Material concentration system for traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing and parameter judgment and adjustment method

Abstract

The application discloses a material concentration system for traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing and a parameter judgment and adjustment method. The concentration device of the system is connected with external steam station modules, material supply modules, vacuum station modules and condensate water collection modules through steam pipes, feeding pipes, vacuum air pipes and condensate water discharge pipes. Steam regulating valves, feeding regulating valves and vacuum regulating valves are arranged on the steam pipes, the feeding pipes and the vacuum air pipes, respectively. An electric conductivity monitoring module is arranged in the condensate water collection module, and a liquid level monitoring module is arranged in the concentration device. The material concentration system for traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing and the parameter judgment and adjustment method can reduce the probability of parameter adjustment errors in the concentration process, improve the utilization rate of energy and water sources, and finally realize the purposes of maximizing the evaporation efficiency of concentrated liquid, maximizing the effective utilization rate of concentrated liquid condensate water and minimizing the comprehensive energy consumption. The system and the method can be used as a development and verification platform for stable process parameter control required by new product large-scale production in the traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of traditional Chinese medicine concentration technology, specifically to a material concentration system and parameter judgment and adjustment method for the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine. Background Technology

[0002] In the current Chinese medicine manufacturing industry, extraction and concentration are essential processes for separating the effective components from medicinal materials, and are considered high-energy-consuming processes. This process mainly involves obtaining extracts through steps such as atmospheric pressure water extraction, vacuuming, and low-pressure, low-temperature evaporation and concentration. Key parameters such as concentration temperature, vacuum level, real-time feed rate, and cooling circulating water temperature are generally controlled manually, requiring a high level of operator experience and making operational errors difficult to avoid. Consequently, issues such as excessively high concentration temperature, excessive real-time feed rate, or excessive vacuum often lead to over-boiling of the concentrate, which then flows into the condensate channel with the vapor-liquid mixture. This situation affects the final product quality, and the condensate, due to excessive concentrate loss, becomes contaminated and cannot be reused. It requires further extraction and concentration or direct discharge into the sewage ditch, resulting in energy and water waste. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced during the extraction and concentration of new products, where continuous trial and error testing of optimal parameters is necessary. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the existing defects and provide a material concentration system and parameter judgment and adjustment method for the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine, reduce the probability of parameter adjustment errors, improve energy and water utilization, and ultimately achieve the goal of maximizing the evaporation efficiency of the concentrate, maximizing the effective utilization rate of the concentrate condensate, and minimizing the overall energy consumption. This can effectively solve the problems in the background technology.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a material concentration system for the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine, wherein the concentrator contained in the system is connected to an external steam station module, material supply module, vacuum station module, and condensate collection module through a steam pipe, a feed pipe, a vacuum extraction pipe, and a condensate discharge pipe, respectively. A steam regulating valve, a feed regulating valve, and a vacuum regulating valve are respectively installed on the steam pipe, the feed pipe, and the vacuum extraction pipe. A conductivity monitoring module is installed in the condensate collection module, and a liquid level monitoring module is installed in the concentrator.

[0005] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the concentrator is a double-effect concentrator.

[0006] Methods for judging and adjusting material concentration parameters using a material concentration system:

[0007] The conductivity monitoring module sets a threshold. When the conductivity is higher than the threshold, it is determined that the loss rate of concentrate in the material concentration system is too high. When the conductivity is higher than the threshold, the parameters of the steam regulating valve, vacuum regulating valve and feed regulating valve are adjusted separately. When the conductivity is lower than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed.

[0008] Set the threshold for the rate of change of the liquid level monitoring module, or set the threshold for the feeding speed in the material supply module. When the rate of change of the liquid level is lower than the threshold, or when the feeding speed is lower than the threshold and the rate of change of the liquid level is within the set range, it is determined that the material concentration rate is too low. At this time, the parameters of the steam regulating valve and the vacuum regulating valve are adjusted separately. When the rate of change of the liquid level is higher than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, when the conductivity is higher than the threshold, the flow rate of the steam pipe is reduced by the steam regulating valve, the pumping power of the vacuum pumping pipe is reduced by the vacuum regulating valve, and the flow rate of the feed pipe is reduced by the feed regulating valve. The adjustment target is that the conductivity is lower than the set threshold and the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, when the liquid level change rate is lower than the threshold, the flow rate of the steam pipe is increased by the steam regulating valve, and the pumping power of the vacuum pumping pipe is increased by the vacuum regulating valve. The adjustment target is that the conductivity is lower than the set threshold and the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: the material concentration system and parameter judgment and adjustment method for the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine can reduce the probability of parameter adjustment errors during the concentration process, improve the utilization rate of energy and water resources, and ultimately achieve the goal of maximizing the evaporation efficiency of the concentrate, maximizing the effective utilization rate of the condensate water of the concentrate, and minimizing the comprehensive energy consumption. The system and method can serve as a development and verification platform for the stable process parameter control required for the large-scale production of new products in the manufacturing industry of traditional Chinese medicine. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the concentration system. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0014] Please see Figure 1The present invention provides a technical solution: a material concentration system for the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine, including a concentrator, which is a double-effect concentrator to improve the concentration efficiency. The double-effect concentrator consists of two sets of heaters (first-effect heater and second-effect heater), two sets of evaporation chambers (first-effect evaporation chamber and second-effect evaporation chamber), a gas-liquid separator, a tube condenser, a liquid collection tank, and other components. The equipment is interconnected by a secondary steam port and a valve.

