Ice crystal concentration system and concentration method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an ice crystal concentration system which comprises an ice crystal generation unit, the feeding end of the ice crystal generation unit is connected with the discharging end of a tubular heat exchanger through a first pipe set, and the ice crystal generation unit comprises a plurality of ice crystal generation modules which are sequentially cascaded. Each ice crystal generation module comprises an ice crystal generator and a centrifugal machine which are sequentially connected in series; the tubular heat exchanger precools materials, the precooled materials flow into the ice crystal generating units, the ice crystal generator in each ice crystal generating module freezes the precooled materials so as to form ice slurry, and the ice slurry is subjected to solid-liquid separation through the corresponding centrifugal machine, so that ice crystals in the ice slurry are separated out. Further, the materials are subjected to step-by-step freezing concentration. By arranging the multi-stage ice crystal generation module, the concentration time can be greatly shortened, so that the concentration efficiency is improved, and the energy consumption is reduced; meanwhile, volatilization and loss of aromatic substances can be avoided, and juice quality is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of food processing, in particular to an ice crystal concentration system and a concentration method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Concentrated juice is an important raw material for making juice drinks. By mixing concentrated juice with water or other ingredients, various flavors of juice drinks can be made to meet the different taste needs of consumers. These drinks not only retain the nutrients of the fruit, but are also easy to store and transport.

[0003] In the related art, concentrated juice is usually produced by thermal concentration, where the juice is heated and evaporated by an evaporator to remove water therein, thereby increasing the concentration of the juice.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned heat concentration method has a high heating temperature and a long heating time, which will cause a large loss of aromatic substances (such as chemical substances such as aromatic hydrocarbons) and nutrients such as vitamin C in the juice, causing the taste and flavor of the juice beverage to deteriorate; in addition, some types of juice (such as apple juice) will accelerate their oxidation after heat concentration, causing the color of this type of juice to deteriorate. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned existing production technology, the applicant provides a rationally structured ice crystal concentration system and a concentration method thereof. By setting up a multi-stage ice crystal generation module, the concentration time can be greatly shortened, thereby improving the concentration efficiency and reducing energy consumption; at the same time, the volatilization and loss of aromatic substances can be avoided to ensure the quality of the juice.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] An ice crystal concentration system comprises an ice crystal generating unit, wherein the feeding end of the ice crystal generating unit is connected to the discharging end of a tubular heat exchanger through a first tube group, the ice crystal generating unit comprises a plurality of ice crystal generating modules which are sequentially cascaded, and a single ice crystal generating module comprises an ice crystal generator and a centrifuge which are sequentially connected in series;

[0008] The tubular heat exchanger precools the material, and the precooled material flows into the ice crystal generating unit. The ice crystal generator in each ice crystal generating module freezes the precooled material to form ice slurry. The ice slurry is separated into solid and liquid by a corresponding centrifuge, so that the ice crystals in the ice slurry are separated, and then the material is frozen and concentrated step by step.

[0009] As a further improvement of the above technical solution:

[0010] The structure of a single ice crystal generator is as follows: it includes a main shaft, one end of which is connected to the output end of the driving motor, a plurality of scraper devices are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the main shaft, an ice-making device is arranged between two adjacent scraper devices, a freezing liquid flows inside the ice-making device, and the freezing liquid causes the material inside the ice-making cylinder to form an ice layer on the surface of the ice-making device;

[0011] The outer circumferential surface of the main shaft is also equipped with an ice-making cylinder with a hollow interior, and the scraper device and the ice-making device are both arranged inside the ice-making cylinder;

[0012] The driving motor drives the main shaft to rotate, thereby driving the scraper device to rotate, and the rotating scraper device scrapes off the ice layer on the surface of the adjacent ice-making device.

[0013] The structure of a single ice-making cylinder is as follows: it comprises two cover bodies arranged at intervals, the two cover bodies are connected by a cylinder body, and the side wall surface of the cylinder body is respectively provided with a feed through hole group, a discharge through hole group, a first feed port group, a second feed port group, a third feed port group, and a fourth feed port group;

[0014] The feed through hole group is used for material inflow, the discharge through hole group is used for material outflow, the first material port group and the second material port group are both used for freezing liquid inflow, and the third material port group and the fourth material port group are both used for freezing liquid outflow.

