Corn softening and conditioning device and corn dry separation process

Abstract

The invention provides a corn softening and conditioning device and a corn dry-method separation process. The corn softening and conditioning device comprises a machine shell, a stirring and conveying assembly and a water vapor assembly. A closed-air feeder is arranged on the top wall of one end of the shell, and a closed-air discharger is arranged on the bottom wall of the other end of the shell; the stirring and conveying assembly is provided with a high-speed stirring section and a low-speed conditioning section which are coaxially connected, the high-speed stirring section is used for stirring and conveying clean corn materials fed by the closed-air feeder to the low-speed conditioning section, and the low-speed conditioning section is used for continuously stirring and conveying the clean corn materials to the closed-air discharger; the water vapor assembly is used for discharging purified water and water vapor into the region, corresponding to the high-speed stirring section, in the machine shell in a definite proportion. The corn softening and conditioning device provided by the invention can improve the corn softening and conditioning effect and efficiency, so that the corn crushing and separating effect and efficiency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of corn processing, and in particular relates to a corn softening and conditioning device and a corn dry separation process. Background Art

[0002] The existing common methods for corn processing include the following: 1. Whole-grain corn processing: After the corn is cleaned, it is directly processed into corn flour for consumption using a hammer mill or a grinding machine, which is often seen in rural areas. 2. Processing using grinding and peeling techniques: After the corn is cleaned, it is first peeled using a sand roller peeling machine and then an iron roller degerminator to finally obtain the endosperm, which is then purified and sent to a crusher to make grits and extract powder. 3. Processing of corn grits and extracting germs: After the corn is cleaned, it is moistened and sent to a grits crusher, and then the germ is extracted using a germ selection machine modified from a stone removal machine or a seed selection machine, and the corn grits are then made into grits and flour. 4. Corn starch processing technology: Using the processes of cleaning, soaking, crushing, and separation, separated clean corn germs, corn fiber, starch, and corn protein are obtained.

[0003] The first three corn processing methods are all dry processing, especially the grinding and threshing process which is the mainstream process of corn processing plants. Its disadvantages are low finished product yield (60~65%), high power consumption (electricity consumption per ton of corn is 90~110kw), especially the corn germ and grit separation effect is poor, and it is difficult to obtain low-fat corn flour that meets the requirements; the fourth processing method belongs to wet processing technology, and its disadvantages are that a large amount of sewage is generated during the production process, which puts great pressure on environmental protection and high operating costs, and it is bound to be gradually eliminated in the industry.

[0004] Based on the above situation, it is urgently needed to develop a corn grit separation technology based on dry processing. The inventor found in the process of realizing the present invention that the softening and tempering process before the corn kernels are crushed and separated is very critical. In the prior art, corn softening and tempering mostly adopts water vapor regulating equipment or watering device to make the corn kernels obtain a certain humidity, and after stirring evenly, it is stored in a grain moistening bin for standing and tempering for more than four hours, and then the softened and tempered corn kernels are crushed and separated. This method requires the corn kernels to be fed and discharged in a grain moistening bin or other moistening devices in terms of process implementation. The operation is complicated and time-consuming, and the corn kernels after being moistened with water are prone to water transfer during the standing period in the grain moistening bin, resulting in a high water content in the corn kernels at a low material level, which will cause the endosperm to absorb water and soften and adhere to the cortex, increasing the difficulty of separating the germ and grit, while the corn kernels at a high material level have a low water content due to water loss, which will cause the germ to absorb less water and it is difficult to obtain sufficient toughness, resulting in the germ being unable to fall off smoothly from the endosperm during the crushing process, which will also affect the germ and grit separation effect. Summary of the invention

[0005] The embodiment of the present invention provides a corn softening and tempering device, which aims to improve the effect and efficiency of corn softening and tempering, and further improve the effect and efficiency of corn grits separation.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: in the first aspect, a corn softening and conditioning device is provided, comprising: The casing has a top wall at one end with a feed port, the feed port is provided with a closed air feeder, and the bottom wall at the other end of the casing is provided with a discharge port, the discharge port is provided with a closed air discharger; The stirring and conveying assembly is arranged in the casing, and has a high-speed stirring section and a low-speed conditioning section which are coaxially connected. The high-speed stirring section is close to the feed inlet and is used to stir and convey the clean corn material fed by the air-tight feeder to the middle of the casing, and the low-speed conditioning section is used to stir and convey the clean corn material from the middle of the casing to the air-tight discharger continuously; A water vapor component is used to connect a clean water supply source and a steam supply source, and to discharge clean water and water vapor in a constant ratio to an area inside the casing corresponding to the high-speed stirring section; Among them, the time for the clean corn material to pass through the low-speed conditioning section is 12~30 minutes, the temperature is 45~70℃, and the moisture content of the clean corn material after the low-speed conditioning section is 17~19%.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the stirring and conveying assembly includes: A first rotating shaft, one end of which is rotatably connected to the end wall of the casing near the feed inlet, and the other end of which extends toward the middle of the casing, and a plurality of stirring blades are spirally distributed on the first rotating shaft at intervals to form a high-speed stirring section; A second rotating shaft, one end of which is rotatably connected to an end wall of the casing near the discharge port, and the other end of which is coaxially connected to the extended end of the first rotating shaft and forms a rotatable fit, a plurality of feeding blades and a plurality of stirring fins are spirally distributed on the second rotating shaft to form a low-speed quenching and tempering section, and the plurality of feeding blades are distributed between the high-speed stirring section and the plurality of stirring fins; A first rotating driving member is disposed in the housing and has an output end drivingly connected to the first rotating shaft; The second rotating driving member is arranged on the housing and the output end of the second rotating shaft is transmission-connected to the second rotating shaft.

