JPS5932114B2 - Vinegar manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vinegar manufacturing apparatus, and particularly to a lower stirring apparatus using a self-priming stirring blade that can start aeration stirring by rotating the stirring blade even when the inside of the fermenter is almost empty. This invention relates to a mold aeration stirring type vinegar manufacturing device.

Conventionally, bottom-stirring type aeration-stirring vinegar manufacturing equipment, in which the drive shaft for driving the stirring blades is inserted from the bottom of the fermenter, has a relatively shorter drive shaft than the top-stirring type. As a result, the shaking of the drive shaft can be suppressed to a relatively small level, so it is often used in the production of vinegar by semi-continuous fermentation methods, etc., in which the amount of fermented liquid changes significantly during the rotation of the stirring blade.

In addition, by rotating the stirring blade, negative pressure is generated on the back side of the blade, and this negative pressure causes air to be sucked in from the outside, and the air is fragmented by the shearing action that the blade exerts on the liquid, and then discharged together with the liquid. Disperse in the fermenter,
So-called self-priming stirring blades are also used in vinegar manufacturing equipment.

Such self-priming stirring blades can dissolve oxygen into the fermentation liquid relatively efficiently, and are also used as stirring blades in bottom-stirring aeration-stirring vinegar manufacturing equipment.

On the other hand, it is generally customary to fill a fermentation tank with a certain amount of fermentation liquid and then rotate the stirring blades to start aeration and stirring.

In particular, in the case of a bottom-stirring aeration-stirring vinegar manufacturing device using a self-priming stirring blade as described above, it is necessary to prevent the fermented liquid from leaking from the gap between the drive shaft at the bottom of the fermenter and the fermenter main body. There are also seals at the connection between the self-priming stirring blade and the air introduction pipe, and these seals are used to rotate the stirring blade in the absence of fermented liquid. Dry operation may cause damage such as burning or abrasion, so fill the fermentation tank with enough fermentation liquid to cool the seal and act as a lubricant before rotating the stirring blades. There is a strong need for this.

However, with recent advances in vinegar manufacturing technology, it has become necessary to rotate the stirring blades in a state where there is almost no fermentation liquid in the fermenter.

For example, the invention previously filed by the present inventors as a method for producing vinegar (Japanese Patent Application No. 51-115472, Japanese Patent Application No. 51-116)
No. 604) uses two aerated fermentation tanks, and while semi-continuous fermentation is performed in the first aerated fermentation tank, the fermentation liquid taken out from there is transferred to the second aerated fermentation tank which is empty or nearly empty. Vinegar is produced by the so-called two-stage fermentation method, in which the vinegar is rapidly moved and batch fermentation is carried out in a second aerated fermentation tank. If the fermentation liquid is interrupted for more than 2 hours, it will lose most of its activity and the fermentation will be interrupted. It is important to use a fermentation liquid transfer pump with as large a discharge flow rate as possible to move the fermentation liquid quickly and to complete the movement while maintaining the dissolved oxygen concentration in the fermentation liquid above a certain level.At the same time, the second aerated fermentation It is important to start aeration in the tank as soon as the fermentation liquor begins to be transferred from the first aerated fermentation tank.

In other words, when using an aerated stirring fermenter using a self-priming stirring blade as the second aerated fermentation tank, start rotating the stirring blade from an empty state, and then pump the fermentation liquid while rotating the stirring blade. Because it is pumped in to fill the fermentation liquid,
Since the amount of fermented liquid varies greatly during the rotation of the stirring blade, it is preferable to use the above-mentioned bottom stirring type aerated stirring type vinegar manufacturing apparatus.

However, in a bottom-stirring aeration-stirring vinegar manufacturing apparatus using such a self-priming stirring blade, the stirring blade cannot be rotated when the fermenter is empty for the reasons mentioned above.

