Vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device and method for fruit traditional Chinese medicinal materials

Abstract

The invention provides a vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device and method for fruit traditional Chinese medicinal materials, and relates to the technical field of traditional Chinese medicinal material processing, the vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device comprises a blanching chamber in which a containing cavity is defined, and a material disc can be arranged in the containing cavity; the steam generator communicates with the containing cavity and is used for conveying steam to the containing cavity; the vacuum pump communicates with the containing cavity and is used for discharging steam in the containing cavity; the charging tray is arranged between the anode plate and the grid plate, and the radio frequency generator is electrically connected with the anode plate and the grid plate and used for dielectric heating of the fruit type traditional Chinese medicine materials in the charging tray. The fruit type traditional Chinese medicine materials are physically blanched in a steam heating and radio frequency dielectric heating combined mode, radio frequency dielectric heating can assist the fruit type traditional Chinese medicine materials to be heated internally and externally at the same time, and the heating speed and heating uniformity of the fruit type traditional Chinese medicine materials are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of Chinese medicinal material processing, and in particular to a vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency blanching device and method for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials. Background Art

[0002] Fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials such as Gardenia jasminoides, Amomum villosum, and Citrus aurantium are prone to enzymatic browning during the drying process, which leads to the deterioration of the product's appearance and color, seriously affecting its market value. Physical blanching can effectively passivate polyphenol oxidase and catalase in Chinese medicinal materials, thereby inhibiting the occurrence of enzymatic browning. It can also soften the internal structure of Chinese medicinal materials, increase cell membrane permeability, improve drying efficiency, and play a role in promoting drying and protecting color.

[0003] Traditional blanching methods for Chinese herbal medicines mainly include hot water blanching and steam blanching. Among them, hot water blanching causes serious loss of soluble nutrients due to direct contact of Chinese herbal medicines with high-temperature hot water, and the wastewater generated will pollute the environment; although steam blanching can effectively reduce nutrient loss and environmental pollution to a certain extent, it has problems such as low blanching efficiency and poor heating uniformity, and has not yet been industrialized and promoted.

[0004] In view of this, how to provide a blanching method for Chinese medicinal materials with high efficiency and good heating uniformity is a problem that technical personnel in this field urgently need to solve. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device and method for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials, comprising:

[0007] The blanching chamber defines an accommodating cavity inside, and the material tray can be arranged in the accommodating cavity;

[0008] a steam generator, connected to the accommodating chamber and used for delivering steam to the accommodating chamber;

[0009] a vacuum pump, connected to the accommodating chamber, and used to discharge the steam in the accommodating chamber;

[0010] A radio frequency generator is provided, wherein the material tray is arranged between the anode plate and the grid plate, and the radio frequency generator is electrically connected to the anode plate and the grid plate for dielectric heating of the fruit-based Chinese medicinal material in the material tray.

[0011] Furthermore, the steam generator is connected to the accommodating chamber through a steam pipeline, and a solenoid valve is provided on the steam pipeline.

[0012] Furthermore, a temperature and humidity sensor and a piercing optical fiber temperature sensor are provided in the accommodating cavity. The temperature and humidity sensor is used to monitor the temperature and humidity in the accommodating cavity. The piercing optical fiber temperature sensor is extended into the fruit-like medicinal material to monitor the temperature of the fruit-like medicinal material.

[0013] Furthermore, a pressure sensor is provided in the accommodating cavity for monitoring the air pressure in the accommodating cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0015] A touch screen is arranged outside the blanching chamber and is electrically connected to the steam generator, the radio frequency generator, the vacuum pump, the solenoid valve, the temperature and humidity sensor, the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor and the pressure sensor respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0017] The water circulation cooling mechanism is connected to the vacuum pump through a circulating water circuit and is used for heat dissipation of the vacuum pump.

[0018] Furthermore, it also includes:

[0019] A plurality of tray supports are longitudinally arranged in the accommodating cavity and are used to support the trays;

[0020] A connecting rod is provided, wherein the anode plate and the grid plate are fixed in the accommodating cavity through the connecting rod; and the radio frequency generator is arranged adjacent to the blanching chamber.

[0021] The present invention also provides a method for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials using vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency blanching, and using the device for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials using vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency blanching, comprising the following steps:

[0022] S1: placing the fruit-based medicinal material in a material tray, arranging the material tray in the receiving cavity of the blanching chamber and between the anode plate and the grid plate;

[0023] S2: Arrange a temperature and humidity sensor, a piercing optical fiber temperature sensor and a pressure sensor in the containing cavity, and extend the sensing end of the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor into the fruit-based Chinese medicinal material;

[0024] S3: Close the solenoid valve and start the vacuum pump to discharge the air in the chamber to form a negative pressure environment;

[0025] S4: Turn off the vacuum pump and open the solenoid valve. A pressure difference is generated between the steam generated by the steam generator and the negative pressure environment. The steam flows into the containing cavity through the steam pipeline. The steam and the radio frequency generator heat the fruit-based Chinese medicinal material together.

[0026] S5: When the steam temperature in the containing chamber drops to a preset temperature value and / or the steam heating of the fruit medicinal material reaches a preset time, steps S3-S4 are repeated.

[0027] Furthermore, the blanching chamber has a door body, the accommodating chamber is connected to a pressure relief pipeline, and a manual pressure relief valve is provided on the pressure relief pipeline; after the blanching of the medicinal material in the fruit is completed, the solenoid valve is closed, the manual pressure relief valve is opened to allow external air to enter the accommodating chamber and restore the accommodating chamber to atmospheric pressure, and the door body is opened to recover the medicinal material in the fruit.

[0028] Furthermore, the touch screen can set a preset time, a preset temperature value, the vacuum degree of the negative pressure environment and the power of the radio frequency generator.

[0029] The present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0030] 1. The fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials are physically blanched by combining steam heating and radio frequency dielectric heating. Radio frequency dielectric heating can assist in heating up the inside and outside of the fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials at the same time, thereby improving the heating speed and heating uniformity of the fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials.

[0031] 2. Intermittent blanching is used for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials. When the steam heating reaches the preset time or the steam temperature drops to the preset temperature value, the steam in the containing cavity is discharged through the vacuum pump and high-temperature steam is reintroduced, so that the fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials are always blanched with high-temperature steam. During the blanching process, the radio frequency generator continues to operate, so that the fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials are heated inside and outside at the same time, thereby improving their heating speed and heating uniformity.

[0032] 3. During the blanching process, the temperature and pressure of the containing chamber as well as the temperature of the medicinal materials in the fruit can be monitored. The blanching parameters can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual blanching needs of the medicinal materials in the fruit, and the vacuum pump, radio frequency generator and steam generator can be controlled in real time, which is conducive to maintaining the temperature of the blanching environment and ensuring the blanching efficiency and heating uniformity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

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

[0035] Figure 2 It is a front view of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3A top view of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the present invention;

[0038] Among them, 1. vacuum pump; 2. water circulation cooling mechanism; 3. vacuum pipeline; 4. manual pressure relief valve; 5. pressure relief pipeline; 6. steam pipeline; 7. blanching chamber; 8. touch screen; 9. radio frequency generator; 10. steam generator; 11. roller; 12. door body; 13. anode plate; 14. material tray; 15. grid plate; 16. material tray bracket; 17. temperature and humidity sensor; 18. penetration optical fiber temperature sensor; 19. pressure sensor; 20. solenoid valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Among the prior arts that have been searched:

[0040] Steam blanching of Chinese herbal medicine is a method of pre-processing Chinese herbal medicines, mainly used for cleaning, pre-cooking, blanching and other links of Chinese herbal medicines. This method can increase the drying rate of Chinese herbal medicines, inhibit browning, and increase the content of effective ingredients by using steam heating. It plays an important role in maintaining the original color of Chinese herbal medicines and preventing the reduction of the content of effective ingredients.