[0008] In some embodiments, a plurality of first adjustment rods are spirally distributed on the first rotating shaft. The first adjustment rods pass through the first rotating shaft in a radial direction of the first rotating shaft and are respectively screwed to first lock nuts on both sides of the first rotating shaft. Each stirring blade is respectively connected to each first adjustment rod.

[0009] Exemplarily, a plurality of second adjusting rods are spirally distributed on the second rotating shaft, the second adjusting rods pass through the second rotating shaft in the radial direction of the second rotating shaft and are respectively screwed to the second lock nuts on both sides of the second rotating shaft, and each feeding blade and each stirring wing are arranged on each second adjusting rod in sequence; wherein, the cross-sectional angle between the feeding blade and the second rotating shaft is greater than the cross-sectional angle between the stirring blade and the first rotating shaft.

[0010] For example, the stirring fins include a crescent fin and a U-shaped fin respectively disposed at two ends of the second adjusting rod, and the turning radius of the crescent fin around the second rotating axis is larger than the turning radius of the U-shaped fin around the second rotating axis.

[0011] In some embodiments, a hanger is provided in the casing, an intermediate shaft is rotatably connected to the hanger, two ends of the intermediate shaft are respectively plugged into the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotatably matched with at least one of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the top wall of the casing has an air layer, and the bottom surface of the air layer has an air hole array connected to the inner cavity of the casing; the water vapor component includes a clean water pipe group connected to the clean water supply source and a steam pipe group connected to the steam supply source; a drain valve is provided at the bottom of the end wall of the casing near the discharge port; wherein the clean water pipe group passes through the air layer and is connected to the spray pipe, and one end of the steam pipe group is connected to a steam hood, which extends into the air layer and covers the air hole array.

[0013] In some embodiments, the spray pipe is located between the feed port and the steam hood; the distance between the inner top wall of the steam hood and the bottom surface of the air layer gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the steam hood, and the steam pipe group is connected to the top wall of the first end of the steam hood.

[0014] Exemplarily, the clean water pipe group includes a first water pipe connected to the inner cavity of the casing, a second water pipe and a third water pipe connected in parallel with the first water pipe, and a fourth water pipe for connecting to a clean water supply source; wherein, the first water pipe is provided with a first flow regulating valve and a flow meter, the second water pipe is provided with a normally closed valve and a proportional integral regulating valve, and the third water pipe is provided with a first stop valve; the steam pipe group includes a first steam pipe connected to the steam hood, a second steam pipe and a third steam pipe connected in parallel with the first steam pipe, and a fourth steam pipe for connecting to a steam supply source; wherein, the first steam pipe is provided with a second flow regulating valve, the second steam pipe is provided with a third flow regulating valve, and the second steam pipe and the third steam pipe are both provided with second stop valves.

[0015] The beneficial effect of the corn softening and tempering device provided by the present invention is that: compared with the prior art, the corn softening and tempering device of the present invention can form a sealed space inside the casing by arranging a closed-air feeder at the feed inlet and a closed-air discharger at the discharge outlet, thereby being able to coordinate the clean water and water vapor discharged into the casing in a fixed ratio to keep the inside of the casing at a constant temperature of 45-70°C, and making the clean corn material absorb water within a period of 12-30 minutes to obtain a water content of 17-19%, thereby making the germ that absorbs water first absorb water to be full and obtain toughness, while avoiding the softening of the endosperm due to water absorption, thereby ensuring that the endosperm can maintain a high hardness, and can shorten the time for softening and tempering the clean corn material, which is beneficial to improving efficiency; on this basis, the stirring and conveying components are divided into high-speed stirring and conveying components. The clean corn material is continuously and evenly discharged into the high-speed stirring section through the closed-air discharger, and the water vapor component is used to spray clean water and water vapor on the clean corn material, so that the clean corn material is stirred and mixed with clean water and water vapor during the transportation in the high-speed stirring section and then reaches the low-speed conditioning section. The clean corn material can be slowly stirred and transported in the low-speed conditioning section. On the one hand, the clean corn material can be evenly softened and tempered to avoid excessive water absorption and water loss of local clean corn material, thereby improving the softening and tempering effect of the clean corn material. On the other hand, the continuously operating low-speed conditioning section can realize the softening and tempering process of the clean corn material during the transportation process, thereby further improving the corn softening and tempering processing efficiency.

[0016] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a corn dry separation process, comprising: subjecting the raw corn to sequential cleaning of raw grains, softening and conditioning, crushing and separation, primary grading, primary air separation, germ selection, peeling, secondary grading, secondary air separation, color selection, crushing, grinding, and screening to obtain standard corn flour; wherein the flour yield of the standard corn flour is 76-79% dry basis, and the fat content is ≤0.9% dry basis; the softening and conditioning process adopts the above-mentioned corn softening and conditioning device.

