Permea, Inc.

The Calor Group Limited

John K Page

Peter J Kent

Dilip G Kalthod

The present invention relates to providing an apparatus and a process for dispensing a beverage from a tap, sometimes as often as about every 8 to 10 seconds, while maintaining a predetermined quantity of dissolved nitrogen and/or dissolved carbon dioxide or other gas utilizing a contactor module containing hollow fiber membranes.

Dispense of beverage containing controlled levels of dissolved gas

The present invention provides a condensate drain device suitable for use in high pressure systems where liquid condensate is removed. The device, through use of a wicking disk, allows removal of the condensate from the system without significant reduction in pressure or interruption of the system. There are no moving parts in the device thereby allowing continuous operation of the condensate drain without interruption.

Condensate drain device

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.

Control of dissolved gases in liquids

The thermal energy storage material comprises at least one hydrated compound (such as an inorganic salt) having a reversible transition to the anhydrous or a less hydrated form and a hydrogel, comprising a water-swollen cross-linked polymer formed by cross-linking a synthetic hydrophilic polymer by a covalent cross-linking mechanism, throughout which the compound is dispersed. The hydrogel is made by reacting a water-soluble or water-dispersible synthetic hydrophilic polymer, which is preferably linear and thermoplastic, with a cross-linking agent therefor in an aqueous medium containing the hydrated compound. The hydrophilic polymer, the aqueous medium and the hydrated compound are used in such amounts that the storage material contains a major proportion, by weight, of the hydrated compound and a minor proportion, by weight, of the cross-linked polymer.

Thermal energy storage material comprising hydrated compound and

A thermal energy storage material comprising at least one hydrated inorganic salt having a transition temperature to the anhydrous or a less hydrated form in the range 10.degree. to 100.degree. C. (for example, sodium sulphate decahydrate), the salt being dispersed and suspended in a water-insoluble hydrogel formed from a water-soluble synthetic polymer having pendant carboxylic or sulphonic acid groups cross-linked with cations of a polyvalent metal (for example, aluminium or magnesium).

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Camberley, United Kingdom

John K Page