Sichuan pepper controlled drying system and drying method

Abstract

The invention aims to provide a pepper controlled drying system and a drying method, and belongs to the technical field of pepper processing. The pepper controlled drying system comprises a hot air preheating unit, an upper and lower layer overturning unit and a hot air drying unit which are sequentially arranged in a straight line shape. The hot air preheating unit is used for generating hot air flowing from bottom to top under the conditions of first preset environment temperature and preset environment humidity so as to preheat the Chinese prickly ash which is flatly paved to a preset thickness; the upper and lower layer overturning unit is used for overturning the upper layer part and the residual lower layer part of the preheated Chinese prickly ash, so that the upper layer and the lower layer are overturned and then stacked and laid together again; the hot air drying unit is used for drying the Chinese prickly ash which is stacked and laid again by hot air flowing from bottom to top under the gradient temperature condition until the water content is equal to or lower than the preset water content. The pepper controlled drying method is implemented based on the pepper controlled drying system. The method can reduce the surface shell hardening phenomenon of the Chinese prickly ash in the drying process, and ensures the drying quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of pepper processing, and in particular to a pepper controlled drying system and a drying method. Background Art

[0002] The traditional method of drying peppercorns is to dry them in the sun or in a cool and dry place, which takes a long time, usually 6-10 days. During this period, if it encounters rainy weather, it is easy to cause mold and other problems, resulting in losses. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of peppercorn drying, technical personnel in the industry have introduced hot air drying technology, microwave drying technology, etc.

[0003] For example, the Chinese invention application (name: "An energy-saving drying process for improving the quality of dried green pepper", publication number: CN115633750A, publication date: 20230124) discloses an energy-saving drying method for improving the quality of green pepper by low-temperature combined drying, specifically: the green pepper is washed, impurities are removed, and plated with a thickness of 3~5 cm, frozen in a -40℃ cold storage for 24 hours, and placed in a vacuum microwave~freeze drying unit for vacuum freeze drying. The vacuum freeze drying temperature is 40~50℃, the vacuum degree is 5~120 Pa, and the time is 6~10 hours. Turn off the electric heating, turn on the microwave heating, switch the drying mode to vacuum microwave drying, set the drying temperature to 45~55℃, and the drying time is 1.5~3h.

[0004] For another example, a Chinese utility model (name: "Household Pepper Dehumidification Dryer", announcement number: CN208154976U, announcement date: 20181127) discloses a household pepper dehumidification dryer, which consists of a dehumidification fan, an air intake valve, a heat pump heater, a circulating fan, a blower box, and a drying box. The dehumidification fan and the air intake valve are located at the top of the drying box, the heat pump heater is located at the upper side of the drying box, the circulating fan is located below the heat pump heater, and the blower box is located at the bottom of the drying box. The pepper is placed on a shelf in the drying box for dehumidification and drying. The hot air circulates in the dryer in the order of drying box-heat pump heater-circulating fan-blower box-drying box. When the humidity of the hot air reaches saturation, the dehumidification fan is turned on to discharge the wet air. After the exhaust, the dehumidification fan is turned off, the air intake valve is opened, the drying box is filled with dry air, and the air is reheated to dry the pepper.

[0005] Relatively speaking, hot air drying technology requires low-tech equipment and low cost, and is widely used. However, the hot air drying process has the defect that the surface of some peppercorns becomes hardened, which makes it impossible to release the internal moisture and affects the drying quality of peppercorns. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a controlled drying system and drying method for pepper, which can reduce the hardening phenomenon of the surface of pepper during the drying process and ensure the drying quality.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A controlled drying system for pepper comprises a hot air preheating unit, an upper and lower layer turning unit and a hot air drying unit which are arranged in sequence in a straight line;

[0009] Among them, the hot air preheating unit generates hot air flowing from bottom to top under the conditions of a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity to preheat the peppercorns spread to a preset thickness; the upper and lower layer flipping unit flips the upper layer part of the preheated peppercorns and the remaining lower layer part, so that the positions of the upper and lower layers are flipped and then stacked and laid together again; the hot air drying unit dries the stacked and laid peppercorns again by hot air flowing from bottom to top under the gradient temperature conditions of gradually increasing from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature and then gradually decreasing from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature, and dries them to a preset moisture content or below.

[0010] Furthermore, the hot air preheating unit comprises:

[0011] First work stand;

[0012] A rectangular preheating chamber, wherein the preheating chamber is arranged on the first working frame; corresponding through-going, rectangular preheating inlets and preheating outlets are provided on the opposite wide side walls of the preheating chamber, and the lower edge positions of the preheating inlet and the preheating outlet are higher than the inner bottom surface of the preheating chamber; a plurality of first enclosures with open tops are provided on the inner bottom surface of the preheating chamber; a plurality of first air inlet branches are provided on the outer side of the bottom of the preheating chamber; one end of the first air inlet branch is correspondingly connected to the inner area of ​​one of the first enclosures, and the other end of the first air inlet branch is connected to the first air inlet main pipe; a first induced draft fan and an air heater are provided at the first air inlet of the first air inlet main pipe; a plurality of first air outlet branches are provided on the top of the preheating chamber; one end of the first air outlet branch is connected to the inner side of the top of the preheating chamber, and the other end of the first air outlet branch is connected to the first air outlet main pipe; a second induced draft fan is provided at the first air outlet of the first air outlet main pipe;

[0013] a first conveying roller, the first conveying roller being arranged inside the preheating chamber, at the bottom of the first working frame, and outside the preheating inlet and the preheating outlet along the width direction of the preheating chamber; a plurality of the first conveying rollers together form a trapezoidal structure with a wide upper bottom and a narrow lower bottom;

[0014] a first motor connected to the first conveying roller;

[0015] A first grid conveyor belt is sleeved on a trapezoidal structure formed by a plurality of the first conveyor rollers.

[0016] Furthermore, each of the first air intake branches is provided with a first electric valve.

[0017] Furthermore, a matching first grille plate is detachably provided on the open top surface of the first enclosure.

[0018] Furthermore, a plurality of heat dissipation copper rods are arranged in an array along the height direction of the top of the preheating chamber; a portion of each heat dissipation copper rod is located on the inner side of the top of the preheating chamber, and the remaining portion thereof is located on the outer side of the top of the preheating chamber.

[0019] Furthermore, the hot air drying unit comprises:

[0020] Second work stand;

[0021] A rectangular drying cabin, wherein the drying cabin is arranged on the second working frame; corresponding through-going, rectangular drying inlet and drying outlet are provided on the opposite wide side walls of the drying cabin; a plurality of second enclosures with open tops are provided on the inner bottom surface of the drying cabin, and electric heating elements are provided in the second enclosures; a plurality of second air intake branches are provided on the outer side of the bottom of the drying cabin; a second electric valve is provided on each of the first air intake branches; one end of the second air intake branch is correspondingly connected to the inner area of ​​one of the second enclosures, and the other end of the second air intake branch is connected to the second air intake main pipe; a third induced draft fan is provided at the first air inlet of the second air intake main pipe; a plurality of second air outlet branches are provided on the top of the drying cabin; one end of the second air outlet branch is connected to the inner side of the top of the preheating cabin, and the other end of the second air outlet branch is connected to the second air outlet main pipe; a fourth induced draft fan is provided at the second air outlet of the second air outlet main pipe;

[0022] A second conveying roller, which is arranged inside the drying chamber, at the bottom of the second working frame, and outside the drying inlet and the drying outlet along the width direction of the drying chamber; a plurality of the second conveying rollers are surrounded to form a trapezoidal structure with a wide upper bottom and a narrow lower bottom;

[0023] a second motor connected to the second conveying roller;

[0024] A second grid conveyor belt, wherein the second grid conveyor belt is sleeved on a trapezoidal structure formed by a plurality of the second conveyor rollers.

[0025] Furthermore, a matching second grille plate is detachably provided on the open top surface of the second enclosure.

[0026] Furthermore, a hot air pipe is provided between the second air outlet and the first air inlet.

[0027] Furthermore, the upper and lower layer turning unit comprises:

[0028] A dust cover, wherein corresponding ear plates are respectively arranged on both sides of the width direction of the dust cover;

[0029] A flip assembly, wherein the flip assembly is detachably arranged between the two ear plates;

[0030] A vibration motor, wherein the vibration motor is arranged on the flip assembly;

[0031] Wherein, the flip assembly comprises:

[0032] An inverted S-shaped drainage trough, wherein the upper horizontal portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough faces the preheating outlet, is located above the first grid conveyor belt on the first conveying roller outside the preheating outlet, and is parallel to the first grid conveyor belt; a cover plate is also provided on the top of the curved middle portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough, and the two cooperate to form a through first channel;

[0033] An inclined plate drainage trough member, wherein the inclined plate drainage trough member is obliquely intersected with the curved middle portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member; the inclined upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough member is located below the first grid conveyor belt set on the first conveying roller outside the preheating outlet; the inclined lower end of the inclined plate drainage trough member faces the inlet end of the hot air drying unit and is located above the lower end of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member; along the width direction of the dust cover, the width near the inclined upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough member is greater than the width of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member, and the middle part passes over both sides of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member in the width direction, and the width of the inclined lower end gradually decreases to the same as the width of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member; along the plane direction of the bottom of the trough of the inclined plate drainage trough member, a through second channel is arranged between the bottom of the trough of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member and the cover plate; the second channel intersects with the first channel and is not connected.

[0034] Based on the same inventive concept, the present invention also provides a controlled drying method for pepper, which is implemented based on the aforementioned controlled drying system for pepper, and includes the following steps:

[0035] Step S1, spreading the pepper to be dried to a preset height, and then preheating it with hot air flowing from bottom to top under the conditions of a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity;

[0036] Step S2, turning over the upper layer of the preheated pepper and the remaining lower layer so that the upper and lower layers are turned over, and then stacking and laying them together again;

[0037] Step S3, under the gradient temperature condition of gradually increasing the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature and then gradually decreasing the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature, the restacked and laid Sichuan peppercorns are dried by hot air flowing from bottom to top and dried to a preset moisture content or below.

[0038] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0039] The present invention designs a controlled drying system and drying method for pepper. First, a hot air preheating unit is added, so that the pepper is preheated at a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity, thereby reducing the temperature difference when the pepper is subsequently subjected to hot air drying. Moreover, since the lower layer of the pepper first contacts with the hot air, it will carry part of the water and continue to migrate upward, so that the moisture content of the upper layer of the preheated pepper is slightly higher than that of the lower layer. Moreover, the preset ambient humidity set in the hot air preheating unit also prevents the surface of the pepper from becoming hardened due to rapid water loss during the preheating process. Then, the present invention further adds an upper and lower layer flipping unit, so that the upper layer of the preheated pepper can be turned over. The upper layer and the remaining lower layer are turned upside down and then stacked and laid together again, that is, the pepper with a slightly higher moisture content will first contact the hot air from bottom to top during the subsequent hot air drying, and the volatilization of water is conducive to reducing the local temperature and reducing the surface hardening phenomenon; finally, the hot air drying unit in the present invention is controlled to be stable under the gradient temperature condition that the ambient temperature is gradually increased from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature, and then gradually reduced from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature. The gradient heating method is also conducive to making the inside and outside of the pepper evenly heated, reducing the surface hardening phenomenon, and the drying quality of the pepper is guaranteed. At the same time, the lower layer with a slightly higher moisture content in the hot air drying unit first contacts with the hot air, and the drying process is improved by reducing the local surface temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0041] Figure 1 This is the front view of the controlled drying system of pepper in Example 1.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the controlled drying system for pepper in Example 1.

[0043] Figure 3 This is the front view of the hot air preheating unit in Example 1.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the hot air preheating unit in Example 1.

[0045] Figure 5 for Figure 3 AA section view.

[0046] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper and lower flip units Figure 1 , wherein the dust cover is not shown.

[0047] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper and lower flip units Figure 2 , wherein the dust cover is not shown.

[0048] Figure 8 for Figure 1 Middle BB section view.

[0049] Fig. 9 This is the front view of the hot air drying unit in Example 1.

[0050] Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the hot air drying unit in Example 1.

[0051] Fig.11 for Fig. 9 CC section view.

[0052] The accompanying drawings are marked as follows:

[0053] 100-hot air preheating unit, 110-first working frame, 120-preheating chamber, 121-preheating inlet, 122-preheating outlet, 123-water inlet pipe, 130-first conveying roller, 131-first motor, 132-first grid conveyor belt, 140-first enclosure, 150-first air inlet branch pipe, 151-first air inlet main pipe, 152-first air inlet, 160-first air outlet branch pipe, 161-first air outlet main pipe, 162-first air outlet, 163-second induced draft fan.

[0054] 200-upper and lower layer turning unit, 210-dust cover, 211-ear plate, 212-long rectangular hole, 220-reverse S-shaped drainage groove, 221-cover plate, 222-first channel, 230-inclined plate drainage groove, 231-blocking bar, 232-second channel, 240-vibration motor, 250-threaded rod.

[0055] 300-hot air drying unit, 310-second working frame, 320-drying chamber, 321-drying inlet, 322-drying outlet, 330-second conveying roller, 331-second motor, 332-second grid conveyor belt, 340-second enclosure, 341-electric heating element, 350-second air inlet branch pipe, 351-second air inlet main pipe, 352-second air inlet, 360-second air outlet branch pipe, 361-second air outlet main pipe, 362-second air outlet, 363-fourth induced draft fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0057] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples to realize different structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the parts and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are only examples, and the purpose is not to limit the present invention.

[0058] The embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] Example 1

[0060] Figure 1 This is the front view of the controlled drying system of pepper in Example 1. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the controlled drying system for pepper in Example 1. Figure 8 for Figure 1 Middle BB section view. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8As shown in , the controlled drying system of Sichuan pepper includes a hot air preheating unit 100, an upper and lower layer turning unit 200 and a hot air drying unit 300 which are arranged in a straight line. Among them, the hot air preheating unit 100 is mainly used to preheat Sichuan pepper; from the inlet end to the outlet end of the hot air preheating unit 100, the internal control of the hot air preheating unit 100 is stable under the conditions of a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity; when the Sichuan pepper laid flat according to a preset thickness passes through the hot air preheating unit 100, it contacts with the hot air flowing from bottom to top, and the Sichuan pepper itself is gradually preheated, and the hot air drives the moisture to gradually migrate upward, so that the moisture content of the upper layer of the preheated Sichuan pepper is slightly higher than that of the lower layer. The upper and lower layer turning unit 200 is mainly used to turn over the upper layer of the preheated Sichuan pepper and the remaining lower layer, so that the upper and lower layers are turned over, and then stacked and laid together again. The hot air drying unit 300 is mainly used for preheating the turned-over peppercorns for hot air drying; from the inlet end to the outlet end of the hot air drying unit 300, the ambient temperature therein is a gradient that gradually increases from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature, and then gradually decreases from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature; the restacked and flattened peppercorns come into contact with the hot air flowing from bottom to top when passing through the hot air drying unit 300, and the peppercorns are dried to a preset moisture content or below.

[0061] Analysis shows that the main reason for the hardening of the surface of peppercorns when using hot air drying technology in the prior art is that the same drying temperature is mostly used during drying, and the temperature of the initially added peppercorns is significantly lower than the drying temperature, so the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the peppercorn particles is too large, and the surface temperature of the peppercorn particles is high, and the water loss rate is fast, resulting in rapid shrinkage and hardening. Therefore, this embodiment designs a controlled drying system for peppercorns. First, a hot air preheating unit is added, so that the peppercorns are preheated at a first preset ambient temperature and preset ambient humidity, reducing the temperature difference when the peppercorns are subsequently subjected to hot air drying. Since the lower layer of the peppercorns first contacts the hot air, it will carry some water and continue to migrate upward, so that the moisture content of the upper layer of the preheated peppercorns is slightly higher than that of the lower layer, and the preset ambient humidity set in the hot air preheating unit also prevents the surface of the peppercorns from hardening due to rapid water loss during the preheating process. Then, an upper and lower layer flipping unit is added in this embodiment, so that the upper layer of the preheated peppercorns The remaining lower layer is turned upside down and then stacked and laid together again, that is, the pepper with a slightly higher moisture content will first contact the hot air from bottom to top during the subsequent hot air drying, and the volatilization of water is conducive to reducing the local temperature and reducing the surface hardening phenomenon; finally, the hot air drying unit in this embodiment is controlled to be stable under the gradient temperature condition that the ambient temperature is gradually increased from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature, and then gradually reduced from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature. The gradient heating method is also conducive to making the inside and outside of the pepper evenly heated, reducing the surface hardening phenomenon, and the drying quality of the pepper is guaranteed. At the same time, the lower layer with a slightly higher moisture content in the hot air drying unit first contacts with the hot air, and the drying process is improved by reducing the local surface temperature.

[0062] Figure 3 This is the front view of the hot air preheating unit in Example 1. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the hot air preheating unit in Example 1. Figure 5 for Figure 3 AA section view. Figure 3~Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the hot air preheating unit 100 includes a first working frame 110. A preheating chamber 120 of approximately rectangular shape is arranged on the top of the first working frame 110 along its length direction. Corresponding through, rectangular preheating inlets 121 and preheating outlets 122 are provided on the opposite wide side walls of the preheating chamber 120; the width and height of the preheating inlet 121 and the preheating outlet 122 are the same; the lower edge positions of the preheating inlet 121 and the preheating outlet 122 are higher than the inner bottom surface position of the preheating chamber 120. A water inlet pipe 123 is arranged at the lower part of the long side wall of the preheating chamber 120, and an electromagnetic flow valve (not shown in the figure) is arranged on the water inlet pipe 123; water of 10~50℃ can be added to the inner side of the preheating chamber 120 through the water inlet pipe 123 to adjust the ambient humidity of the preheating chamber 120.

[0063] First conveyor rollers 130 are respectively arranged inside the preheating chamber 120, at the bottom of the first working frame 110, and outside the preheating inlet 121 and the preheating outlet 122 along the width direction of the preheating chamber 120; a plurality of first conveyor rollers 130 together form an isosceles trapezoidal structure with a wide upper base and a narrow lower base, and a first conveyor roller 130 arranged outside the preheating inlet 121 is connected to a first motor 131; at the same time, a first mesh conveyor belt 132 is also sleeved on the plurality of first conveyor rollers 130; the width of the first mesh conveyor belt 132 is less than or equal to the width of the preheating inlet 121 and the preheating outlet 122; the first mesh conveyor belt 132 is rotated back and forth by the first motor 131 and the first conveyor roller 130, thereby driving the peppercorns laid thereon according to a preset thickness to move horizontally.

[0064] On the inner bottom surface of the preheating chamber 120, a plurality of rectangular first enclosures 140 are evenly arranged along the length direction of the preheating chamber 120, such as Figure 5 Nine first enclosures 140 are shown in the figure. The length direction of each first enclosure 140 coincides with the width direction of the preheating chamber 120; the length of the first enclosure 140 is less than the inner width of the preheating chamber 120, and the position of its open top surface is lower than the lower edge position of the preheating inlet 121 and the preheating outlet 122. A matching first grille plate (not shown in the figure) is detachably provided on the open top surface of each first enclosure 140 to evenly distribute hot air. A first air intake branch pipe 150 is correspondingly provided on the outer side of the bottom surface of the preheating chamber 120 surrounded by each first enclosure 140, such as Figure 5 Nine first air intake branch pipes 150 are shown in the figure. Each first air intake branch pipe 150 is connected to the internal area of ​​the corresponding first enclosure 140 and the internal area of ​​the preheating chamber 120, and each first air intake branch pipe 150 is provided with a first electric valve (not shown in the figure); the other end of all the first air intake branch pipes 150 is connected to a first air intake main pipe 151. A first induced draft fan and an air heater (not shown in the figure) are provided at the first air inlet 152 of the first air intake main pipe 151. After the air drawn by the first induced draft fan is heated by the air heater, the hot air flows in the first air intake main pipe 151, and then disperses into the preheating chamber 120 along the first air intake branch pipe 150, flows from top to bottom to preheat the pepper, and at the same time adjusts the ambient temperature in the preheating chamber 120.

[0065] A plurality of first air outlet branches 160 are also provided on the top of the preheating chamber 120, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5A total of five first air outlet branches 160 are provided; each first air outlet branch 160 is connected to the internal area of ​​the preheating chamber 120; the other ends of all the first air outlet branches 160 are connected to a first air outlet main pipe 161. A second induced draft fan 163 is provided at the first air outlet 162 of the first air outlet main pipe 161; the air in the preheating chamber 120 is extracted by the second induced draft fan 163 to adjust the ambient temperature and humidity in the preheating chamber 120. At the same time, a plurality of heat dissipation copper rods (not shown in the figure) are arranged in an array along the height direction of the top of the preheating chamber 120; a part of each heat dissipation copper rod is located on the inner side of the top of the preheating chamber 120, and the remaining part is located on the outer side of the top of the preheating chamber 120. When the hot air contacts the heat dissipation copper rod, part of the moisture carried by the hot air condenses and falls on the pepper, which also makes the moisture content of the upper part of the pepper slightly greater than that of the lower part.

[0066] In this embodiment, the pepper to be dried is successively spread on the first mesh conveyor belt 132, with a preset thickness of 5 cm and a preset width of 60% of the width of the first mesh conveyor belt 132. As the first mesh conveyor belt 132 circulates, the pepper successively enters the preheating chamber 120 from the preheating inlet 121. The first induced draft fan extracts air, which is heated by the air heater and flows through the first air intake manifold 151, and then dispersed into the preheating chamber 120 along the first air intake branch pipe 150, flows from bottom to top, and preheats the pepper moving horizontally with the first mesh conveyor belt 132. Through the cooperation between the first induced draft fan, the air heater, the second induced draft fan 163, the electromagnetic flow valve, the first electric valve and other components, the preheating chamber 120 is regulated to stabilize to the first preset ambient temperature (e.g., 30±2°C) and the preset ambient humidity (e.g., 40±1%RH).

[0067] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper and lower flip units Figure 1 , wherein the dust cover is not shown. Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the upper and lower flip units Figure 2 , wherein the dust cover is not shown. Figure 2 , Figure 6~Figure 8 As shown in the figure, the upper and lower flipping units 200 include a rectangular dust cover 210. The dust cover 210 is located above the outlet end of the hot air preheating unit 100 and the inlet end of the hot air drying unit 300. Corresponding ear plates 211 are respectively provided on both sides of the width direction of the dust cover 210. At least two long rectangular holes 212 are provided on the ear plates 211 along the height direction of the dust cover 210. A flip assembly is detachably provided between the two ear plates 211. A vibration motor 240 is also provided on the flip assembly.

[0068] The flip assembly includes an inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220. The inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220 can be deformed from a straight through-trough, and its width is consistent with the width of the first mesh conveyor belt 132; the upper horizontal portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220 faces the preheating outlet 122, and is located above the first mesh conveyor belt 132 on the first conveyor roller 130 outside the preheating outlet 122, and is parallel to the first mesh conveyor belt 132; along the height direction of the preheating chamber 120, the upper horizontal portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220 coincides with the projection of the first mesh conveyor belt 132, and the distance between the two can be adjusted according to demand, for example, the distance between the upper horizontal portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220 and the first mesh conveyor belt 132 is 1 / 2 of the preheating thickness when the pepper is laid flat. A cover plate 221 is also provided at the top of the groove in the middle of the bend of the inverted S-shaped drainage groove 220; the inverted S-shaped drainage groove 220 and the cover plate 221 cooperate to form a through first channel 222; the lower end of the inverted S-shaped drainage groove 220 is roughly in contact with the inlet end of the hot air drying unit 300.

