Flexible air separation device and flexible air separation method

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of tobacco processing, and specifically relates to a flexible air separation device and a flexible air separation method. The flexible air separation device includes: a main shell (1), a feed pipe (2), a discharge pipe (3), a discharge pipe (4), a sliding air hole baffle (6), and an exhaust fan (7); the side wall of the main shell (1) is provided with a second air inlet (8) and a sliding air hole baffle (6), and the sliding air hole baffle (6) is used to adjust the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet (8). Generally, the wind speed at the side wall of a fluidized bed air separation device is low, the air flow in the entire main shell (1) is uneven, and the separation effect is poor. The present application provides a second air inlet (8) on the side wall of the main shell (1), which increases the uniformity of the air flow in the entire main shell (1) and improves the separation effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of tobacco processing, and in particular relates to a flexible air separation device and a flexible air separation method. Background Art

[0002] During the tobacco processing process, a certain proportion of tobacco leaves containing stems still remain in the finished tobacco strips after leaf threshing, re-roasting and stem separation. These stems will form stems in the finished tobacco in the subsequent silk-making process. The stem content of tobacco has an important impact on the rolling quality, combustion process and sensory quality of cigarette products.

[0003] In actual production, stem removal is required at multiple stages to improve the purity of cut tobacco. To separate cut tobacco from stems, stem removal devices are installed after the cut tobacco leaves are dried during the cigarette manufacturing process, as well as in the fluidized bed impurity removal and suction system of the cigarette maker. However, stem removal devices in cigarette makers are limited by equipment space and operational efficiency, leading to problems such as excessive or insufficient removal intensity, which can lead to tobacco waste and reduced cigarette quality.

[0004] Currently, the removal of stems after tobacco leaf drying is primarily achieved through the following technologies and methods: First, a multi-stage air separation device is used (Zhang Chuan et al., "Multi-stage Air Separation Device for Removing Stems from Cut Tobacco," ZL200810047248.8) to separate stems with higher levitation velocities from the cut tobacco in multiple stages. Second, a combination of vibratory conveying and multi-slot central jets is used for thinning and air separation (e.g., HAUNI's VAS) to remove the stems. Both methods are based on the principle of wind suspension. The former does not fully separate the cut tobacco from the stems and debris, and the processing intensity is high, resulting in high water loss and large fragmentation. The latter can achieve a lower processing intensity, but is prone to uneven internal and external processing, and stems and debris are easily entrained in the cut tobacco. The third method is a method for removing stems from cigarette making machines. This method primarily utilizes the uneven airflow velocity created by a zigzag pipe to rapidly separate tobacco from stems in a rapid lift tube. The stems then fall through the zigzag pipe to a collection system, and the tobacco then flows through the rapid lift tube to a recovery silo (Patent Publication No.: CN105414025A). Whether stems contain tobacco or tobacco contains stem material, the separation process requires not only a reasonable differentiation based on the physical property differences of the separated materials, but also a certain amount of processing time. Therefore, the rapid lift tube technology currently used in the process of separating stems and tobacco from stems in cigarette making machines suffers from insufficient processing time, resulting in insufficient separation of stems and tobacco.

[0005] Patent No. ZL201110168642.9 (entitled "Instrument for Determining the Tobacco Content in Rejected Tobacco Sticks from Cigarette Making Machines") describes an instrument capable of detecting the tobacco content in rejected tobacco sticks, adjusting the machine's parameters, and controlling the appropriate stem rejection rate. However, this instrument is only suitable for intermittent detection of tobacco content in small batches of stem sticks, and is not suitable for continuous separation of stems from tobacco in large batches of rejected cigarette sticks. Furthermore, it is incapable of effectively processing large, continuous batches of material in a tobacco production line. Patent Publication No. CN212493945U utilizes two control channels for the fluidizing air in the air separation device. The inventors discovered that the side air inlet easily leads to uneven airflow distribution in the pipeline and difficulty controlling the air speed.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The device is suitable for separating shredded tobacco from stems after drying and air separation and for removing stems from cigarette making machines.