[0017] The beneficial effect of the corn dry separation process provided by the present invention is that: compared with the prior art, the corn dry separation process of the present invention, by using the above-mentioned corn softening and conditioning device to soften and condition the clean corn material obtained after cleaning the raw grain, can make the corn germ absorb water and fill it to obtain toughness, while avoiding the corn endosperm from absorbing water and softening, which is beneficial to the subsequent crushing and separation of the clean corn material, and then can obtain standard corn flour with a fat content of ≤0.9% dry basis, and can increase the flour yield of the standard corn flour to 76~79% dry basis. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a corn softening and conditioning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2A schematic cross-sectional view of a corn softening and conditioning device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 For along Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along line A~A; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the stirring and conveying assembly used in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the local enlarged structure at B in the middle; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a water vapor component used in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A flowchart of a corn dry separation process provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] In the figure: 10, casing; 101, feed port; 102, discharge port; 11, air-tight feeder; 12, air-tight discharger; 13, hanger; 131, intermediate shaft; 14, air interlayer; 141, air hole array; 15, drain valve; 20, stirring and conveying assembly; 201, high-speed stirring section; 202, low-speed quenching and tempering section; 21, first rotating shaft; 211, stirring blade; 212, first adjusting rod; 213, first lock nut; 22, second rotating shaft; 221, feeding blade; 222, stirring fin; 2221, crescent fin; 2222, U-shaped fin; 223, second adjusting rod; 224, second lock nut; 23, first rotating drive member; 24 , second rotating drive member; 30, water vapor component; 31, clean water pipe group; 311, first water pipe; 312, second water pipe; 313, third water pipe; 314, fourth water pipe; 315, first flow regulating valve; 316, flow meter; 317, normally closed valve; 318, proportional integral regulating valve; 319, first stop valve; 32, steam pipe group; 321, first steam pipe; 322, second steam pipe; 323, third steam pipe; 324, fourth steam pipe; 325, second flow regulating valve; 326, third flow regulating valve; 327, second stop valve; 33, spray pipe; 34, steam hood; 3401, first end; 3402, second end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "disposed on" or "connected to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. It should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. The terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" and "several" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0022] Please also read Figures 1 to 6 The corn softening and tempering device provided by the present invention is now described. The corn softening and tempering device comprises a housing 10, a stirring and conveying assembly 20, and a water vapor assembly 30; a feed port 101 is provided on the top wall at one end of the housing 10, and a closed air feeder 11 is provided on the feed port 101; a discharge port 102 is provided on the bottom wall at the other end of the housing 10, and a closed air discharger 12 is provided on the discharge port 102; the stirring and conveying assembly 20 is arranged in the housing 10, and has a high-speed stirring section 201 and a low-speed tempering section 202 connected coaxially, and the high-speed stirring section 201 is close to the feed port 101 and is used to feed the clean corn fed by the closed air feeder 11 to the housing 10; The rice material is stirred and transported to the middle of the casing 10, and the low-speed conditioning section 202 is used to continuously stir and transport the clean corn material from the middle of the casing 10 to the air-tight discharger 12; the water vapor component 30 is used to connect the clean water supply source and the steam supply source, and is used to discharge clean water and water vapor in a fixed ratio to the area inside the casing 10 corresponding to the high-speed stirring section 201; wherein, the clean corn material passes through the low-speed conditioning section 202 for 12 to 30 minutes, the temperature is 45 to 70°C, and the water content of the clean corn material after passing through the low-speed conditioning section 202 is 17 to 19%.

[0023] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the air-tight feeder 11 arranged at the feed port 101 and the air-tight discharger 12 arranged at the discharge port 102 can both be rotary feeders, that is, the material is driven to pass through by the rotation of the star wheel, thereby ensuring the airtightness of the inner cavity of the casing 10 while realizing the feeding and discharging of the casing 10, so that the clean corn material is in an environment of constant temperature and humidity. On this basis, the water vapor introduced into the casing 10 can also form a positive pressure inside the casing 10 to a certain extent, thereby promoting the germ to quickly absorb water and accelerate the tempering process.

[0024] In this embodiment, the water vapor component 30 can be based on a control valve to adjust the ratio of clean water and water vapor introduced into the inner cavity of the casing 10, with the goal of a water content of 17-19% for the clean corn material after final conditioning. Clean water is room temperature water, and water vapor is about 100°C under normal pressure. Therefore, the temperature of the inner cavity of the casing 10 is maintained at 45-70°C by adjusting the ratio of clean water and water vapor. Specifically, when the temperature of the inner cavity of the casing 10 is low, the temperature of the inner cavity of the casing 10 is increased by increasing the amount of water vapor introduced. At the same time, in order to ensure that the water content of the clean corn material meets the standard, the amount of clean water introduced can be reduced simultaneously. Here, the amount of water vapor introduced is determined according to the feeding speed of the clean corn material. Specifically, the ratio of water vapor introduced to the clean corn material can be 0.8-1.1%, and preferably 1% water vapor is introduced.

[0025] Here, the method of introducing a mixture of clean water and water vapor can, on the one hand, utilize water vapor to regulate the temperature, and on the other hand, it can make it easier to evenly mix water vapor and clean corn material. At the same time, the introduction of clean water can prevent the clean corn material from being directly subjected to high-temperature water vapor and maturing, thereby causing the cortex wrapped on the surface of the endosperm to adhere and increase the difficulty of separation.

