Fluidized bed Coffeemaker

Ok. We have lot's of different ways to make coffee. Each is equivalent to a unit operation at a chemicals processing facility. So, a french press is like a batch process, unstirred, followed by a plug flow filtration and final sequestration. All are performed in the same vessel. Drip coffee is like a semicontinuous unstirred tank reactor with a gravity driven filtration through a second tank and into the third for sequestration . Espresso is a semicontinuous high pressure plug flow extraction and filtration chamber in between two vessels.

But what about the fluidized bed reactor? These are nifty contraptions and can provide unique efficiencies during certian reactions. This idea is for a coffeemaker that batch processes the coffee in one vessel and which functions as a fluidized bed. The vessel is filled with grains and the air is evacuated. Steam enters through the bottom and fluidizes the coffee grains as it cools and turns liquid. The steam condenses thusly as pressure increases in the chamber and absorbes solutes in the fluidized liquid until, at a preset time, a drain on the bottom is opened and liquid is allowed out of the vessel.

There is simple controls system on such a device. Steam addition and tank evacuation will occur one after another, depending on the pressure within the vessel. If it is too low, more steam is added to increase the pressure. If it is too high, liquid is allowed out of the bottom into a recieving vessel to allow for more volume in the gaseous phase. It is imperative to keep some of the liquid as a gas to induce fluidization, hence the controls scheme. If the pressure is very high and gas is shooting out of the bottom, like right when you start it, the outlet must be manually closed until enough heat is removed by conduction through the vessel walls to allow liquid to form.

The coffee should resemble a very strong drip, made in something like half the time.