure and the carbon dioxide pressure so that the shell side of the contactor module contains only liquid, and passing bubble-less carbonated water under pressure to a soda dispense station.
A carbonation apparatus, suitable for the carbonation of water, the carbonated water to be used at a soda dispense station, the apparatus comprising:
- a gas/liquid contactor module containing a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having a shell side comprised of the space surrounding the exterior of the fibers and filling the interior of the module containing liquid and a bore side comprised of the space in the bores of the hollow fibers containing gas, the hollow fiber membranes having an average pore size less than about 500 Angstroms and a surface having less than 0.1% holes, the membranes being non-floodable and having a P/I for carbon dioxide greater than about 50.times.10.sup.-6 to about 5,000.times.10.sup.-6 cm.sup.3 /cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.cmHg, and the module having at least about 25 sq cm of membrane surface per ml of liquid volume for a liquid flow rate of about 2 liters/minute;
- a source of water under pressure connected for shell side feed to the module;
- a source of carbon dioxide under pressure connected for fiber bore side feed to the module;
- a control to regulate the pressure of the carbon dioxide independent of but in relation to the water pressure to prevent formation of any gas on the shell side of the contactor module;
- a check valve located at the water feed inlet as the last control of the water as it enters the shell side of the module, and
- a temperature control to control the temperature of the water while the water is in the module and until the resulting carbonated water is dispensed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.