[0026] In this embodiment, the stirring and conveying component 20, based on its two-stage structure, can use the high-speed stirring section 201 to stir the clean corn material that has just entered the casing 10 at high speed, so that the clean water and water vapor introduced are fully and evenly mixed with the dynamic clean corn material. After the clean corn material enters the low-speed tempering section 202, the stirring speed received by the clean corn material decreases, but it is still in a state of continuous movement and mixing, thereby avoiding the loss or accumulation of water attached to the clean corn material, which leads to inconsistent softening of the clean corn material at different positions, ensuring that all the clean corn material passing through the low-speed tempering section 202 forms a state with a water content of 17-19%, thereby ensuring that the germ of all the clean corn material is saturated with water and becomes flexible, and avoiding the softening of the endosperm by water absorption, ensuring the hard state of the endosperm, thereby facilitating the subsequent crushing process so that the germ can be completely detached from the endosperm, so that the fat content of the final standard corn flour does not exceed 0.9% dry basis.

[0027] It should be explained that the clean corn material is still in a dry and hard state when it just enters the casing 10. At this time, using the high-speed stirring section 201 to quickly stir it is beneficial to evenly mix the clean corn material with the clean water and water vapor introduced, so that moisture can adhere to the surface of all clean corn kernels. When the clean corn material enters the low-speed conditioning section 202, the germ begins to absorb moisture. In this process, the low-speed conditioning section 202 forms low-speed stirring on the clean corn material. On the one hand, it is to ensure that the germ of the clean corn material absorbs water and softens evenly. On the other hand, it avoids excessive stirring force, which causes the germ and cortex to be damaged and the endosperm to absorb water and soften, thereby affecting the softening and conditioning effect, and then affecting the subsequent crushing and separation effect.

[0028] In addition, it should be understood that the process in which the clean corn material continuously passes through the casing 10 under the action of the stirring and conveying component 20 is a state of continuous motion, wherein the time for the clean corn material to pass through the low-speed conditioning section 202 is controlled at 12 to 30 minutes, thereby enabling the clean corn material to be softened and tempered in the process of continuously passing through the casing 10. Compared with the conventional method of leaving the material in a moistening bin for several hours after being dampened with water, the time required for softening and tempering can be greatly reduced. Moreover, after the clean corn material passes through the low-speed conditioning section 202, it is discharged through the closed-air discharger 12 and can directly proceed to the next crushing and separation process. Not only is the softening and tempering efficiency high, but it can also improve the efficiency of the entire corn dry separation process.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the corn softening and tempering device provided in the present embodiment forms a sealed space inside the casing 10 by arranging an air-tight feeder 11 at the feed inlet 101 and an air-tight discharger 12 at the discharge outlet 102, thereby maintaining a constant temperature of 45-70°C inside the casing 10 in combination with the clean water and water vapor discharged into the casing 10 in a fixed ratio, and allowing the clean corn material to absorb water within 12-30 minutes to obtain a water content of 17-19%, thereby allowing the germ that absorbs water first to absorb water to be full and obtain toughness, while preventing the endosperm from absorbing water and softening, thereby ensuring that the endosperm can maintain a high hardness, and can shorten the time for softening and tempering the clean corn material, which is beneficial to improving efficiency; on this basis, the stirring and conveying assembly 20 is divided into a high-speed stirring section 201 and a low-speed tempering section 202 The clean corn material is continuously and evenly discharged into the high-speed stirring section 201 through the closed-air discharger 12, and the water vapor component 30 is used to spray clean water and water vapor on the clean corn material, so that the clean corn material is stirred and mixed with the clean water and water vapor during the transportation in the high-speed stirring section 201 and then reaches the low-speed conditioning section 202. The clean corn material can be slowly stirred and transported in the low-speed conditioning section 202. On the one hand, the clean corn material can be evenly softened and tempered to avoid excessive water absorption and water loss of local clean corn material, thereby improving the softening and tempering effect of the clean corn material. On the other hand, the continuously operating low-speed conditioning section 202 can realize the softening and tempering process of the clean corn material during the transportation process, thereby further improving the corn softening and tempering processing efficiency.

[0030] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The stirring and conveying assembly 20 includes a first rotating shaft 21, a second rotating shaft 22, a first rotating driving member 23 and a second rotating driving member 24; wherein one end of the first rotating shaft 21 is rotatably connected to the end wall of the housing 10 near the feed port 101, and the other end extends toward the middle of the housing 10, and a plurality of stirring blades 211 are spirally spaced on the first rotating shaft 21 to form a high-speed stirring section 201; one end of the second rotating shaft 22 is rotatably connected to the end wall of the housing 10 near the discharge port 102, and the other end is connected to the first rotating shaft 21. The extended end of the first rotating shaft 21 is coaxially connected to form a rotational fit, and a plurality of feeding blades 221 and a plurality of stirring fins 222 are spirally distributed on the second rotating shaft 22 to form a low-speed tempering section 202, and the plurality of feeding blades 221 are distributed between the high-speed stirring section 201 and the plurality of stirring fins 222; the first rotating driving member 23 is arranged on the housing 10 and the output end is transmission-connected to the first rotating shaft 21; the second rotating driving member 24 is arranged on the housing 10 and the output end is transmission-connected to the second rotating shaft 22.

[0031] Here, the first rotating drive member 23 can specifically be a motor, which can be directly connected to the first rotating shaft 21, or can drive the first rotating shaft 21 to rotate through a transmission pair such as a gear transmission pair, a sprocket chain transmission pair, a belt transmission pair, etc.; similarly, the second rotating drive member 24 can also be a motor directly connected to the second rotating shaft 22, or a motor that drives the second rotating shaft 22 to rotate through a transmission pair; wherein, the rotational speed of the first rotating shaft 21 driven by the first rotating drive member 23 is higher than the rotational speed of the second rotating shaft 22 driven by the second rotating drive member 24.

