A double-stage roller type cut tobacco rehydrator and a cut tobacco rehydrating method

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of tobacco production, and discloses a double-stage drum-type tobacco strip conditioning machine and a tobacco strip conditioning method. The double-stage drum-type tobacco strip conditioning machine comprises a tobacco strip input belt, a saturated tobacco strip conditioning unit, a secondary conditioning and shaping unit, and a tobacco strip output belt. The saturated tobacco strip conditioning unit comprises a first drum, saturated steam nozzles, a saturated steam circulation pipeline, and a steam circulation heat exchanger. The secondary conditioning and shaping unit comprises a second drum, low-saturation airflow nozzles, an airflow circulation pipeline, and an airflow circulation heat exchanger. The steam in the first drum is in a saturated state, the steam in the second drum is in an unsaturated state, and the temperature in the first drum is lower than or equal to the temperature in the second drum. By dividing the tobacco strip conditioning process into two stages, the water content in the tobacco strip is increased to a high level in the first stage, and the water in the tobacco strip is re-evaporated and flows out in the second stage by using the unsaturated steam in the second drum to form a concentration difference with the saturated steam in the tobacco strip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco production technology, and in particular to a two-stage drum-type leaf rehumidifier and a leaf rehumidification method. Background Technology

[0002] In the tobacco production process, the rehydration of tobacco leaves is a crucial step, primarily aimed at controlling the moisture content of the tobacco leaves. A common rehydration method involves using a tobacco leaf rehydration machine, which introduces steam and utilizes a steam circulation system to control the temperature, thus rehydrating the tobacco leaves.

[0003] Currently, the difficulty in rehydrating leaf filaments lies in the fact that production requires the leaf filaments to be in a stable state before entering the production process. However, due to different batches and seasons of the raw materials, the temperature and steam conditions required for rehydration of the leaf filaments will vary. Usually, various parameters are adjusted based on experience, which is not only inaccurate but also highly dependent on the individual skills of the staff.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a two-stage drum-type blade rehumidifier and a blade rehumidification method to solve the problem of poor stability of the rehumidification state during the blade rehumidification process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a two-stage drum-type blade rehumidifier and a blade rehumidification method to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A two-stage drum-type blade rehumidifier includes a blade input belt, a saturated blade rehumidifier unit, a secondary rehumidifier and shaping unit, and a blade output belt.

[0008] The saturated blade rehumidification unit includes a first drum, a saturated steam nozzle, a saturated steam circulation pipe, and a steam circulation heat exchanger. The end of the blade input belt is introduced into the input end of the first drum. The saturated steam nozzle is arranged in the front section of the first drum. The inlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe is connected to the outlet end of the first drum. The outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe is connected to the inlet end of the first drum. The steam circulation heat exchanger is installed at the input end of the first drum and close to the outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe.

[0009] The secondary rehumidification and shaping unit includes a second drum, low-saturation airflow nozzles, airflow circulation pipes, and an airflow circulation heat exchanger. The input end of the second drum is connected to the output end of the first drum via a relay conveyor belt. The output end of the second drum is connected to the blade output belt. The low-saturation airflow nozzles are evenly arranged inside the second drum. The inlet end of the airflow circulation pipe is connected to the outlet end of the second drum, and the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipe is connected to the inlet end of the second drum. The airflow circulation heat exchanger is installed at the input end of the second drum and near the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipe. A dryer is embedded inside the airflow circulation pipe.

[0010] Under stable conditions, the steam in the first drum is saturated, the steam in the second drum is unsaturated, the steam concentration in the second drum is less than the steam concentration inside the blades after passing through the first drum, and the temperature in the first drum is lower than or equal to the temperature in the second drum.

[0011] Optionally, the operating speed of the first roller is less than the operating speed of the second roller.

[0012] Optionally, the second drum is provided with heating guide vanes extending from the inner wall of the drum towards the center, and the rotation direction of the heating guide vanes is the same as the rotation direction of the second drum.

[0013] Optionally, the length of the first roller is greater than the length of the second roller.

