Crystal drying system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a crystal drying system and method, and relates to the technical field of drying, the system comprises a vacuum microwave dryer, a controller and a weighing device, the vacuum microwave dryer comprises a wet crystal accommodating device, a vacuum generator, a microwave generator and a first temperature sensor; the wet crystal accommodating device is used for accommodating fucosyllactose wet crystals; the weighing device detects the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals; the first temperature sensor detects the temperature value of the fucosyllactose wet crystal in the vacuum microwave dryer; the controller is applied to a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to determine the vacuum microwave drying condition based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystal, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystal and the target moisture content of the wet crystal in the current drying stage; and the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions. The fucosyllactose wet crystal drying device realizes automatic and accurate control of the fucosyllactose wet crystal drying process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of drying technology, and in particular to a crystal drying system and method. Background Art

[0002] Preparation of fucosyllactose After the cells, proteins, inorganic salts and other impurities are separated and removed in the previous step, a concentrated solution is obtained. Other miscellaneous sugars are removed by crystallization using acetic acid and alcohol organic solvents. The specific method is to evaporate and concentrate the fucosyllactose-rich liquid to a certain concentration, add an organic solvent to it at a certain temperature, stir and maintain crystallization for a certain period of time. Due to different solubilities, fucosyllactose is precipitated as crystal particles, and impurity sugars are dissolved in the liquid phase, so as to separate fucosyllactose and impurity sugars. The liquid phase is then removed by centrifugation to obtain wet fucosyllactose crystals, or the wet crystals are recrystallized again to obtain wet crystals. Finally, in order to obtain dry fucosyllactose, the wet crystals are dried.

[0003] However, most existing drying processes rely on manual operations, which not only increases the risk of operational errors, but also due to the differences in the physical properties of different batches of materials (such as crystal particle size, moisture content, etc.), setting uniform drying conditions often cannot meet the optimal drying requirements. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a crystal drying system and method, which are used to solve the defects in the prior art that the existing drying process mostly relies on manual operation, which increases the risk of operational errors, and due to the differences in physical properties of different batches of materials, setting uniform drying conditions often cannot meet the optimal drying requirements.

[0005] The present invention provides a crystal drying system, comprising: A vacuum microwave dryer, a controller and a weighing device, wherein the vacuum microwave dryer comprises a wet crystal containing device, a vacuum generator, a microwave generator and a first temperature sensor, the weighing device is arranged below the base of the vacuum microwave dryer, and the vacuum generator, the microwave generator, the first temperature sensor and the weighing device are electrically connected to the controller; The wet crystal holding device is used to hold wet fucosyllactose crystals; The weighing device is used to detect the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals and send the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals to the controller; The first temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature value of the wet fucosyllactose crystals in the vacuum microwave dryer and send the temperature value to the controller; The controller is used to apply the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, and control the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, wherein the drying conditions include a minimum drying negative pressure, a maximum drying temperature value, and a maximum drying time.

[0006] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the controller is also used to control the working parameters of the vacuum generator based on the minimum drying negative pressure, control the working parameters of the microwave generator based on the maximum drying temperature value, and control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to shut down when the working time of the microwave generator reaches the maximum drying time in the current drying stage.

[0007] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the controller is also used to determine the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the current drying stage based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the current drying stage, and control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to shut down when the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is within a weight loss rate threshold range in the current drying stage.

[0008] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the controller is also used to control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to stop and output a prompt message indicating that the drying of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is completed when it is detected that the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals remains unchanged for a target period of time and the current drying stage is the last drying stage among all preset drying stages.

[0009] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the vacuum microwave dryer further comprises a visual sensor, and the visual sensor is electrically connected to the controller; The visual sensor is used for the image of wet fucosyllactose crystals and sends the image of wet fucosyllactose crystals to the controller; The controller is further configured to output a prompt message indicating that the fucosyllactose wet crystals are yellowing when it is detected based on the fucosyllactose wet crystal image that the yellowing area of ​​the yellowing region on the fucosyllactose wet crystals is not greater than a preset area threshold, and the color difference between the color value at the yellowing region and the color value of the standard fucosyllactose crystals is not greater than a preset color difference threshold; The controller is further used to control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to shut down when the yellowing area is larger than a preset area threshold, or the color difference value is larger than a preset color difference threshold.

[0010] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the controller is further used to control the visual sensor to start up when it is detected that the moisture content of the wet fucosyllactose crystals is less than a preset moisture content threshold.