[0032] The first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 are coaxial and rotationally matched inside the casing 10, thereby ensuring a stable connection between the two while achieving a differential rotation speed between the two; the first rotating shaft 21 forms a stirring effect on the clean corn material based on the stirring blades 211, and the spiral distribution of the blades can make the clean corn material move forward in a spiral direction while being stirred, thereby achieving stirring and conveying it to the low-speed tempering section 202 at the same time.

[0033] It should be understood that, unlike the continuous spiral blades of the spiral conveyor shaft that convey materials forward, the use of spirally spaced stirring blades 211 can, on the one hand, improve the stirring effect of the clean corn material, and on the other hand, prevent the clean corn material from moving forward too fast, thereby ensuring that the clean corn material can be fully and evenly mixed with clean water and water vapor.

[0034] As for the low-speed conditioning section 202, it includes a feeding blade 221 which is spirally arranged on the second rotating shaft 22 near the high-speed stirring section 201, and a stirring fin 222 which is spirally arranged on the side of the feeding blade 221 near the discharge port 102. It should be noted that in order to avoid the clean corn material moving forward too fast under the drive of the stirring fin 222, resulting in too short a conditioning time, the surface area of ​​the stirring fin 222 is made as small as possible. In this case, in order to ensure that the material in the high-speed stirring section 201 can be smoothly transferred to the low-speed conditioning section 202, a feeding blade 221 is arranged between the stirring fin 222 and the high-speed stirring section 201. The feeding blade 221 is used to push the clean corn material after evenly adhering to moisture to the stirring fin 222 smoothly, thereby avoiding blockage of the clean corn material between the high-speed stirring section 201 and the low-speed conditioning section 202.

[0035] As a modified implementation of the first rotating shaft 21, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 A plurality of first adjusting rods 212 are spirally spaced on the first rotating shaft 21 . The first adjusting rods 212 pass through the first rotating shaft 21 along the radial direction of the first rotating shaft 21 and are respectively screwed with first lock nuts 213 on both sides of the first rotating shaft 21 . Each stirring blade 211 is respectively connected to each first adjusting rod 212 .

[0036] On the one hand, loosening the two first lock nuts 213 can adjust the distance between the stirring blade 211 and the first rotating shaft 21, so that the rotation radius of the stirring blade 211 around the first rotating shaft 21 can be adjusted according to the feeding speed of the air-tight feeder 11 into the casing 10. On the other hand, the first adjusting rod 212 can be rotated to adjust the angle of the stirring blade 211, thereby changing the speed at which the stirring blade 211 pushes the clean corn material forward, thereby achieving speed matching of the clean corn material in the high-speed stirring section 201 and the low-speed tempering section 202. After adjusting into place, the two first lock nuts 213 can be re-locked, which is simple and convenient to operate.

[0037] As a modified implementation of the second rotating shaft 22, please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 A plurality of second adjusting rods 223 are spirally distributed on the second rotating shaft 22 at intervals. The second adjusting rods 223 pass through the second rotating shaft 22 along the radial direction of the second rotating shaft 22 and are respectively screwed with second lock nuts 224 on both sides of the second rotating shaft 22. Each feeding blade 221 and each stirring wing 222 are correspondingly arranged on each second adjusting rod 223 in sequence; wherein, the cross-sectional angle between the feeding blade 221 and the second rotating shaft 22 is greater than the cross-sectional angle between the stirring blade 211 and the first rotating shaft 21.

[0038] Here, the second adjusting rod 223 is used as the connection basis of the feeding blade 221 and the stirring fin 222. The turning radius and the inclination angle of the feeding blade 221 or the stirring fin 222 can be adjusted by loosening the second lock nut 224, and the operation is simple and convenient. Since the rotation speed of the first rotating shaft 21 is higher than that of the second rotating shaft 22, in order to ensure the smooth flow of the clean corn material between the high-speed stirring section 201 and the low-speed tempering section 202 and avoid siltation, the inclination angle of the feeding blade 221 is set larger than that of the stirring blade 211, so that the forward conveying speed of the clean corn material can be matched with the low-speed and large-angle feeding blade 221 and the high-speed and small-angle stirring blade 211, thereby ensuring the smooth transition of the clean corn material from the high-speed stirring section 201 to the low-speed tempering section 202.

[0039] Specifically, Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the stirring fin 222 includes a crescent fin 2221 and a U-shaped fin 2222 disposed at both ends of the second adjusting rod 223, and the rotation radius of the crescent fin 2221 around the second rotating shaft 22 is larger than the rotation radius of the U-shaped fin 2222 around the second rotating shaft 22. The crescent fin 2221 has a large rotation radius, and the U-shaped fin 2222 has a small rotation radius, so the two can cooperate to achieve a stirring effect on the clean corn material in the entire cross-sectional area of ​​the casing 10. On this basis, since the U-shaped fin 2222 has almost no ability to carry the clean corn material forward, the way the clean corn material moves forward in the low-speed tempering section 202 is to use the crescent fin 2221 to push the clean corn material near the bottom of the inner cavity of the casing 10 forward, and then the clean corn material near the second rotating shaft 22 falls and is pushed forward by the crescent fin 2221, thereby forming a tumbling forward state to ensure the consistency of the water absorption and softening degree of the clean corn material, avoid excessive collision with the clean corn material, and cause damage to the germ and cortex, which causes the endosperm to absorb water and soften, affecting the subsequent crushing and separation effect.

