JP6912767B2 - Continuous heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rotary drum type continuous heat treatment device, and is particularly suitable for continuously heat treatment of foodstuffs under reduction.

A method of using steam heated to 100 ° C. or higher at normal pressure to heat a food material is known, and is disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4.
However, all of them are similar to injecting superheated steam toward the food, and the superheated steam is cooled by the food and water adheres to the surface, which makes the food sticky and reduces the taste. rice field.

Japanese Patent No. 4746706 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-154576 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-12199 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-87641

An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous heat treatment apparatus capable of continuously heat-treating while suppressing oxidation of a food material and obtaining utility value as a new food material.

The continuous heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention includes a tunnel-type outer chamber portion and a drum-shaped inner cylinder portion arranged along the outer chamber portion and whose rotation is controlled, and the inner cylinder portion is breathable. It is composed of an outer peripheral wall having It is characterized by having a plurality of superheated steam generators and a plurality of heating heaters along the carry-out portion.

Here, the drum-shaped inner cylinder portion refers to an inner cylinder having an input portion for foodstuffs or the like on one of both ends and a carry-out portion on which the heat-treated material to be treated is carried out.
The inner cylinder portion may be one inner cylinder, or may be a combination of a plurality of inner cylinders.
Since the inner cylinder portion becomes hot, it is possible to absorb the change in expansion and contraction by connecting a plurality of inner cylinders so as to slide and fit.
The structure of the outer peripheral wall of the inner cylinder portion is not limited as long as it has air permeability so that superheated steam or the like can pass from the outside.
For example, a mesh shape, a punching metal shape with a plurality of holes, and a shape with a plurality of slit holes are given as examples.
Since the material to be treated such as foodstuffs moves along the inside of the inner cylinder as the inner cylinder rotates, the size of the ventilation part is adjusted so that the material to be treated does not fall from the inner cylinder to the outside. Set.
Further, as long as the material to be processed is transferred by the rotation of the inner cylinder portion, there is no limitation on the internal structure of the inner cylinder portion.

In the present invention, the tunnel-type outer chamber portion is for separating the inner cylinder portion disposed inside from the surrounding outside world, and is between the inside of the outer chamber portion and the inner cylinder portion, and is the inner cylinder portion. The reason why the superheated steam generator and the heating heater are divided into multiple parts along the loading part and the unloading part of the material to be treated is that the material to be treated passing through the inside of the inner cylinder is divided into multiple zones for heat treatment management. This is to enable continuous heat treatment.
The superheated steam generator generates superheated steam heated to 300 to 550 ° C. at normal pressure, but the temperature may drop when it comes into contact with a material to be treated.
Therefore, in the present invention, a heating heater is provided to reheat the steam to suppress the formation of water and maintain a reducing atmosphere due to the active steam.

Humidification may be required depending on the foodstuffs to be heat-treated.
Therefore, in the present invention, a plurality of watering nozzles may be arranged inside the outer chamber portion along the carry-out portion from the input portion of the material to be treated.

In addition, the heat treatment conditions differ depending on the food material to be heat-treated, and it is preferable to optimize the heat treatment conditions according to each stage between the initial stage of being charged into the inner cylinder and the latter stage of being carried out.
Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable that at least one or more of the plurality of superheated steam generators, the heater and the watering nozzle is divided into a plurality of zones and controlled for each zone.

In the present invention, the inner cylinder portion is separated from the outside world by a tunnel-shaped outer chamber portion, but since the inside of the outer chamber portion is relatively hot during the heat treatment, the inner cylinder portion may be separated depending on the food material. The carry-out portion side may be further extended from the outer chamber portion to have a cooling zone.

The present invention is also characterized in that the superheated steam generator can be made compact.
Therefore, the superheated steam generator used in the present invention has a water storage unit and a steam superheated space unit erected from the water storage unit, and the water storage unit has a heating heater for generating steam. The steam superheated space portion is characterized by having a superheating heater for superheating steam.
In the conventional superheated steam, water is generally boiled in a boiler and the generated steam is heated to 100 ° C. or higher by another coil heater or the like.
On the other hand, the superheated steam generator according to the present invention has a boilerless structure in which the water storage portion and the superheated space portion of steam are integrated, so that the structure can be simplified and the size can be reduced.
Further, it is preferable that the water supply to the water storage unit can be automatically supplied only by the difference in water level by communicating with another water storage tank without using a pump.

Since the continuous heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention can manage the heating conditions by dividing the inner cylinder portion through which the foodstuff or the like passes into a plurality of zones, it can cope with the heat treatment of various foodstuffs or the like.