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention provides a flexible air separation device, comprising: a main housing 1, a feed pipe 2, a discharge pipe 3, a discharge pipe 4, and an exhaust fan 7;

[0009] The feed pipe 2 is located above the side of the main housing 1;

[0010] The blanking pipe 3 is located at the bottom of the main shell 1 and connects the internal space of the main shell 1 with the outside world;

[0011] The discharge pipe 4 is located at the top of the main shell 1 and connects the internal space of the main shell 1 with the outside world;

[0012] The two opposite side walls of the main housing 1 are provided with side wall air inlets with adjustable air inlet areas;

[0013] The exhaust fan 7 is connected to the discharge pipe 4;

[0014] The flexible air separation device further includes: a first air inlet channel 9 entering the main housing 1 from the blanking pipe 3 .

[0015] Preferably, the side wall air inlet with adjustable air inlet area is a through hole penetrating two opposite side walls of the main housing 1, and the through hole serves as the second air inlet 8. The two opposite side walls of the main housing 1 are also provided with a sliding air hole baffle 6, and the sliding air hole baffle 6 is used to adjust the air inlet area of ​​the second air inlet 8;

[0016] Preferably, the upper and lower parts of the main housing 1 are connected by two flanges spaced apart from each other, and the axial space between the two flanges forms the side wall air inlet with the adjustable air inlet area.

[0017] Preferably, an air material baffle 10 is provided at the bottom end of the main shell 1 , and a through hole is provided on the air material baffle 10 for intake of air into the main shell 1 .

[0018] The channel for air intake from the air material partition plate 10 and the second air inlet 8 is combined to be called the second air inlet channel 5.

[0019] Preferably, the angle formed by the air material baffle 10 and the inner wall of the main shell 1 in the direction toward the top of the main shell 1 is an obtuse angle.

[0020] Preferably, the angle formed by the feed pipe 2 and the outer wall of the main shell 1 in the direction toward the top of the main shell 1 is an acute angle.

[0021] Preferably, the discharge pipe 4 is L-shaped, and its corners are right angles or rounded corners.

[0022] Preferably, the discharge pipe 4 is connected to a cyclone separator 11 , and the cyclone separator 11 is connected to the exhaust fan 7 .

[0023] Preferably, a filter screen 13 is provided on the top of the main shell 1 to prevent solids from being discharged from the discharge pipe 4, an overflow discharge pipe 14 is provided on the upper side of the main shell 1, an air lock valve 12 is provided in the overflow discharge pipe 14, and the overflow discharge pipe 14 forms an obtuse angle with the outer wall of the main shell 1 in the direction toward the top of the main shell 1.

[0024] Preferably, a plurality of protrusions 15 are provided on the inner wall surface of the blanking pipe 3 .

[0025] Preferably, at least one diameter-changing member 16 is provided on the inner wall surface of the main housing 1 .

[0026] Preferably, a stirring device 17 is provided inside the main housing 1 .

[0027] The second aspect of the present invention provides a flexible air separation method, which is carried out using the flexible air separation device described in any one of the first aspects, and the material containing stems and tobacco is input into the main shell 1 from the feed pipe 2. Under the action of the exhaust fan 7, the stems and tobacco in the material are separated due to different carrying-out speeds, and the tobacco in the material is discharged from the discharge pipe 4, and the stems in the material are discharged from the blanking pipe 3.

[0028] Preferably, the parameters of the sliding air hole baffle 6 and the exhaust fan 7 are adjusted according to the material properties, so as to achieve separation of the stems and shredded tobacco in the material due to different take-out speeds.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0030] 1. This device utilizes the fluidization characteristics of stems and cut tobacco and the basic principles of a fully mixed flow reactor. The superficial gas velocity in the main bed of main shell 1 is slightly greater than the tobacco carryout velocity of the incoming feed, but less than the stem carryout velocity. The tobacco carryout velocity is 2-3 m / s, and the stem carryout velocity is 3-5 m / s. At this time, the gas velocity in the discharge duct 3 is much greater than the tobacco carryout velocity, but slightly less than the stem carryout velocity of the incoming feed. Because the gas velocity in the main bed of main shell 1 is controlled, the main bed of the fully mixed flow reactor maintains a bubbling fluidized state, allowing the tobacco and stems to remain for sufficient residence time to achieve complete separation.