[0014] Optionally, the input end of the first roller is provided with a first air hood, the output end of the first roller is provided with a second air hood, the input end of the second roller is provided with a third air hood, and the output end of the second roller is provided with a fourth air hood.

[0015] The end of the blade feed belt is located at the bottom inside the first air hood, the beginning of the relay conveyor belt is located at the bottom inside the second air hood, the end of the relay conveyor belt is located at the bottom inside the third air hood, and the beginning of the blade output belt is located at the bottom inside the fourth air hood.

[0016] Optionally, temperature sensors and humidity sensors are installed inside both the first and second drums, and flow control valves are installed in the input pipes of both the saturated steam nozzle and the low-saturation airflow nozzle.

[0017] A method for rehydrating leaf fibers, based on the aforementioned two-stage drum-type leaf fiber rehydration machine, includes the following steps:

[0018] S1. Configure the operating states of the first drum and the second drum such that the inside of the first drum is in a saturated steam state, the inside of the second drum is in an unsaturated steam state, and the steam concentration inside the second drum is less than the steam concentration inside the blades after passing through the first drum, and the temperature inside the first drum is lower than or equal to the temperature inside the second drum.

[0019] S2. The blade raw material is introduced into the first drum through the blade input belt. The blade fully absorbs steam inside the first drum. The temperature inside the first drum is used to maintain the state of saturated steam, so that the steam concentration inside the blade is at the saturation state of the current environment.

[0020] S3. The blades, which are in a state of steam concentration saturation, are fed into the second drum. Under the influence of unsaturated steam and temperature in the second drum, the steam inside the blades evaporates outward. After a set time, the evaporation inside the blades reaches the required state, and the blades are discharged through the blade output belt.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0022] The rehydration process of the leaf filaments is divided into two stages. The first stage increases the internal moisture content of the leaf filaments to a high level, that is, the steam saturation is at the saturation state of the current environment. The principle is that the absorption capacity of the leaf filaments in a fixed environment has an upper limit. The first stage utilizes this upper limit to make all the leaf filaments reach this upper limit state, thereby solving the problem of different moisture content of raw leaf filaments caused by different batches or seasons. Then, the second stage is carried out. In the second stage, the unsaturated steam in the second drum and the saturated steam in the leaf filaments form a concentration difference, which causes the moisture in the leaf filaments to evaporate and flow out. The concentration difference is the main driving force for moisture loss. By utilizing this characteristic, it is only necessary to keep the steam concentration value in the second drum stable to obtain relatively stable and qualified leaf filaments. Since the steam state or moisture content inside the leaf filaments is saturated in the second stage, the treatment benchmark is fixed, so the final state of the obtained leaf filaments can also remain stable.

[0023] Using steam to control the moisture content of the blades has the advantage over using water directly. Steam, being gaseous, maintains a relatively loose state, whereas direct water can cause the blades to stick together, affecting the consistency of blade processing and lengthening subsequent moisture removal processes. Therefore, using steam to saturate the blades with steam prevents easy overflow even at saturation due to the environment of the first drum. In the second drum, the difference in steam concentration makes it easier for moisture to dissipate from the blades, thus improving processing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the double-stage drum-type blade rehumidifier provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heating guide vane in this invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a process flow diagram of the leaf fiber rehydration method provided by the present invention.

[0028] In the picture:

[0029] 1. Blade input belt; 2. Saturated blade rehumidification unit; 21. First drum; 22. Saturated steam nozzle; 23. Saturated steam circulation pipe; 24. Steam circulation heat exchanger; 3. Secondary rehumidification and shaping unit; 31. Second drum; 32. Low saturated airflow nozzle; 33. Airflow circulation pipe; 34. Airflow circulation heat exchanger; 35. Dryer; 36. Heating guide vanes; 4. Blade output belt; 5a. First hood; 5b. Second hood; 5c. Third hood; 5d. Fourth hood; 6. Intermediate conveyor belt. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0031] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0033] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, this invention provides a two-stage drum-type blade rehumidification machine, including a blade input belt 1, a saturated blade rehumidification unit 2, a secondary rehumidification and shaping unit 3, and a blade output belt 4. The saturated blade rehumidification unit 2 includes a first drum 21, a saturated steam nozzle 22, a saturated steam circulation pipe 23, and a steam circulation heat exchanger 24. The end of the blade input belt 1 is introduced into the input end of the first drum 21. The saturated steam nozzle 22 is arranged at the front section of the first drum 21. The inlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe 23 is connected to the outlet end of the first drum 21, and the outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe 23 is connected to the inlet end of the first drum 21. The steam circulation heat exchanger 24 is installed at the input end of the first drum 21 and close to the outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe 23. The secondary rehumidification and shaping unit 3 includes a second drum 31, a low-saturation airflow nozzle 32, an airflow circulation pipe 33, and an airflow circulation heat exchanger 34. The input end of the second drum 31 and the output end of the first drum 21 are connected by a middle... Following the connection of the conveyor belt 6, the output end of the second roller 31 is connected to the blade output belt 4. Low-saturation airflow nozzles 32 are evenly arranged inside the second roller 31. The inlet end of the airflow circulation pipe 33 is connected to the outlet end of the second roller 31, and the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipe 33 is connected to the inlet end of the second roller 31. The airflow circulation heat exchanger 34 is installed at the input end of the second roller 31 and close to the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipe 33. A dryer 35 is embedded inside the airflow circulation pipe 33. Under stable conditions, the steam in the first roller 21 is saturated, the steam in the second roller 31 is unsaturated, the steam concentration in the second roller 31 is less than the steam concentration inside the blades after passing through the first roller 21, and the temperature in the first roller 21 is lower than or equal to the temperature in the second roller 31.

[0036] The main function of the first drum 21 is to utilize the saturated steam environment to create a concentration difference in the unsaturated steam inside the blades, thus replenishing moisture into the blades. Since the moisture is introduced in the form of steam, the inside of the blades is also in a saturated steam state, so its water content is not particularly high. However, due to the upper limit of its water content, it can be easily maintained at a required state, that is, each blade can reach the set water content state. The steam circulation heat exchanger 24 is used to supplement the steam temperature. By connecting the inlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe 23 to the outlet end of the first drum 21, and the outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipe 23 to the inlet end of the first drum 21, a steam circulation duct is formed in the first drum 21.

[0037] In the second drum 31, the incoming blades are all blades that have been treated by the first drum 21 and are in a saturated steam state. During the process of entering the second drum 31, due to the intermediate transition, even if there is moisture loss or loss of steam saturation, it can be ignored because each blade goes through this process. Moreover, the steam saturation will be rapidly restored during the heating process of the second drum 31. Then, under the action of the concentration difference created by the unsaturated steam environment in the second drum 31, the steam in the blades will flow outward, eventually reaching the required level. The airflow circulation heat exchanger 34 is used to supplement the airflow circulation temperature. By connecting the inlet end of the airflow circulation pipe 33 to the outlet end of the second drum 31 and the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipe 33 to the inlet end of the second drum 31, an airflow circulation duct is formed in the second drum 31.

[0038] After the above treatment, the differences in leaf fiber raw materials can be ignored, and stable leaf fibers can be obtained in the end.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, the operating speed of the first roller 21 is less than the operating speed of the second roller 31; the length of the first roller 21 is greater than the length of the second roller 31.

[0040] In some embodiments, the second drum 31 is provided with heating guide vanes 36 extending from the inner wall of the drum towards the center, and the rotation direction of the heating guide vanes 36 is the same as the rotation direction of the second drum 31. The heating guide vanes 36 quickly transfer heat to the blades through contact and heat the blades, accelerating evaporation and effectively shortening the flow rate of the second drum 31.