It was clarified that the following effects can be obtained by heat-treating various foodstuffs in a reducing atmosphere with superheated steam.

When rice (granular) such as brown rice and white rice is heated under the reduction of superheated steam while applying appropriate humidification, the surface of the rice grains is pregelatinized, and 10 to 40% of the rice grains become pregelatinized alpha rice.
In this way, when partially pregelatinized rice is finely powdered into powder, when water is added to the powder and kneaded, the viscosity increases and an emulsifying action is exhibited.
In the present invention, since it is pregelatinized in a reducing atmosphere under superheated steam, oxidation is suppressed and storage stability is improved.
Partially pregelatinized rice powder has an emulsifying effect, so gluten can be reduced when mixed with flour to make bread.
In conventional ordinary wheat flour bread, by adding water to flour such as wheat flour, sugar, salt, and dry yeast and kneading it, glutenin and gliadin present in the endosperm of wheat react with water to become gluten, which increases. It becomes a viscous agent and fermentation proceeds.
However, wheat gluten is an allergic substance and there is a strong need for gluten-free bread.
Even in the conventional rice flour bread, alternative gluten is added to the rice flour, and it is not gluten-free.
On the other hand, when partially pregelatinized rice powder is used, it has a viscosity sufficient to produce bread only by adding about 2% of this rice powder to wheat flour.
Further, when the addition ratio of the rice powder is increased to 2 to 20%, the feeling of chewyness increases.
Bread can also be produced from rice powder, sugar, salt, yeast, etc. without using wheat flour, and gluten-free bread can be obtained.
Here, fats and oils such as butter are added as needed.
Bread production requires a baking step of baking at about 200 ° C after fermentation steps such as primary fermentation and secondary fermentation. If this baking step is also performed in a reducing atmosphere with superheated steam, oxidation will occur. A rice flour bread that is suppressed and has excellent storage stability can be obtained.

Barley is heat-treated in this reducing atmosphere to be finely pulverized and mixed with the above rice powder to increase the sweetness.
For example, add 2 to 5% to rice flour.

The continuous heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention can heat-treat various cereals. For example, when beans such as soybeans, adzuki beans, and green beans are heat-treated, they are baked like roasted beans.
When these ingredients are made into finely powdered powder, the fishy odor is eliminated and the range of use as new ingredients is expanded.

A structural example of the continuous heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is shown. An enlarged view of the vicinity of the input portion of the material to be treated is shown. An enlarged view of the vicinity of the carry-out portion of the material to be treated is shown. (A) schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the device near the superheated steam generator, and (b) shows an enlarged view of the vicinity where the inner cylinder portion is supported by a roller. A structural example of a superheated steam generator is shown. An example in which a cooling zone is provided in the inner cylinder portion is shown. The external view of the continuous heating apparatus is shown.

A structural example of the continuous heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure of the entire device, FIG. 2 shows an input portion of the material to be processed, and FIG. 3 shows a carry-out portion of the material to be processed.
FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional view of the device near the superheated steam generator, and FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the device near the roller support of the inner cylinder portion.

The continuous heat treatment device 10 has a tunnel-shaped outer chamber portion 11 having an inlet and an outlet, and an inner cylinder portion 12 composed of an inner cylinder arranged along the tunnel.
The inner cylinder portion 12 is rotatably supported by rollers 12c and 12c as shown in FIG. 4, and is connected to a drive portion 13 such as a motor via a connecting portion 13a such as a coupling as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Are connected and rotation controlled.
One of the inner cylinder portions 12 is the input portion 14 of the material to be treated, and the other is the carry-out portion 15 of the material to be treated.
As long as the inner cylinder portion 12 is rotationally controlled, there is no limitation on the structure itself.

In this embodiment, as shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 3, in order to suppress an eccentric load from being applied to the inner cylinder portion 12, the drive motor shaft is coaxially connected to the inner cylinder portion 12 and the material to be processed is carried out. In order to secure 15, the flange 15a attached to the end of the cylindrical body of the inner cylinder portion 12 and the flange 15a fixed to the motor shaft were connected by a plurality of round bars 15b.
As a result, the material to be treated falls from between the plurality of round bars 15b and can be received by the recovery hopper 18 of the material to be treated.
As shown in FIG. 4B, the presser roller 12e is attached downward by the spring 12f via the link 12d so that the radial displacement caused by the heating of the inner cylinder portion 12 can be easily absorbed. There is momentum.