[0040] Please note that Figure 2 and Figure 4 The housing 10 is provided with a hanger 13, and an intermediate shaft 131 is rotatably connected to the hanger 13. The two ends of the intermediate shaft 131 are respectively plugged with the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22, and the rotating shaft is rotatably matched with at least one of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22. By arranging the hanger 13 to connect the intermediate shaft 131, the intermediate shaft 131 is used to achieve the docking of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22, thereby ensuring the coaxial connection stability of the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22, and avoiding the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 22 from bending and torsional deformation due to the long span.

[0041] For some possible implementations, see Figures 2 to 4The top wall of the casing 10 has an air interlayer 14, and the bottom surface of the air interlayer 14 has an air hole array 141 connected to the inner cavity of the casing 10; the water vapor component 30 includes a clean water pipe group 31 connected to the clean water supply source and a steam pipe group 32 connected to the steam supply source; a drain valve 15 is provided at the bottom of the end wall of the casing 10 near the discharge port 102; wherein, the clean water pipe group 31 passes through the air interlayer 14 and is connected to the spray pipe 33, and one end of the steam pipe group 32 is connected to a steam hood 34, which extends into the air interlayer 14 and covers the air hole array 141.

[0042] The air interlayer 14 can improve the heat preservation effect, so that the constant temperature environment can be maintained inside the housing 10; the clean water pipe group 31 sprays clean water on the clean corn material through the spray pipe 33 to improve the uniformity of the clean corn material, and at the same time, the air hole array 141 is used to pass water vapor into the housing 10, so that the top of the housing 10 can evenly spray water vapor in the area covered by the steam cover 34, thereby improving the uniformity of mixing water vapor and clean corn material. In addition, by arranging a drain valve 15 at the bottom of the end wall of the housing 10, it can be avoided that water accumulates at the bottom of the inner cavity of the housing 10, causing some clean corn material to be soaked and absorb too much water.

[0043] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the spray pipe 33 is located between the feed port 101 and the steam hood 34; the distance between the inner top wall of the steam hood 34 and the bottom surface of the air interlayer 14 gradually decreases from the first end 3401 to the second end 3402 of the steam hood 34, and the steam pipe group 32 is connected to the top wall of the first end 3401 of the steam hood 34. Since the temperature of water vapor is high and the clean water is at room temperature, in order to avoid the high-temperature water vapor burning the clean corn material and causing the germ and cortex to be damaged and adhered, and then causing the endosperm to absorb water and soften, the spray pipe 33 is set between the feed port 101 and the steam hood 34, so that the clean corn material entering the casing 10 can be firstly wetted with water, and then the water vapor is sprayed on the clean corn material with the clean water through the pore array 141, so that the situation of the water vapor damaging the clean corn material at high temperature can be prevented, and the softening and tempering effect can be improved.

[0044] On this basis, the steam hood 34 adopts a high-end air intake method to enable the water vapor to diffuse gradually from the high end to the bottom end after entering the steam hood 34, and finally evenly pass through the pore array 141 into the inner cavity of the casing 10, thereby avoiding the inconsistent amount of water vapor at different positions of the pore array 141 and affecting the uniformity of the contact between the water vapor and the clean corn material inside the casing 10.

[0045] For example, Figure 6As shown, the clean water pipe group 31 includes a first water pipe 311 connected to the inner cavity of the casing 10, a second water pipe 312 and a third water pipe 313 connected in parallel with the first water pipe 311, and a fourth water pipe 314 for connecting to a clean water supply source; wherein, the first water pipe 311 is provided with a first flow regulating valve 315 and a flow meter 316, the second water pipe 312 is provided with a normally closed valve 317 and a proportional-integral regulating valve 318, and the third water pipe 313 is provided with a first stop valve 319.

[0046] The first water pipe 311 is a main pipe leading into the casing 10, the fourth water pipe 314 is a main pipe connected to the clean water supply source, the second water pipe 312 and the third water pipe 313 are two branch pipes connected in parallel between the first water pipe 311 and the fourth water pipe 314, and the clean water flow entering the casing 10 can be adjusted by the flow meter 316 in cooperation with the first flow regulating valve 315. When the water flow of the third water pipe 313 is insufficient, the flow of the second water pipe 312 can be supplemented by opening the normally closed valve 317. If the clean water flow is still too high when the third water pipe 313 is opened alone, the first stop valve 319 is closed and the normally closed valve 317 is opened, and the flow of the second water pipe 312 is adjusted by the proportional integral regulating valve 318, so that the clean water flow entering the casing 10 meets the requirements.

[0047] For example, see Figure 6 The steam pipe group 32 includes a first steam pipe 321 connected to the steam hood 34, a second steam pipe 322 and a third steam pipe 323 connected in parallel to the first steam pipe 321, and a fourth steam pipe 324 for connecting to a steam supply source; wherein, a second flow regulating valve 325 is provided on the first steam pipe 321, a third flow regulating valve 326 is provided on the second steam pipe 322, and a second stop valve 327 is provided on both the second steam pipe 322 and the third steam pipe 323.