[0031] Generally, the wind speed at the side walls of a fluidized bed air separation device is low, resulting in uneven airflow throughout the main housing 1 and poor separation effect. In this application, side wall air inlets with adjustable air inlet areas are provided on two opposing side walls of the main housing 1, increasing the uniformity of the airflow throughout the main housing 1 and improving the separation effect.

[0032] 2. In a preferred embodiment, the sidewall air inlets with adjustable air intake areas are through-holes extending through two opposing sidewalls of the main housing 1. These through-holes serve as second air inlet 8. Sliding air vent baffles 6 are also provided on both opposing sidewalls of the main housing 1, and these sliding air vent baffles 6 are used to adjust the air intake area of ​​the second air inlet 8. An air baffle 10 is provided at the bottom of the main housing 1, and is provided with through-holes for admitting air into the main housing 1. The combined air intake passages from the air baffle 10 and the second air inlet 8 are referred to as the second air intake passage 5.

[0033] Since the air intake of the first air inlet channel 9 and the second air inlet channel 5 is jointly controlled by the exhaust fan 7 above, the air intake volume and the air intake ratio of the first air inlet channel 9 and the second air inlet channel 5 can be adjusted by simply sliding the sliding air hole baffle 10, thereby adaptively separating tobacco raw materials with different parameters. This adjustment method is more convenient.

[0034] In patent number CN212493945U, the main air duct and the side air duct are controlled by different fans and gas flow controllers respectively. Therefore, if the air intake volume and air intake ratio of the main air duct and the side air duct need to be adjusted, the two gas flow controllers need to be adjusted at the same time, and it is also necessary to avoid the situation where the air intake ratio of the two remains unchanged after the same ratio adjustment, and the adjustment method is more cumbersome.

[0035] 3. In a preferred technical solution, the upper and lower portions of the main housing 1 are connected by two spaced-apart flanges. The axial space between the two flanges forms the sidewall air inlet with an adjustable air intake area. Compared to solutions with a second air inlet 8, this solution offers simpler construction, easier parts replacement, and no concern for clogging of the sidewall air inlet.

[0036] 4. In the preferred technical solution, a certain mechanical or non-mechanical stirring member can be designed in the main shell 1 of the fluidized bed to improve the fluidization state of the fluidized bed. For example, a plurality of protrusions 14 are provided on the inner wall of the material discharge pipe 3, and a stirring device 17 is provided in the main shell 1.

[0037] 5. In a preferred technical solution, a reducing member is installed above the bed layer within the main shell 1 to reduce the diameter of the fluidized bed, enhancing the bubbling characteristics and separation efficiency of the tobacco and stems during separation. Because the superficial air velocity at the closing structure is significantly greater than the tobacco outflow velocity, the tobacco is carried out and separated by a cyclone separator, effectively separating the tobacco and stems. This process also effectively removes stems and other heavy debris, improving efficiency and reducing the intensity of this process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible air separation device in the first embodiment.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible air separation device according to a second embodiment.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible air separation device in a third embodiment.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible air separation device in a fourth embodiment.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible air separation device in the fifth embodiment.

[0043] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible air separation device in the sixth embodiment.

[0044] List of reference numerals:

[0045] 1. Main shell, 2. Feed pipe, 3. Blanking pipe, 4. Discharge pipe, 5. Second air inlet channel, 6. Sliding air hole baffle, 7. Exhaust fan, 8. Second air inlet, 9. First air inlet channel, 10. Air material partition, 11. Cyclone separator, 12. Air lock valve, 13. Filter, 14. Overflow discharge pipe, 15. Protrusion, 16. Variable diameter member, 17. Stirring device, 18. Tobacco recovery device, 19. Note recovery device, 20. Flange, 21. Circumferential air inlet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present invention is described in further detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following examples are intended to illustrate the present invention only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the examples, the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the art or in the product specifications were used. Materials or equipment used without manufacturer identification are commercially available conventional products.

