JPS5857671B2 - How to solve the problem - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for drying, concentrating, etc. foods, drugs, chemicals, etc. under vacuum and low temperature.

Conventionally, when vacuum drying or vacuum concentrating foods, medicines, etc., a processing container, a cooling condensing device, and a vacuum pump were installed separately and connected with pipes to exchange heat of evaporation from the processed material and this evaporation. The cooling heat exchange that cools and condenses the gas is performed in a separate container, but in this case, even if a complete vacuum can be obtained with the capacity of the vacuum pump on the board and the cooling device is sufficient, there will be no heat exchange from the processing container. Sending saturated steam smoothly through the pipe not only requires a large-diameter pipeline, but also adds piping resistance along the entire length of the pipeline, and as the amount of heat of evaporation and throughput increases, the degree of vacuum in the processing vessel decreases. In reality, it is extremely difficult to quickly send saturated steam to a cooling condensing device while keeping the temperature constant, and as a result, the degree of vacuum inside the processing container decreases, the processing temperature increases, and the material to be processed is dried. There is a drawback that the difference between the temperature of the evaporative heat exchange device that performs evaporation or concentration and the processing temperature becomes small, resulting in a decrease in evaporative heat exchange efficiency, resulting in variations in the quality of the processed material, and a deterioration in processing efficiency.

It is also known that evaporated gas can be condensed and liquefied in a processing container, but the condensed liquid cannot be drawn directly into a vacuum pump, and must be stored separately or equipped with a take-out device. Not only does this require a configuration, but it also makes it impossible to perform a large amount of processing continuously and efficiently.

The first object of the present invention is to perform evaporation heat exchange of the food or other processed material and cooling heat exchange for cooling and condensing evaporated saturated vapor in a processing container when drying, concentrating, etc. food products are processed under vacuum at low temperatures. By doing this at the same time, it is possible to condense the evaporated water from the processed material into the processing container without pressure loss, and to reduce the diameter of the suction pipe that connects the processing container and the vacuum pump, making it easy to use. The configuration improves the efficiency of evaporative heat exchange of the processed material, stably maintains the vacuum level inside the processing container at a high vacuum level, stabilizes the processing temperature, and homogenizes and improves the quality of the processed material. The present invention provides a vacuum low-temperature evaporation processing device for foods, etc.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum low-temperature evaporation processing apparatus for foods and the like that can efficiently and continuously process foods and other processed materials under vacuum and low temperatures.

The third object of the present invention is to evacuate the inside of the processing container while directly sucking the liquid that has been cooled and condensed in the processing container into the vacuum pump using the suction/draining action of the enclosed liquid. By cooling and maintaining the sealed liquid at a low temperature, it is possible to stably and easily create a high vacuum near the saturated vapor pressure of the sealed liquid. tranHS', 6.2 rr at 3°C
anHV, 6.5 mm HS' at 4°C 7.1 m at 5°C
Hff, 7.5 tranH at 6℃? It is possible to form a degree of vacuum of , the interior of the processing container can be efficiently maintained at a high degree of vacuum, and foods, etc. can be efficiently dried or concentrated.

Another object of the present invention is that since the processing temperature inside the processing container is proportional to the cooling heat exchange temperature for cooling and condensing the evaporated gas, the processing temperature can be adjusted arbitrarily by setting the cooling heat exchange temperature. By controlling the temperature of the liquid used, any high degree of vacuum can be easily obtained, and any processing such as vacuum low-temperature drying or concentration can be performed depending on the processing purpose. An evaporation treatment device is provided.

The present invention can be used for drying and concentrating foods, drugs, chemicals, etc., and the liquid used in the vacuum pump of the present invention is the same type as the evaporated substance of the processing substance, In particular, in the case of drying or concentrating water, water, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, etc. can be used depending on the degree of vacuum, the purpose of liquid temperature treatment, etc.