[0048] By simultaneously opening the second stop valve 327 on the second steam pipe 322 and the third steam pipe 323, and then adjusting the third flow regulating valve 326 and the second flow regulating valve 325, it is possible to quantitatively introduce water vapor into the casing 10. When only one of the second steam pipe 322 and the third steam pipe 323 is opened and the flow of water vapor still needs to be further reduced, the second stop valve 327 on the second steam pipe 322 should be opened and the second stop valve 327 on the third steam pipe 323 should be closed. By adjusting the third flow valve, the air intake of the casing 10 is reduced, thereby ensuring that the amount of water vapor introduced into the casing 10 has a larger adjustment range, thereby improving the flexibility of adjusting the amount of water vapor introduced.

[0049] Based on the same inventive concept, Figures 1 to 7It is understood that the embodiment of the present application also provides a corn dry separation process, including: subjecting the raw corn to raw grain cleaning, softening and tempering, crushing and separation, primary grading, primary air separation, germ selection, peeling, secondary grading, secondary air separation, color sorting, crushing, grinding, and screening to obtain standard corn flour; wherein, the flour yield of the standard corn flour is 76~79% dry basis, and the fat content is ≤0.9% dry basis; the softening and tempering process adopts the above-mentioned corn softening and tempering device.

[0050] Specifically, when cleaning raw grains, the raw corn grains pass through a vibrating screen, an air suction duct, a suction stone remover, a gravity grading stone remover, a corn color sorter, and a flat rotary screen in sequence; among them, the vibrating screen is used to remove large and small impurities; the air suction duct is used to remove light impurities; the two stone removers are used to remove side stones (the gravity grading stone remover can remove corn cobs); the color sorter can remove moldy grains and other colored impurities to reduce the toxin content of corn; the flat rotary screen is used to grade corn.

[0051] The clean corn material obtained after cleaning the raw grains is passed through the above-mentioned corn softening and conditioning device, and the moisture content of the corn is controlled at 17-19%. During the softening process, 1% by weight of water vapor is introduced to adjust the temperature in the casing 10 to 45-70°C, so that the clean corn material passes through the casing 10 in a dynamic manner for 12-30 minutes and is then discharged.

[0052] The crushing and separation adopts corn crushing and separation machine, which has a linear speed of 16~19m / s, a sieve hole of ø8mm, and is equipped with an electric feeder for uniform feeding; a magnetic separator is designed in front of the corn crushing and separation to remove magnetic metal objects and protect the corn crushing and separation; after crushing, the whole corn kernels are less than 0.5%, and the broken corn powder is less than 10%.

[0053] The initial classification process is as follows: materials above 5880 microns (4 mesh) return to the special corn separator; materials between 3630 microns (6 mesh) and 5880 microns (4 mesh) enter the embryo selection machine; materials between 2160 microns (10 mesh) and 3630 microns (6 mesh) enter the first embryo mill after air separation; materials between 930 microns and 2160 microns enter the embryo mill after air separation; materials between 110 microns and 930 microns enter the second embryo mill; materials below 110 microns are standard corn flour.

[0054] The first air separation uses the different specific gravities of the materials to separate the corn fiber from the heavy materials.

[0055] In the embryo selection process, the materials with a size of 3630 microns (6 mesh) to 5880 microns (4 mesh) are mainly divided into two types: endosperm and germ, and there is also a small amount of corn fiber and adhesion of germ and endosperm. Based on the different specific gravity of germ and endosperm, the materials are divided into four categories in the embryo selection machine: pure endosperm, germ-grist mixture, grist-embryo mixture, and germ; among them, the endosperm directly enters the crusher.

[0056] The peeling process is for the germ-grist mixture, grist-germ mixture, and germ sorted out by the germ selector, and a peeling machine is used to separate the adhered corn fiber from the material.

[0057] Secondary classification: After dehulling, the germ-grist mixture, grist-germ mixture, and germ enter the grading screen to separate the materials broken during the dehulling process. The broken materials enter the first germ press mill. The dehulled and classified materials undergo secondary air separation to remove the corn fiber.

[0058] Color sorting: After peeling, secondary classification and secondary air separation, the germ-grass mixture, the grain-germ mixture and the germ enter the color sorter to separate the endosperm and germ. Among them, the endosperm enters the crusher, the germ is put into the warehouse for packaging, and the mixture that cannot be separated enters the first germ pressing mill.

[0059] Crushing: In order to facilitate the feeding of the mill and improve the efficiency of the mill, the pure endosperm is designed to be crushed before grinding to make the material smaller and produce part of the standard corn flour.

[0060] Grinding: Different materials enter the set grinding system according to the nature, state and quality of the materials. Among them, pure endosperm needs to be ground continuously for multiple times and enter the grading screen for grading after each grinding. Endosperm containing germ uses different grinding systems according to the particle size of the material and the amount of germ contained.

[0061] Screening: The ground materials enter the screening system; among them, qualified standard corn flour enters the collection system, and unqualified materials enter the next grinding system; in the grading screening, a grading screen is designed according to needs to separate the materials containing skin and germ, thereby reducing the fat content and fiber content in the standard corn flour.

[0062] Compared with the prior art, the corn dry separation process provided in this embodiment uses the above-mentioned corn softening and tempering device to soften and temper the clean corn material obtained after cleaning the raw grain, so that the corn germ can absorb water and gain toughness, while preventing the corn endosperm from absorbing water and softening, which is beneficial to the subsequent crushing and separation of the clean corn material, and further, standard corn flour with a fat content of ≤0.9% dry basis can be obtained, and the flour yield of the standard corn flour can be increased to 76~79% dry basis.