[0015] For a single ice-making cylinder, the first feed port group and the second feed port group are spaced 180° apart, and the third feed port group and the fourth feed port group are spaced 180° apart.

[0016] The structure of a single ice-making device is as follows: it includes a plate body, the plate body is provided with a receiving cavity for receiving a freezing liquid, one side end surface of the plate body is provided with a first liquid inlet, a second liquid inlet, a first liquid outlet and a second liquid outlet evenly distributed along a circumference, the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet are spaced 180 degrees apart, and the first liquid outlet and the second liquid outlet are spaced 180 degrees apart;

[0017] The first liquid inlet is equipped with a first liquid inlet joint, the second liquid inlet is equipped with a second liquid inlet joint, the first liquid outlet is equipped with a first liquid outlet joint, and the second liquid outlet is equipped with a second liquid outlet joint. The first liquid inlet joint and the second liquid inlet joint are used for the refrigerant to flow into the accommodating chamber, and the first liquid outlet joint and the second liquid outlet joint are used for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating chamber.

[0018] The structure of a single plate body is as follows: it includes a first intermediate ring plate and a second intermediate ring plate which are arranged concentrically and nested, one side end surface of the first intermediate ring plate and the second intermediate ring plate are both equipped with a side plate, and the other side end surfaces of the first intermediate ring plate and the second intermediate ring plate are both equipped with another side plate, and the outer diameter of the first intermediate ring plate is smaller than the inner diameter of the second intermediate ring plate, thereby forming an accommodating cavity between the two side plates, the first intermediate ring plate and the second intermediate ring plate.

[0019] A plurality of first spoilers distributed along the circumference are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of a single first intermediate ring plate, and a plurality of second spoilers are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of a single second intermediate ring plate.

[0020] The structure of a single scraper device is as follows: it includes a mounting shaft, a shaft sleeve is mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the mounting shaft, and a plurality of scraper assemblies are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft sleeve and are arranged along the axial direction. A single scraper assembly is V-shaped, and the ice layer on the surface of the corresponding ice-making device is scraped off by the scraper assembly.

[0021] A single scraper assembly comprises two scrapers which are symmetrically arranged and tilted, and a buffer sleeve is arranged between the two scrapers.

[0022] A concentration method using the above-mentioned ice crystal concentration system comprises the following steps:

[0023] S1. The material is cooled to below 4°C by a tubular heat exchanger, and then enters the first stage ice crystal generating module in the ice crystal generating unit through the first tube group;

[0024] S2. The material is frozen by the ice crystal generator in the first-stage ice crystal generating module, so that the water in the material condenses into ice, thereby forming an ice slurry;

[0025] The ice crystal component and the liquid component in the ice slurry are separated by a centrifuge in the first-stage ice crystal generating module, thereby obtaining a first-stage concentrated liquid;

[0026] S3. The concentrated liquid then flows into the next-stage ice crystal generation module for freezing and ice slurry separation operations until the desired concentration ratio is reached.

[0027] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0028] The present invention has a compact and reasonable structure and is easy to operate. By arranging a multi-stage ice crystal generating module, the material can be concentrated under a low temperature state, so that the water content in the material is reduced and the sugar content is increased. There is no need to heat the material. The concentration efficiency is high and the time consumption is short. The loss of aromatic substances and nutrients in the juice can be avoided and the flavor and color of the juice will not be affected.

[0029] The present invention also has the following advantages:

[0030] (1) The present invention can fix the ice-making device by providing a plurality of connecting rods evenly distributed along the circumference, and at the same time, can also improve the structural stability of the ice-making cylinder.

[0031] (2) The present invention arranges the two scrapers symmetrically and tilted so that the scraper assembly is V-shaped as a whole, thereby improving the scraping efficiency; at the same time, the scraper is made of non-metallic material and will not produce metal debris when in contact with the metal ice-making plate, thereby preventing contamination of the juice and improving the quality of the juice.

[0032] (3) The present invention provides a buffer sleeve made of polytetrafluoroethylene material, which is elastic and can make the angle between the two scrapers adjustable, thereby ensuring that the scrapers can be in close contact with the corresponding ice-making plates.