[0041] In some embodiments, a first hood 5a is provided at the input end of the first roller 21, a second hood 5b is provided at the output end of the first roller 21, a third hood 5c is provided at the input end of the second roller 31, and a fourth hood 5d is provided at the output end of the second roller 31. The end of the blade feed belt 1 is located at the bottom inside the first hood 5a, the beginning of the relay conveyor belt 6 is located at the bottom inside the second hood 5b, the end of the relay conveyor belt 6 is located at the bottom inside the third hood 5c, and the beginning of the blade output belt 4 is located at the bottom inside the fourth hood 5d. With the above structure, steam loss from the first roller 21 and the second roller 31 can be reduced.

[0042] In some embodiments, temperature and humidity sensors are installed inside both the first roller 21 and the second roller 31, and flow control valves are installed in the input pipes of the saturated steam nozzle 22 and the low-saturation airflow nozzle 32. The states of the first roller 21 and the second roller 31 are adjusted by external control means. For example, both the temperature and humidity sensors are electrically connected to a controller, which is electrically connected to the flow control valve. The temperature sensor feeds back temperature information to the controller, and the humidity sensor feeds back humidity information to the controller. The controller controls the flow control valve based on the feedback information, thereby controlling the steam state of the first roller 21 and the second roller 31.

[0043] This invention also provides a method for re-moistening leaf fibers, based on the above-mentioned two-stage drum-type leaf fiber re-moistening machine, specifically including the following steps:

[0044] S1. Configure the operating states of the first drum 21 and the second drum 31 such that the inside of the first drum 21 is in a saturated steam state, the inside of the second drum 31 is in an unsaturated steam state, and the steam concentration inside the second drum 31 is less than the steam concentration inside the blades after passing through the first drum 21, and the temperature inside the first drum 21 is lower than or equal to the temperature inside the second drum 31.

[0045] S2. The blade material is fed into the first drum 21 through the blade input belt 1. The blade fully absorbs steam inside the first drum 21. The temperature inside the first drum 21 is used to maintain the state of saturated steam, so that the steam concentration inside the blade is at the saturation state of the current environment.

[0046] S3. The blades, saturated with steam, are fed into the second drum 31. Under the influence of unsaturated steam and temperature within the second drum 31, the steam inside the blades evaporates outward. After a set time, the evaporation inside the blades reaches the desired state, and the blades are discharged through the blade output belt 4. The airflow circulation pipe 33, dryer 35, and low-saturation airflow nozzle 32 connected to the second drum 31 work together to maintain a stable steam saturation in the second drum 31.

[0047] The present invention has the following advantages over the prior art:

[0048] 1. The rehydration process of tobacco leaves is divided into two stages. The first stage increases the moisture content inside the tobacco leaves to a high level, that is, the steam saturation is at the saturation state of the current environment. The principle is that the absorption capacity of tobacco leaves in a fixed environment has an upper limit. The first stage utilizes this upper limit to make all tobacco leaves reach this upper limit state, thereby solving the problem of different moisture content of raw tobacco leaves due to different batches or seasons. Then, the second stage is carried out. In the second stage, the low saturation steam state in the second drum 31 and the saturated steam in the tobacco leaves form a concentration difference, which causes the moisture in the tobacco leaves to evaporate and flow out. The concentration difference is the main driving force for moisture loss. By utilizing this characteristic, it is only necessary to keep the steam concentration value in the second drum 31 stable to obtain relatively stable and qualified tobacco leaves. Since the steam state or moisture content inside the tobacco leaves is saturated in the second stage, the treatment benchmark is fixed, so the final state of the tobacco leaves can also remain stable.

[0049] 2. Using steam to control the moisture content of the blades has the advantage over using water directly. Steam, being gaseous, maintains a relatively loose state, whereas direct water can cause the blades to stick together, affecting the consistency of blade processing and lengthening subsequent moisture removal processes. Therefore, using steam to saturate the blades with steam prevents easy overflow even when saturated due to the environment of the first drum 21. In the second drum 31, the moisture easily dissipates due to the concentration difference, thus improving processing efficiency.

[0050] 3. A heating guide vane 36 is installed in the second drum 31. The heat conduction capacity of the heating guide vane 36 can be used to heat the dispersed blades faster and evaporate the internal moisture.