A material to be processed such as foodstuffs is charged into the inner cylinder portion 12, and the material to be processed is moved toward the carry-out portion 15 by the rotation of the inner cylinder portion 12.
It is preferable to incline a little so that the loading portion 14 of the inner cylinder portion 12 is at a position slightly higher than the carrying-out portion 15, and in this embodiment, the inner circumference of the inner cylinder portion 12 is easily controlled so that the transfer amount can be easily controlled. This is an example in which a spiral transfer screw 12b is attached along the surface.
The outer peripheral wall 12a of the cylindrical body of the inner cylinder portion 12 is manufactured by using a mesh material, a punching metal, or the like so that superheated steam and shower water, which will be described later, can easily permeate.
It should be noted that FIGS. 2 and 3 show through the outer peripheral wall so that the inside can be easily understood.

There is no limitation on the method of charging the material to be processed into the charging portion 14 of the inner cylinder portion 12.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a hopper 16 and a charging screw 16b are provided at the bottom thereof, and the charging screw 16b is rotationally driven by a motor 16a.

Inside the outer chamber portion 11 along the outside of the inner cylinder section 12 is provided with a plurality of superheated steam generator _HE 1 _{~HE 10} and a plurality of heaters _H 1 _{to H 10.}
In this embodiment, the superheated steam generator HE is directed from the input portion 14 of the material to be treated to the carry-out portion 15, and 10 superheated steam generators HE _{1 to HE 10} and a pair of upper and lower heaters H are set H. _{Although it is an example in which 1 to} H ₁₀ are arranged, there is no limit to the number as long as a plurality of them are arranged.

An arrangement example of the superheated steam generator HE is shown in FIG. 4, and a structural example thereof is shown in FIG.
Applicants referred to the superheated steam generator as a hydroengine and used the abbreviation HE.
The HE is composed of a substantially L-shaped case body 51, and has a water storage portion 51b for storing water W on the lower side and a steam superheat space portion 51a erected above the water storage portion 51b.
A heater 52 is provided in the water storage section 51b, and an external cable and terminals 52a and 52b are connected to each other.
A superheater 53 is arranged in the steam superheat space 51a, and an external cable and terminals 53a and 53b are connected to each other.
Water is heated by the heater 52 of the water storage unit 51b, and steam is generated.
The generated steam is superheated by the superheater 53 in the superheated space 51a to superheated steam at 300 to 550 ° C.
As shown in FIG. 4, the superheated superheated steam is discharged from the discharge port 51c toward the inner cylinder portion 12.
As a result, the material to be treated inside the inner cylinder portion 12 is heated.
The water W supplied to the superheated steam generator HE is connected to the water supply port 54 of the water storage unit 51b in a state where the water storage tank 56 provided outside and the HEs _{1 to HE 10 are communicated with each other by a pipe.}
Therefore, when the water level of the water storage unit 51b drops, water is replenished only by the difference in water level from the water storage tank 56.
This water level can be confirmed by the water level meter 55.
Further, the water storage tank 56 is provided with an overflow portion 56a so that the water level becomes constant, is connected to a water pipe or the like, and the valve is adjusted.
The superheated steam generator according to the present invention is not limited to the L-shaped structure as long as it has a water storage portion and a steam superheated space portion provided above the water storage portion.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the heater H is arranged inside the outer chamber portion 11 and above and below the outside of the inner cylinder portion 12.
The heating heater H has a plurality of rod-shaped sheathed heaters a built in the panel body, and is in a cantilevered state in which the root side end portion is fixed to the side wall portion c of the outer chamber portion 11.
Terminals b ₁ and b ₂ are connected to an external cable and thermally expand when a current is applied, but since they are fixed in a cantilever state, they absorb thermal displacement.

The present invention is also characterized in that, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of superheated steam generators HE _{1 to HE 10} and a plurality of heaters H _{1 to} H ₁₀ are separately arranged.
In this embodiment, the superheated steam generators HE ₁ , HE ₂ , and the heating heaters H ₁ and H ₂ are controlled by the control panel Z ₁ as zone 1, and zone 2 (Z ₂ ) is (HE ₃ , HE ₄ , H. ₃ , H ₄ ), Zone 3 (Z ₃ ) is (HE ₅ , HE ₆ , H ₅ , H ₆ ), Zone 4 (Z ₄ ) is (HE ₇ , HE ₈ , H ₇ , H ₈ ), Zone 3 (Z ₅ ) was defined as (HE ₉ , HE ₁₀ , H ₉ , H ₁₀ ).
The two superheated steam and the heater in each zone may also be individually controlled.
In this way, the discharge amount of superheated steam and the output of the heater can be controlled for each zone while the material to be treated continuously passes through the zones 1 to 5 inside the inner cylinder portion 12, and the temperature inside the inner cylinder portion can be controlled. The distribution and the distribution of active steam due to superheated steam can be controlled.
Further, a watering nozzle may be provided toward the inside of the inner cylinder portion 12, and in that case, as shown in FIG. 6, a water piping system 40 is provided so that shower control can be performed by a solenoid valve SV or the like for each zone. preferable.
This is because some ingredients require humidification.
Water vapor and the like are discharged from the discharge cylinders 19a and 19b.
These zone management can be centrally operated and controlled on the operation panel 17.