[0033] (4) The present invention enables the refrigerant to form a mixed flow inside the refrigeration chamber by making the refrigerant adopt a horizontal inlet and vertical outlet mode, thereby extending the flow channel of the refrigerant inside the refrigeration chamber, thereby improving the refrigeration uniformity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ice crystal generator in the present invention.

[0036] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Rear view of.

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Bottom view of .

[0038] Figure 5 It is a full cross-sectional view of the ice crystal generator in the present invention.

[0039] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of point A in the middle.

[0040] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the scraper device in the present invention.

[0041] Figure 8 It is an exploded view of the scraper device in the present invention.

[0042] Fig. 9 It is a front view of the ice-making device of the present invention (one of the side panels is omitted).

[0043] Fig.10 It is an exploded view of the ice-making device of the present invention (the spoiler is omitted).

[0044] Among them: 1. ice crystal generator; 2. drive motor; 3. main shaft; 4. transmission device; 5. ice making cylinder; 6. scraper device; 7. support frame; 8. ice making device; 9. tubular heat exchanger; 10. centrifuge; 11. first tube group; 12. second tube group; 13. third tube group; 14. refrigeration equipment 14;

[0045] 501, cylinder; 502, cover; 503, connecting rod; 504, feed interface group; 505, discharge interface group; 506, first feed port group; 507, second feed port group; 508, third feed port group; 509, fourth feed port group;

[0046] 601, mounting shaft; 602, shaft sleeve; 603, scraper; 604, buffer sleeve; 605, mounting rod; 606, fixing plate;

[0047] 801, first intermediate ring plate; 802, second intermediate ring plate; 803, side plate; 804, first liquid inlet joint; 805, second liquid inlet joint; 806, first liquid outlet joint; 807, second liquid outlet joint; 808, accommodating chamber; 809, first spoiler; 810, second spoiler. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The specific implementation of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0049] The structure and function of the present invention are as follows:

[0050] like Figure 1-Figure 10 As shown, the ice crystal concentration system of this embodiment includes an ice crystal generating unit, the feed end of the ice crystal generating unit is connected to the discharge end of the tubular heat exchanger 9 through the first tube group 11, the ice crystal generating unit includes a plurality of ice crystal generating modules connected in cascade, and a single ice crystal generating module includes an ice crystal generator 1 and a centrifuge 10 connected in series in sequence; Figure 1 As shown, the ice crystal concentration system of this embodiment includes a tubular heat exchanger 9 and an ice crystal generating unit which are connected from the feed to the discharge, and the tubular heat exchanger 9 and the ice crystal generating unit are connected by a first tube group 11; wherein, the ice crystal generating unit includes a plurality of cascaded ice crystal generating modules, and two adjacent ice crystal generating modules are connected by a second tube group 12, that is, the discharge end of each stage of the ice crystal generating module is connected to the feed end of the next stage of the ice crystal generating module through the second tube group; each ice crystal generating module includes an ice crystal generator 1 and a centrifuge 10 connected in series, and for a single ice crystal generating module, its feed end corresponds to the feed end of the ice crystal generator 1, and its discharge end corresponds to the discharge end of the centrifuge 10, and the discharge end of the ice crystal generator 1 inside it is connected to the feed end of the corresponding centrifuge 10 through a third tube group 13.

[0051] In addition, each ice crystal generator 1 in the ice crystal concentration system is connected to the refrigeration device 14 through a connecting pipe group. Multiple refrigeration devices 14 can be arranged, corresponding to multiple ice crystal generators 1 in the system one by one, and a single refrigeration device 14 is connected to the corresponding ice crystal generator 1 through a corresponding connecting pipe group; or a refrigeration device 14 can be arranged, such as Figure 1 As shown, it is connected to each ice crystal generator 1 in the system one by one through a corresponding connecting pipe group, and each ice crystal generator 1 is connected in parallel to prevent interference between multiple ice crystal generating modules.

[0052] The refrigeration equipment 14 is used to keep the refrigerant inside the ice crystal generator 1 at a low temperature, so that the material inside the ice making cylinder 5 can be frozen by the refrigerant; the refrigeration equipment 14 can adopt the more mature compression refrigeration equipment 14 or ammonia absorption refrigeration equipment 14 in the prior art.