[0011] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the visual sensor comprises a plurality of visual sensors, wherein each of the visual sensors is used to collect images of wet fucosyllactose crystals at different viewing angles.

[0012] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the vacuum microwave dryer further comprises a switch device, and the switch device is used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer to be opened or closed; The crystal drying system further comprises a mechanical gripper device, wherein the mechanical gripper device comprises a mechanical gripper and a second temperature sensor disposed at the mechanical gripper; The switch device, the mechanical gripper and the second temperature sensor are electrically connected to the controller; The switch device is used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer to open when receiving a power-on signal sent by the controller, wherein the power-on signal is sent by the controller when the vacuum generator and the microwave generator are controlled to stop; The mechanical gripper is used to take out the wet crystal holding device from the vacuum microwave dryer when the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer is opened, turn over the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device, and return the wet crystal holding device to its original position upon receiving a return signal sent by the controller, wherein the return signal is sent by the controller upon detecting that the temperature value of the fucosyllactose wet crystals sent by the second temperature sensor is less than a preset temperature value threshold.

[0013] According to a crystal drying system provided by the present invention, the switch device is further used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer to close when receiving a door closing signal, and the door closing signal is sent by the controller after detecting that the wet crystal receiving device is returned to its position; The controller is also used to return to continue executing the steps of applying the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and controlling the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, when detecting that the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer is closed, until the drying of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is completed.

[0014] The present invention also provides a crystal drying method, which is applied to the controller in the above-mentioned crystal drying system, and the method comprises: Obtaining the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by a weighing device; Based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled, wherein the drying conditions include the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time.

[0015] The present invention also provides an electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the program, any one of the above-mentioned crystal drying methods is implemented.

[0016] The present invention also provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the crystal drying method described in any one of the above is implemented.

[0017] The present invention also provides a computer program product, comprising a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the crystal drying method described above is implemented.

[0018] The crystal drying system and method provided by the present invention realize automatic and precise control of the drying process of wet fucosyllactose crystals by integrating a vacuum microwave dryer, a controller and a weighing device. The controller is based on the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals, the thickness of wet fucosyllactose crystals and the target moisture content of wet crystals in the current drying stage, and is applied to a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to dynamically adjust the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage (such as the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature and the maximum drying time), which effectively solves the problem that the traditional drying process relies on manual operation and the drying conditions are difficult to adapt to the differences in physical properties of materials in different batches, thereby ensuring the best effect of the drying process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are 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.

[0020] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the crystal drying system provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the crystal drying system provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is the third structural schematic diagram of the crystal drying system provided by the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic flow chart of the crystal drying method provided by the present invention; Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the electronic device provided by the present invention.

[0021] Reference numerals: Vacuum microwave dryer 10 , controller 20 , weighing device 30 , vacuum generator 101 , microwave generator 102 , first temperature sensor 103 , visual sensor 104 , switch device 105 , mechanical gripper device 40 , mechanical gripper 401 , second temperature sensor 402 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are 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.

[0023] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 3 The crystal drying system provided by the present invention is described.

[0024] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the crystal drying system provided by the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the crystal drying system includes: a vacuum microwave dryer 10, a controller 20 and a weighing device 30, the vacuum microwave dryer 10 includes a wet crystal containing device, a vacuum generator 101, a microwave generator 102 and a first temperature sensor 103, the weighing device 30 is arranged under the base of the vacuum microwave dryer 10, and the vacuum generator 101, the microwave generator 102, the first temperature sensor 103 and the weighing device 30 are electrically connected to the controller 20.

[0025] It should be understood that the vacuum microwave dryer 10 is the core part of the system and is used for microwave drying of wet crystals. Among them, the vacuum generator 101 is used to create a vacuum environment inside the vacuum microwave dryer 10 to reduce the boiling point of the wet crystals, thereby drying at a lower temperature and reducing thermal damage. The microwave generator 102 is used to generate microwave energy to dry the wet crystals by microwave heating. The microwave can penetrate the crystals and evaporate the internal water quickly.

[0026] Specifically, the wet crystal holding device is used to hold fucosyllactose wet crystals.

[0027] The wet crystal holding device is a container or cavity with fixed length, width and height for holding fucosyllactose wet crystals. Generally, the design of the wet crystal holding device should ensure that microwave energy can be evenly distributed into the wet crystals while maintaining a vacuum environment.