When the soybeans were heat-treated with such a continuous heating device, they were baked into a crispy state like roasted beans by the continuous treatment for about 5 minutes.
When this was finely powdered into powder, the fishy odor disappeared.
As a result, it can be used for various purposes as soybean powder.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an example in which a cooling zone is provided on the carry-out portion 15 side of the inner cylinder portion 12.
Even with the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, heat treatment of rice (white rice, brown rice) is sufficiently possible.
Even in that case, in order to pregelatinize the surface of rice (pregelatinization rate of rice 10 to 40%), it is preferable to humidify the surface.
In the apparatus shown in FIG. 6, the structures of the outer chamber portion 11, the inner cylinder portion 12, and _{the arrangement of the superheated steam generators HE 1 to HE 10} and the heaters H _{1 to} H ₁₀ are the same as those in FIG. Omit.
The difference from the device shown in FIG. 1 is that the carry-out portion 15 side of the inner cylinder portion 12 is further extended from the outer chamber portion 11 to form a cooling zone 20.
A small amount of superheated steam is discharged into the cooling zone 20 so as to create a reducing atmosphere, and the entire cooling zone 20 is water-cooled by a pipe 41, a water-cooled jacket, or the like.

For example, an example of heat-treating rice grains with the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 will be described.
Rice is supplied from the storage tank 30 to the charging hopper 16 by the conveyor 31 and charged into the charging section of the inner cylinder portion 12.
Rice usually has a moisture content of 13 to 15.5%.
When the inner cylinder portion 12 is divided into the same as the five zones shown in FIG. 1, it is managed as follows, for example.
Since the rice at the initial stage of feeding is still low temperature, zone 1 is controlled so that the atmospheric temperature is 100 to 200 ° C.
The next zone 2 is brought into a high temperature reducing state of 300 to 550 ° C.
At this time, the free water that is not bound to the tissue of the rice is dried.
When superheated steam discharged from the overheated steam generator is lowered temperature, reheated at heater H _3, H ₄ of about 600 ° C..
The shower water sprayed from the watering nozzle is also superheated and vaporized by the heater.
In the next zones 3 and 4, the temperature inside the furnace is slightly lowered from that in the zone 2, and water is sprinkled more.
The water sprinkled here is heated to pregelatinize the surface of the rice.
In the next zone 5, the excess water at the time of pregelatinization is heated and dried in a reducing state.
In Zone 5, the temperature has already been lowered to 200 ° C. or lower, but the water content may still be slightly high, about 18 to 23%.
Therefore, cooling and drying can be further promoted in the cooling zone 20, and the pregelatinized rice having a moisture content of 14 to 17% can be finished.

In the continuous heating device according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, an inclination angle adjusting device 62 such as a caster 61 or a jackie may be attached to the gantry 60.

10 Continuous heat treatment device 11 Outer chamber part 12 Inner cylinder part 13 Drive part 13a Connecting part 14 Loading part 15 Carrying out part 16 Loading hopper

Claims (1)

It includes a tunnel-shaped outer chamber portion and a drum-shaped inner cylinder portion that is arranged along the inside of the outer chamber portion and is rotation-controlled.
The inner cylinder portion is composed of a breathable outer peripheral wall, and has an input portion for the material to be treated on one side and a carry-out portion on the other side.
The carry-out portion is processed from between the plurality of round bars by connecting the flange attached to the end of the inner cylinder portion and the flange fixed to the rotation-controlled motor shaft with a plurality of round bars. The material is carried out,
It has a plurality of superheated steam generators and a plurality of heaters between the inside of the outer chamber portion and the inner cylinder portion along the loading portion and the unloading portion of the material to be treated.
A continuous heat treatment apparatus characterized in that the plurality of superheated steam generators and the plurality of heaters are respectively arranged in a plurality of zones and controlled for each zone.

Images