[0053] The tubular heat exchanger 9 precools the material, and the precooled material flows into the ice crystal generating unit, which can improve the freezing efficiency of the subsequent ice crystal generating unit and facilitate the rapid formation of ice slurry.

[0054] The ice crystal generator 1 in each ice crystal generating module freezes the pre-cooled material to form ice slurry. A refrigerant flows inside the ice crystal generator 1 to freeze the material so that water in the material is separated out to form ice crystals, thereby forming an ice slurry of a mixture of ice crystals and liquid.

[0055] The ice slurry is separated into solid and liquid by the corresponding centrifuge 10, so as to separate the ice crystals in the ice slurry, and then the material is freeze-concentrated step by step. The ice crystal freeze concentration system of this embodiment can concentrate the material (usually fruit juice) at a low temperature, so that the water content in the material is reduced and the sugar content is increased. There is no need to heat the material, the concentration efficiency is high, the time consumption is short, the loss of aromatic substances and nutrients in the fruit juice can be avoided, and the flavor and color of the fruit juice will not be affected.

[0056] The ice crystal generator 1 is used to freeze the material pre-cooled by the tubular heat exchanger 9 to form a solid-liquid mixture ice slurry; Figure 2-Figure 5As shown, the structure of a single ice crystal generator 1 is as follows: it includes a main shaft 3, one end of the main shaft 3 is connected to the output end of the driving motor 2, a plurality of scraper devices 6 are arranged on the outer circumference of the main shaft 3, an ice-making device 8 is arranged between two adjacent scraper devices 6, a freezing liquid flows inside the ice-making device 8, and the freezing liquid makes the material inside the ice-making cylinder 5 form an ice layer on the surface of the ice-making device 8; the outer circumference of the main shaft 3 is also equipped with an ice-making cylinder 5 with a hollow interior, and the scraper device 6 and the ice-making device 8 are both arranged inside the ice-making cylinder 5; the driving motor 2 drives the main shaft 3 to rotate, thereby driving the scraper device 6 to rotate, and the rotating scraper device 6 scrapes off the ice layer on the surface of the adjacent ice-making device 8. The driving motor 2 adopts a rotary motor, and the output end of the driving motor 2 is connected to the main shaft 3 through a transmission device 4, and the transmission device 4 is a bevel gear gearbox, whose input end is connected to the output end of the rotary motor, and whose output end is connected to the main shaft 3 through a coupling, and the rotary motor drives the main shaft 3 to rotate through the transmission device 4.

[0057] like Figure 2-Figure 5 As shown, the structure of a single ice-making cylinder 5 is as follows: it includes two spaced-apart covers 502, the two covers 502 are connected by a cylinder 501, and the side wall of the cylinder 501 is respectively provided with a feed through hole group, a discharge through hole group, a first material port group 506, a second material port group 507, a third material port group 508, and a fourth material port group 509; the feed through hole group is used for material inflow, the discharge through hole group is used for material outflow, the first material port group 506 and the second material port group 507 are both used for freezing liquid inflow, and the third material port group 508 and the fourth material port group 509 are both used for freezing liquid outflow. The cylinder 505 and the two covers 502 are enclosed to form a cylindrical closed cavity, which is used to hold materials.

[0058] For a single ice-making cylinder 5, a through hole is provided in the middle of the two covers 502 to avoid the main shaft 3 so that the main shaft 3 can pass through. The two covers 502 are assembled with the main shaft 3 through a bearing assembly, and the corresponding cover 502 and the main shaft 3 are rotated by the bearing assembly. The bearing assembly adopts a rotating bearing; in addition, in order to ensure the sealing performance of the closed cavity, the bearing assembly is equipped with a sealing assembly; a plurality of connecting rods 503 are arranged between the two covers 502, and the connecting rods 503 are used to fix the ice-making device 8. In addition, the connecting rods 503 are evenly distributed along the circumference, which can also improve the structural stability of the ice-making cylinder 5.

[0059] Each ice-making cylinder 5 is installed horizontally, and a single ice-making cylinder 5 is supported by a support frame 7 , which has a compact structure, flexible layout, and convenient maintenance; in addition, the support frame 7 is also used to support the driving motor 2 .