To explain the details of the present invention with reference to an embodiment, a closed cylindrical processing container 1 with a slightly downwardly inclined front end has a raw material supply pipe 2 at the top of one end and a discharge pipe at the other end. 3 are provided respectively, and the raw material supply pipe 2 is shown in the figure at L°C.
- It is connected to an appropriate raw material supply device, and the discharge tube 3 is connected to a product storage tank 4.

Also, inside the processing container 1, an endless transfer belt 8 made of a thermally conductive material such as stainless steel or aluminum and having a thickness of about 0.1 to 0.05 rML is stretched over a driving roll 5, a driven roll 6, and a tension roll γ. By driving the drive roll 5, the raw material sprayed or applied onto the belt 8 is continuously transferred from the raw material supply pipe 2 to the discharge pipe 3, and the lower surface of the endless transfer belt 8 corresponding to the raw material transfer path is continuously transferred. A hollow heat exchange device 9 is provided in contact with L.

The heat exchange device 9 is connected to a heating medium supply device 12 by a heating medium supply pipe 10 and a discharge pipe 11, and the transfer belt 8 is connected to the heating medium supply device 12 by a heating medium supply pipe 10 and a discharge pipe 11.
The L.L. is configured to perform heat exchange of the above raw materials.

In this embodiment, a vacuum container using a condenser of a refrigerator is used as the heating medium supply device 12, and heated steam is used as the heating medium.

Further, a heat insulating material 13 is attached to the bottom of the processing container 1, and a cooling heat exchange device 14 made of a fin pipe is installed above the heat insulating material 13, and the cooling heat exchange device 14 is connected to a cooling liquid supply device 15.
For example, a cooling water tank using an evaporator of a refrigerator is connected via a transfer pipe 17 via a pump 16, and the cooling water is sent to the front end of the cooling heat exchange device 14, cooling the evaporated vapor emanating from the raw material and converting it into liquid again. At the same time, the rear end of the cooling heat exchange device 14 is returned to the cooling tank, which is the cooling liquid supply device 15, through the return pipe 18, and the cooling water that has undergone heat exchange is circulated and refluxed.

The lower front end of the processing container 1 is connected to a vacuum pump 19 by a suction pipe 20, which sucks the liquid evaporated and condensed from the raw material and at the same time degasses the inside of the processing container 1.

Details of the vacuum pump 19 are shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, and the tip of the suction pipe 20 is branched and connected to a heat insulating material 21.
are connected to the suction holes 23 of the pair of liquid storage outer cylinders 22, 22, which cover the liquid.

Suction holes 24 are provided at the bottoms of the liquid storage outer cylinders 22, 22, respectively.
is bored, and the suction hole 24 is connected to a truncated conical connecting cylinder 25, 2.
Liquid tank 270 with cylinder 26 installed through 5
The liquid tank 27 is divided into sections by a piston 28 which communicates with both sides and is fitted into the cylinder 26.

Further, a liquid storage inner cylinder 30 having a heat exchange spiral blade 29 on the outer peripheral surface is installed in the liquid storage outer cylinders 22 , 22 , and the bottom of the liquid storage inner cylinder 30 and the connecting cylinder 25 are arranged around the suction hole 24 . A guide tube 34 having a flange 33 projecting from the upper part of the exhaust tube 31 is fixed to a fixed tube 32 installed at the center of the bottom. An annular exhaust valve 3 is fitted into the guide tube 34 so as to be able to move up and down.
The exhaust pipe 31 is opened and closed by vertical movement of the cylinder 5.

Further, a spring 38 is provided on the bottom surface of the liquid storage inner cylinder 30 in the fixed cylinder 32 to urge upward a shaft rod 37 installed at the upper end of the suction valve 36 that opens and closes the suction hole 24. The suction valve 36 normally closes the suction hole 24.

The suction valve 36 is formed of a hollow or other floating material, and a fluid pressure plate 39 is attached to the lower end of the suction valve 36.
Smooth the opening/closing action of 6.