[0063] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Corn softening and conditioning device, characterized in that: include: The casing has a top wall at one end provided with a feed port, the feed port is provided with a closed-air feeder, and the bottom wall at the other end of the casing is provided with a discharge port, the discharge port is provided with a closed-air discharger; A stirring and conveying assembly is arranged in the casing, and comprises a high-speed stirring section and a low-speed conditioning section which are coaxially connected, wherein the high-speed stirring section is close to the feed inlet and is used for stirring and conveying the clean corn material fed by the air-tight feeder to the middle of the casing, and the low-speed conditioning section is used for continuously stirring and conveying the clean corn material from the middle of the casing to the air-tight discharger; A water vapor component, used to connect a clean water supply source and a steam supply source, and used to discharge clean water and water vapor in a fixed ratio to an area inside the casing corresponding to the high-speed stirring section; Among them, the time length of the clean corn material passing through the low-speed conditioning section is 12~30 minutes, the temperature is 45~70°C, and the water content specific gravity of the clean corn material after passing through the low-speed conditioning section is 17~19%.

2. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring and conveying assembly comprises: A first rotating shaft, one end of which is rotatably connected to the end wall of the housing near the feed inlet, and the other end of which extends toward the middle of the housing, and a plurality of stirring blades are spirally distributed on the first rotating shaft to form the high-speed stirring section; A second rotating shaft, one end of which is rotatably connected to the end wall of the housing near the discharge port, and the other end of which is coaxially connected to the extended end of the first rotating shaft and forms a rotatable fit, a plurality of feeding blades and a plurality of stirring fins are spirally distributed on the second rotating shaft to form the low-speed tempering section, and a plurality of the feeding blades are distributed between the high-speed stirring section and the plurality of the stirring fins; A first rotating driving member, disposed on the housing and having an output end drivingly connected to the first rotating shaft; The second rotary driving member is disposed on the housing and has an output end drivingly connected to the second rotating shaft.

3. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of first adjusting rods are spirally distributed on the first rotating shaft at intervals. The first adjusting rods pass through the first rotating shaft along the radial direction of the first rotating shaft and are respectively screwed with first lock nuts on both sides of the first rotating shaft. Each of the stirring blades is correspondingly connected to each of the first adjusting rods.

4. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A plurality of second adjusting rods are spirally distributed on the second rotating shaft, and the second adjusting rods pass through the second rotating shaft along the radial direction of the second rotating shaft and are screwed to second lock nuts on both sides of the second rotating shaft respectively. Each of the feeding blades and each of the stirring fins are correspondingly arranged on each of the second adjusting rods in sequence; the cross-sectional angle between the feeding blade and the second rotating shaft is greater than the cross-sectional angle between the stirring blade and the first rotating shaft.

5. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stirring fins include a crescent fin and a U-shaped fin respectively disposed at two ends of the second adjusting rod, and a gyration radius of the crescent fin around the second rotating shaft is larger than a gyration radius of the U-shaped fin around the second rotating shaft.

6. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A hanger is provided in the casing, and an intermediate shaft is rotatably connected to the hanger. Two ends of the intermediate shaft are respectively plugged into the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotatably matched with at least one of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

7. The corn softening and conditioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The top wall of the casing is provided with an air layer, and the bottom surface of the air layer is provided with an air hole array connected to the inner cavity of the casing; the water vapor component comprises a clean water pipe group connected to the clean water supply source and a steam pipe group connected to the steam supply source; a drain valve is provided at the bottom of the end wall of the casing near the discharge port; wherein the clean water pipe group passes through the air layer and is connected to a spray pipe, and one end of the steam pipe group is connected to a steam hood, which extends into the air layer and covers the air hole array.

8. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The spray pipe is located between the feed port and the steam hood; the distance between the inner top wall of the steam hood and the bottom surface of the air interlayer gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the steam hood, and the steam pipe group is connected to the top wall of the first end of the steam hood.

9. The corn softening and conditioning device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The clean water pipe group includes a first water pipe connected to the inner cavity of the housing, a second water pipe and a third water pipe connected in parallel to the first water pipe, and a fourth water pipe for connecting to a clean water supply source; wherein the first water pipe is provided with a first flow regulating valve and a flow meter, the second water pipe is provided with a normally closed valve and a proportional integral regulating valve, and the third water pipe is provided with a first stop valve; The steam pipe group includes a first steam pipe connected to the steam hood, a second steam pipe and a third steam pipe connected in parallel to the first steam pipe, and a fourth steam pipe for connecting to a steam supply source; wherein, a second flow regulating valve is provided on the first steam pipe, a third flow regulating valve is provided on the second steam pipe, and a second stop valve is provided on both the second steam pipe and the third steam pipe.

10. Corn dry separation process, characterized in that: include: The corn raw grains are sequentially subjected to raw grain cleaning, softening and conditioning, crushing and separation, primary classification, primary air separation, germ selection, peeling, secondary classification, secondary air separation, color selection, crushing, grinding and screening to obtain standard corn flour; wherein the flour yield of the standard corn flour is 76-79% dry basis and the fat content is ≤0.9% dry basis; the softening and conditioning process adopts the corn softening and conditioning device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images