[0060] For a single ice-making cylinder 5, a feed interface group 504 is provided on the feed through hole group, and a discharge interface group 505 is provided on the discharge through hole group. The interfaces in the feed interface group 504 and the discharge interface group 505 are used to connect with the corresponding external connecting pipe group to facilitate the material to enter and exit the ice-making cylinder 5.

[0061] A scraper device 6 and an ice-making device 8 are arranged inside the closed cavity. The scraper device 6 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the main shaft 3 and rotates with the main shaft 3. The ice-making device 8 is fixed to the inside of the ice-making cylinder 5 through a connecting rod 503, does not contact the main shaft 3, and does not rotate with the main shaft 3. Figure 5-Figure 6 As shown, an ice-making device 8 is arranged between the two scraper devices 6. At the same time, each scraper device 6 is closely attached to the adjacent ice-making device 8, so that the ice layer on the front and back end surfaces of each ice-making device 8 can be scraped off by the scraper device 6.

[0062] like Figure 7-Figure 8 As shown, the structure of a single scraper device 6 is as follows: it includes a mounting shaft 601, a shaft sleeve 602 is mounted on the outer circumference of the mounting shaft 601, and a plurality of scraper assemblies extending along the axial direction are mounted on the outer circumference of the shaft sleeve 602, and a single scraper assembly is V-shaped, and the ice layer on the surface of the corresponding ice-making device 8 is scraped off by the scraper assembly; a single scraper assembly includes two symmetrically inclined scrapers 603, and a buffer sleeve 604 is mounted between the two scrapers 603. By symmetrically and obliquely arranging the two scrapers 603, the corresponding scraper assembly is V-shaped as a whole, thereby improving the scraping efficiency.

[0063] In addition, the scraper 603 is made of non-metallic material and will not produce metal debris when in contact with the metal ice-making device 8, thereby preventing contamination of the juice and improving the quality of the juice; the buffer sleeve 604 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is elastic and can make the angle between the two scrapers 603 adjustable, thereby ensuring that the scraper 603 can fit tightly against the corresponding ice-making device 8.

[0064] In this embodiment, a plurality of mounting rods 605 are arranged, and the scraper 603 and the buffer sleeve 604 are fixed to the shaft sleeve 602 through the mounting rods 605 , and the mounting rods 605 are supported and fixed by a fixing plate 606 fixed to the outer wall of the shaft sleeve 602 .

[0065] The ice-making device 8 has a refrigerant passing therein, so that the juice inside the ice-making cylinder 5 can condense into ice on the end surface of the ice-making device 8 to form an ice layer;

[0066] like Figure 9-10As shown, the structure of a single ice-making device 8 is as follows: it includes a plate body, the interior of the plate body is provided with a accommodating cavity 808 for accommodating refrigerant, and one side end surface of the plate body is respectively provided with a first liquid inlet, a second liquid inlet, a first liquid outlet and a second liquid outlet uniformly distributed along the circumference, the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet are spaced 180° apart, and the first liquid outlet and the second liquid outlet are spaced 180° apart; the first liquid inlet is equipped with a first liquid inlet joint 804, the second liquid inlet is equipped with a second liquid inlet joint 805, the first liquid outlet is equipped with a first liquid outlet joint 806, and the second liquid outlet is equipped with a second liquid outlet joint 807, the first liquid inlet joint 804 and the second liquid inlet joint 805 are used for the refrigerant to flow into the accommodating cavity 808, and the first liquid outlet joint 806 and the second liquid outlet joint 807 are used for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating cavity 808.

[0067] The structure of a single plate body is as follows: it includes a first intermediate ring plate 801 and a second intermediate ring plate 802 arranged concentrically and nested, one side end surface of the first intermediate ring plate 801 and the second intermediate ring plate 802 are both equipped with a side plate, and the other side end surfaces of the first intermediate ring plate 801 and the second intermediate ring plate 802 are both equipped with another side plate, and the outer diameter of the first intermediate ring plate 801 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second intermediate ring plate 802, so that an accommodating cavity 808 is formed between the two side plates, the first intermediate ring plate 801 and the second intermediate ring plate 802. The accommodating cavity 808 is annular,