[0069] At the same time, the flip assembly also includes an inclined plate drainage trough 230. The inclined plate drainage trough 230 is inclined and intersected with the curved middle part of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220. The inclined upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough 230 is located below the first grid conveyor belt 132 set on the first conveying roller 130 outside the preheating outlet 122, and is provided with a material blocking strip 231; the inclined lower end of the inclined plate drainage trough 230 faces the inlet end of the hot air drying unit 300 and is located above the lower end of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220. Along the width direction of the dust cover 210, the width near the inclined upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough 230 is greater than the width of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220, the middle part passes over both sides of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220 in the width direction, and the width of the inclined lower end gradually decreases to the same as the width of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220. Along the plane direction of the groove bottom of the inclined plate drainage trough 230, a plurality of through second channels 232 are arranged at intervals between the groove bottom of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220 and the cover plate 221; the second channels 232 intersect with the first channels 222 and are not connected. The vibration motor 240 is arranged on the outer wall of the groove bottom of the inclined plate drainage trough 230. At least two threaded rods 250 are arranged on the outer walls on both sides of the width direction of the inclined plate drainage trough 230; the threaded rods 250 are correspondingly arranged in the long rectangular holes 212 adjacent to the ear plates 211, and nuts (not shown in the figure) are arranged on both sides of the ear plates 211 to achieve clamping and fixing; by loosening the nuts, the position adjustment of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough 220 and the inclined plate drainage trough 230 can be achieved.

[0070] In this embodiment, the preheated Sichuan peppercorns are gradually moved out of the preheating chamber 120 from the preheating outlet 122 along with the first mesh conveyor belt 132, and then cut by the upper horizontal part of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220, so that the upper part of the Sichuan peppercorns moves along the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220, passes through the first channel 222, and then falls out from the lower end of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220; while the lower part of the Sichuan peppercorns left by the first mesh conveyor belt 132 falls to the vicinity of the inner side of the upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough 230, passes through the second channel 232 and the gap between the outer sides of the middle width direction of the curved part of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough 220 and the inclined plate drainage trough 230, and falls from the inclined lower end of the inclined plate drainage trough 220, and the upper and lower layers of the Sichuan peppercorns are turned over and stacked flat again.

[0071] Fig. 9 This is the front view of the hot air drying unit in Example 1. Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the hot air drying unit in Example 1. Fig.11 for Fig. 9 The CC section view. Figure 9~Figure 11 As shown in , the hot air drying unit 300 includes a second working frame 310. A substantially rectangular drying chamber 320 is arranged on the top of the second working frame 310 along its length direction. Corresponding through rectangular drying inlets 321 and drying outlets 322 are provided on the opposite wide side walls of the drying chamber 320; the width and height of the drying inlet 321 and the drying outlet 322 are the same; the lower edge positions of the drying inlet 321 and the drying outlet 322 are higher than the inner bottom surface position of the drying chamber 320.

[0072] Along the width direction of the drying chamber 320, second conveying rollers 330 are respectively arranged inside the drying chamber 320, at the bottom of the second working frame 310, and on the outside of the drying inlet 321 and the drying outlet 322; a plurality of second conveying rollers 330 together form an isosceles trapezoidal structure with a wide upper base and a narrow lower base, and a second conveying roller 330 arranged on the outside of the drying inlet 321 is connected to a second motor 331; at the same time, a matching second grid conveyor belt 332 is also sleeved on the plurality of second conveying rollers 330; the width of the second grid conveyor belt 332 is less than or equal to the width of the drying inlet 321 and the drying outlet 322, and the width of the second grid conveyor belt 332 is greater than or equal to the width of the reverse S-shaped drainage trough member 220; the second grid conveyor belt 332 is rotated back and forth under the action of the second motor 331 and the second conveying roller 330.

[0073] A plurality of rectangular second enclosures 340 are evenly arranged on the inner bottom surface of the drying chamber 320 along the length direction of the drying chamber 320, such as Fig.11Nine second enclosures 340 are shown in the figure. The length direction of each second enclosure 340 is consistent with the width direction of the drying chamber 320; the length of the second enclosure 340 is smaller than the inner width of the drying chamber 320, and the position of its open top surface is lower than the lower edge position of the drying inlet 321 and the drying outlet 322. A matching second grille plate (not shown in the figure) is detachably provided on the open top surface of each second enclosure 340 to evenly distribute the air; a heating element 341, such as an electric heating rod, is provided in each second enclosure 340; along the length direction of the drying chamber 320, the power of the electric heating element in the second enclosure 340 gradually increases and then gradually decreases. A second air intake branch pipe 350, such as a second air intake branch pipe 350, is correspondingly provided on the outer side of the bottom surface of the drying chamber 320 surrounded by each second enclosure 340. Fig.11 Nine second air intake branches 350 are shown in the figure. Each second air intake branch 350 is connected to the internal area of ​​the corresponding second enclosure 340 and the internal area of ​​the drying chamber 320, and each second air intake branch 350 is provided with a second electric valve (not shown in the figure); the other end of all second air intake branches 350 is connected to a second air intake main pipe 351. A third induced draft fan (not shown in the figure) is provided at the second air inlet 352 of the second air intake main pipe 351. The third induced draft fan draws air into the second air intake main pipe 351, and then disperses into the drying chamber 320 along the second air intake branch 350, and is heated by the electric heating element 341 in the corresponding second enclosure 340 to become hot air, and then flows from bottom to top to dry the pepper.

