System and method for providing a reserve supply of gas in a pressurized container

A process for pressurizing and filling a pressurized container with a product to be dispensed under pressure from the container and a pressurized gaseous material for pressurizing the product, comprising the steps of:

• placing in the container a predetermined quantity of gas-adsorbing material that adsorbs and stores a desired volume of the gaseous material under a predetermined pressure and releases the gaseous material when pressure falls below a predetermined level, said gas-adsorbing material comprising one of activated carbon and zeolite;
• placing in the container a quantity of the gaseous material under pressure sufficient to prevent initial release of some of the adsorbed gas from the gas-adsorbing material prior to use of the container, said gaseous material comprising one of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide;
• placing a predetermined quantity of a release-promoting agent in the container in an amount to wet the gas-adsorbing material for causing release of about 90 percent of the gaseous material from the gas-adsorbing material as gaseous material is desorbed from the gas-adsorbing material during use of the container;
• and
• thereafter placing product in the container.

A gas storage and delivery system for restoring pressure as it is depleted from a pressurized container, comprising:

• a container holding a product under pressure to be dispensed from the container;
• a quantity of gaseous material under pressure in the container with the product, occupying a space in the container and applying to the product a predetermined pressure of from about 30 to about 180 psig;
• and
• a quantity of gas-adsorbing material in the container with the product in direct fluid contact with the product, a quantity of the gaseous material being adsorbed on the gas-adsorbing material and desorbed from the gas-adsorbing material and released into the container in response to a decrease in pressure in the container, thereby restoring and maintaining a predetermined pressure in the container as product is depleted from the container, said gas-adsorbing material comprising one of activated carbon, zeolite, alumina, and a carbon fiber composite molecular sieve, and being wetted with a release-promoting agent prior to addition of product to the container to cause release of about 90 percent of the sorbed gas during use of the system.

A gas storage and delivery system for restoring pressure as it is depleted from a pressurized container, comprising:

• a container holding a product under pressure to be dispensed from the container, said container having a normally closed discharge valve through which said product is dispensed when the valve is opened;
• a quantity of gaseous material under pressure in the container, occupying a space in the container and applying to the product a predetermined pressure of from about 30 to about 180 psig to discharge product from the container when the valve is opened;
• a quantity of gas-adsorbing material in the container;
• a reserve supply of gaseous material adsorbed on the gas-adsorbing material, said reserve supply of gaseous material being desorbed from the gas-adsorbing material and released into the container in response to a decrease in pressure in the container, thereby restoring and maintaining a predetermined pressure in the container as product is depleted from the container;
• and
• wherein said gas-adsorbing material is wetted with a polar fluid as a release-promoting agent at the time of manufacture of the container to promote desorption of all or substantially all of the sorbed gas from the gas-adsorbing material during use of the container, said polar fluid comprising alcohol diluted with water to form a solution containing 25% alcohol, said polar fluid being added to the container in the ratio of 13%, by weight, of polar fluid to adsorbent material.

A process for pressurizing and filling a pressurized container with a product to be dispensed under pressure from the container and a pressurized gaseous material for pressurizing the product, comprising the steps of:

• placing in the container a predetermined quantity of gas-adsorbing material that adsorbs and stores a desired volume of the gaseous material under a predetermined pressure and releases the gaseous material when pressure falls below a predetermined level;
• placing in the container a predetermined quantity of the gaseous material under pressure;
• placing a predetermined quantity of a release-promoting agent in the container in an amount to wet the gas-adsorbing material for promoting release of all or substantially all of the gaseous material from the gas-adsorbing material as gaseous material is desorbed from the gas-adsorbing material during use of the container, said release-promoting agent comprising a polar fluid, wherein the polar fluid comprises alcohol diluted with water to form a solution containing 25% alcohol and the alcohol and water solution comprises 13%, by weight, of the gas-adsorbing material;
• and
• thereafter placing product in the container.