[0068] The outer circumferential surface of a single first intermediate ring plate 801 is equipped with a plurality of first spoilers 809 distributed along the circumference, and the interval angle between two adjacent first spoilers 809 is 90°; the outer circumferential surface of a single second intermediate ring plate 802 is equipped with a plurality of second spoilers 810, and the second spoilers 810 are arranged in groups of two, and a total of four groups are arranged, and the four groups of second spoilers are evenly distributed along the circumference; the length of the first spoiler 809 and the length of the second spoiler 810 are both smaller than the difference between the inner diameter of the second intermediate ring plate 2 and the outer diameter of the first intermediate ring plate 801; the spoiler is used to further disturb the refrigerant in the accommodating chamber 808, and the first spoiler 809 and the second spoiler 810 are staggeredly arranged along the radial direction of the first intermediate ring plate 801, which can extend the travel of the refrigerant in the accommodating chamber 808, thereby improving the refrigeration uniformity.

[0069] Several lifting ears are fixed on the outer wall surfaces of the two side plates 3 for being matched with the connecting rod 503 inside the ice-making cylinder 5 , so as to fix the corresponding ice-making device 8 inside the ice-making cylinder 5 .

[0070] For the first liquid inlet, the second liquid inlet, the first liquid outlet and the second liquid outlet opened on the plate body, specifically, the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet are spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and the first liquid outlet and the second liquid outlet are spaced apart in the vertical direction, so that the refrigerant adopts a horizontal liquid inlet and vertical liquid outlet manner, thereby forming a mixed flow of the refrigerant inside the accommodating cavity 808, extending the flow path of the refrigerant inside the accommodating cavity 808.

[0071] In addition, the first liquid inlet is equipped with a first liquid inlet joint 804, the second liquid inlet is equipped with a second liquid inlet joint 805, the first liquid outlet is equipped with a first liquid outlet joint 806, and the second liquid outlet is equipped with a second liquid outlet joint 807; wherein the first liquid inlet joint 804, the second liquid inlet joint 805, the first liquid outlet joint 806, and the second liquid outlet joint 807 are all elbow pipes, which are used to connect with the material port on the corresponding ice making cylinder 5, so as to be connected with the corresponding external pipe group, so as to facilitate the flow of the refrigerant from the preparation device 8 arranged inside the ice making cylinder 5 into and out of the ice making cylinder 5;

[0072] Specifically, the first liquid inlet joint 804 is connected to a material port in the first material port group 506 on the corresponding preparation barrel 5, the second liquid inlet joint 805 is connected to a material port in the second material port group 507 on the corresponding preparation barrel 5, the first liquid outlet joint 806 is connected to a material port in the third material port group 508 on the corresponding preparation barrel 5, and the second liquid outlet joint 807 is connected to a material port in the fourth material port group 509 on the corresponding preparation barrel 5;

[0073] Correspondingly, for a single ice-making cylinder 5, the first opening group 506 and the second opening group 507 are spaced 180° apart, and the third opening group 508 and the fourth opening group 509 are spaced 180° apart.

[0074] The working process of this embodiment is as follows:

[0075] The liquid outlet of the raw material storage tank is connected to the feed port of the tubular heat exchanger 9 through the first conveying pipe group, and the outlet of the centrifuge 10 in the last stage ice crystal generation module is connected to the feed port of the concentrated juice storage tank through the second conveying pipe group;

[0076] The output end and the input end of the refrigeration device 14 are respectively connected to the first material port group 506, the second material port group 507, the third material port group 508, and the fourth material port group 509 in each ice crystal generating module through the connecting pipe group;

[0077] Start the driving motor 2 to drive the main shaft 3 to rotate, thereby driving the scraper device 6 to rotate;

[0078] The material (juice) stored in the raw material storage tank enters the tubular heat exchanger 9 through the first conveying pipe group for precooling, and then enters the ice making cylinder 5 in the first-stage ice crystal generation module through the first pipe group 11 and the corresponding feed interface group 504 for freezing;

[0079] The material inside the ice making cylinder 5 in the first-stage ice crystal generating module flows into the centrifuge 10 in the first-stage ice crystal generating module through the corresponding discharge interface group 505 and the third pipe group 13 for solid-liquid separation, and then the material inside the centrifuge 10 flows into the next-stage ice crystal generating module through the second pipe group 12, until it flows from the centrifuge 10 in the last-stage ice crystal generating module through the second conveying pipe group into the concentrated juice storage tank for storage;