[0074] A plurality of second air outlet branches 360 are also provided on the top of the drying chamber 320. Fig.10 and Fig.11 A total of five second air outlet branch pipes 360 are provided; each second air outlet branch pipe 360 ​​is connected to the inner area of ​​the drying chamber 320; the other ends of all second air outlet branch pipes 360 are connected to a second air outlet main pipe 361. A fourth induced draft fan 363 is provided at the second air outlet 362 of the second air outlet main pipe 361, and water vapor is continuously extracted by the fourth induced draft fan.

[0075] In this embodiment, by adjusting the speed of the second fan, the power of the electric heating element in the corresponding second enclosure 340, and the opening of the second electric valve on the corresponding second air intake branch 350, the ambient temperature in the drying chamber 320 is gradually increased from the second preset ambient temperature (for example, 30±2°C) to the third preset ambient temperature (for example, 50±5°C) from the drying inlet 321 to the drying outlet 322, and then gradually decreased from the third preset ambient temperature (for example, 50±5°C) to the fourth preset ambient temperature (for example, 30±2°C). When the restacked and laid prickly ash passes through the hot air drying unit 300, it contacts the hot air flowing from bottom to top, and the prickly ash is dried to a preset moisture content or below. The fourth induced draft fan 363 continuously extracts water vapor near the top of the inner side of the drying chamber 320.

[0076] The lengths of the preheating chamber 120 and the drying chamber 320 of this embodiment can be selected according to the requirements. At the same time, in order to make full use of the heat in the drying chamber 320, a hot air pipe (not shown in the figure) is also provided between the second air outlet 362 and the first air inlet 152, and part of the hot air rich in water vapor is extracted by the first fan and enters the preheating chamber 120 to preheat the pepper.

[0077] Example 2

[0078] A controlled drying method for pepper is implemented based on the controlled drying system for pepper in Example 1, and comprises the following steps:

[0079] Step S1, spreading the pepper to be dried to a preset height, and then preheating it with hot air flowing from bottom to top under the conditions of a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity;

[0080] Step S2, turning over the upper layer of the preheated pepper and the remaining lower layer so that the upper and lower layers are turned over, and then stacking and laying them together again;

[0081] Step S3, under the gradient temperature condition of gradually increasing from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature and then gradually decreasing from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature, the restacked and laid Sichuan peppercorns are dried by hot air flowing from bottom to top and dried to a preset moisture content (for example, 5wt%) or below.

[0082] The controlled drying method of the pepper in this embodiment can reduce the hardening phenomenon of the surface of the pepper and ensure the drying quality.

Claims

1. A controlled drying system for pepper, characterized in that: It includes a hot air preheating unit, an upper and lower layer turning unit and a hot air drying unit which are arranged in sequence in a straight line; Among them, the hot air preheating unit generates hot air flowing from bottom to top under the conditions of a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity to preheat the peppercorns spread to a preset thickness; the upper and lower layer flipping unit flips the upper layer part of the preheated peppercorns and the remaining lower layer part, so that the positions of the upper and lower layers are flipped and then stacked and laid together again; the hot air drying unit dries the stacked and laid peppercorns again by hot air flowing from bottom to top under the gradient temperature conditions of gradually increasing from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature and then gradually decreasing from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature, and dries them to a preset moisture content or below.

2. The controlled drying system of pepper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hot air preheating unit comprises: First work stand; A rectangular preheating chamber, wherein the preheating chamber is arranged on the first working frame; corresponding through-going, rectangular preheating inlets and preheating outlets are provided on the opposite wide side walls of the preheating chamber, and the lower edge positions of the preheating inlet and the preheating outlet are higher than the inner bottom surface of the preheating chamber; a plurality of first enclosures with open tops are provided on the inner bottom surface of the preheating chamber; a plurality of first air inlet branches are provided on the outer side of the bottom of the preheating chamber; one end of the first air inlet branch is correspondingly connected to the inner area of ​​one of the first enclosures, and the other end of the first air inlet branch is connected to the first air inlet main pipe; a first induced draft fan and an air heater are provided at the first air inlet of the first air inlet main pipe; a plurality of first air outlet branches are provided on the top of the preheating chamber; one end of the first air outlet branch is connected to the inner side of the top of the preheating chamber, and the other end of the first air outlet branch is connected to the first air outlet main pipe; a second induced draft fan is provided at the first air outlet of the first air outlet main pipe; a first conveying roller, the first conveying roller being arranged inside the preheating chamber, at the bottom of the first working frame, and outside the preheating inlet and the preheating outlet along the width direction of the preheating chamber; a plurality of the first conveying rollers together form a trapezoidal structure with a wide upper bottom and a narrow lower bottom; a first motor connected to the first conveying roller; A first grid conveyor belt is sleeved on a trapezoidal structure formed by a plurality of the first conveyor rollers.

3. The controlled drying system for pepper according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the first air intake branches is provided with a first electric valve.

4. The controlled drying system for pepper according to claim 2, characterized in that: A matching first grille plate is detachably provided on the open top surface of the first enclosure.

5. The controlled drying system for pepper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the preheating chamber is provided with a plurality of heat dissipation copper rods distributed in an array along its height direction; a portion of each heat dissipation copper rod is located on the inner side of the top of the preheating chamber, and the remaining portion thereof is located on the outer side of the top of the preheating chamber.

6. The controlled drying system for Chinese prickly ash according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The hot air drying unit comprises: Second work stand; A rectangular drying cabin, wherein the drying cabin is arranged on the second working frame; corresponding through-going, rectangular drying inlet and drying outlet are provided on the opposite wide side walls of the drying cabin; a plurality of second enclosures with open tops are provided on the inner bottom surface of the drying cabin, and electric heating elements are provided in the second enclosures; a plurality of second air intake branches are provided on the outer side of the bottom of the drying cabin; a second electric valve is provided on each of the first air intake branches; one end of the second air intake branch is correspondingly connected to the inner area of ​​one of the second enclosures, and the other end of the second air intake branch is connected to the second air intake main pipe; a third induced draft fan is provided at the first air inlet of the second air intake main pipe; a plurality of second air outlet branches are provided on the top of the drying cabin; one end of the second air outlet branch is connected to the inner side of the top of the preheating cabin, and the other end of the second air outlet branch is connected to the second air outlet main pipe; a fourth induced draft fan is provided at the second air outlet of the second air outlet main pipe; A second conveying roller, which is arranged inside the drying chamber, at the bottom of the second working frame, and outside the drying inlet and the drying outlet along the width direction of the drying chamber; a plurality of the second conveying rollers are surrounded to form a trapezoidal structure with a wide upper bottom and a narrow lower bottom; a second motor connected to the second conveying roller; A second grid conveyor belt, wherein the second grid conveyor belt is sleeved on a trapezoidal structure formed by a plurality of the second conveyor rollers.

7. The controlled drying system for pepper according to claim 6, characterized in that: A matching second grille plate is detachably provided on the open top surface of the second enclosure.

8. The controlled drying system for pepper according to claim 6, characterized in that: A hot air pipe is also provided between the second air outlet and the first air inlet.

9. The controlled drying system for Chinese prickly ash according to any one of claims 2 to 5, 7 and 8, characterized in that: The upper and lower layer turning unit comprises: A dust cover, wherein corresponding ear plates are respectively arranged on both sides of the width direction of the dust cover; A flip assembly, wherein the flip assembly is detachably arranged between the two ear plates; A vibration motor, wherein the vibration motor is arranged on the flip assembly; Wherein, the flip assembly comprises: An inverted S-shaped drainage trough, wherein the upper horizontal portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough faces the preheating outlet, is located above the first grid conveyor belt on the first conveying roller outside the preheating outlet, and is parallel to the first grid conveyor belt; a cover plate is also provided on the top of the curved middle portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough, and the two cooperate to form a through first channel; An inclined plate drainage trough member, wherein the inclined plate drainage trough member is obliquely intersected with the curved middle portion of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member; the inclined upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough member is located below the first grid conveyor belt set on the first conveying roller outside the preheating outlet; the inclined lower end of the inclined plate drainage trough member faces the inlet end of the hot air drying unit and is located above the lower end of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member; along the width direction of the dust cover, the width near the inclined upper end of the inclined plate drainage trough member is greater than the width of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member, and the middle part passes over both sides of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member in the width direction, and the width of the inclined lower end gradually decreases to the same as the width of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member; along the plane direction of the bottom of the trough of the inclined plate drainage trough member, a through second channel is arranged between the bottom of the trough of the inverted S-shaped drainage trough member and the cover plate; the second channel intersects with the first channel and is not connected.

10. A method for controlled drying of pepper, implemented based on the controlled drying system of pepper according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1, spreading the pepper to be dried to a preset height, and then preheating it with hot air flowing from bottom to top under the conditions of a first preset ambient temperature and a preset ambient humidity; Step S2, turning over the upper layer of the preheated pepper and the remaining lower layer so that the upper and lower layers are turned over, and then stacking and laying them together again; Step S3, under the gradient temperature condition of gradually increasing from the second preset ambient temperature to the third preset ambient temperature and then gradually decreasing from the third preset ambient temperature to the fourth preset ambient temperature, the restacked and laid Sichuan peppercorns are dried by hot air flowing from bottom to top and dried to a preset moisture content or below.

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