[0048] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise stated, the singular forms "a", "an", "said" and "the" used herein may also include plural forms. It should be further understood that the term "comprising" used in the description of the present invention refers to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we say that an element is "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. In addition, the "connection" used here may include wireless connection.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more. Terms such as "inner," "upper," and "lower" indicating positions or states are based on those shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and are therefore not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "provided with" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; and direct or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0051] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the present invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the prior art and, unless defined as such herein, will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0052] Example 1

[0053] Figure 1 The first embodiment of the flexible air separation device is shown in FIG. The dotted arrows in the figure represent the airflow direction, and the solid arrows represent the material direction.

[0054] A new type of flexible air separation device, the basic structure of which includes: a fluidized bed main body and auxiliary devices.

[0055] The fluidized bed body includes: a main shell 1, a feed pipe 2, a discharge pipe 3, a discharge pipe 4, an air-material partition plate 10 and a sliding air hole baffle 6.

[0056] The auxiliary devices include: an exhaust fan 7, a cyclone separator 11, a gas flow controller, a tobacco shred recovery device 19 and a stem recovery device 19.

[0057] The feed pipe 2 is connected to the inner space of the main shell 1 through the wall of the main shell 1. The feed pipe 2 is connected to the upper half of the main shell 1, and the angle between its central axis and the central axis of the main shell 1 toward the shell top is ( Figure 1 The median angle α) is not greater than 90°.

[0058] The material discharge pipe 3 and the material discharge pipe 4 are connected to the external space of the main shell 1 through the wall of the main shell 1.

[0059] The discharge pipe 4 is L-shaped, with right angles or rounded corners. The discharge pipe 4 is coaxial with the main housing 1 and communicates with the lower half of the space inside the main housing 1.

[0060] The air material partition plate 10 is a rigid continuous component provided between the outer wall of the blanking duct 4 and the inner wall of the main shell 1. The angle between the axial cross-section extension line and the shell top of the main shell 1 is ( Figure 1 The median angle β) is no greater than 180° and is preferably an obtuse angle. The air baffle 10 is provided with a plurality of regularly or irregularly arranged through holes, with the through hole axes parallel to the axis of the main housing 1. The air baffle 10 is connected to the lower half of the space within the main housing 1. The air baffle 10 forms a tapered structure below the main housing 1 to facilitate the drop of material.

[0061] A plurality of second air inlets 8 are provided on the upper end of the air material partition plate 10 and the lower half of the two side walls of the main shell 1. The second air inlet 8 is used to balance the gas flow in the main shell 1 and the gas flow entering from the first air inlet channel 9 at the blanking pipe 4.

[0062] The channel for air intake from the air material partition plate 10 and the second air inlet 8 is combined to be called the second air inlet channel 5.

[0063] The flow rates of the second air inlet channel 5 and the first air inlet channel 9 can be adjusted by the sliding air hole baffle 6 attached to the outside of the second air inlet 8 .

[0064] The L-shaped first end of the discharge pipe 4 is connected to the wall of the main shell 1 and extends outside the main shell 1. The L-shaped first end is coaxial with the discharge pipe 3 and coincides with the central axis of the main shell 1.

[0065] The cyclone separator 11 is connected to the second end of the L-shaped discharge pipe 3. The exhaust fan 7 is connected to the cyclone separator 11, and its exhaust volume is adjustable. The tobacco shred recovery device 18 is located below the cyclone separator 11. The stem recovery device 19 is located below the discharge pipe 3.

