JPS622800B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic sugar brewing device for a crystallizer that automatically controls the precipitation and growth of sugar crystals by evaporating and concentrating a sugar solution in a vacuum crystallizer.

<Prior art> For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the decanting process using a vacuum crystallization can, a sugar solution 3 to be decanted is placed in an upright crystallization can 1 having a calandria-type heating section 2 through a control valve 4. is supplied from the bottom. Heating steam 5 is supplied to heating section 2 in crystal can 1 via control valve 6 . The sugar solution is concentrated by heating and evaporated, and at the same time, the sugar solution is replenished, and when the crystallization concentration at which crystal precipitation is reached is reached, seed crystals are added to the sugar solution using the feeder 20.
is added through the valve 21 to generate crystal nuclei suitable for each variety. After that, in order to prevent these crystal nuclei from combining with each other and the generation of new undesired crystal nuclei (pseudo-crystals), add water or sugar solution while monitoring the inside of the can. , continue concentration and crystal growth. When the crystals grow to a certain extent and the volume of the crystals per unit volume in Shiroshita (a mixture of sugar solution and crystals) exceeds a certain value, and the crystals come quite close to each other, it becomes false. Crystals are relatively less likely to occur,
This further concentrates it, making it easier for crystals to grow, and supplying sugar solution. When the volume inside the can increases to a certain value and the grain size of the crystals grows to the required size, Shiroshita 7 inside the can is discharged. It is discharged from valve 8.
The discharged white flour is separated into crystals and sugar solution using a centrifuge, and the sugar solution is repeatedly used to make decoction sugar. In order to make the concentration of white undercoat in the roasting sugar to an appropriate value, water 10 can be supplied into the can 1 through the valve 11, or sugar solution 3 can be supplied through the valve 4 into the can 1, and the state inside the can 1 can be monitored through a peephole. It can be monitored through 13. The steam inside the can 1 is transferred to the condenser 14
is drawn by an air pump 16 through a valve 15,
This condenser 14 is cooled by water 18 through valve 17. After the white undercoat 7 is discharged, steam is supplied into the can through the can washing steam valve 19 for cleaning.

If pseudocrystals are generated during this sugar infusion process, the particle size will not be uniform, making it difficult to separate the crystals from the sugar solution, making it easier for impurities to adhere to the sugar. If the concentration is carried out too quickly, pseudocrystals are likely to occur, and if the concentration is carried out too slowly, the efficiency of use of the apparatus will deteriorate. For this reason, in the roasting process, the flow rate or hardness PV of the white bottom 7 in the crystal can 1 is measured with a rheometer (for example, a rheometer) 22, and the
As shown in curve 31, the measured hardness PV is curve 3.
When the set value SV ₁ shown in 2 is reached, the valve 4 is opened for a certain period of time T ₀ as shown in FIG.
is supplied to the crystal can 1 to lower the hardness of the white 7 inside the can, and set the set hardness SP to a higher value SP ₂ than the previous value.
Set to . Similarly, the measured hardness PV is the set value.
Each time the SP is reached, a certain amount of sugar solution is supplied and the set hardness SP is increased. These set values SP ₁ , SP ₂ , and SP ₃ are programmed in advance. As shown in FIG. 2B, the level of the white matter 7 in the crystal can 1 rises in a stepwise manner as the sugar solution 3 is supplied.
For example, when increasing the set value SP three times in one process,
If the change width of setting hardness SP is 5% and the change width of white bottom 7 level is 5%, the hardness will be 5% in one process.
x3 = 15%, level changes by 5% x 3 = 15%.

In this conventional device, due to variations in the concentration of the sugar solution 3, the amount of decrease in the fluidity of the white bottom when being supplied;
In other words, in Figure 2, the amount of decrease from SP ₁ to PV ₁ ,
The amount of decrease from SP ₂ to PV ₂ is not necessarily constant.
If the flow rate decreases more than the planned amount, if the next set flow rate is set to the planned value, the measured flow rate PV will become a value PV′ ₁ , which is lower than PV ₁ , due to the supply of sugar solution, for example. In this case, if control is continued by setting the planned set flow rate SP ₂ for the normal measured flow rate PV ₁ , the white bottom 7 will be concentrated suddenly, and pseudocrystals will occur. Furthermore, if the grain size of the crystals in the Shiroshita 7 is small and a smaller sugar solution than planned is supplied, the crystals may dissolve. Therefore, in the past, it was necessary to always take care to ensure that the sugar solution supplied had a predetermined concentration.

<Summary of the Invention> The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic crystal canner that is free from the risk of generating pseudocrystals and dissolving crystals even if the concentration of the sugar solution supplied in the sugar roasting process varies. Our objective is to provide a sugar brewing device.

According to this invention, when the flow rate of the white bottom reaches a predetermined value or more during supply of sugar solution, the supply of the sugar solution is stopped to prevent the crystals in the crystallizer from dissolving, and the next The set flow rate is lowered below a pre-programmed value to prevent sudden concentration and to prevent pseudo-crystals from occurring.

<Example> For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the measured value PV of the flow rate of the white bottom 7 reaches the set flow rate SP ₁ , a certain amount of sugar solution is supplied, and then the set flow rate is set to SP ₂ . Then, for these set flow rates SP ₁ and SP ₂ , the 5
The values obtained by subtracting the respective percentages are set as the lower limit set values SB ₁ and SB ₂ . When the measured flow rate PV reaches the set flow rate SP ₁ at time t ₁ , the valve 4 is opened to supply the sugar solution 3 to the crystallization can 1 as shown in FIG. When the lower flow rate PV reaches the lower limit set value SB ₁ , even if the predetermined opening period T ₀ of the valve 4 does not end, the time t ₂ reaches the lower limit set value SB ₁ .
Then, valve 4 is closed to stop supplying the sugar solution. For this reason, conventionally, when the measured flow rate PV reaches the set flow rate SP, the valve 4 is opened for a certain period of time _T0 , and the white lower flow rate PV falls below the lower limit set value SB as shown by the dotted line, and There was a risk that the crystals would dissolve, but there is no such risk in this invention.

In this way, when the flow rate PV reaches the lower limit set value and the supply of sugar solution is stopped midway, the flow rate SP to be set next is set to the pre-programmed value.
Set to a value SP′ ₂ lower than SP ₂ . This new set flow rate _SP'2 is determined, for example, as follows.
In other words, when the measured flow rate PV reaches the set flow rate SP ₁ and the valve 4 is originally opened only for the period T ₀ , the flow rate PV
When reaches the lower limit set value and only the period T' ₀ opens, T' ₀ /T ₀ × (SP ₂ - SP ₁ ) = ΔS' ₁ is larger than SP ₁ , that is, the new set flow rate SP ′ ₂
is set to SP ₁ +ΔS′ ₁ .

Alternatively, when the measured flow rate PV reaches the set flow rate SP, the sugar solution is to be supplied by the pre-programmed increase in white level, as follows. In other words, the supply of sugar solution is started at time t ₁ and the supply of sugar solution is stopped when the white level increases by ΔL ₁ % as shown in FIG. 3B. Assume that the sugar solution supply is stopped when the white level increases by ΔL′ ₁ % because the temperature has fallen below the lower limit set value. In this case, the next set flow rate SP′ ₂ is determined as follows.

SP' ₂ = SP ₁ + ΔL' ₁ / ΔL ₁ × (SP ₂ - SP ₁ ) For example, ΔL ₁ = 5%, ΔL' ₁ = 3%, ΔS ₁ = 5%
In this case, ΔS′ ₁ becomes 3%/5%×5%=3%.

In this way, when the white fluidity PV falls below the lower limit set value SB due to sugar solution supply, the next set fluidity SP is set lower than the original value, so that sudden concentration does not occur and pseudocrystals do not occur. Since the set flow rate is increased in this step, false crystals do not occur.

For example, in Figure 1, the flow rate is set by calculation.
A setting device 23 is provided to generate a set flow rate SP and a lower limit set value SB, and the set flow rate SP and lower limit set value SB are compared with the measured flow rate PV of the flow rate meter 22 in a control unit 24, and depending on the comparison result, The valve 4 is controlled accordingly. In addition, the setting flow rate SP can be changed using the setting device 23.
It will be held in

Note that the amount of change in the underwhite level in one process is constant. For example, as explained in Figure 2, sugar solution is supplied three times in one process, and the level is reduced to 5% at each time.
If you increase the level by 15% in one step, the initial level will be increased by 15% in this one step.
When the level increases by %, the process ends.

The setting flow rate SP ₁ , SP ₂ , SP ₃ is set to 5%, for example.
Various methods can be used, such as increasing the rate by increments, increasing the rate of increase by 5%, 6%, and 7%. Similarly, the amount of sugar solution supplied may be fixed or different. The set lower limit value can also be set to be less than a certain percentage of the set flow rate, or less than a certain value.

<Effects> As described above, according to the present invention, the supply of sugar solution is stopped when the flow rate of the white bottom falls below the set lower limit value, so there is no risk that the crystals in the white bottom will dissolve. By setting the fluidity lower than the expected value, the generation of pseudocrystals can be prevented, and the sugar solution can be used without worrying about whether the concentration of the supplied sugar solution is within a predetermined range.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an automatic sugar brewing device for crystal cans according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a time chart showing an example of control in a conventional device, and Fig. 3 is a time chart showing an example of control by the device of the present invention. It is. 1: Crystal can, 4: Sugar solution supply valve, 7: White bottom, 2
2: Flow meter, 23: Setting device, 24: Control unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A fluidity measuring means for measuring the fluidity under the white in the crystallization can, a sugar solution supplying means for supplying sugar solution into the crystallization can when the measured fluidity reaches a set fluidity, and a sugar solution supply means for each sugar solution supply. In an automatic sugar brewing device for crystal cans, the apparatus includes a control means for changing the set flow rate according to a predetermined program, and means for generating a lower limit set value corresponding to each of the set flow rates;
Means for stopping the supply of sugar solution when the white lower flow rate reaches the corresponding lower limit set value when supplying the above sugar solution, and a means for stopping the sugar solution supply when the lower flow rate reaches the corresponding lower limit set value, and when the sugar solution supply is stopped due to reaching the lower limit set value, the next set flow rate and means for setting the value lower than the value predetermined by the program.