As a result of various studies, the inventors of the present invention have made a recess in the bottom of the fermenter near the area directly below the self-priming stirring blade installed at the bottom of the fermenter, thereby connecting the drive shaft of the self-priming stirring blade to the fermenter main body. The inner part of the fermenter of the seal part is in this recess so that this part of the seal part is immersed in the raw material moromi or fermentation liquid that serves as a cooling and lubricant, and is fed into the fermentation tank. The fermentation liquid inlet pipe is opened near the connecting part between the stirring blade and the air introduction pipe, that is, near the sealing part, so that the raw mash or the fermented liquid is applied to the seal part of the connecting part between the stirring blade and the air introduction pipe, and the raw mash or fermented liquid is transferred from this inlet pipe. By allowing the fermentation liquid to act as a cooling agent for the seal and as a lubricant, it is possible to carry out fermentation by feeding the raw material moromi or fermentation liquid while rotating the stirring blades from an empty state in the fermenter. This led to the invention of a bottom-stirring type aeration-stirring type vinegar manufacturing apparatus using a self-priming stirring blade.

That is, the present invention relates to a raw material moromi or fermentation liquid inlet pipe, a fermentation liquid discharge pipe, a self-priming stirring blade, an air introduction pipe connected to the self-priming stirring blade, a drive device for the self-priming stirring blade, an exhaust pipe, and a temperature-controlled stirring blade. The bottom surface of the fermenter near the bottom of the self-priming stirring blade installed at the bottom of the fermenter equipped with the mixing device is recessed, and the inside of the fermenter is sealed between the 5 drive shafts of the self-priming stirring blade and the fermenter main body. The bottom stirring type aerated stirring type vinegar production is characterized in that the raw material moromi or fermented liquid feed pipe is opened near the connecting part of the self-priming stirring blade and the air introduction pipe. It is a device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

The drawings are cross-sectional views of embodiments of the invention.

In the figure, 1 is a fermenter, which is supported and fixed by a frame 19.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a self-priming stirring blade, which is connected to a drive shaft 3.

There are no particular limitations on the self-priming stirring blade 2, and any blade may be used as long as its air suction ability, subdivision ability, and dispersion ability are compatible with the intended production of vinegar (though its structure may vary). , generally a small hole is opened at the tip of the blade,
The inside of the blade and the blade are hollow, and the hollow part is connected to an air introduction pipe 12, and the connection part has a seal part 13 to prevent fermentation liquid from penetrating into the inside of the stirring blade. It is preferable to use the following.

A drive shaft 3 connected to the self-priming stirring blade 2 has a pulley 5 connected to its end, and is connected via a belt 6 to a pulley 7 connected to an electric motor 8.

A seal portion 4 is provided to prevent liquid leakage between the fermenter 1 and the drive shaft 3.

Although the structure of the seal portion 4 is selected as appropriate, a mechanical seal is preferably used from the viewpoint of liquid sealing ability.

Note that 9 is a frame for supporting and fixing the electric motor 8.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a defoaming device, and there are no particular limitations on this defoaming device 10, and various types can be used depending on the foaming situation.

In addition, 11 is a temperature control device, and in this embodiment, a device is used that can automatically maintain the fermentation liquid at a constant temperature by passing cold or hot water through a corrugated pipe.
A heat exchanger may be provided outside the fermenter 1 to adjust the temperature while circulating the fermentation liquid, and any type may be adopted depending on the purpose and situation.

14 is an exhaust pipe, from which air separated from the fermentation liquid after supplying oxygen to the fermentation liquid is exhausted.

15 is a raw material moromi or fermentation liquid feed pipe, which is used to feed fermentation liquid from other fermenters using a suitable pump or head, etc., and is also used to introduce other raw material moromi, acetic acid bacteria, etc. It can also be used when

Reference numeral 16 denotes a fermented liquid discharge pipe, which is connected to a fermented liquid discharge pump 17, and is used to discharge the fermented liquid after fermentation.

The major differences between this device and conventional fermenters for vinegar production are as follows:
As shown in the figure, the bottom of the fermentation tank 1 in the vicinity directly below the self-priming stirring blade 2 is depressed to form a depression 18, and one of the self-priming stirring blades 2 is
The part of the seal 4 between the drive shaft 3 and the main body of the fermenter 1 inside the fermenter 1 is located within this recess 18, and the raw material moromi or fermentation liquid feed pipe 15 is connected to the self-priming stirring blade 2.
The opening is made near the connection part of the air introduction pipe 12, that is, the seal part 13.

The reason why the recess 18 is provided on the bottom of the fermenter 1 as described above is that an appropriate liquid (for example, raw material moromi, fermentation liquor, etc.) is poured into the recess 18, and this liquid causes the inside of the fermenter 1 of the seal portion 4 to be In particular, even after the fermentation liquid in the fermentation tank 1 is drained and emptied, the fermentation liquid remaining in the recess 18 causes the fermentation tank in the sealed part 4 to remain immersed. This is to ensure that the inside of the container is always immersed in the fermentation liquid.

Therefore, the degree of indentation will vary depending on the length of the drive shaft 3 and the structure of the seal part 4, but it should be possible to protect the seal part 4 during dry operation and to minimize the capacity as much as possible. It is best to make a recess, and since the recess 18 must always store fermentation liquid, the fermentation liquid discharge pipe 16 is
is preferably installed somewhere other than the recess.

The recess 18 is preferably large enough to prevent the self-priming stirring blade 2 from falling into the recess 18; otherwise, the ability of the self-priming stirring blade 2 to discharge fermentation liquid in the horizontal direction will be reduced. This is because the degree of mixing of the fermented liquid and the degree of bubble dispersion in the fermenter decrease as a result.

Next, in this device, the raw material moromi or fermentation liquid feed pipe 15
is opened near the seal part 13 at the connection between the self-priming stirring blade 2 and the air introduction pipe 12, so that the raw material moromi or fermented liquid that has been sent in is exposed to the seal part 13. This is to allow the raw material moromi or fermentation liquid to cool the seal portion 13 and act as a lubricant.

Since this device has the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to rotate the self-priming stirring blades while feeding raw material moromi or fermentation liquid from an empty state, and perform aeration and stirring very smoothly. This device can be used to handle fermented liquid containing microorganisms such as acetic acid bacteria used in vinegar production, which have strong oxygen demands and react sensitively to even the slightest interruption in oxygen supply, causing fermentation to stop. This is very effective when transferring from another fermenter to continue fermentation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings are cross-sectional views of embodiments of the invention. 1...Fermentation tank, 2...Self-priming stirring blade,
3... Drive shaft, 4... Seal part, 5...
...Pulley, 6...Belt, γ...
...Pulley, 8...Electric motor, 9...
- Frame, 10... defoaming device, 11...
Temperature controller, 12...Air introduction pipe, 13...
... Seal part, 14 ... Exhaust pipe, 15 ...
・・Raw material moromi or fermentation liquid feed pipe, 16 ・・Fermentation liquid discharge pipe, 17 ・・Pump, 18 ・・・
・Indentation, 19...... pillar.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Contains a raw material moromi or fermentation liquid inlet pipe, a fermentation liquid discharge pipe, a self-priming stirring blade, an air introduction pipe connected to the self-priming stirring blade, a drive device for the self-priming stirring blade, an exhaust pipe, and a temperature control device. The bottom of the fermenter, located directly below the self-priming stirring blade located at the bottom of the fermenter, is recessed, and the inside of the fermenter, where the seal between the drive shaft of the self-priming stirring blade and the fermenter body is sealed, is inside this recess. 1. A bottom-stirring type aeration-stirring vinegar manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that the raw material moromi or fermented liquid feed pipe is opened near the connection between the self-priming stirring blade and the air introduction pipe.