[0015] The dual-effect concentration equipment mainly consists of three components: a heat source system, a concentration system, and a cold source system. The heat source system and the cold source system provide high-temperature and low-temperature sources, respectively, while the concentration system completes the concentration process of the solution.

[0016] The working principle of the double-effect evaporator is to control the temperature of the liquid medicine heated by the first-effect heater to below 90°C for evaporation. The large amount of secondary steam generated by evaporation is used as the heating steam for the second-effect heater (heating temperature below 70°C). Due to the pressure difference between the positive pressure of the first-effect heater and the vacuum suction, the secondary steam enters the second-effect heater directly without relying on external power.

[0017] The concentrator is connected to an external steam station module, material supply module, vacuum station module, and condensate collection module via a steam pipe, feed pipe, vacuum extraction pipe, and condensate discharge pipe. The steam pipe, feed pipe, and vacuum extraction pipe are equipped with steam regulating valves, feed regulating valves, and vacuum regulating valves, respectively. The condensate collection module is equipped with a conductivity monitoring module, and the concentrator is equipped with a liquid level monitoring module.

[0018] The material concentration system used in the manufacture of traditional Chinese medicine can be used to determine and adjust the material concentration parameters. The specific method is as follows:

[0019] Set a threshold for the conductivity monitoring module. When the conductivity is higher than the threshold, it is determined that the material loss rate of the material concentration system is too high. When the conductivity is higher than the threshold, the parameters of the steam regulating valve, vacuum regulating valve and feed regulating valve are adjusted separately. When the conductivity is lower than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed.

[0020] During the production process, we found that the reasons for the "material runaway" of the concentrate are roughly threefold: First, the temperature inside the concentrator is too high, causing the concentrate to over-boil. A large amount of concentrate flows into the condensate channel along with the vapor-liquid mixture, resulting in excessive impurities in the condensate, reduced purity, and increased conductivity. Second, the vacuum in the concentrator is too high, resulting in a lower boiling point of the concentrate and over-boiling. A large amount of material flows into the condensate channel with the secondary steam, resulting in excessive impurities in the condensate, reduced purity, and increased conductivity. Third, too much feed causes the concentrate level to rise, and some of the boiling concentrate splashes into the condensate channel, resulting in excessive impurities in the condensate, reduced purity, and increased conductivity. Therefore, when the conductivity is higher than the threshold, the specific adjustment method is as follows: reduce the flow rate of the steam pipe through the steam regulating valve, reduce the pumping power of the vacuum pumping pipe through the vacuum regulating valve, and reduce the flow rate of the feed pipe through the feed regulating valve. The adjustment target is that the conductivity is lower than the set threshold and the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold.

[0021] Set a threshold for the rate of change of the liquid level monitoring module. The rate of change is the ratio of the amount of change to the time taken for the change to occur. In actual production, the rate of change of the liquid level of the concentrate plus the feeding rate of the feeding module is the actual evaporation rate of the concentrate. Therefore, when the rate of change of the liquid level is lower than the threshold, it is judged that the material concentration rate or evaporation rate is too low. When the rate of change of the liquid level is lower than the threshold, the parameters of the steam regulating valve and the vacuum regulating valve are adjusted separately. When the rate of change of the liquid level is higher than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed.

[0022] Alternatively, a feeding speed threshold can be set in the material supply module. When the feeding speed is lower than the threshold and the liquid level change rate is within the set range, it is determined that the material concentration rate or evaporation rate is too low. This principle is based on the fact that the change rate of the concentrated liquid level plus the feeding speed of the feeding module is the actual evaporation rate of the concentrated liquid. At this time, the parameters of the steam regulating valve and the vacuum regulating valve are adjusted separately. When the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed.