[0080] Inside each ice-making cylinder 5, the freezing process of the material is as follows:

[0081] The refrigerant circulates between the refrigeration equipment 14 and each accommodating chamber 808 through the connecting pipe group;

[0082] Under the action of the freezing liquid, the material inside the corresponding ice-making cylinder 5 forms an ice layer on the outer surface of the side plate 803, and the main shaft 3 drives the scraper device 6 to rotate, so that the ice layer is scraped off from the surface of the corresponding side plate 803 through the scraper 603;

[0083] The ice crystals scraped off by the scraper device 6 fall into the material in the corresponding ice making cylinder 5, thereby forming ice slurry. Using the above-mentioned ice crystal concentration system, this embodiment provides a concentration method, including the following steps:

[0084] S1. The material is cooled to below 4°C by a tubular heat exchanger 9, and then enters the first stage ice crystal generating module in the ice crystal generating unit through the first tube group 11;

[0085] At this time, ice water at -5°C is introduced into the tubular heat exchanger 9.

[0086] S2. The material is frozen by the ice crystal generator 1 in the first-stage ice crystal generating module, so that the water in the material condenses into ice, thereby forming an ice slurry;

[0087] The ice crystal component and the liquid component in the ice slurry are separated by the centrifuge 10 in the first-stage ice crystal generating module, thereby obtaining a first-stage concentrated liquid;

[0088] In this embodiment, the freezing liquid is ice water at -20°C, so that when the ice slurry flows out of the ice making cylinder 5, its temperature can be maintained at 0-2°C, ensuring that the ice content of the ice slurry is 20%-30%.

[0089] S3. The concentrated liquid then flows into the next-stage ice crystal generation module for freezing and ice slurry separation operations until the desired concentration ratio is reached.

[0090] The following is the specific examples section.

[0091] Example 1

[0092] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a four-stage ice crystal generation module is arranged, so that the juice can undergo four freeze concentration processes; take the juice with a sugar content of 10 Brix at room temperature as an example;

[0093] After the ice crystal generating modules at each level freeze the incoming juice, when the ice content of the corresponding generated ice slurry is 20%, after four-stage concentration, the sugar content of the juice is: 12.5Brix, 16Brix, 19.5Brix, 24Brix;

[0094] After the ice crystal generating modules at each level freeze the incoming juice, when the ice content of the corresponding generated ice slurry is 30%, after four-stage concentration, the sugar content of the juice is: 14.3 Brix, 20.4 Brix, 29 Brix, 41.7 Brix.

[0095] The above description is an explanation of the present invention, not a limitation of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined in the claims. Any form of modification may be made within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ice crystal concentration system, characterized in that: It comprises an ice crystal generating unit, wherein the feed end of the ice crystal generating unit is connected to the discharge end of the tubular heat exchanger (9) through a first tube group (11), and the ice crystal generating unit comprises a plurality of ice crystal generating modules which are sequentially cascaded, and a single ice crystal generating module comprises an ice crystal generator (1) and a centrifuge (10) which are sequentially connected in series; The tubular heat exchanger (9) precools the material, and the precooled material flows into the ice crystal generating unit. The ice crystal generator (1) in each ice crystal generating module freezes the precooled material to form ice slurry. The ice slurry is separated into solid and liquid by a corresponding centrifuge (10), thereby separating the ice crystals in the ice slurry, and then freezing and concentrating the material step by step.

2. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of a single ice crystal generator (1) is as follows: it comprises a main shaft (3), one end of the main shaft (3) is connected to the output end of a driving motor (2), a plurality of scraper devices (6) are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the main shaft (3), an ice making device (8) is arranged between two adjacent scraper devices (6), a refrigerant flows inside the ice making device (8), and the refrigerant causes the material inside the ice making cylinder (5) to form an ice layer on the surface of the ice making device (8); The outer circumferential surface of the main shaft (3) is also equipped with an ice-making cylinder (5) with a hollow interior, and the scraper device (6) and the ice-making device (8) are both arranged inside the ice-making cylinder (5); The driving motor (2) drives the main shaft (3) to rotate, thereby driving the scraper device (6) to rotate, and the rotating scraper device (6) scrapes off the ice layer on the surface of the adjacent ice-making device (8).

3. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The structure of a single ice-making cylinder (5) is as follows: it comprises two cover bodies (502) arranged at intervals, the two cover bodies (502) are connected via a cylinder body (501), and the side wall surface of the cylinder body (501) is respectively provided with a feed through hole group, a discharge through hole group, a first material port group (506), a second material port group (507), a third material port group (508), and a fourth material port group (509); The feed through hole group is used for material inflow, the discharge through hole group is used for material outflow, the first material port group (506) and the second material port group (507) are both used for freezing liquid inflow, and the third material port group (508) and the fourth material port group (509) are both used for freezing liquid outflow.

4. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 3, characterized in that: For a single ice-making cylinder (5), the first material port group (506) and the second material port group (507) are spaced 180° apart, and the third material port group (508) and the fourth material port group (509) are spaced 180° apart.

5. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The structure of a single ice-making device (8) is as follows: it comprises a plate body, the plate body is provided with a receiving cavity (808) for receiving a freezing liquid, one side end surface of the plate body is provided with a first liquid inlet, a second liquid inlet, a first liquid outlet and a second liquid outlet evenly distributed along a circumference, the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet are spaced 180 degrees apart, and the first liquid outlet and the second liquid outlet are spaced 180 degrees apart; The first liquid inlet is equipped with a first liquid inlet joint (804), the second liquid inlet is equipped with a second liquid inlet joint (805), the first liquid outlet is equipped with a first liquid outlet joint (806), and the second liquid outlet is equipped with a second liquid outlet joint (807). The first liquid inlet joint (804) and the second liquid inlet joint (805) are used for the refrigerant to flow into the accommodating chamber (808), and the first liquid outlet joint (806) and the second liquid outlet joint (807) are used for the refrigerant to flow out of the accommodating chamber (808).

6. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The structure of a single plate body is as follows: it comprises a first intermediate ring plate (801) and a second intermediate ring plate (802) which are arranged concentrically and nested, one side end surface of the first intermediate ring plate (801) and the second intermediate ring plate (802) are simultaneously equipped with a side plate, and the other side end surfaces of the first intermediate ring plate (801) and the second intermediate ring plate (802) are simultaneously equipped with another side plate, and the outer diameter of the first intermediate ring plate (801) is smaller than the inner diameter of the second intermediate ring plate (802), so that an accommodating cavity (808) is formed between the two side plates, the first intermediate ring plate (801) and the second intermediate ring plate (802).

7. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 6, characterized in that: A plurality of first spoilers (809) distributed along the circumference are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of a single first intermediate ring plate (801), and a plurality of second spoilers (810) are mounted on the outer circumferential surface of a single second intermediate ring plate (802).

8. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The structure of a single scraper device (6) is as follows: it comprises a mounting shaft (601), the outer circumferential surface of the mounting shaft (601) is equipped with a shaft sleeve (602), the outer circumferential surface of the shaft sleeve (602) is equipped with a plurality of scraper assemblies arranged and extending along the axial direction, and a single scraper assembly is V-shaped, and the ice layer on the surface of the corresponding ice-making device (8) is scraped off by the scraper assembly.

9. The ice crystal concentration system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The single scraper assembly comprises two scrapers (603) symmetrically arranged and tilted, and a buffer sleeve (604) is arranged between the two scrapers (603).

10. A concentration method using the ice crystal concentration system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steps include: S1. The material is cooled to below 4°C by a tubular heat exchanger (9), and then enters the first stage ice crystal generating module in the ice crystal generating unit through a first tube group (11); S2. The material is frozen by the ice crystal generator (1) in the first-stage ice crystal generating module, so that the water in the material condenses into ice, thereby forming an ice slurry; The ice crystal component and the liquid component in the ice slurry are separated by a centrifuge (10) in the first-stage ice crystal generating module, thereby obtaining a first-stage concentrated liquid; S3. The concentrated liquid then flows into the next-stage ice crystal generation module for freezing and ice slurry separation operations until the desired concentration ratio is reached.

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