[0041] The advantages of this technology are currently mainly reflected in the blanching process of thin-layer materials. Its effect is still not obvious for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials with larger particle sizes. The main reason is that the heat transfer depth of a single steam medium is limited, and it takes a long time for heat to transfer from the outer layer of the material to the inside.

[0042] Radio frequency blanching is a new dielectric blanching method that converts electrical energy directly into thermal energy through the oscillating migration of charged ions and dipole rotation, allowing the material to heat up rapidly both inside and outside, achieving the effect of rapid enzyme inactivation without generating wastewater. It is an efficient and environmentally friendly blanching method, but it still has problems with poor heating uniformity and high energy consumption.

[0043] In summary, the existing technology has not yet been able to solve the problems of low blanching efficiency and poor heating uniformity in a low-energy consumption manner.

[0044] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] The embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials, comprising:

[0048] The blanching chamber 7 defines an accommodating cavity inside, and a plurality of tray brackets 16 are arranged longitudinally in the accommodating cavity for supporting the tray 14. The tray brackets 16 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right inner walls of the accommodating cavity, and both ends of the tray 14 can be placed on the tray brackets 16; the trays 14 can be arranged longitudinally in the accommodating cavity, and adjacent trays 14 are arranged at intervals, and the trays 14 are hollow structures (the size of the hollow position is smaller than that of the medicinal material in the fruit), so that the medicinal material in the fruit can be blanched in all directions, and the blanching speed is accelerated;

[0049] The steam generator 10 is a device that heats water and converts it into steam. Its steam output end is connected to the accommodating chamber through the steam pipeline 6, and is used to transport steam to the accommodating chamber. The steam pipeline 6 is provided with a solenoid valve 20. When the solenoid valve 20 is opened, the steam can enter the accommodating chamber. When the solenoid valve 20 is closed, the steam is blocked in the steam pipeline 6. The bottom of the steam generator 10 is provided with a roller 11 to facilitate the movement of the device.

[0050] A vacuum pump 1, whose inlet end is connected to the containing chamber through a vacuum pipeline 3, and whose outlet end is connected to the external atmosphere. When the vacuum pump 1 is started, all the steam, air and gas in the gaps of the fruit-based Chinese medicine in the containing chamber can be discharged;

[0051] The RF generator 9 and the material tray 14 are arranged between the anode plate 13 and the grid plate 15.

[0052] The plate 13 is on the top and the grid

[0053] The electrode plate is at the bottom, and the grid plate 15 is used to absorb the radio frequency energy released by the anode plate 13, and a dielectric cavity is defined between the two. The anode plate 13, the grid plate 15 and the material tray 14 are all rectangular, and the material tray 14 can be completely placed in the dielectric cavity. The anode plate 13 and the grid plate 15 are fixed in the accommodating cavity by connecting rods; the radio frequency generator 9 is arranged adjacent to the blanching chamber 7 and is fixed to one side of the blanching chamber 7 by bolts. The radio frequency generator 9 is electrically connected to the anode plate 13 and the grid plate 15, and is used to convert electrical energy into radio frequency energy and transmit it to the anode plate 13, forming an electric field between the anode plate 13 and the grid plate 15, which is used for dielectric heating of the fruit-type Chinese medicinal materials in the material tray 14.

[0054] In this embodiment, a temperature and humidity sensor 17 and a piercing optical fiber temperature sensor 18 are provided in the accommodating cavity. The temperature and humidity sensor 17 is used to monitor the temperature and humidity in the accommodating cavity. The piercing optical fiber temperature sensor 18 extends into the fruit-like medicinal material to monitor the temperature of the fruit-like medicinal material.

[0055] In this embodiment, a pressure sensor 19 is provided in the accommodating chamber for monitoring the air pressure in the accommodating chamber.

[0056] In this embodiment, it also includes: a touch screen 8, which is arranged outside the blanching chamber 7 and is electrically connected to the steam generator 10, the radio frequency generator 9, the vacuum pump 1, the solenoid valve 20, the temperature and humidity sensor 17, the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor 18 and the pressure sensor 19. The monitoring data of the temperature and humidity sensor 17, the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor 18 and the pressure sensor 19 are uploaded to the touch screen 8 and displayed on the touch screen 8.

[0057] In this embodiment, it also includes: a water circulation cooling mechanism 2, which is connected to the vacuum pump 1 through a circulating water circuit and is used for heat dissipation of the vacuum pump 1.

[0058] In this embodiment, the blanching chamber 7 has a door body 12 , the accommodating cavity is communicated with the pressure relief pipeline 5 , and the pressure relief pipeline 5 is provided with a manual pressure relief valve 4 .

[0059] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a method for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials using vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency blanching, which uses the above-mentioned device for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials using vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency blanching, and comprises the following steps:

[0060] S1: placing the fruit-based medicinal material in a material tray 14, and arranging a plurality of material trays 14 longitudinally in the receiving cavity of the blanching chamber 7 and between the anode plate 13 and the grid plate 15;

[0061] S2: Arrange a temperature and humidity sensor 17, a piercing optical fiber temperature sensor 18, and a pressure sensor 19 in the receiving chamber, extend the sensing end of the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor 18 into the fruit-based medicinal material, and close the door 12 of the blanching chamber 7; set blanching parameters on the touch screen 8, including: preset time, vacuum degree of the negative pressure environment, and power of the radio frequency generator 9, etc. The preset time includes the heating time of the steam in the receiving chamber and the time the receiving chamber maintains vacuum. The touch screen 8 controls the corresponding equipment and components according to the set blanching parameters;

[0062] S3: close the solenoid valve 20 and start the vacuum pump 1 to discharge the air in the containing cavity and the air between the fruit-like medicinal materials to form a negative pressure environment;

[0063] S4: Turn off the vacuum pump 1, open the solenoid valve 20, generate a pressure difference between the steam generated by the steam generator 10 and the negative pressure environment, the steam flows into the containing cavity through the steam pipeline 6, and the steam and the radio frequency generator 9 jointly heat the blanched fruit medicinal material;

[0064] S5: When the steam heating of the medicinal material in the fruit reaches the steam heating time in the receiving chamber, repeat step S3 to make the receiving chamber reach a preset vacuum degree and maintain the vacuum for a preset time; repeat step S4 to send steam into the receiving chamber again to blanch the medicinal material in the fruit.

[0065] It should be noted that the vacuum pump 1 has a check valve. When the solenoid valve 20 is opened, the steam enters the accommodating chamber along the steam pipeline 6. The steam can be trapped in the accommodating chamber and will not automatically flow into the vacuum pump 1 for discharge.

[0066] S6: After the blanching of the fruit medicinal material is completed, the solenoid valve 20 is closed, the manual pressure relief valve 4 is opened to allow external air to enter the receiving chamber and restore the receiving chamber to atmospheric pressure, and the door body 12 is opened to recover the fruit medicinal material.

[0067] In the above process, the touch screen 8 can display a variety of blanching parameters, including:

[0068] 1. Real-time temperature and humidity of the chamber;

[0069] 2. The air pressure of the containment chamber;

[0070] 3. The internal temperature of medicinal materials in fruits.

[0071] When the touch screen 8 shows that the air pressure in the accommodating chamber is atmospheric pressure, the pressure relief valve can be closed, and at this time, the door body 12 can be opened to take out the material tray 14.

[0072] Example 2

[0073] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the touch screen 8 can also set and display a preset temperature value.

[0074] In step S5, when the temperature and humidity sensor 17 detects that the temperature of the containing chamber is lower than the preset temperature value, steps S3-S4 are repeated until the blanching is completed.

[0075] The fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials were blanched using Example 1, and the same type and amount of fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials were blanched using radio frequency blanching and steam blanching, respectively. The heating rate and heating uniformity were compared, and the results were as follows:

[0076]

[0077] It can be seen from the above table that the vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching disclosed in Example 1 can greatly improve the heating rate and heating uniformity of the fruit medicinal material.