[0066] During operation, the air flow in the main shell 1 and entering through the blanking pipe 3 is adjusted by adjusting the air suction volume of the exhaust fan 7 and the position of the sliding air hole baffle 10. The best effect achieved by using this device is: the tobacco and stems in the material to be separated are carried out at different speeds, the tobacco belt out speed is 2-3m / s and the stem out speed is 3-5m / s, the tobacco enters the tobacco recovery device 18 through the discharge pipe 4 and the cyclone separator 11, and the stems enter the stem recovery device 19 through the blanking pipe 3.

[0067] The second embodiment is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the upper discharge mode of the tobacco is changed to a side overflow discharge mode, a filter 13 is added to the upper gas outlet in the main housing 1 that is connected to the discharge pipe 4, and an air lock valve 12 is added to the overflow discharge pipe 14. The function of the air lock valve 12 is to close the air passage to achieve the purpose of discharging the tobacco without leaking the gas. The overflow discharge pipe 14 forms an angle ( Figure 2 The middle angle γ) is obtuse. Since there is no gas exchange with the outside world at the overflow discharge pipe 14, the shredded tobacco and gas at the overflow discharge pipe 14 are already separated. Therefore, the second embodiment does not require a cyclone separator 11. This further reduces the gas velocity within the main housing 1, prolongs the residence time of the shredded tobacco and stems within the bed, and improves the separation of the shredded tobacco and stems.

[0068] The third embodiment is as follows Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of regularly or irregularly arranged protrusions 15 are provided on the inner wall of the blanking pipe 3. The effect is to increase disturbance to the incoming airflow, slow down the falling speed of the stems, and improve the separation effect of the tobacco shreds and stems.

[0069] The fourth embodiment is as follows Figure 4 As shown, a diameter-changing member is provided on the inner wall of the main housing 1. The diameter-changing member is a ring-shaped boss with a regular or irregular outline. The effect is: strengthening the fluidization state of the material, which is more conducive to the separation of tobacco shreds and stems.

[0070] The fifth embodiment is as follows Figure 5 As shown, a mechanical stirring device 17 is provided in the space inside the main housing 1. The effect is: strengthening the fluidization state of the material, which is more conducive to the separation of tobacco shreds and stems.

[0071] The sixth embodiment is as follows Figure 6As shown, the upper and lower portions of the main housing 1 are connected by two spaced-apart flanges. The axial space between the two flanges forms the sidewall air inlet with adjustable air inlet area, i.e., the circumferential air inlet 21. The two flanges are connected by bolts, with nuts extending through the middle of the two flanges to prevent them from contacting each other, thereby forming the circumferential air inlet 21 between the two flanges. The air inlet area of ​​the circumferential air inlet 21 can be adjusted by adjusting the axial length of the nuts.

Claims

1. A flexible air separation device, characterized in that: The flexible air separation device comprises: a main housing (1), a feed pipe (2), a discharge pipe (3), a discharge pipe (4), and an exhaust fan (7); Wherein, the feed pipe (2) is located above the side of the main shell (1); The blanking pipe (3) is located at the bottom of the main shell (1) and connects the internal space of the main shell (1) with the outside world; The discharge pipe (4) is located at the top of the main shell (1) and connects the internal space of the main shell (1) with the outside world; The exhaust fan (7) is in communication with the discharge pipe (4); The flexible air separation device further comprises: a first air inlet channel (9) entering the main housing (1) from the blanking pipe (3); The upper and lower parts of the main housing (1) are connected by two flanges spaced apart from each other, and the axial space between the two flanges forms a side wall air inlet with an adjustable air inlet area; The angle formed by the feed pipe (2) and the outer wall of the main shell (1) in the direction toward the top of the main shell (1) is an acute angle.

2. A flexible air separation method, characterized in that: The flexible air separation device according to claim 1 is used to input the material containing stems and tobacco into the main shell (1) from the feed pipe (2). Under the action of the exhaust fan (7), the stems and tobacco in the material are separated due to different carrying-out speeds. The tobacco in the material is discharged from the discharge pipe (4), and the stems in the material are discharged from the discharge pipe (3).

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