A system is for infusing liquid with a gas to form a gas-infused beverage. The system has a tank with first and second cavities. A refrigeration circuit refrigerates the tank and the contents of the first and second cavities. The liquid is supplied to the first cavity and cooled therein by the refrigeration circuit and then supplied to the second cavity and infused with gas therein to thereby form the gas-infused beverage. The gas-infused beverage is then supplied to a beverage outlet for dispensing to a user.

A system and method of controlling a concentration of one or more gases dissolved in a beverage is included. The system includes a saturation tank having a gas head space, a brite tank, and a beverage supply system to pass the beverage between the saturation tank and the brite tank. A beverage supersaturated with the gas from the head space is formed in the saturation tank. The supersaturated beverage is passed from the saturation tank to the brite tank. Once the amount of gas added to the beverage exceeds saturation, some of the gas escapes from solution from the beverage and the pressure in the brite tank increases. Once the pressure within the brite tank reaches a pre-defined pressure, a pump supplying the beverage to the saturation tank is shut-off and the inlet and outlet valves of the brite tank are closed.

An integrated infuser/mixer pump system features a liquid inlet configured to receive a liquid drawn from a liquid source, a gas inlet configured to receive an inlet gas from a gas source, a pump and motor combination configured to received the liquid and provide pumped liquid, a gas/liquid mixture chamber configured to receive the pumped liquid and the inlet gas, and mix the liquid and the inlet gas into a gas-infused mixture, and a gas-infused mixture outlet configured to provide the gas-infused mixture; the gas inlet having a gas liquid mixing valve with a mixing orifice that has a mixing orifice size dimensioned to provide the inlet gas to the gas/liquid mixture chamber with an inlet gas volumetric flow rate in order to mix the pumped liquid and the inlet gas with a predetermined mixture ratio that depends on the mixing orifice size.

A soda carbonation and dispensation system and method are provided. The system includes a carbonated water pump and motor assembly operable to draw fresh water into carbonator tanks and circulate the water through a chiller system. A carbon dioxide source is connected to the carbonator tanks to produce carbonated water. The system also includes a water level sensor connected to a controller, a plurality of syrup containers, a syrup pump, syrup regulator valves, a brix capacitor, a dispensing tower and faucets connected to the dispensing tower housing. The controller operates the water pump and motor assembly to maintain a water level within a predetermined range and to maintain continuous flow and refrigeration of the carbonated water, which optimizes carbonation. The brix capacitor receives chilled carbonated water and chilled syrup in separate lines. Carbonated water is circulated to the faucets through a manifold in the brix capacitor and then circulated back into the carbonator tanks. Valves are provided in the brix capacitor to manipulate carbonated water and syrup flow rates and pressures into the faucets. The system maintains the carbonated water and syrup at a refrigerated temperature and a predetermined maximum pressure. When a faucet is opened, the carbonated water and syrup mix as they flow laminarly into a container. The result is consistently optimum carbonation when the beverage is dispensed.

A system for adding a gas to a liquid including a gas over liquid accumulator having an interior volume with a headspace, a liquid level, an accumulator liquid inlet, an accumulator gas inlet, and an accumulator gas outlet connected to the headspace. A contactor having a contactor gas inlet and a contactor gas outlet and a first supply of gas connected to the accumulator gas inlet. A second supply of gas connected to the contactor gas inlet and a supply of liquid connected to the accumulator liquid inlet. A first valve disposed between the first supply of gas and the accumulator gas inlet, a second valve connected to the accumulator gas outlet, a third valve disposed between the supply of liquid and the accumulator liquid inlet, a fourth valve disposed between the contactor gas inlet and the second supply of gas; and a fifth valve connected to the contactor gas outlet.

Provided is a refrigerator including: a main body; a storage compartment formed in the main body; a door that opens/closes the storage compartment; a general water tank in which general water supplied from an external water supply source is stored; a mixing tank in which general water supplied from the general water tank is mixed with carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) so that carbonated water is made and stored; a dispenser that provides general water supplied from the general water tank to an outside and provides carbonated water supplied from the mixing tank to the outside of the refrigerator; and an ice-making machine that makes general ice by receiving general water from the external water supply source or the general water tank and makes carbonated ice by receiving carbonated water from the mixing tank, thereby providing general water, carbonated water, general ice, and carbonated ice through the dispenser.

An installation for rearing animals comprises an injector; a water inlet line and a gas inlet line arriving in the injector; a source of oxygen or a gas mixture comprising oxygen, capable of delivering oxygen into the gas line; and a water recirculation loop including: a water tank, at atmospheric pressure, to supply the injector with fresh water; a coil capable of receiving water charged with dissolved oxygen from the injector through a pump, wherein the coil creates a water/oxygen contact time; and an overflow valve, to have the water resulting from the coil passed in order to be able to direct the water entirely to the animals' watering or partially to the animals' watering and partially back to the water tank. A method for rearing animals comprises boosting water with dissolved oxygen up to saturation for animals' watering.

A gas injection system for injecting a gas into a liquid to form a solution includes a flow channel that conveys a liquid from an upstream inlet configured to receive the liquid and a downstream outlet configured to dispense the solution, sparger positioned in the flow channel, a solution pressure detection device configured to sense a pressure of the solution in the flow channel, and a liquid valve configured to regulate flow of the liquid in the flow channel based on the pressure sensed by the solution pressure detection device. The sparger is configured to inject the gas into the liquid through the porous surface as the liquid flows across the surface.

A beverage dispenser (1) includes a cold water tank (20) for storing cold water (50), a carbonation tank (30) disposed with at least a bottom portion thereof being submerged in the cold water (50) in the cold water thank (20), the carbonation tank being configured to generate carbonated water (60) by adding carbon dioxide gas to the cold water (50) supplied from the cold water tank (20), a carbonated water outlet passage (35) for taking out the carbonated water (60) from the carbonation tank (30) and a heater (41) for heating the cold water (50) in the cold water tank (20). In order to sterilize the above beverage dispenser (1), the heater (41) is caused to heat the cold water (50) in the cold water tank (20) to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature, thereby to sterilize the cold water tank (20) and the carbonation tank (30). After the carbonated water (60) in the carbonation tank (30) is taken out via the carbonated water outlet passage (35), hot/warm water (70) in the cold water tank (20) is cooled.

A beverage making machine may employ a mixing chamber to mix a beverage medium with a precursor liquid, such as carbonated water. The mixing chamber may have a precursor liquid inlet coupled to a precursor liquid supply, a beverage medium chamber to receive a beverage medium into the beverage medium chamber, and a dispense outlet from which beverage medium and precursor liquid are dispensed, e.g., into a user's cup. The beverage medium chamber may include a chamber inlet coupled to the precursor liquid inlet, e.g., so precursor liquid can enter the chamber when a pressure is low in the beverage medium chamber, and a chamber outlet downstream of the chamber inlet that is coupled to the dispense outlet, e.g., so that beverage medium can exit the chamber.