[0028] The weighing device 30 is used to detect the weight of the wet fucosyllactose crystals and send the weight of the wet fucosyllactose crystals to the controller 20 .

[0029] It should be understood that in this embodiment, before the wet fucosyllactose crystals are placed in the wet crystal receiving device in the vacuum microwave dryer 10, the weighing device 30 will be initially calibrated, that is, the reference weight in the no-load state is recorded, and the reference weight represents the total weight of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 itself and all its fixedly installed components. After the wet fucosyllactose crystals are placed in the wet crystal receiving device in the vacuum microwave dryer 10, at this time, due to the addition of the wet fucosyllactose crystals, the total weight of the vacuum microwave dryer and its internal components will increase, and the weighing device will measure the total weight of the vacuum microwave dryer and its internal components in real time or periodically, and the weight of the wet fucosyllactose crystals can be calculated by comparing the currently measured total weight with the reference weight at the time of initial calibration.

[0030] By detecting the change in the weight of the wet fucosyllactose crystals, the evaporation of water during the drying process can be detected. Here, the number of weighing devices 30 is not limited. For example, when there is only one weighing device 30, it is usually set at the center position below the base of the vacuum microwave dryer 10. When multiple weighing devices 30 are used, the multiple weighing devices 30 are evenly distributed below the base of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 so that the total weight of the wet crystals in the entire dryer can be measured.

[0031] The first temperature sensor 103 is used to detect the temperature value of the wet fucosyllactose crystals in the vacuum microwave dryer 10 and send the temperature value to the controller 20 .

[0032] Normally, the temperature value of the wet fucosyllactose crystals is controlled at 20°C to 30°C. In this embodiment, the first temperature sensor 103 is used to ensure that the drying process of the wet fucosyllactose crystals is carried out within a safe and controllable temperature range. Similarly, the number and type of the first temperature sensor 103 are not limited. For example, the first temperature sensor 103 can be an infrared temperature sensor. For example, when there is only one first temperature sensor 103, it is usually arranged at the center of the vacuum microwave dryer 10. When multiple first temperature sensors 103 are used, the multiple first temperature sensors 103 are distributed in different areas of the vacuum microwave dryer 10, such as at least one first temperature sensor 103 is deployed at the top, bottom, front, rear and left and right sides of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 to ensure that the temperature distribution in the entire drying chamber can be accurately monitored.

[0033] The controller 20 is used to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, and control the working states of the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 in the current drying stage based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, wherein the drying conditions include the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time.

[0034] Here, the thickness of wet fucosyllactose crystals refers to the thickness of wet fucosyllactose crystals contained in the wet crystal containing device before drying. In this embodiment, it can be determined based on the height of the wet fucosyllactose crystals piled up in the wet crystal containing device. For example, a photoelectric sensor is provided on the side of the wet crystal containing device. When the wet fucosyllactose crystals pile up to a certain height and block the light beam of the photoelectric sensor, the photoelectric sensor will detect the change in the signal, thereby judging the height of the piled-up wet fucosyllactose crystals.

[0035] Here, the target moisture content of the wet crystals refers to the maximum percentage of the solvent and water allowed to remain in the wet crystals after drying, relative to the total mass of the wet crystals.

[0036] It should be understood that a negative pressure environment helps to accelerate the evaporation rate of water and residual solvents, so that the evaporation effect can be achieved at a lower temperature. The temperature during microwave heating is one of the important factors affecting the drying rate. Properly increasing the temperature can increase the evaporation rate of water molecules. A reasonable drying time can ensure that the material reaches the expected degree of dryness, while also avoiding quality degradation caused by overdrying. Therefore, in this embodiment, the three parameters of minimum drying negative pressure, maximum drying temperature value and maximum drying time are used as drying conditions in each drying stage.

[0037] Specifically, before the drying process begins, the operator will input parameters such as the target moisture content of wet crystals at each drying stage into the controller 20 according to the pre-set process requirements of each drying stage. Before entering each preset drying stage, the controller 20 will determine the current moisture content of fucosyllactose wet crystals based on the current weight of fucosyllactose wet crystals, and determine the drying stage to be entered, i.e., the current drying stage, in combination with the pre-set target moisture content of wet crystals at each drying stage.

[0038] After determining the current drying stage, the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage are estimated using a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals before entering the current drying stage, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, such as the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time. Based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, the controller 20 dynamically adjusts the working states of the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102.

[0039] Each drying stage has a specific wet crystal target moisture content, and the controller 20 dynamically adjusts the drying conditions in each drying stage according to the wet crystal target moisture content of the current drying stage and the current fucosyllactose wet crystal weight and fucosyllactose wet crystal thickness.

[0040] It should be understood that the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model in this embodiment is obtained by training the initial network model using training sample data, and the training sample data includes a data set of vacuum microwave drying experimental results under different drying conditions. Specifically, in a laboratory environment, the operator will set a series of different drying conditions (i.e., the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time), and then record the corresponding drying results of some fucosyllactose wet crystal samples (such as wet crystal moisture content of 80%, layer thickness of 2 / 3 of the height of the material holding plate of the wet crystal holding device) under these drying conditions, i.e., the wet crystal moisture content after drying. Then, the wet crystal moisture content, thickness, and wet crystal moisture content of the fucosyllactose wet crystal sample after drying are used as input data, and the corresponding drying conditions are used as input data to train the initial neural network model, so that the initial neural network model learns the mapping relationship between input and output, and optimizes its internal parameters through multiple iterations, so as to obtain a trained vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model.

[0041] The crystal drying system provided by the present invention realizes automatic and precise control of the drying process of fucosyllactose wet crystals by integrating a vacuum microwave dryer 10, a controller 20 and a weighing device 30. The controller 20 is based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, and is applied to a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to dynamically adjust the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage (such as the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature and the maximum drying time), effectively solving the problem that the traditional drying process relies on manual operation and the drying conditions are difficult to adapt to the differences in physical properties of materials in different batches, thereby ensuring the best effect of the drying process.

[0042] In some embodiments, the controller 20 is also used to control the working parameters of the vacuum generator 101 based on the minimum drying negative pressure, control the working parameters of the microwave generator 102 based on the maximum drying temperature value, and control the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to shut down when the working time of the microwave generator 102 reaches the maximum drying time in the current drying stage.

[0043] The controller 20 adjusts the working parameters of the vacuum generator 101 according to the minimum drying negative pressure in the current drying stage, such as adjusting the speed of the vacuum pump, the number of vacuum pumps turned on or off, or the opening of the vacuum valve, to ensure that the vacuum microwave dryer 10 is maintained at the minimum drying negative pressure.

[0044] Similarly, the controller 20 will also adjust the working parameters of the microwave generator 102 according to the maximum drying temperature value in the current drying stage, such as the output power of the microwave generator 102, to ensure that the drying is effectively performed without exceeding the maximum drying temperature.

[0045] In each drying stage, the controller 20 will first control the vacuum generator 101 to start working. When the vacuum in the vacuum microwave dryer 10 meets the specific vacuum conditions (such as 80% of the minimum drying negative pressure), the controller 20 controls the microwave generator 102 to start working. At the same time, the controller 20 monitors the working time of the microwave generator 102. Once the maximum drying time in the current drying stage is reached, the controller 20 will issue a command to stop the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102.

[0046] The crystal drying system provided by the present invention realizes accurate management of each drying stage through the above minimum drying negative pressure, maximum drying temperature value and maximum drying time.

[0047] In some embodiments, the controller 20 is further used to determine the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the current drying stage based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the current drying stage, and when the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is within the weight loss rate threshold range in the current drying stage, determine that the current drying stage is completed, and control the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to shut down.

[0048] The weight loss rate of wet fucosyllactose crystals refers to the percentage of water and solvent lost by wet fucosyllactose crystals within a certain period of time. In this embodiment, the weight loss rate of wet fucosyllactose crystals in the current drying stage is w=(M1-M2) / (M1×W1)×100%, W1 is the moisture content of wet fucosyllactose crystals before the current drying stage, M1 is the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals before drying, and M2 is the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals during the drying process in the current drying stage.

[0049] Here, the weight loss rate threshold range in the current drying stage refers to the expected weight loss rate range that the fucosyllactose wet crystals should reach at the end of the current drying stage.

[0050] In this embodiment, the controller 20 compares the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals calculated at each monitoring time point in the current drying stage with the preset weight loss rate threshold range of the current drying stage. If the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is within this weight loss rate threshold range, the controller 20 will determine that the goal of the current drying stage has been achieved. Once the controller 20 determines that the current drying stage is completed, it will issue an instruction to stop the operation of the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102.

[0051] The crystal drying system provided by the present invention determines when to end the current drying stage by monitoring the weight loss rate of the wet fucosyllactose crystals, and controls the working states of the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 accordingly, thereby realizing automatic and precise control of the drying process.

[0052] In some embodiments, the controller 20 is also used to control the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to shut down and output a prompt message indicating that the drying of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is completed when it is detected that the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals remains unchanged for a target period of time and the current drying stage is the last drying stage of all preset drying stages.

[0053] The controller 20 continuously monitors the weight loss rate of the wet crystals of fucosyllactose and records its changes. If the weight loss rate of the wet crystals of fucosyllactose does not change within a preset target time, that is, remains constant, this indicates that the water and solvent in the wet crystals of fucosyllactose are no longer significantly reduced, and the drying process may have reached an equilibrium state.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the controller 20 recognizes that the current drying stage is the last preset drying stage and the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals does not change within a preset target time period, the controller 20 will issue an instruction to stop the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to end the entire drying process.

[0055] In addition, when the controller 20 stops the drying equipment, it will output a prompt message (such as through a display screen, a sound alarm or sending a notification) to inform the operator that the microwave drying process of the wet fucosyllactose crystals has been completed.

[0056] Further, when the controller 20 recognizes that the current drying stage is not the last preset drying stage, but the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals has not changed within a preset target time, it indicates that the drying temperature or negative pressure may be insufficient. Similarly, the controller 20 outputs a prompt message (for example, through a display screen, a sound alarm, or sending a notification, etc.) to prompt the operator to perform a manual check. When the operator manually corrects and inputs the minimum drying negative pressure, maximum drying temperature value, and maximum drying time in the current drying stage, the controller 20 continues to control the working state of the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 in the current drying stage based on the minimum drying negative pressure, maximum drying temperature value, and maximum drying time in the current drying stage manually corrected and input by the operator, and optimizes and calibrates the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model deployed in the controller 20 according to the minimum drying negative pressure, maximum drying temperature value, and maximum drying time in the current drying stage manually corrected and input by the operator.

[0057] In some embodiments, reference Figure 2 , the vacuum microwave dryer 10 further includes a visual sensor 104, and the visual sensor 104 is electrically connected to the controller 20; The visual sensor 104 is used for the image of wet fucosyllactose crystals and sends the image of wet fucosyllactose crystals to the controller 20; The controller 20 is further configured to output a prompt message indicating that the fucosyllactose wet crystals are yellowing when the yellowing area of ​​the yellowing area on the fucosyllactose wet crystals is not greater than a preset area threshold, and the color difference between the color value at the yellowing area and the color value of the standard fucosyllactose crystals is not greater than a preset color difference threshold based on the fucosyllactose wet crystal image; The controller 20 is further configured to control the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to shut down when the yellowing area is larger than a preset area threshold, or when the color difference value is larger than a preset color difference threshold.

[0058] In this embodiment, the vacuum microwave dryer 10 is equipped with a visual sensor 104, which is electrically connected to the controller 20. The visual sensor 104 is used to collect images of wet fucosyllactose crystals in the wet crystal holding device. The images of wet fucosyllactose crystals are then sent to the controller 20 for further analysis.

[0059] There is no limit to the number of visual sensors 104 , and there may be multiple visual sensors 104 , each of which is used to collect images of wet fucosyllactose crystals at different viewing angles.

[0060] Here, the viewing angle refers to the visual angle formed by the position or direction when observing the wet fucosyllactose crystals, such as a top view, a left side view, and a right side view, etc. Specifically, when multiple visual sensors 104 are used to collect images of wet fucosyllactose crystals, each visual sensor 104 is located at a different position or faces a different direction, and thus will collect images from different viewing angles, thereby providing more comprehensive surface features of wet fucosyllactose crystals.

[0061] Specifically, the controller 20 detects whether the fucosyllactose wet crystals have turned yellow based on the received fucosyllactose wet crystal image. When the fucosyllactose wet crystals have turned yellow, the controller 20 will further measure the area and color value of the yellowing area on the fucosyllactose wet crystals. If the detected yellowing area is not greater than the preset area threshold, and the color difference between the color value at the yellowing area and the color value of the standard fucosyllactose crystal is not greater than the preset color difference threshold, it indicates that although yellowing is detected, the degree is relatively mild, and the controller 20 will output a corresponding prompt message to notify the operator to pay attention to the monitoring situation. If the yellowing area is greater than the preset area threshold, or the color difference value is greater than the preset color difference threshold, this indicates that a more serious problem has occurred in the drying process, such as overheating. In this case, the controller 20 will immediately control the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to shut down to prevent the problem from further deteriorating.

[0062] Furthermore, the controller 20 is also used to control the visual sensor 104 to start up when it is detected that the moisture content of the wet fucosyllactose crystals is less than a preset moisture content threshold.

[0063] In this embodiment, when the controller 20 detects that the moisture content of the wet fucosyllactose crystals has dropped to a certain level, the visual sensor 104 is activated to further ensure the quality of the drying process by visual monitoring.

[0064] The crystal drying system provided by the present invention monitors potential problems in the drying process in real time through the images of wet fucosyllactose crystals collected by the visual sensor 104, ensuring that timely measures can be taken when abnormal situations are detected, thereby ensuring the safety of automated drying.

[0065] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 The vacuum microwave dryer 10 further includes a switch device 105, and the switch device 105 is used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 to be opened or closed.

[0066] Furthermore, the crystal drying system further includes a mechanical gripper device 40 , wherein the mechanical gripper device 40 includes a mechanical gripper 401 and a second temperature sensor 502 disposed at the mechanical gripper 401 .

[0067] The switch device 105, the mechanical gripper 401 and the second temperature sensor 402 are electrically connected to the controller 20; The switch device 105 is used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 to open when receiving a power-on signal sent by the controller 20, wherein the power-on signal is sent by the controller 20 when the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 are stopped; The mechanical gripper 501 is used to take out the wet crystal holding device from the vacuum microwave dryer 10, turn over the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device, and return the wet crystal holding device to its original position upon receiving a return signal sent by the controller 20. The return signal is sent by the controller 20 upon detecting that the temperature value of the fucosyllactose wet crystals sent by the second temperature sensor 502 is less than a preset temperature value threshold.

[0068] In this embodiment, when the controller 20 controls the vacuum generator 101 and the microwave generator 102 to stop, indicating that the current drying stage is completed, the controller 20 sends a start signal to the switch device 105, the switch device 105 is activated, and the control cabinet door is opened.

[0069] The mechanical gripper 401 is used to take out the wet crystal holding device from the vacuum microwave dryer 10 when the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 is opened, and to turn over the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device to ensure more uniform drying.

[0070] When the controller 20 detects that the temperature value of the wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by the second temperature sensor 402 on the mechanical gripper 401 is less than the preset temperature value threshold, a return signal is sent. After receiving the return signal, the mechanical gripper 401 returns the wet crystal receiving device to its original position, that is, puts it back into the vacuum microwave dryer 10.

[0071] Furthermore, the switch device 105 is also used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 to close when receiving a door closing signal, and the door closing signal is sent by the controller 20 after detecting that the wet crystal receiving device is returned to its position.

[0072] The controller 20 is also used to return to continue executing the steps of applying the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and controlling the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, when detecting that the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer 10 is closed, until the drying of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is completed.

[0073] Here, the mechanical gripper 501 can send a feedback signal to the controller 20 after returning the wet crystal holding device to its position. When the controller 20 receives the feedback signal, it determines that the wet crystal holding device is returned to its position and sends a door closing signal to the switch device 105. When the switch device 105 receives the door closing signal, it will execute the operation of closing the cabinet door and continue to enter the next drying stage, returning to continue the above drying process until the drying is completed.

[0074] The crystal drying system provided by the present invention coordinates the operation of the switch device 105 and the mechanical gripper device 40 through the controller 20, so that the removal, turning and returning of the wet crystal receiving device can be completed without human intervention.

[0075] The crystal drying method provided by the present invention is described below. The crystal drying method described below and the crystal drying system described above can be referenced to each other.

[0076] Figure 4 It is one of the flow diagrams of the crystal drying method provided by the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, the method includes step 401 and step 402.

[0077] Step 401, obtaining the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by a weighing device; Step 402, based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled, wherein the drying conditions include a minimum drying negative pressure, a maximum drying temperature value, and a maximum drying time.

[0078] In this embodiment, the steps executed by the controller are the same as those in the above embodiment and will not be described in detail here.

[0079] For ease of understanding, this example takes the drying process of fucosyllactose crystals as an example for explanation: The wet fucosyllactose crystals separated after ethanol crystallization were placed in the wet crystal holding device of the vacuum microwave dryer for vacuum microwave drying. The crystal drying system was started. In the first drying stage, the weight of the wet fucosyllactose crystals before drying, the thickness of the wet fucosyllactose crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the first drying stage were applied to the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the first drying stage as the minimum drying negative pressure of -0.7 bar, the maximum drying temperature of 75°C, and the maximum drying time of 20 minutes. After that, the working state of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator was controlled according to the minimum drying negative pressure of -0.7 bar, the maximum drying temperature of 75°C, and the maximum drying time of 5 minutes, and the weight loss rate threshold range in the first drying stage was set to 50%-70%.

[0080] When executing the first drying stage, when the temperature reaches the maximum drying temperature value, but the drying time has not reached the maximum drying time or the weight loss rate has not reached the water loss rate threshold, the first drying stage is ended; when the weight loss rate reaches 50%, but the drying time has not reached the maximum drying time and the temperature has not reached the maximum drying temperature value, the fucosyllactose wet crystals can continue to be dried until the weight loss rate reaches 70% or the maximum drying time or the temperature reaches the maximum drying temperature value.

[0081] Based on the above settings, after the first drying stage is completed, the wet crystal holding device is taken out, and the temperature of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device is detected to be 33.7°C. After the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device are turned over, the wet crystal holding device is returned to its original position, and the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied according to the current weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the second drying stage, and the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the second drying stage are determined to be the minimum drying negative pressure of -0.8 bar, the maximum drying temperature of 65°C, and the maximum drying time of 30 minutes. Then, the working state of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator is controlled according to the minimum drying negative pressure of -0.8 bar, the maximum drying temperature of 65°C, and the maximum drying time of 30 minutes, and the weight loss rate threshold range in the second drying stage is set to 30%-40%.

[0082] Here, the second drying stage is the same as the first drying stage described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0083] Based on the above settings, after the second drying stage is completed, the wet crystal holding device is taken out, the temperature of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device is detected to be 48.3°C, the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device are turned over, and the wet crystal holding device is returned to its position when the temperature of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device is detected to be lower than 40°C. The vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied according to the current weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the third drying stage, and the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the third drying stage are determined to be the minimum drying negative pressure of -0.85 bar, the maximum drying temperature of 60°C, and the maximum drying time of 20 minutes. Then, the working state of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator is controlled according to the minimum drying negative pressure of -0.85 bar, the maximum drying temperature of 60°C, and the maximum drying time of 20 minutes, and the weight loss rate threshold range in the third drying stage is set to 0%-10%.

[0084] Based on the above settings, when it is detected that the weight loss rate of wet fucosyllactose crystals is 0% or the weight loss rate of wet fucosyllactose crystals remains unchanged for 5 minutes, it is determined that the drying is completed and the machine is automatically shut down.

[0085] The crystal drying method provided by the present invention realizes the automated and precise control of the drying process of wet fucosyllactose crystals by integrating a vacuum microwave dryer, a controller and a weighing device. The controller is based on the weight of the wet fucosyllactose crystals, the thickness of the wet fucosyllactose crystals and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, and is applied to a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to dynamically adjust the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage (such as the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature and the maximum drying time), which effectively solves the problem that the traditional drying process relies on manual operation and the drying conditions are difficult to adapt to the differences in physical properties of materials in different batches, thereby ensuring the best effect of the drying process.

[0086] Figure 5 An example of a physical structure diagram of an electronic device is shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device may include: a processor 510, a communications interface 520, a memory 530 and a communication bus 540, wherein the processor 510, the communications interface 520 and the memory 530 communicate with each other via the communication bus 540. The processor 510 may call the logic instructions in the memory 530 to execute the crystal drying method, which includes: Obtaining the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by a weighing device; Based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled, wherein the drying conditions include the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time.

[0087] In addition, the logic instructions in the above-mentioned memory 530 can be implemented in the form of a software functional unit and can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium when it is sold or used as an independent product. Based on such an understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM, Read-Only Memory), random access memory (RAM, Random Access Memory), disk or optical disk, etc. Various media that can store program codes.

[0088] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer can execute the crystal drying method provided by the above methods, the method comprising: Obtaining the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by a weighing device; Based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled, wherein the drying conditions include the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time.

[0089] In another aspect, the present invention further provides a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which is implemented when the computer program is executed by a processor to perform the crystal drying method provided by the above methods, the method comprising: Obtaining the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by a weighing device; Based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled, wherein the drying conditions include the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time.

[0090] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0091] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0092] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A crystal drying system, characterized in that: include: A vacuum microwave dryer, a controller and a weighing device, wherein the vacuum microwave dryer comprises a wet crystal containing device, a vacuum generator, a microwave generator and a first temperature sensor, the weighing device is arranged below the base of the vacuum microwave dryer, and the vacuum generator, the microwave generator, the first temperature sensor and the weighing device are electrically connected to the controller; The wet crystal holding device is used to hold wet fucosyllactose crystals; The weighing device is used to detect the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals and send the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals to the controller; The first temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature value of the wet fucosyllactose crystals in the vacuum microwave dryer and send the temperature value to the controller; The controller is used to apply the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, and control the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, wherein the drying conditions include a minimum drying negative pressure, a maximum drying temperature value, and a maximum drying time.

2. The crystal drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also used to control the working parameters of the vacuum generator based on the minimum drying negative pressure, control the working parameters of the microwave generator based on the maximum drying temperature value, and control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to shut down when the working time of the microwave generator reaches the maximum drying time in the current drying stage.

3. The crystal drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also used to determine the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the current drying stage based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the current drying stage, and control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to shut down when the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is within the weight loss rate threshold range in the current drying stage.

4. The crystal drying system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The controller is also used to control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to stop and output a prompt message indicating that the drying of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is completed when it is detected that the weight loss rate of the fucosyllactose wet crystals remains unchanged for a target period of time and the current drying stage is the last drying stage among all preset drying stages.

5. The crystal drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum microwave dryer further comprises a visual sensor, and the visual sensor is electrically connected to the controller; The visual sensor is used for the image of wet fucosyllactose crystals and sends the image of wet fucosyllactose crystals to the controller; The controller is further configured to output a prompt message indicating that the fucosyllactose wet crystals are yellowing when it is detected based on the fucosyllactose wet crystal image that the yellowing area of ​​the yellowing region on the fucosyllactose wet crystals is not greater than a preset area threshold, and the color difference between the color value at the yellowing region and the color value of the standard fucosyllactose crystals is not greater than a preset color difference threshold; The controller is further used to control the vacuum generator and the microwave generator to shut down when the yellowing area is larger than a preset area threshold, or the color difference value is larger than a preset color difference threshold.

6. The crystal drying system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The controller is also used to control the visual sensor to start up when it is detected that the moisture content of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is less than a preset moisture content threshold.

7. The crystal drying system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The visual sensor comprises a plurality of visual sensors, wherein each visual sensor is used to collect images of wet fucosyllactose crystals at different viewing angles.

8. The crystal drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum microwave dryer further comprises a switch device, and the switch device is used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer to be opened or closed; The crystal drying system further comprises a mechanical gripper device, wherein the mechanical gripper device comprises a mechanical gripper and a second temperature sensor disposed at the mechanical gripper; The switch device, the mechanical gripper and the second temperature sensor are electrically connected to the controller; The switch device is used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer to open when receiving a power-on signal sent by the controller, wherein the power-on signal is sent by the controller when the vacuum generator and the microwave generator are controlled to stop; The mechanical gripper is used to take out the wet crystal holding device from the vacuum microwave dryer when the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer is opened, turn over the fucosyllactose wet crystals in the wet crystal holding device, and return the wet crystal holding device to its original position upon receiving a return signal sent by the controller, wherein the return signal is sent by the controller upon detecting that the temperature value of the fucosyllactose wet crystals sent by the second temperature sensor is less than a preset temperature value threshold.

9. The crystal drying system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The switch device is further used to control the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer to close when receiving a door closing signal, wherein the door closing signal is sent by the controller after detecting that the wet crystal receiving device is returned to its position; The controller is also used to return to continue executing the steps of applying the vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and controlling the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, when detecting that the cabinet door of the vacuum microwave dryer is closed, until the drying of the fucosyllactose wet crystals is completed.

10. A crystal drying method, applied to a controller in a crystal drying system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The method comprises: Obtaining the weight of wet fucosyllactose crystals sent by a weighing device; Based on the weight of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, the thickness of the fucosyllactose wet crystals, and the target moisture content of the wet crystals in the current drying stage, a vacuum microwave drying condition prediction model is applied to determine the vacuum microwave drying conditions in the current drying stage, and based on the vacuum microwave drying conditions, the working states of the vacuum generator and the microwave generator in the current drying stage are controlled, wherein the drying conditions include the minimum drying negative pressure, the maximum drying temperature value, and the maximum drying time.

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