[0078] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0079] The embodiments described above are only descriptions of the preferred modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design spirit of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should all fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials, characterized in that: include: A blanching chamber (7) defines an accommodating cavity inside, and a material tray (14) can be arranged in the accommodating cavity; a steam generator (10), communicated with the accommodating chamber and used for delivering steam to the accommodating chamber; A vacuum pump (1) is connected to the accommodating chamber and is used to discharge the steam in the accommodating chamber; A radio frequency generator (9), the material tray (14) is arranged between the anode plate (13) and the grid plate (15), and the radio frequency generator (9) is electrically connected to the anode plate (13) and the grid plate (15) for dielectric heating of the fruit-based Chinese medicinal material in the material tray (14).

2. The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steam generator (10) is in communication with the accommodating chamber via a steam pipeline (6), and a solenoid valve (20) is provided on the steam pipeline (6).

3. The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 2, characterized in that: A temperature and humidity sensor (17) and a piercing optical fiber temperature sensor (18) are arranged in the accommodating cavity. The temperature and humidity sensor (17) is used to monitor the temperature and humidity in the accommodating cavity. The piercing optical fiber temperature sensor (18) extends into the fruit-like medicinal material to monitor the temperature of the fruit-like medicinal material.

4. The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 3, characterized in that: A pressure sensor (19) is arranged in the accommodating chamber and is used to monitor the air pressure in the accommodating chamber.

5. The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A touch screen (8) is arranged outside the blanching chamber (7) and is electrically connected to the steam generator (10), the radio frequency generator (9), the vacuum pump (1), the solenoid valve (20), the temperature and humidity sensor (17), the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor (18) and the pressure sensor (19).

6. The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: The water circulation cooling mechanism (2) is connected to the vacuum pump (1) through a circulating water circuit and is used for heat dissipation of the vacuum pump (1).

7. The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: A plurality of tray supports (16) are longitudinally arranged in the accommodating cavity and are used to support the tray (14); a connecting rod, and the anode plate (13) and the grid plate (15) are fixed in the accommodating cavity by the connecting rod; The radio frequency generator (9) is arranged adjacent to the blanching chamber (7).

8. A method for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials using vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency technology, characterized in that: The vacuum-steam pulsation assisted radio frequency blanching device for fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials according to any one of claims 5 to 7 comprises the following steps: S1: placing fruit-based medicinal materials in a material tray (14), and arranging the material tray (14) in a receiving cavity of a blanching chamber (7) and between an anode plate (13) and a grid plate (15); S2: Arranging a temperature and humidity sensor (17), a piercing optical fiber temperature sensor (18) and a pressure sensor (19) in the containing cavity, and extending the sensing end of the piercing optical fiber temperature sensor (18) into the fruit-based Chinese medicinal material; S3: closing the solenoid valve (20) and starting the vacuum pump (1) to discharge the air in the containing chamber to form a negative pressure environment; S4: the vacuum pump (1) is turned off and the solenoid valve (20) is opened, so that a pressure difference is generated between the steam generated by the steam generator (10) and the negative pressure environment, and the steam flows into the containing chamber through the steam pipeline (6), and the steam and the radio frequency generator (9) jointly heat the fruit-based Chinese medicinal material; S5: When the steam temperature in the containing chamber drops to a preset temperature value and / or the steam heating of the fruit medicinal material reaches a preset time, steps S3-S4 are repeated.

9. The method for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials with vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency according to claim 8, characterized in that: The blanching chamber (7) has a door body (12), the accommodating chamber is in communication with a pressure relief pipeline (5), and a manual pressure relief valve (4) is provided on the pressure relief pipeline (5); after the blanching of the fruit-based medicinal material is completed, the solenoid valve (20) is closed, the manual pressure relief valve (4) is opened to allow external air to enter the accommodating chamber and restore the accommodating chamber to atmospheric pressure, and the door body (12) is opened to recover the fruit-based medicinal material.

10. The method for blanching fruit-based Chinese medicinal materials with vacuum-steam pulsation-assisted radio frequency according to claim 8, characterized in that: The touch display screen (8) is capable of setting a preset time, a preset temperature value, the vacuum degree of the negative pressure environment, and the power of the radio frequency generator (9).

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