[0023] During the production process, we found two reasons for the low material concentration rate: first, the temperature inside the concentrator was low, the concentrate did not boil fully, and the water evaporation efficiency was low; second, the vacuum level inside the concentrator was low, resulting in a higher boiling point of the concentrate. With the same amount of heat, the concentrate did not boil fully, and the water evaporation efficiency was low. Therefore, when the liquid level change rate is lower than the threshold, the specific adjustment method is to increase the flow rate of the steam pipe through the steam regulating valve and increase the pumping power of the vacuum pumping pipe through the vacuum regulating valve. The adjustment target is that the conductivity is lower than the set threshold and the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold.

[0024] During use: Due to the complex and diverse composition of the medicinal solution, improper operation during the concentration process, such as excessively high or low temperatures, incorrect liquid level, or inappropriate vacuum control, can easily lead to excessive foaming. This foam condenses into a highly conductive liquid in the condenser and flows to the condensate collection module. The condensate is monitored by the conductivity monitoring module. If the condensate deviates from the target conductivity (different target conductivity values ​​are set for different medicinal materials), the terminal actuators for steam, vacuum, concentrate level, and cooling water temperature are adjusted to prevent the discharge of condensate with excessively high or low conductivity. Excessive conductivity leads to the loss of active pharmaceutical ingredients, while excessively low conductivity results in high overall energy consumption. By collecting real-time conductivity data, the terminal actuators for steam, vacuum, concentrate level, and cooling water temperature are adjusted to maximize the evaporation efficiency of the concentration unit and minimize material loss.

[0025] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for determining material concentration parameters using a material concentration system, characterized in that: The system includes a concentration system, in which a concentrator is connected to an external steam station module, material supply module, vacuum station module, and condensate collection module via a steam pipe, a feed pipe, a vacuum extraction pipe, and a condensate discharge pipe. The steam pipe, feed pipe, and vacuum extraction pipe are equipped with a steam regulating valve, a feed regulating valve, and a vacuum regulating valve, respectively. The condensate collection module is equipped with a conductivity monitoring module, and the concentrator is equipped with a liquid level monitoring module. The parameter determination method is as follows: The conductivity monitoring module sets a threshold, and when the conductivity is higher than the threshold, it is determined that the material loss rate of the material concentration system is too high. A threshold for the rate of change of the liquid level monitoring module is set. When the rate of change of the liquid level is lower than the threshold, it is determined that the material concentration rate is too low. Alternatively, a feeding speed threshold can be set in the material supply module. When the feeding speed is lower than the threshold and the liquid level change rate is within the set range, it is determined that the material concentration rate is too low.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The concentrator is a double-effect concentrator.

3. A method for adjusting material concentration parameters using a material concentration system, characterized in that: The system includes a concentration system, in which a concentrator is connected to an external steam station module, material supply module, vacuum station module, and condensate collection module via a steam pipe, a feed pipe, a vacuum extraction pipe, and a condensate discharge pipe. The steam pipe, feed pipe, and vacuum extraction pipe are equipped with a steam regulating valve, a feed regulating valve, and a vacuum regulating valve, respectively. The condensate collection module is equipped with a conductivity monitoring module, and the concentrator is equipped with a liquid level monitoring module. The parameter adjustment method is as follows: The conductivity monitoring module sets a threshold. When the conductivity is higher than the threshold, the parameters of the steam regulating valve, vacuum regulating valve and feed regulating valve are adjusted individually. When the conductivity is lower than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed. The threshold for the rate of change of the liquid level monitoring module is set. When the rate of change of the liquid level is lower than the threshold, or when the feeding speed is lower than the threshold and the rate of change of the liquid level is within the set range, the parameters of the steam regulating valve and the vacuum regulating valve are adjusted separately. When the rate of change of the liquid level is higher than the set threshold, the adjustment action is completed.

4. The method for adjusting material concentration parameters according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the conductivity is higher than the threshold, the steam flow rate is reduced by the steam regulating valve, the vacuum pumping power is reduced by the vacuum regulating valve, and the feed flow rate is reduced by the feed regulating valve. The adjustment targets are that the conductivity is lower than the set threshold and the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold.

5. The method for adjusting material concentration parameters according to claim 3, characterized in that: When the liquid level change rate is lower than the threshold, or when the feeding speed is lower than the threshold and the liquid level change rate is within the set range, the flow rate of the steam pipe is increased through the steam regulating valve, and the pumping power of the vacuum pumping pipe is increased through the vacuum regulating valve. The adjustment target is that the conductivity is lower than the set threshold and the liquid level change rate is higher than the set threshold.

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