Automatic steaming and spreading method and system for spent grain

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of automatic spreading and airing methods and systems of steamed bran.The method includes: according to the amount of brewing auxiliary material to be spreaded and aired, the start-up number of spreading module is determined, so as to drive the corresponding number of spreading module to switch to start-up state, while the spreading module not selected still remains stop state;Establish three-dimensional virtual model to carry out dynamic simulation, to determine the operating parameters of each spreading module and exhaust module;According to the data information obtained by acquisition unit, control signal for regulating and controlling spreading module and / or exhaust module is generated.The system includes several spreading modules and exhaust modules, and the spreading module is connected to different positions of exhaust duct through respective air outlet channel, and the side wall of air outlet channel is hinged with adjustable opening regulating valve, and the opening of regulating valve arranged in each air outlet channel can be determined based on the interval distance between the connecting position of each air outlet channel and the extension direction of exhaust duct to air induction unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of brewing auxiliary material processing technology, and in particular to an automatic method and system for spreading and drying steamed rice bran. Background Technology

[0002] In modern brewing industry, the processing of brewing adjuncts is a crucial step in ensuring the quality of the final product. Brewing adjuncts typically include, but are not limited to, grains, fruits, and sucrose. After being crushed and mixed, they undergo a series of physical and chemical changes to reach a specific state suitable for brewing. For example, rice husks, a major adjunct in brewing, serve as an excellent filler and loosening agent during fermentation. Because rice husks contain pentosans and pectin, pentosans can affect the quality of the liquor during fermentation under the action of microorganisms. Therefore, they must be steamed before use to remove raw tastes, polysaccharides, and other impurities, ensuring the quality of the base liquor. In this process, temperature and humidity control of the adjuncts are critical, as they directly affect the efficiency of the fermentation process and the quality of the final product.

[0003] CN220012572U discloses a vertical cone-bottom type rice husk steaming and drying device that provides strong operational continuity while reducing mechanical damage to rice husks, thereby lowering the rice husk breakage rate. The device includes a main body for processing rice husks, comprising at least one rotating steaming chamber and at least one rotating drying chamber. The rotating steaming chamber is positioned above the rotating drying chamber. Both the rotating steaming and drying chambers are driven to rotate by independently configured drive systems. Each rotating steaming chamber is equipped with a corresponding unloading and spreading device and a steam spray pipe, and each rotating drying chamber is equipped with a corresponding unloading and spreading device and a ventilation pipe. As the rotating steaming and drying chambers rotate, the unloading and spreading device collects the rice husks from the upper layer and transports them to the lower layer for re-spreading.

[0004] CN203741303U discloses a rice husk machine, including a frame, characterized in that: it also includes an annular chain plate composed of perforated chain plate units, with sprockets at both ends of the inner side of the annular chain plate; a wind plate and a sealing hood are provided corresponding to the annular chain plate, with a centrifugal fan and a diversion baffle inside the wind plate, and an exhaust fan at the end of the sealing hood.

[0005] CN110903925A discloses the production process of various types of baijiu (Chinese white liquor), belonging to the technical field of brewing. The process involves using sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, and wheat as raw materials for moistening; steaming the rice husks; adding water at a temperature not lower than 90℃ to the moistened grains and steamed rice husks, spreading them out to cool, and mixing them with yeast at a grain-to-mash ratio of 1:(4-4.5). After mixing evenly, the mixture is covered with rice husks; the grain mash is then piled into a rectangular block with a height controlled at 0.8-1.0 meters, and the maximum pile temperature is ≤45℃. When white microbial spots form on or below the surface of the mash and an aroma is detected, it is spread out to cool to 27-30℃, yeast is added again, and the mixture is sent to a fermentation pit; finally, after the mash is removed from the pit, it is mixed with steamed rice husks, loaded into a still, and distilled, with the liquor collected in stages. This invention, by adding a dual-purpose fermentation container to a brick and stone structure fermentation pit, allows for the production of one, two, or three types of baijiu in a single pit.

[0006] Currently, temperature and humidity control of brewing adjuncts mainly relies on traditional drying and ventilation technologies. These technologies regulate the temperature and humidity of the adjuncts by controlling the operation of drying equipment and ventilation facilities. However, these methods often depend on experience and judgment, and are difficult to control precisely in actual operation, especially when there are many types of controllable parameters with complex interrelationships, making it impossible to generate an optimal control scheme based on the actual spreading process. Particularly during the spreading process, the physical properties of the adjuncts and the diversity of stacking methods result in extremely uneven distribution of temperature and humidity in the material layer, leading to instability in the pretreatment process and fluctuations in yield and quality. Furthermore, if multiple spreading devices share a single exhaust pipe and induced draft fan, when some spreading devices are not in operation, air leakage and water dripping may occur in those devices, affecting equipment hygiene and the on-site environment. In addition, the distance between the spreading devices and the induced draft fan also affects the actual exhaust effect, which may in turn affect the output quality of each spreading device—a factor not considered in existing technologies.