A cooling water chamber 40 is mounted on the upper part of the pair of liquid storage outer cylinders 22, 22, and between this cooling water chamber 40 and the liquid storage inner cylinder 30 is an air separation system with open upper and lower ends. A cylinder 41 is provided, and an air discharge hole 42 is bored in the upper side of the liquid storage outer cylinder 30 of the air separation cylinder 41, and an air cushion chamber 43 is formed at the top of the liquid storage inner cylinder 30.
Form (・ru.

Further, approximately in the center of the cooling water chamber 40, there is provided a cooling corrugated pipe 44 which is connected to the transfer pipe 17 at one end and the return pipe 18 at the other end to cool the liquid in the cooling water chamber 40. An air discharge tube 46 is provided above through a separation plate 45, and a liquid overflow hole 47 is provided in the upper side wall, and furthermore, the lower sides of the cooling water chamber 400 and both sides of the liquid tank 270 are provided with an air discharge tube 46 and a liquid overflow hole 47 in the upper side wall. A circulation pipe 49 equipped with an L/check valve 48 that prevents the liquid from flowing back from the tank 27.
．． 49, each connected to form L.

A heat insulating material 50 is provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of the liquid tank 27 and the cooling water chamber 40, respectively, and a piston 28 fitted in the cylinder 26 in the liquid tank 27
The piston rod 51 shown in FIG.

Therefore, when the piston 28 slides inside the cylinder 26 to the right by appropriate power means as shown in FIG.
The liquid in the left side compartment opens the suction valve 36 against its spring 38 by the suction action of the piston 28, sucks the liquid in the liquid storage cylinder 22 on the left side, and vacuums the upper part of the liquid storage cylinder 22. The air (saturated steam) sucked through the suction hole 23 is cooled by the heat exchange spiral blade 29, partially liquefied and sucked, and at the same time the air (saturated steam) is sucked into the liquid storage inner cylinder installed in the liquid storage outer cylinder 22. The exhaust valve 35 of 30 is held closed by the suction pressure of the piston 28.

On the other hand, in the liquid storage outer cylinder 22 on the right side, the suction valve 36 closes due to an increase in liquid pressure in the right side section of the liquid tank 27, and at the same time, the exhaust valve 35 of the exhaust pipe 31 opens, and the liquid tank 27
The liquid in the right side compartment is discharged into the liquid storage inner cylinder 30 on the right side.

Next, when the piston 28b'' slides to the left at L., contrary to the above, the liquid storage cylinder 22 on the left side closes the suction valve 36 of its suction hole 24 due to the increase in liquid pressure in the liquid tank 27, and the liquid storage cylinder 22 on the left side closes and drains the liquid. The exhaust valve 35 of the cylinder 31 opens and discharges the previously sucked air and liquid into the liquid storage inner cylinder 30.

The liquid and air alternately discharged into the left and right liquid storage inner cylinders 30, 30 in this way pass through the separation cylinder 41 from the lower open end of the separation cylinder 41 and the air discharge hole 42 in the side wall, and exit from the upper end of the separation cylinder 41. Air enters the cooling water chamber 40 and is discharged from the air exhaust stack 46, and the discharged liquid overflows and is stored in the cooling water chamber 40.

In this way, by alternately repeating the above-mentioned action by the left and right reciprocating movement of the piston 28, air and liquid are alternately sucked from the suction holes 23 of the pair of left and right liquid storage outer cylinders 22, 22, and the air is discharged. The liquid is exhausted into the cylinder 46 and stored in the cooling water chamber 40.

In addition, during the reciprocating operation of the piston 28, the cooling liquid in the cooling water chamber 40 is sucked into the left and right sections of the liquid tank 27 by the circulation pipes 49, 49 during the suction process, and the liquid is circulated and cooled. Air discharge hole 4 of housing inner cylinder 30
The air cushion chamber 43 formed in the upper part of the pump 2 prevents water leakage during the exhaust process, which is caused by introducing the cooling liquid into the liquid tank 27 through the circulation pipe 49.