[0051] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A double step roller cut tobacco redamper characterized in that, The double-stage roller type tobacco shred moisture regaining machine comprises a tobacco shred input belt, a saturated tobacco shred moisture regaining unit, a secondary moisture regaining and shaping unit and a tobacco shred output belt. The saturated tobacco shred moisture regaining unit comprises a first roller, a saturated steam nozzle, a saturated steam circulation pipeline and a steam circulation heat exchanger, the end of the tobacco shred input belt is introduced into the input end of the first roller, the saturated steam nozzle is arranged at the front section of the first roller, the inlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipeline is connected with the gas outlet end of the first roller, the outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipeline is connected with the gas inlet end of the first roller, and the steam circulation heat exchanger is installed at the input end of the first roller and close to the outlet end of the saturated steam circulation pipeline. The secondary moisture regaining and shaping unit comprises a second roller, a low-saturation airflow nozzle, an airflow circulation pipeline and an airflow circulation heat exchanger, the input end of the second roller is connected with the output end of the first roller through a relay conveying belt, the output end of the second roller is connected with the tobacco shred output belt, the low-saturation airflow nozzles are uniformly arranged inside the second roller, the inlet end of the airflow circulation pipeline is connected with the gas outlet end of the second roller, the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipeline is connected with the gas inlet end of the second roller, the airflow circulation heat exchanger is installed at the input end of the second roller and close to the outlet end of the airflow circulation pipeline, and a dryer is embeddedly installed inside the airflow circulation pipeline. In the stable state, the steam in the first roller is in a saturated state, the steam in the second roller is in an unsaturated state, the steam concentration in the second roller is less than the steam concentration inside the tobacco shred after passing through the first roller, and the temperature in the first roller is lower than or equal to the temperature in the second roller.

2. The double step roller cut tobacco redamper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The running speed of the first roller is less than the running speed of the second roller.

3. The double step roller cut tobacco redamper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second roller is provided with temperature-raising guide vanes extending from the inner wall of the second roller to the center, and the rotation direction of the temperature-raising guide vanes is the same as the rotation direction of the second roller.

4. The double step roller cut tobacco redamper of claim 1, wherein, The length of the first roller is greater than the length of the second roller.

5. The double step roller cut tobacco redamper of claim 1 wherein, The input end of the first roller is provided with a first air cover, the output end of the first roller is provided with a second air cover, the input end of the second roller is provided with a third air cover, and the output end of the second roller is provided with a fourth air cover. The end of the tobacco shred input belt is located at the bottom end inside the first air cover, the head end of the relay conveying belt is located at the bottom end inside the second air cover, the end of the relay conveying belt is located at the bottom end inside the third air cover, and the head end of the tobacco shred output belt is located at the bottom end inside the fourth air cover.

6. The double step roller cut tobacco redamper of claim 1 wherein, Temperature sensors and humidity sensors are installed inside the first roller and the second roller, and flow control valves are installed in the input pipelines of the saturated steam nozzle and the low-saturation airflow nozzle.

7. A method of conditioning cut tobacco, characterized by, The double-stage roller type tobacco shred moisture regaining machine according to any one of claims 1-6 comprises the following steps: S1, configure the running state of the first roller and the second roller, so that the inside of the first roller is in saturated steam state, the inside of the second roller is in unsaturated steam state, the steam concentration in the second roller is less than the steam concentration in the inside of the tobacco after passing through the first roller, and the temperature in the first roller is lower than or equal to the temperature in the second roller; S2, introduce the tobacco into the first roller through the tobacco input belt, and the tobacco absorbs steam in the inside of the first roller, the temperature in the first roller is used to maintain the saturated steam state, so that the steam concentration in the inside of the tobacco is in the saturated state under the current environment; S3, the tobacco in the saturated steam concentration state is sent into the second roller, under the action of the unsaturated steam and the temperature in the second roller, the steam in the inside of the tobacco evaporates outward, and after a set time, the evaporation in the inside of the tobacco reaches the required state, and the tobacco is guided out through the tobacco output belt.

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