[0007] Furthermore, on the one hand, there are differences in understanding among those skilled in the art; on the other hand, the applicant studied a large number of documents and patents when making this invention, but due to space limitations, not all details and contents were listed in detail. However, this does not mean that the present invention does not possess the features of these prior art. On the contrary, the present invention already possesses all the features of the prior art, and the applicant reserves the right to add relevant prior art to the background art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To improve the steaming quality of brewing adjuncts, existing technologies have developed solutions that adjust the steam output at different locations on the conveyor belt to achieve unequal steam supply. For example, patent document CN115044434A discloses a steaming and cooling machine, which includes a casing, an exhaust fan assembly, and several cooling fans. The casing has a steaming conveyor belt and a cooling conveyor belt inside, and a steam supply pipe is connected to the bottom of the casing. Ventilation holes are provided on the peripheral wall of the casing. The exhaust fan assembly includes an exhaust duct and at least two exhaust pipes, each with an exhaust fan. Several cooling fans are respectively located below the cooling conveyor belt. The steamed rice bran cooling machine provided by this technical solution uses a steam supply pipe to supply steam into the machine casing to steam the rice bran husks. At least two sets of induced draft components are installed at different positions on the steaming conveyor belt. The airflow of these components is adjusted to control the steam volume at different stages of steaming, thus increasing the steaming speed at different stages. The vents also allow for partial connectivity between the inside and outside of the machine casing, improving steam discharge efficiency. However, the regulating valve in this solution is oriented in the same direction as the conveyor belt. Therefore, the valve opening can only be adjusted based on the specific position of the conveyor belt, not on changes in its distance from the exhaust pipe. Furthermore, once the valve opening is determined, its cooling and dehumidifying capacity on the brewing materials on the conveyor belt is fixed. This prevents adaptive adjustments to the cooling parameters based on changes in the parameters of the brewing materials, leading to a decrease in the quality of the finished brewing materials.

[0009] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an automatic method and system for spreading and drying steamed rice bran, so as to solve at least some of the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0010] This invention discloses an automatic drying system for steamed rice bran, comprising: several drying modules for cooling and dehumidifying brewing auxiliary materials; and an exhaust module, which is equipped with an exhaust fan unit and an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust fan unit.

[0011] Each air-drying module is connected to a different location in the exhaust pipe via its own air outlet channel. An adjustable regulating valve is hinged to the side wall of the air outlet channel. The opening of the regulating valve in each air outlet channel can be determined based on the distance between the connection position of each air outlet channel and the exhaust pipe along the extension direction of the exhaust pipe to the air-inducing unit. When determining the opening of the regulating valve, the regulating valve in the air-drying module in the stopped state is kept closed so that the air-inducing unit only draws air from the air-drying module in the started state.

[0012] Unlike existing technologies, the automatic drying system for steamed rice bran of the present invention can be equipped with multiple drying modules connected to the exhaust pipe via air outlet channels along the extension direction of the exhaust pipe. Furthermore, the opening degree of the regulating valves in each air outlet channel can be adjusted according to the difference in the interval distance between the regulating valve and the induced draft unit. Based on the above-mentioned distinguishing technical features, the problem to be solved by the present invention can include: how to avoid the impact of regulating valves with different opening parameters arranged along the conveyor belt movement direction on the cooling and dehumidification quality of the brewing auxiliary materials on the conveyor belt, while improving the accuracy of the drying control of the brewing auxiliary materials. Specifically, unlike the aforementioned existing technologies, the opening degree of the regulating valves in each air outlet channel of the present invention can be determined based on the interval distance between the connection position of each air outlet channel and the exhaust pipe along the extension direction of the exhaust pipe to the induced draft unit. That is to say, the opening degree of the regulating valves involved on a single conveyor belt in the present invention is the same and does not change with the movement direction of the conveyor belt. This reduces the control variables in the drying process of brewing auxiliary materials, improving its control accuracy, and also allows for multiple conveyor belts to be arranged along the extension direction of a single exhaust pipe, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of the drying process of brewing auxiliary materials. Furthermore, the opening degree of the regulating valve in existing technologies is mainly preset based on the drying requirements of the brewing adjuncts. This cannot avoid the impact on the actual ventilation effect when adjacent regulating valves are opened simultaneously, thus the method of determining the regulating valve opening degree in existing technologies is inaccurate. Therefore, this invention, when determining the regulating valve opening degree, keeps the regulating valve in the drying module in the stopped state closed, so that the induced draft unit only draws air from the drying module in the started state and uses this to determine the opening degree of the regulating valve in the corresponding air outlet channel, thereby improving the accuracy of the regulating valve opening parameter. Further, this invention can precisely control the airflow through the air outlet channel through the regulating valve, which is crucial for maintaining the correct degree of drying of the brewing adjuncts. Excessive wind speed may damage the brewing adjuncts or cause unnecessary energy waste, while excessively slow wind speed may lead to low drying efficiency. The regulating valve can adjust the working state of the fan according to the actual needs of the dried brewing adjuncts, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving the overall system energy efficiency.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the drying module includes a feeding unit, a discharging unit, and a conveying unit for connecting the feeding unit and the discharging unit. The brewing auxiliary materials entering the feeding unit from the feeding port can be transported to the discharging unit by the conveying unit and discharged from the discharging port of the discharging unit. The air outlet channel is connected to the internal space of the conveying unit.

[0014] This setup provides a complete material (i.e., brewing auxiliary materials) handling process, including material feeding, conveying, and discharging. This design enables continuous transport of brewing auxiliary materials from feeding to discharging, and the conveying unit is connected to the air outlet duct of the ventilation unit to facilitate the timely removal of high-temperature and high-humidity air from the equipment.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the monitoring module configured therein can be one or more acquisition units in each drying module to acquire data information related to the corresponding drying module. The data information acquired by the acquisition unit can be sent to the central control module so that the central control module can monitor the actual operation of each drying module in real time based on the data information.

[0016] Preferably, the acquisition unit can acquire airflow information, especially airflow information within the air outlet duct, so that the central control module can compare the airflow information acquired by the acquisition unit with the temperature and humidity information of the internal space of the conveying unit, and thus determine whether the operating frequency settings of each air supply component are reasonable. Preferably, the data information acquired by the acquisition unit may include temperature and humidity information, which may include the temperature and humidity information of the brewing adjuncts, or the temperature and humidity information of the internal space of the conveying unit. The monitoring module can acquire key data of each spreading module in real time through the acquisition unit, enabling the central control module to monitor the operation status in real time and optimize operation scheduling.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment, the central control module can generate a three-dimensional virtual model that maps one-to-one with the physical devices of the drying module and the exhaust module, so as to dynamically simulate the drying process according to preset operating parameters, and can evaluate the simulation results based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit, so as to generate control signals for regulating the drying module and / or the exhaust module.

[0018] The central control module can construct a three-dimensional virtual model of the physical equipment at the work site, and obtain simulation results that can be compared with actual monitoring data through dynamic simulation, thereby further optimizing the control signals and improving the system's intelligent regulation capabilities.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment, the conveying unit is equipped with a conveyor belt with adjustable operating speed. Acquisition units for acquiring temperature and humidity information of brewing auxiliary materials are respectively set in the upstream and downstream areas of the conveyor belt. The acquisition unit set in the downstream area of ​​the conveyor belt can alternately acquire temperature and humidity information of the surface and center of the material layer of brewing auxiliary materials.

[0020] Unlike existing technologies, the conveyor belt in the conveying unit of this invention can adjust its operating speed based on the temperature and humidity information of the brewing auxiliary materials acquired by the acquisition units in different areas. Based on these distinguishing technical features, the problem this invention aims to solve can include: how to adjust the conveying parameters according to the actual temperature and humidity information of the brewing auxiliary materials on the conveyor belt, so that the brewing auxiliary materials can achieve better cooling and dehumidification effects during their stay in the conveying unit. Specifically, the operating speed of the conveyor belt in the conveying unit can be adjusted by the central control module, so that the residence time of the brewing auxiliary materials in the conveying unit and the thickness of the material layer on the conveyor belt can achieve an optimal balance, thereby maximizing the cooling and dehumidification effect of the brewing auxiliary materials. The acquisition unit in the downstream area of ​​the conveyor belt, capable of alternately acquiring temperature and humidity information of the surface and center of the brewing auxiliary material layer, can both monitor the temperature and humidity changes of the surface of the brewing auxiliary material layer during its transmission within the conveying unit and acquire the temperature and humidity differences between the surface and center of the brewing auxiliary material layer after cooling and dehumidification, thus improving the accuracy of temperature and humidity control of the brewing auxiliary materials.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, the central control module can acquire temperature and humidity information for different material layers of brewing auxiliary materials by means of a flip-up component located relatively upstream of and close to the acquisition unit. The flip-up component can pry open the surface of the material layer of brewing auxiliary materials by extending a portion of its length to expose the center of the material layer that can be captured by the acquisition unit.

[0022] Unlike existing technologies, this invention utilizes a flip-up component associated with the acquisition unit to pry open the surface of the brewing auxiliary materials layer on a conveyor belt, allowing the acquisition unit to obtain temperature and humidity information at different locations within the material layer. Based on these distinguishing features, the problem this invention aims to solve includes: how to improve the accuracy of detecting temperature and humidity information at different locations on a conveyor belt where brewing auxiliary materials have varying thicknesses. Specifically, the flip-up component can be mounted on the top of the conveyor unit and is retractable. The central control module can calculate the thickness of the brewing auxiliary material layer based on the conveyor belt's operating speed, determining the required extension length of the flip-up component. This allows the component to pry open the surface of the brewing auxiliary material layer, exposing the center of the layer that can be acquired by the acquisition unit. Preferably, the surface of the flip-up component is made of a flexible material with no sharp corners to avoid mechanical damage to the brewing auxiliary materials. Through the synergistic effect of the flip-up component and the acquisition unit, accurate acquisition of temperature and humidity information at different locations within the material layer is achieved, improving the precision of monitoring and control.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment, the central control module can calculate the thickness of the brewing auxiliary material layer based on the running speed of the conveyor belt, so as to calculate the required extension length of the opening component. The opening component can extend periodically, and the extension length can be recalculated by the central control module each time.

[0024] The flip-up component can extend periodically under the control of the central control module to avoid continuous contact with brewing auxiliary materials, thereby reducing the risk of mechanical damage to the brewing auxiliary materials.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment, when the central control module generates a control event to drive the corresponding controlled object to execute the corresponding control event according to the information attached to the control signal based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit, it can perform step-by-step simulation based on the level sorting of the control event and / or the control signal corresponding to the control event to generate the optimal control scheme.

[0026] When the simulation results show that the cooling and dehumidification effect of the brewing adjuncts can achieve the expected results after executing one or more control events at any control level and control events at other control levels below that level, the simulation of subsequent control levels can be stopped. Preferably, in order to quickly determine the control level of the control signal to be generated by the central control module, the central control module can stop the simulation after obtaining a simulation result that meets the expectations, in order to save computing power and storage space. However, the simulation result may not be the optimal control scheme. The central control module can directly output the control signal corresponding to the current simulation result or supplement the current simulation result based on the computing load, the queuing status of computing tasks, the accuracy requirements of the spreading task, etc.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment, the central control module can rank the control event and / or the control signal corresponding to the control event according to the degree of influence of the control event. The first control level is configured to regulate the operating frequency and air supply mode of the air supply component; the second control level is configured to regulate the opening degree of the regulating valve and the running speed of the conveyor belt; and the third control level is configured to regulate the operating frequency of the induced draft unit and the opening and closing of the drying module.

[0028] The impact level of a control event refers to the degree to which the execution of the control event by the controlled object may cause the central control module to perform coordinated control on other controlled objects. The greater the impact level, the lower the priority level. When a controlled object executes a control event with a lower priority level based on a control signal, control events with a relatively higher priority level are usually also executed.

[0029] This invention also discloses an automatic method for spreading and drying steamed rice bran, comprising:

[0030] The number of cooling modules to be started is determined based on the amount of brewing auxiliary materials to be cooled, thereby driving the corresponding number of cooling modules to switch to the start state, while the cooling modules that are not selected remain in the stop state.

[0031] A three-dimensional virtual model was established for dynamic simulation to determine the operating parameters of each drying module and exhaust module;

[0032] Based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit, control signals are generated for regulating the cooling module and / or the exhaust module. When generating control signals, step-by-step simulation can be performed based on the control event and / or the level sorting of the control signal corresponding to the control event to generate the optimal regulation scheme. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic rice bran spreading and drying system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drying module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a hardware connection diagram of an automatic rice bran spreading and drying system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] List of reference numerals

[0037] 100: Spreading and drying module; 110: Feeding unit; 111: Feed inlet; 120: Discharge unit; 121: Discharge outlet; 130: Conveying unit; 131: Conveyor belt; 132: Opening component; 140: Ventilation unit; 141: Air supply component; 142: Air outlet duct; 143: Air outlet; 144: Regulating valve; 200: Exhaust module; 210: Exhaust pipe; 220: Induced draft unit; 300: Central control module; 400: Monitoring module; 410: Data acquisition unit. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The following is a detailed explanation with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Example 1

[0040] like Figures 1-3As shown, this invention discloses an automatic drying system for steamed rice bran, particularly an automatic drying system for steamed brewing adjuncts. It includes several drying modules 100 and an exhaust module 200 connected to each drying module 100. Each drying module 100 may be equipped with a ventilation unit 140, and the air outlet 143 of the ventilation unit 140 may be connected to the same exhaust pipe 210 of the exhaust module 200. This allows the air intake unit 220 of the exhaust module 200 to utilize the negative pressure generated by the rotating impeller within it to draw gas (mainly air) discharged from the drying module 100 into the exhaust pipe 210. Preferably, based on the different locations of the drying modules 100, the air outlet 143 of the ventilation unit 140 of different drying modules 100 may be connected to different locations in the exhaust pipe 210. The air intake unit 220 is typically located at the end of the exhaust pipe 210, which refers to the downstream end in the airflow direction within the exhaust pipe 210.

[0041] Preferably, the spreading and drying module 100 may include a feeding unit 110, a discharging unit 120, and a conveying unit 130 for connecting the feeding unit 110 and the discharging unit 120. The brewing auxiliary materials entering the feeding unit 110 from the feeding port 111 can be transported to the discharging unit 120 by the conveying unit 130 and discharged from the discharging port 121 of the discharging unit 120. Optionally, the brewing auxiliary materials entering the feeding unit 110 may be steamed and then spread out to dry, such as rice husks, sorghum husks, corn cobs, or rice bran. Rice husks are preferred. Rice husks have water absorption, support properties, and a suitable size, making them very suitable as a filler and loosening agent in the solid-state fermentation process. During the brewing process, rice husks can regulate the starch concentration of the mash, reduce acidity, absorb alcohol, maintain the liquid content, preserve the looseness and oxygen content of the mash, and increase the fermentation interface, allowing subsequent cooking, saccharification, fermentation, and distillation processes to proceed smoothly. Rice husks are beneficial for heating the mash and regulating the distillation interface, preventing or reducing distillation accidents (such as uneven distillation, overflowing, collapsing, and falling). Because rice husks contain pentosans and pectin, which can affect the quality of the liquor during fermentation under the action of microorganisms, the rice husks need to be steamed before use to remove raw tastes, polysaccharides, and other impurities, thus ensuring the quality of the base liquor. The steaming process involves placing the brewing ingredients in the still and steaming them openly. After steaming, the ingredients need to be spread out to cool, allowing moisture and impurities to dissipate as much as possible.

[0042] Preferably, the brewing adjuncts entering the feeding unit 110 from the feed inlet 111 can fall onto the conveyor belt 131 of the conveying unit 130 under the action of gravity and / or other external forces. Based on the directional movement of the conveyor belt 131, the brewing adjuncts can form a layer of a certain thickness on the conveyor belt 131 in a flat, layered manner according to the order in which they fall. Preferably, the brewing adjuncts moved to the end of the conveying unit 130 by the conveyor belt 131 can be discharged from the discharge outlet 121 under the action of gravity and / or other external forces.

[0043] Preferably, the ventilation unit 140 can be located in the area of ​​the conveying unit 130 of the spreading module 100, so that the brewing adjuncts carried on the conveyor belt 131 can be cooled and dehumidified by the ventilation unit 140 during movement. The ventilation unit 140 may include an air supply component 141 to regulate the airflow pattern within the conveying unit 130, so that the heat and / or moisture carried by the brewing adjuncts can be quickly diffused into the air, thereby achieving optimal spreading and / or drying effects. Preferably, the air outlet 143 of the ventilation unit 140 can be connected to the internal space of the conveying unit 130 through the air outlet channel 142, so that the flowing air formed by the air supply component 141 in the internal space of the conveying unit 130 can reach the air outlet 143 through the air outlet channel 142, thereby entering the exhaust pipe 210 and being extracted by the induced draft unit 220.

[0044] Optionally, the air supply component 141 can employ various air supply methods. Top-down blowing can evenly distribute airflow to the upper surface of the material layer, particularly suitable for thinner layers. With appropriate support or a screen on the conveyor belt 131, bottom-up blowing can accelerate moisture removal, especially for thicker layers, promoting the removal of bottom moisture. For spacious spreading areas, side blowing can be used, particularly when the material layer is thick and top and bottom airflow is insufficient to penetrate the middle layer. Preferably, depending on actual needs, the air supply component 141 can employ a combination of various air supply directions, such as simultaneously using top-down and side blowing, or a combination of top-down and bottom-up blowing, to achieve a more uniform and efficient spreading effect. Preferably, the air supply component 141 can have multiple controllable air outlets to select the opening and closing status of the air outlets based on the material layer formed after the brewing adjuncts are spread flat on the conveyor belt 131.

[0045] Preferably, the ventilation unit 140 may be provided with a regulating valve 144 in the air outlet channel 142 for regulating the flow of air in the air outlet channel 142. The regulating valve 144 may be hinged to the side wall of the air outlet channel 142, so that the valve opening can be adjusted by rotating about the hinge axis. Preferably, the regulating valve 144 can remain in any position between fully closed and fully open, so that the regulating valve 144 can have a full-angle opening. Depending on the opening of the regulating valve 144, the airflow and resistance in the air outlet channel 142 will also be different. Therefore, the regulating valve 144 installed in each drying module 100 can be individually controlled according to the actual situation of each drying module 100. Preferably, the opening degree of the regulating valve 144 is typically expressed in the form of an angle or a percentage. When expressed in angle, the adjustment range of the regulating valve 144 is 0° to 90°, where 0° represents fully closed and 90° represents fully open. When expressed as a percentage, the adjustment range of the regulating valve 144 is 0% to 100%, where 0% represents fully closed and 100% represents fully open. Preferably, the regulating valve 144 can be a butterfly valve, especially an electric butterfly valve. Preferably, the regulating valves 144 provided in each drying module 100 can have their own labels to distinguish different regulating valves 144.

[0046] Preferably, the actual situation of the spreading and drying module 100 can refer to the working state of the spreading and drying module 100, wherein the working state of the spreading and drying module 100 can include a start state and a stop state. Further, when there are brewing auxiliary materials taken from the steaming process to be spread and dried, the number of spreading and drying modules 100 to be started can be determined according to the amount of brewing auxiliary materials to be spread and dried, thereby driving the corresponding number of spreading and drying modules 100 to switch to the start state, while the unselected spreading and drying modules 100 remain in the stop state.

[0047] Preferably, the regulating valve 144 installed in the air outlet duct 142 of the drying module 100 that remains in a stopped state can be closed to prevent steam leakage and water dripping from the stopped portion of the drying module 100 when some of the drying modules 100 are operating while others are not. This situation could affect the hygiene of the drying module 100 and the on-site environment. Furthermore, closing the regulating valve 144 of the non-operating drying module 100 can reduce the operating frequency of the induced draft unit 220, preventing air from being drawn from the conveying unit 130 of the stopped drying module 100, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving work efficiency.

[0048] For example, when five drying modules 100 are started simultaneously, the operating frequency of the air-exhaust unit 220 can be set to 33-38Hz; when four drying modules 100 are started simultaneously, the operating frequency of the air-exhaust unit 220 can be set to 30-33Hz; when three drying modules 100 are started simultaneously, the operating frequency of the air-exhaust unit 220 can be set to 28-30Hz; when two drying modules 100 are started simultaneously, the operating frequency of the air-exhaust unit 220 can be set to 26-28Hz; and when only one drying module 100 is started, the operating frequency of the air-exhaust unit 220 can be set to 24-26Hz.

[0049] Preferably, when a drying module 100 is switched to the start-up state, the regulating valve 144 installed in its air outlet duct 142 can be opened to a certain degree to control the connection between each drying module 100 in the start-up state and the same exhaust pipe 210. Preferably, the opening degree of the regulating valve 144 of the drying module 100 switched to the start-up state is related to the distance between the connection position of its air outlet 143 and the exhaust pipe 210 and the air-drawing unit 220. The closer the distance, the smaller the opening degree of the corresponding regulating valve 144; conversely, the farther the distance, the larger the opening degree of the corresponding regulating valve 144. In other words, the order of the opening degrees of the regulating valves 144 of the corresponding drying modules 100 can be determined according to the distance between the connection position of the air outlet 143 of the drying module 100 and the exhaust pipe 210 and the air-drawing unit 220. When all drying modules are started, the opening degree of all regulating valves 144 can be determined according to the distance between each drying module 100. Furthermore, when determining the number of drying modules 100 to be activated based on the amount of brewing adjuncts to be dried, it is also possible to specify which drying modules 100 or more are switched to the activated state. When activating the same number of drying modules 100, the final combination will differ depending on the specified drying modules 100. Therefore, the opening degree of the regulating valve 144 of each drying module 100, while satisfying the above-mentioned size order, can be determined based on the combination formed by all the drying modules 100 in the activated state. The regulating valve 144 allows for precise control of the airflow through the air outlet duct 142, which is crucial for maintaining the correct degree of drying of the brewing adjuncts. Excessive wind speed may damage the brewing adjuncts or lead to unnecessary energy waste, while insufficient wind speed may result in low drying efficiency. The regulating valve 144 can adjust the working state of the fan according to the actual needs of the dried brewing adjuncts to reduce energy consumption and improve the overall system energy efficiency.

[0050] Preferably, the automatic rice bran spreading and drying system can be configured with a central control module 300 for generating control signals. The central control module 300 can construct a corresponding three-dimensional virtual model according to the configuration of each spreading module 100 and the exhaust module 200 to dynamically simulate the spreading and drying process of brewing auxiliary materials. It can also adjust the spreading and drying process by sending the generated control signals to the spreading module 100 and / or the exhaust module 200.

[0051] Preferably, the three-dimensional virtual model generated by the central control module 300 can be mapped one-to-one with the physical device to realistically simulate the actual drying process. Preferably, the central control module 300 can dynamically simulate the fluid flow process of air from each drying module 100, from the internal space of the conveying unit 130 through the air outlet channel 142 of the ventilation unit 140 into the exhaust pipe 210, and after mixing, reaching the induced draft unit 220. Preferably, the central control module 300 can select the controllable regulating valves 144 according to the working status of the drying modules 100, record their labels, and adjust the opening of all controllable regulating valves 144 to the same preset value in the three-dimensional virtual model according to the labels. At the same time, it can determine the operating frequency of the induced draft unit 220 according to the number of drying modules 100 started, and start the induced draft unit 220 in the three-dimensional virtual model accordingly. Then, based on the dynamic simulation results, it can regulate the opening of each regulating valve 144 so that the air flow at the air outlet 143 of each drying module 100 is basically the same. Furthermore, the central control module 300 can generate the initial opening degree of each labeled regulating valve 144 according to the dynamic simulation results after regulation, so that the actual spreading module 100 can adjust the regulating valve 144 to the corresponding initial opening degree and introduce the brewing auxiliary materials to be spread from the feeding unit 110.

[0052] Preferably, the central control module 300 can determine the initial operating frequency of the corresponding air supply component 141 based on the simulated air flow of the air outlet 143 of each drying module 100, so that the air outlet of each air supply component 141 can be roughly matched with the total air intake of the air intake unit 220, thereby ensuring the relative balance of air flow in the system.

[0053] Preferably, after the air supply component 141 is activated, the central control module 300 can determine the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131 in the corresponding spreading module 100 based on the amount allocated to each brewing auxiliary material to be spread. The operating speed of the conveyor belt 131 affects both the residence time of the brewing auxiliary material in the conveying unit 130 and the thickness of the material layer on the conveyor belt 131. Furthermore, the faster the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131, the shorter the residence time of the brewing auxiliary material in the conveying unit 130, resulting in a reduced cooling and dehumidification effect. However, in this case, the thickness of the material layer on the conveyor belt 131 is also lower, resulting in a higher cooling and dehumidification effect, and vice versa. Therefore, when adjusting the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131, both increasing and decreasing the operating speed will have opposite effects on the cooling and dehumidification effect of the brewing auxiliary material. The central control module 300 needs to comprehensively consider the degree of influence of both effects when adjusting the speed of the conveyor belt 131. Therefore, the automatic drying and spreading of steamed rice bran can be equipped with a monitoring module 400 to obtain information on the changes in the actual cooling and dehumidification effects of the brewing auxiliary materials.

[0054] Preferably, the central control module 300 can be communicatively connected to the monitoring module 400 to monitor the actual operation of each drying module 100 in real time. The monitoring module 400 may have one or more data acquisition units 410 within each drying module 100 to acquire one or more types of data. Preferably, the data acquisition units 410 can acquire airflow information, especially airflow information within the air outlet duct 142, so that the central control module 300 can compare the airflow information acquired by the data acquisition units 410 with the temperature and humidity information of the internal space of the conveying unit 130, and thus determine whether the operating frequency settings of each air supply component 141 are reasonable. Preferably, when the operating frequencies of the air supply components 141 of more than half of the drying modules 100 are unreasonable, the central control module 300 can simulate the current situation with improved accuracy, thereby regenerating the opening adjustment scheme of the regulating valve 144 according to the interval distance, so that the air supply components 141 of each drying module 100 can be adjusted to a suitable operating frequency according to the opening of the corresponding regulating valve 144. Preferably, the data information acquired by the acquisition unit 410 may include temperature and humidity information, wherein the temperature and humidity information acquired by the acquisition unit 410 may include the temperature and humidity information of the brewing auxiliary materials, and may also include the temperature and humidity information of the internal space of the conveying unit 130. Further, when acquiring temperature and humidity information for the brewing auxiliary materials, the acquisition unit 410 can acquire the temperature and humidity information of the brewing auxiliary materials at at least two locations, one of which is located upstream of the setting position of the ventilation unit 140 in the conveying unit 130, and the other is located downstream of the setting position of the ventilation unit 140 in the conveying unit 130. The upstream and downstream are determined by the direction of movement of the brewing auxiliary materials driven by the transmission belt.

[0055] Preferably, the acquisition unit 410, located upstream of the ventilation unit 140 within the conveying unit 130, can acquire temperature and humidity information of the surface of the brewing auxiliary material entering the conveying unit 130. This allows the central control module 300 to adjust the initial operating frequency of the air supply component 141 based on the initial temperature and humidity information of the brewing auxiliary material surface, thereby optimizing the cooling and dehumidification effect. Preferably, the central control module 300 can be set with multiple temperature and humidity thresholds to divide corresponding high, medium, and low ranges. For example, when at least one of the initial temperature and initial humidity information of the brewing auxiliary material surface is in the high range, the operating frequency of the air supply component 141 can be increased; when at least one of the initial temperature and initial humidity information of the brewing auxiliary material surface is in the low range, the operating frequency of the air supply component 141 can be decreased; when both the initial temperature and initial humidity information of the brewing auxiliary material surface are in the medium range, the operating frequency of the air supply component 141 can be kept constant.

[0056] Preferably, the acquisition unit 410, located downstream of the ventilation unit 140 within the conveying unit 130, can acquire temperature and humidity information of the surface and / or center of the brewing auxiliary material layer. To acquire this information, the acquisition unit 410 uses a flip-up component 132 positioned relatively upstream and more preferably close to the acquisition unit 410. Preferably, the flip-up component 132 is located on top of the conveying unit 130 and is retractable. The central control module 300 calculates the thickness of the brewing auxiliary material layer based on the speed of the conveyor belt 131 to determine the required extension length of the flip-up component 132. This allows the flip-up component 132 to pry open the surface of the brewing auxiliary material layer, exposing the center that can be captured by the acquisition unit 410. Preferably, the surface of the flip-up component 132 is made of a flexible material with no sharp corners to avoid mechanical damage to the brewing auxiliary material. Preferably, the opening component 132 can extend periodically under the control of the central control module 300 to avoid continuous contact with the brewing auxiliary materials, thereby reducing the risk of mechanical damage to the brewing auxiliary materials. This arrangement allows the acquisition unit 410, located downstream of the ventilation unit 140 within the conveying unit 130, to alternately acquire temperature and humidity information of the surface and center of the brewing auxiliary material layer. This allows the acquisition unit to monitor both the temperature and humidity changes of the surface of the brewing auxiliary material layer during its transmission within the conveying unit 130 and the temperature and humidity differences between the surface and center of the brewing auxiliary material layer after cooling and dehumidification.

[0057] During the spreading and drying process, the temperature and humidity changes on the surface of the brewing adjunct layer within the conveying unit 130 may meet expectations, but the temperature and humidity difference between the surface and center of the brewing adjunct layer after cooling and dehumidification may not meet expectations. That is, the temperature and humidity of the brewing adjunct layer on the surface may meet the preset requirements, while the brewing adjunct layer in the center may not have sufficient direct contact with the air, resulting in poor cooling and dehumidification. Preferably, the central control module 300 can dynamically simulate and determine the control method of the air supply component 141 and / or the conveyor belt 131 when the above situation occurs. Control of the air supply component 141 may include controlling its operating frequency and / or air supply method, and control of the conveyor belt 131 may include controlling its operating speed. Since brewing auxiliary materials are usually lightweight, they are easily blown out when the wind is strong. However, the air supply component 141 only includes a few fixed air supply modes. Under the corresponding air supply mode, the air supply component 141 can have a corresponding operating frequency range. If the maximum value of the operating frequency range is exceeded, the brewing auxiliary materials may be blown out. Therefore, when adjusting only the air supply component 141 cannot solve the above situation, the running speed of the conveyor belt 131 can be adjusted.

[0058] Preferably, since adjusting the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131 has two opposing effects on the cooling and dehumidification of the brewing auxiliary materials, the central control module 300 can simulate the temperature and humidity changes on the surface of the brewing auxiliary materials on the conveyor belt 131 at different operating speeds, as well as the temperature and humidity differences between the surface and center of the material layer, using a three-dimensional virtual model before adjusting the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131, thereby determining the optimal extreme point for cooling and dehumidification. If the aforementioned temperature and humidity changes and / or temperature and humidity differences do not meet expectations after adjusting the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131 to the extreme point, the central control module 300 needs to generate a control signal of a higher control level to execute a higher-level control event.

[0059] Preferably, the control signals generated by the central control module 300 can have different controlled objects, and for the same controlled object, they can also include different control events. When a controlled object receives a control signal sent by the central control module 300, it can execute the corresponding control event according to the information attached to the control signal. The central control module 300 can rank the control events and / or the corresponding control signals according to their impact. Further, the impact of a control event refers to the degree to which the execution of the control event by the controlled object may cause the central control module 300 to perform coordinated control on other controlled objects. The greater the impact, the lower the ranking. In other words, when a controlled object executes a control event with a lower ranking based on the control signal, a control event with a relatively higher ranking is usually also executed. Preferably, the central control module 300 can classify control events and / or control signals corresponding to the control events into the following levels: regulating the operating frequency and air supply mode of the air supply component 141 can be configured as the first control level; regulating the opening degree of the regulating valve 144 and the operating speed of the conveyor belt 131 can be configured as the second control level; regulating the operating frequency of the induced draft unit 220 and the opening and closing of the drying module 100 can be configured as the third control level.

[0060] Preferably, before generating control signals, the central control module 300 can perform step-by-step simulations according to the control level of the control events, from low to high. When the simulation results show that the cooling and dehumidification effect of the brewing adjuncts can achieve the expected results after executing one or more control events at any control level and control events at other control levels lower than that level, the simulation of subsequent control levels can be stopped. Preferably, to quickly determine the control level of the control signals to be generated by the central control module 300, the central control module 300 can stop the simulation after obtaining a simulation result that meets the expectations, in order to save computing power and storage space. However, this simulation result may not be the optimal control scheme. The central control module 300 can directly output control signals corresponding to the current simulation result or perform supplementary simulations based on factors such as computational load, queuing of computational tasks, and accuracy requirements of the drying task. Furthermore, when performing supplementary simulations on the current simulation result, the central control module 300 can extract all control events contained in the current simulation result and arrange and combine the adjustable parameters of all control events to obtain the optimal control scheme for the current situation. More preferably, the central control module 300 can use the generated optimal control scheme as the optimized simulation result and output a control signal corresponding to the optimized simulation result.

[0061] Example 2

[0062] This embodiment is a further improvement on embodiment 1, and repeated content will not be described again.

[0063] This invention discloses an automatic method for spreading and drying steamed rice bran, which can employ the automatic steamed rice bran spreading and drying system described in Example 1, comprising:

[0064] Based on the amount of brewing auxiliary materials to be spread out, the number of spreading modules 100 to be started is determined, thereby driving the corresponding number of spreading modules 100 to switch to the start state, while the unselected spreading modules 100 remain in the stop state.

[0065] A three-dimensional virtual model is established for dynamic simulation to determine the operating parameters of each drying module 100 and exhaust module 200;

[0066] Based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit 410, control signals are generated for regulating the cooling module 100 and / or the exhaust module 200. When generating control signals, step-by-step simulation can be performed based on the control event and / or the level sorting of the control signal corresponding to the control event to generate the optimal regulation scheme.

[0067] It should be noted that the specific embodiments described above are exemplary. Those skilled in the art can devise various solutions inspired by the disclosure of this invention, and these solutions all fall within the scope of this invention and its protection. Those skilled in the art should understand that this specification and its accompanying drawings are illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the claims. The scope of protection of this invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents. This specification contains multiple inventive concepts; phrases such as "preferred" or "according to a preferred embodiment" indicate that the corresponding paragraph discloses an independent concept. The applicant reserves the right to file divisional applications based on each inventive concept. Throughout the text, the feature introduced by "preferred" is only an optional mode and should not be construed as mandatory. Therefore, the applicant reserves the right to abandon or delete relevant preferred features at any time.

Claims

1. An automatic steaming and spreading system for spent grain, characterized by It includes: Several cooling modules (100) are used to cool and dehumidify different brewing auxiliary materials; An exhaust module (200) is configured with an air intake unit (220) and an exhaust pipe (210) connected to the air intake unit (220). The central control module (300) is capable of generating three-dimensional virtual models that are mapped one-to-one with the physical devices of the drying module (100) and the exhaust module (200) to dynamically simulate the drying process according to preset operating parameters, and can generate control signals for regulating the drying module (100) and / or the exhaust module (200) based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit (410). When the central control module (300) drives the corresponding controlled object to execute the corresponding control event according to the information attached to the control signal, it can perform step-by-step simulation based on the level ranking of the control event and / or the control signal corresponding to the control event to generate the optimal control scheme. The central control module (300) can rank the control event and / or the control signal corresponding to the control event according to the degree of influence of the control event. The operation frequency and air supply mode of the air supply component (141) are configured as the first control level; the opening degree of the regulating valve (144) and the operation speed of the conveyor belt (131) are configured as the second control level; and the operation frequency of the induced draft unit (220) and the opening and closing of the drying module (100) are configured as the third control level. The drying modules (100) are connected to different positions of the exhaust pipe (210) through their respective air outlet channels (142). An adjustable valve (144) is hinged to the side wall of the air outlet channel (142). The opening of the valve (144) in each air outlet channel (142) can be determined based on the distance between the connection position of each air outlet channel (142) and the exhaust pipe (210) along the extension direction of the exhaust pipe (210) to the air-drawing unit (220). When determining the opening of the valve (144), the valve (144) in the drying module (100) in the stopped state is kept closed so that the air-drawing unit (220) only draws air from the drying module in the started state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The spreading module (100) includes a feeding unit (110), a discharging unit (120), and a conveying unit (130) for connecting the feeding unit (110) and the discharging unit (120). The brewing auxiliary materials entering the feeding unit (110) from the feeding port (111) can be transported to the discharging unit (120) by the conveying unit (130) and discharged from the discharging port (121) of the discharging unit (120). The air outlet channel (142) is connected to the internal space of the conveying unit (130).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, The monitoring module (400) configured therein can be one or more acquisition units (410) in each of the drying modules (100) to acquire data information related to the corresponding drying module (100). The data information acquired by the acquisition unit (410) can be sent to the central control module (300) so that the central control module (300) can grasp the actual operation of each drying module (100) in real time based on the data information.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, The conveying unit (130) is equipped with a conveyor belt (131) with adjustable operating speed. The acquisition unit (410) for acquiring temperature and humidity information of brewing auxiliary materials is respectively set in the upstream and downstream areas of the conveyor belt (131). The acquisition unit (410) set in the downstream area of ​​the conveyor belt (131) can alternately acquire temperature and humidity information of the surface and center of the material layer of brewing auxiliary materials.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, The central control module (300) can acquire temperature and humidity information of different material layers of brewing auxiliary materials by means of a flip-up component (132) located relatively upstream of the acquisition unit (410) and close to the acquisition unit (410). The flip-up component (132) can open the surface of the material layer of brewing auxiliary materials by extending a portion of its length to expose the center of the material layer that can be captured by the acquisition unit (410).

6. The system of claim 5, wherein, The central control module (300) can calculate the thickness of the brewing auxiliary material layer based on the running speed of the conveyor belt (131) in order to calculate the required extension length of the opening component (132). The opening component (132) can extend periodically, and the extension length can be recalculated by the central control module (300) each time.

7. A method for automatically spreading and drying steamed rice bran using a system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, It includes: The number of cooling modules (100) to be started is determined according to the amount of brewing auxiliary materials to be cooled, thereby driving the corresponding number of cooling modules (100) to switch to the start state, while the cooling modules (100) that are not selected remain in the stop state. A three-dimensional virtual model is established for dynamic simulation to determine the operating parameters of each of the spreading module (100) and exhaust module (200); Based on the data information acquired by the acquisition unit (410), control signals are generated for regulating the drying module (100) and / or the exhaust module (200). When generating the control signals, step-by-step simulation can be performed based on the control event and / or the level sorting of the control signals corresponding to the control event to generate the optimal regulation scheme.

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