Next, the part indicated by the reference numeral 51 in the drawing is a refrigerator,
The condenser is used as the heating medium supply device 12, the evaporator is used as the cooling liquid supply device 15, and the commonly known L. It is equipped with a cooler 56, and it is even more effective to add an auxiliary heat source to the upper part of the heating medium supply device 12. In addition, 57 in the figure is a raw material scraper provided below the drive roll 5 of the belt 8. It's a knife.

The present invention is constructed as described above, and drives the vacuum pump 19 and the refrigerator 51 to transfer the food and drugs to be dried or concentrated from the raw material supply pipe 2 onto the endless transfer belt 8 in the processing container 1. When raw materials such as
A part of the liquid is liquefied and sucked and exhausted by the suction and discharge action of the air and the liquid by the reciprocating movement of the piston 28 of the air filling pump 19, and the liquid in the vacuum pump 19 is cooled by the cooling corrugated pipe 44 of the cooling water chamber 40. It circulates through the circulation pipe 49 to degas the inside of the processing container 1 to a high degree of vacuum.

On the other hand, the heating medium supply device 1 using the condenser of the refrigerator 51
2 supplies evaporated steam to the heat exchanger 9 via the supply pipe 10, and uses its latent heat to evaporate liquid such as moisture contained in the raw material transferred on the transfer belt 8 by heat conduction, and then returns it to the discharge pipe 17. It is returned to the heating medium supply device 12.

Also, the evaporated vapor from the raw material is cooled in the processing container 1 by the cooling heat exchanger 14 which circulates and cools it from the cooling liquid supply device 15, condenses into liquid, and is vacuumed together with air from the front end of the processing container 1 via the suction pipe 20. It is sucked into the pump 19.

According to the present invention, when the raw material to be treated is solid and the heat exchange by heat conduction of the heat exchange device is insufficient, it is preferable to install an auxiliary heat source such as an infrared lamp in the upper part of the treatment container along the transfer device. In addition, a refrigerating condenser may be used as the heating medium supply device of the heat exchange device, but other devices may be used instead.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view in cross section of the main parts of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical side view of the processing container of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional front view of the vacuum pump of the present invention, and FIG. A cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A,
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line B--B in FIG. 3. 1... Processing container, 2... Raw material supply pine, 3...
Discharge tube, 8... Transfer belt, 9... Heat exchange device, 1
2... Heating medium supply device, 14... Cooling heat exchange device, 15... Cooling liquid supply device, 19... Vacuum pump, 22... Liquid storage outer cylinder, 27... Liquid tank, 2
8...Piston, 30...Liquid storage inner cylinder, 35...
・Exhaust valve, 36... Intake valve, 40... Cooling water chamber, 4
4...Cooling pipe, 49...Circulation pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sealed processing container equipped with a supply device for the material to be treated at one end and a discharge device for the material to be treated at the other end, which is provided within the processing container to continuously transfer the material to be treated from the supply device to the discharge device. a transfer device, a heat exchange device for evaporating the liquid contained in the processed material on the transfer device, a cooling heat exchange device provided at the bottom of the processing container for condensing and liquefying the evaporated gas, and suctioning the liquid generated in the processing container. and a vacuum pump that suctions and deaerates the inside of the processing container. It is formed of a liquid storage inner cylinder that communicates with a liquid tank installed inside, and a cooling water chamber that has a cooling device installed on the upper part of the liquid storage outer cylinder and that communicates with the liquid storage inner cylinder, and the liquid in the liquid tank. A suction valve is provided in the communication section with the storage outer cylinder, and an exhaust valve is provided in the communication section with the liquid storage inner cylinder. A heating medium supply device that supplies a heating medium to the heat exchange device, an evaporator of the refrigerator that supplies cooling liquid to the cooling heat exchange device and the vacuum pump, and a heating medium supply device that is connected by a circulation pipe provided with a valve. A vacuum low-temperature evaporation processing device for foods, etc., consisting of: