System for extracting active ingredients of bunge pricklyash leaves and application method

Abstract

The invention discloses a system for extracting active ingredients of bunge pricklyash leaves and an application method. The system comprises a pretreatment unit; the treatment unit is used for obtaining an extracting solution from the crushed zanthoxylum bungeanum leaf powder; the secondary treatment unit is used for carrying out solid-liquid separation on the extracting solution and comprises a filtering device for separating solid residues in the extracting solution and a centrifugal separator for further separating fine particles and impurities in the extracting solution; a concentration unit; a drying unit; a post-treatment unit; and the control unit is used for automatically controlling the whole extraction system through a programmable logic controller (PLC). According to the system for extracting the active ingredients of the bunge pricklyash leaves and the application method, the belt dryer heated by carbon fibers is added into the pretreatment unit, so that the crushing effect and the extraction efficiency are improved, the product quality and the stability are ensured, and the energy consumption is reduced by adopting technologies such as reduced pressure evaporation and solvent recovery in the extraction process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of deep processing of Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves, and more specifically, to a system and application method for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves. Background Art

[0002] Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves contain a variety of biologically active ingredients, such as volatile oils, flavonoids, alkaloids, etc. These active ingredients have broad application prospects in the fields of food, medicine, cosmetics, etc. However, the current extraction methods and systems of active ingredients from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves have some shortcomings.

[0003] Traditional extraction methods such as solvent extraction and steam distillation have problems such as low extraction efficiency, large loss of effective ingredients, high energy consumption and environmental pollution. Existing extraction systems also have deficiencies in terms of automation, precise control of the extraction process and targeted extraction of different effective ingredients, making it difficult to meet the needs of large-scale industrial production. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to develop a system for extracting effective ingredients from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves that is efficient, precise, environmentally friendly and suitable for industrial production. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to solve at least the above problems and / or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages which will be described hereinafter.

[0005] In order to achieve these purposes and other advantages of the present invention, a system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves is provided, comprising:

[0006] A pre-treatment unit for washing, drying and crushing Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves;

[0007] A processing unit for obtaining an extract from the crushed Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaf powder comprises an extraction tank and a solvent supply module, a temperature control module and a pressure control module matched with the extraction tank, wherein a stirring component and a heating jacket are arranged in the extraction tank;

[0008] A secondary treatment unit for solid-liquid separation of the extract, including a filter for separating solid residues from the extract and a centrifuge for further separating fine particles and impurities from the extract;

[0009] A concentration unit, comprising a concentrator for concentrating and evaporating the separated supernatant and a condenser for condensing and recovering the steam generated by evaporation;

[0010] a drying unit, including a spray dryer for spray drying the concentrate to produce a powdered product;

[0011] A post-treatment unit for fermenting and granulating the residue after centrifugal separation and filtration;

[0012] A control unit that automatically controls the entire extraction system through a programmable logic controller (PLC);

[0013] The drying of the pretreatment unit is configured to be achieved by using a carbon fiber heated belt dryer.

[0014] Preferably, the belt dryer is configured to include:

[0015] A housing with an inlet and an outlet;

[0016] A conveying module arranged inside the housing to convey the material to be dried;

[0017] A carbon fiber heating module is arranged inside the dryer body and located above and / or below the conveying device to heat and dry the material;

[0018] A ventilation module is provided on the dryer body to discharge moisture in the housing during the drying process;

[0019] Control module I communicating with the conveying module, the ventilation module, and the carbon fiber heating module;

[0020] The carbon fiber heating module comprises: carbon fiber heating tubes arranged in a grid or array and a Y-shaped bracket for fixing each carbon fiber heating tube on the side wall of the shell, the surface of each carbon fiber heating tube is coated with a far-infrared radiation coating, and a special-shaped reflector matched with the carbon fiber heating tube is installed on the shell, and the carbon fiber heating tube is configured as a carbon fiber quartz electric heating tube with a woven structure;

[0021] The conveying module is provided with a speed sensor which is in communication with the control module, and the shell is provided with a temperature sensor I inside.

[0022] Preferably, the filtering device is configured to adopt a plate and frame filter press or a centrifugal filter.

[0023] Preferably, the concentrating evaporator comprises:

[0024] A plurality of evaporation modules, each of which comprises: an evaporation chamber, a heating chamber, a gas-liquid separator arranged on the top of the evaporation chamber to separate secondary steam and concentrated liquid, and a circulation pump for conveying the concentrated liquid from the bottom of the gas-liquid separator to the heating chamber for circulation heating, and a falling film heat exchanger with a corrugated plate structure is arranged between the evaporation chamber and the heating chamber;

[0025] A vacuum module for maintaining a negative pressure environment in each evaporation module;

[0026] A plate heat exchanger for preheating the raw liquid;

[0027] Control module II II that cooperates with the plate heat exchanger, vacuum module, and various evaporation modules;

[0028] Among them, each evaporation module is connected in series, and each evaporation module is provided with a matching temperature sensor II, pressure sensor I, and flow sensor II;

[0029] The corrugated plate structure of the falling film heat exchanger adopts an asymmetric design, and the vacuum module adopts a multi-stage steam jet pump.

[0030] Preferably, the spray dryer is configured to include:

[0031] Atomizing module for atomizing liquid materials into fine droplets;

[0032] A drying tower for multi-stage drying of atomized droplets;

[0033] An air supply module that cooperates with the drying tower to provide hot air required for drying;

[0034] A tail gas recovery module that works with the drying tower to recover heat and dust from the tail gas;

[0035] Wherein, the atomization module is configured to include a matching high-pressure nozzle and / or a centrifugal atomizer;

[0036] The air supply module includes a hot air furnace, an air filter and a hot air distributor with a porous plate structure;

[0037] The tail gas recovery module includes a cyclone separator, a bag dust collector and a heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is arranged at the air inlet end of the hot air furnace;

[0038] The drying tower comprises a primary drying chamber and a secondary drying chamber. The primary drying chamber adopts a downstream drying method, and the secondary drying chamber adopts a countercurrent drying method. A material disperser is arranged between the primary drying chamber and the secondary drying chamber.

[0039] Preferably, the high pressure nozzle comprises:

[0040] Nozzle body with one-piece structure;

[0041] A multi-channel medium access port is provided on the side of the nozzle body and is used to access different media or multiple channels of the same medium;

[0042] A mixing chamber is arranged inside the nozzle body and is connected to a plurality of mixing chambers connected to different media or multiple mixing chambers of the same medium;

[0043] An injection channel disposed between the mixing chamber and the nozzle to transport the mixed liquid to the nozzle for injection;

[0044] Among them, each medium inlet is equipped with a flow regulating valve and a one-way valve;

[0045] The mixing chamber is provided with multiple layers of mixing blades distributed in a spiral shape, and the spiral direction of each layer of mixing blades is different;

[0046] The inner diameter of the injection channel gradually decreases from one end of the mixing chamber to one end of the nozzle;

[0047] The mixing chamber and the injection channel are respectively provided with pressure sensors II.

[0048] An application method, which is applied to a system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves, comprising:

[0049] In the pretreatment stage, fresh Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves are placed in a cleaning device, rinsed with circulating water for 5-10 minutes by spray cleaning, and then transported to a crushing device after drying excess surface water, and crushed into particles with a particle size of 2-5 mm by a hammer mill;

[0050] In the extraction stage, the crushed Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles are transported to an extraction tank, a predetermined amount of extraction solvent is added to the extraction tank through a solvent supply module, a stirring device is started to fully mix the Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles with the extraction solvent, a temperature control module and a pressure control module are turned on, the extraction temperature is controlled at 50-60° C., the pressure is controlled at 0.1-0.2 MPa, and the extraction time is 2-3 hours;

[0051] In the separation stage, the extract is transported to the filtration device through the corresponding pipeline, and a plate and frame filter press is used for preliminary filtration to separate the solid residue. The filtered extract then enters the centrifugal separator and is centrifuged at a speed of 3000-5000r / min to further remove fine particles and impurities;

[0052] In the concentration stage, the separated extract is transported to the concentration evaporator and concentrated by reduced pressure evaporation. The evaporation temperature is controlled at 40-50°C and the vacuum degree is -0.08-0.09MPa. The extract is concentrated to 1 / 5-1 / 10 of the original volume, and the steam generated by evaporation is condensed and recovered through the condenser for recycling;

[0053] In the drying stage, the concentrated extract is transported to the spray dryer through the corresponding pipeline, and the inlet air temperature is set to 150-180°C, the outlet air temperature is set to 80-100°C, and the spray speed is set to 5-10L / h for spray drying to produce a powdered product;

[0054] Control and monitoring: During the entire extraction process, the control unit uses PLC to monitor and control the operating parameters of each unit in real time, so as to automatically send out an alarm signal and shut down for protection when a system failure occurs.

[0055] Preferably, a microwave-assisted extraction module is provided in the extraction stage.

[0056] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0057] First, the extraction efficiency is improved: the pepper leaves are cleaned and crushed through the pretreatment unit, which increases the contact area between the pepper leaves and the extraction solvent; the extraction unit adopts stirring, temperature and pressure control measures to enable the active ingredients to be more fully dissolved in the extraction solvent, thereby improving the extraction efficiency.

[0058] Second, ensure product quality: the separation unit and concentration unit can effectively remove impurities and moisture from the extract, and the drying unit can make the concentrate into a stable powder product, ensuring the purity and quality of the product.

[0059] Third, reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution: the use of reduced pressure evaporation and solvent recovery technologies in the extraction process reduces energy consumption; cleaning water and solvents can be recycled, reducing pollution to the environment.

[0060] Fourth, realize automated production: the control unit adopts PLC for automated control, which is easy to operate and can monitor and adjust system operating parameters in real time, thus improving production efficiency and product quality stability, and is suitable for large-scale industrial production.

[0061] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will be embodied in part through the following description, and in part will be understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Figure 1 A system block diagram of the present invention for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves;

[0063] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structural layout of the belt dryer of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structural layout of the concentrating evaporator of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structural layout of the evaporation module of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structural layout of the concentrating dryer of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structural layout of the high-pressure nozzle of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can implement the invention with reference to the description.

[0069] It should be understood that the terms such as “having”, “including” and “comprising” used herein do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0070] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves, so as to improve the extraction efficiency and quality of effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves, reduce energy consumption, reduce environmental pollution, and realize automated and precise production. The system mainly includes the following main parts:

[0071] 1. Preprocessing unit 1

[0072] Cleaning device 10: used to clean the prickly ash leaves and remove dust, impurities and pesticide residues on the surface. The cleaning device can adopt spray cleaning or immersion cleaning, and the cleaning water can be recycled to save water.

[0073] Drying device 11: The washed pepper leaves are subjected to surface water-free or dry dehydration treatment to adapt to the application needs of different scenarios. If it is a continuous production, it will be treated to be surface water-free. If it needs to be transported or stored, it will be dried and dehydrated.

[0074] Crushing device 12: Crushing the Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves which are dry or dehydrated on the surface, increasing the contact area between the Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves and the extraction solvent, and improving the extraction efficiency. The crushing device can be a hammer crusher or a blade crusher, and the crushing particle size can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0075] 2. Extraction unit (also called disposal unit) 2

[0076] Extraction tank 20: Made of pressure-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel. A stirring device is provided in the extraction tank to fully mix the pepper leaves with the extraction solvent. The tank wall is provided with a heating jacket, and the extraction temperature can be controlled by steam or electric heating. In actual applications, the extraction tank is made of pressure-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials, and the solvent supply module includes a solvent storage tank, an infusion pump and a flow control valve.

[0077] Solvent supply module 21: used to deliver the extraction solvent into the extraction tank. This module includes a solvent storage tank, an infusion pump and a flow control valve, which can accurately control the delivery amount and flow rate of the solvent.

[0078] Temperature control module 22: monitors the temperature in the extraction tank in real time through a temperature sensor, compares it with the set temperature, and automatically adjusts the heating power of the heating jacket to ensure that the extraction process is carried out at an appropriate temperature.

[0079] Pressure control module 23: A pressure sensor is installed on the extraction tank to monitor the pressure inside the tank in real time. When the pressure exceeds the set value, the pressure is automatically released through the safety valve to ensure the safety of the extraction process.

[0080] 3. Separation unit (also called secondary disposal unit) 3

[0081] Filter device 30: used to separate solid residues from the extract. A plate and frame filter press or a centrifugal filter can be used, and the filtering accuracy can be selected according to needs.

[0082] Centrifugal separator 31: further separates fine particles and impurities in the extract to improve the purity of the extract. The speed of the centrifugal separator can be adjusted according to the properties of the extract.

[0083] 4. Concentration Unit 4

[0084] Concentrating evaporator 41: includes a concentrating evaporator and a condenser. The concentrating evaporator is used to concentrate the separated extract. This solution uses reduced pressure evaporation to concentrate the separated extract, reduce the evaporation temperature, and reduce the loss of effective ingredients. The concentrating evaporator can use single-effect or multi-stage evaporation to improve energy efficiency. The principle of reduced pressure evaporation is to reduce the internal pressure by vacuuming a closed evaporator. In this way, the boiling point of the solution will be reduced accordingly, so that the evaporation process can be carried out at a lower temperature. This method can not only prevent or reduce the decomposition of heat-sensitive substances, but also increase the heat transfer temperature difference and strengthen the evaporation operation. The operating temperature of the evaporation process is low, and the heat loss of the concentration unit is also small, so low-pressure steam or waste steam with a lower temperature can be used as a heating source to save energy.

[0085] Condenser 41: The steam generated by evaporation is condensed and recovered for recycling, thus saving energy and solvents.

[0086] 5. Drying unit 5

[0087] Spray dryer: The concentrated extract is spray dried to make a powdered product. The spray dryer can accurately control the inlet air temperature, outlet air temperature and spray speed to ensure the quality and stability of the product.

[0088] 6. Control Unit 6

[0089] A programmable logic controller (PLC) is used to automatically control the entire extraction unit. The operating parameters of the system, such as temperature, pressure, flow, etc., can be displayed in real time through the touch screen operation interface, and the parameters can be set and adjusted as needed. At the same time, the control unit also has fault alarm and automatic shutdown functions to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the system. Taking the pretreatment unit as an example, a matching inductive sensor can be set on the feeding side of the conveyor belt of the cleaning device. When material enters, the valve body on the cleaning device is switched to clean the pepper leaves on the conveyor belt. When all materials are output and no material enters for a predetermined time, the valve body is closed;

[0090] When materials enter the cleaning device, the processing unit sends instructions to the drying device to obtain the temperature of each link of the current drying device. When the temperature meets the requirements, no operation is performed, otherwise the drying device is started for preheating, and the preheating time and the working power or working number of each heating carbon fiber heating module are determined according to the real-time temperature (this link can be achieved by PID method, or it can be heated at a rated temperature); when materials enter the drying device, the heating carbon fiber heating modules of each drying link are started to dry the transmitted pepper leaves. When all pepper leaves are dried and outputted and no material enters for a predetermined time, the working mode of the heating carbon fiber heating modules of each drying link is switched;

[0091] The Chinese prickly ash leaves coming out of the drying device are transported to the crushing device through the corresponding transmission mechanism. When the material to be crushed enters the crushing device and meets the predetermined weight or volume, the conveying state of the transmission mechanism is switched or the Chinese prickly ash leaves on the transmission mechanism are transported to the temporary storage tank. The crushing device performs the crushing operation. After the predetermined crushing time, the working state of the crushing device is switched, and the conveying state of the transmission mechanism is switched again to perform the secondary feeding operation.

[0092] Similarly, the control unit obtains the working status or processing status of each unit in real time through a series of sensors and actuators installed in the separation unit, concentration unit, and drying unit, and issues control instructions to each unit based on the acquired status information to switch or adjust its working status to achieve intelligent processing of the entire process.

[0093] 7. A post-treatment unit 7 for fermenting and granulating the filter residue after centrifugal separation and filtration, which is used to re-process the separated residue so that the waste generated in the whole process can be reused. For example, the enriched material after granulation can be used as a raw material for fertilizer, feed, and planting soil, which reduces waste and is more environmentally friendly.

[0094] As a further preferred solution, Figure 2 As shown, the drying of the pretreatment unit is configured to be implemented by a carbon fiber heating belt dryer 12, and the belt dryer is configured to include:

[0095] The housing 120 with the feed port 1200 and the discharge port 1201 is also called a drying chamber, and the drying chamber is made of heat-insulating materials to reduce heat loss;

[0096] A conveying module 121 is arranged inside the housing to convey the material to be dried, and the conveying module includes a driving roller 1210, a driven roller 1211 and a conveyor belt 1212. The driving roller and the driven roller are respectively arranged at both ends of the dryer body, and the conveyor belt is wound around the driving roller and the driven roller, and is driven by the driving roller to circulate. The conveyor belt is made of a material that is resistant to high temperatures and has good air permeability, such as a stainless steel mesh or a polyester fiber mesh;

[0097] A carbon fiber heating module 123 is arranged inside the dryer body and located above and / or below the conveying device to heat and dry the material. In actual applications, the carbon fiber heating modules are distributed in an array above and below the conveying device and are perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying device. In this structure, the carbon fiber heating module has the characteristics of fast heating speed and high heat conversion efficiency, and can efficiently convert electrical energy into thermal energy. Compared with traditional heating methods, it can significantly reduce energy consumption;

[0098] A ventilation module 124 is provided on the dryer body to discharge moisture in the housing during the drying process;

[0099] A control module I (not shown) that is in communication with the conveying module, the ventilation module, and the carbon fiber heating module;

[0100] Among them, the carbon fiber heating module includes: carbon fiber heating tubes 1230 in a grid layout or an array layout and a Y-shaped bracket 1231 for fixing each carbon fiber heating tube on the side wall of the shell. The grid layout or the array layout makes the carbon fiber heating tubes heat evenly, and the temperature increase and maintenance are good. The carbon fiber heating tubes are installed on the Y-shaped bracket. The two ends of each carbon fiber heating tube are respectively connected to electrodes, which are connected to the power supply through the electrodes. In this structure, the carbon fiber heating tubes are distributed in an array above and below the conveying module, and the surface is coated with a far-infrared radiation coating, which can evenly heat the material, avoiding the problem of local overheating or insufficient heating that is prone to occur in traditional heating methods, improving product quality, and the carbon fiber heating tubes have the advantages of high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, corrosion resistance, etc., long service life, reducing the maintenance cost of equipment, and at the same time, the drying process is divided into different stages, and different heating temperatures are set for each stage. For example, in the preheating stage, a lower temperature (30-35 degrees) is used to heat the pepper leaves evenly; in the uniform drying stage, the heating temperature (45-60 degrees) is appropriately increased to accelerate the evaporation of water; in the deceleration drying stage, the heating temperature is lowered again (30-40 degrees) to reduce the impact on the nutrients, and the drying equipment should be preheated before putting the pepper leaves in. Set the equipment temperature to a temperature range suitable for drying pepper leaves, generally 30-60℃, and fine-tune it according to the variety and water content of the pepper leaves. The preheating time is about 10-15 minutes, so that the temperature inside the equipment is uniform and stable, which can avoid the loss of a large number of nutrients in the pepper leaves due to sudden heating. The humidity during the drying process should be controlled at 30%-40%. In order to facilitate transportation, the pepper leaves can be dried to a moisture content of 10%-15%, because over-drying will cause further loss of nutrients in the pepper leaves. If it is a continuous process, the speed of the conveying module can be adjusted to achieve surface moisture drying to prevent damage to the properties of the pepper leaves. Therefore, according to different actual use needs, it can be selected whether to dry the pepper leaves only to the surface without water, or to dry them to a moisture content of 10%-15%;

[0101] The surface of each carbon fiber heating tube is coated with a far-infrared radiation coating, which can efficiently convert electrical energy into far-infrared radiation energy to heat and dry the material. In addition, because the chemical properties of carbon fiber are stable, it is not easy to react with the nutrients in the pepper leaves, and can effectively protect the nutrients in the pepper leaves.

[0102] An irregular reflector 1232 that mates with the carbon fiber heating tube is installed on the housing (the spatial cross-section of the irregular reflector can be set as a U-shaped structure according to needs, and its function is to set the structure of the irregular reflector in a matching manner according to different housing structures so that far-infrared radiation energy can be reflected onto the material surface as much as possible). The irregular reflector is used to reflect the far-infrared radiation generated by the carbon fiber heating element onto the material surface. The reflector is made of polished aluminum plate or stainless steel plate to improve the reflectivity of far-infrared radiation. The carbon fiber heating tube is configured as a carbon fiber quartz electric heating tube with a braided structure. The use of a braided structure for the carbon fiber heating tube can improve the heating efficiency and service life. In this structure, carbon fiber heating has the advantages of high electro-thermal conversion efficiency, the far-infrared radiation can be directly absorbed by the material, small heat loss, low energy consumption, no open flame, no pollution, meeting environmental protection requirements, and the infrared radiation can penetrate the material surface, enabling the material to be heated simultaneously inside and outside, with high drying efficiency;

[0103] A speed sensor (not shown) that communicates with the control module is provided on the conveying module. The speed sensor is arranged on the driving roller and is used to monitor the running speed of the conveyor belt in real time. A temperature sensor I (not shown) is arranged inside the housing. Monitoring devices such as speed sensors, temperature and / or humidity sensors are installed in the drying device to obtain parameters such as temperature and humidity in real time. These parameters are fed back to the control module I through the data transmission module. The control module I adjusts the power of the carbon fiber heating module according to the feedback signal of the temperature sensor I, so that the operator can timely understand whether the parameters in the drying process meet the requirements;

[0104] In actual applications, a matching dehumidification module can also be set in the drying chamber as needed to discharge the moisture in the drying chamber. The dehumidification module includes a dehumidification fan and a dehumidification pipeline. During the drying process, the dehumidification fan inhales fresh air from the outside through the air inlet into the main body of the dryer, mixes it with the moisture on the material surface, and then discharges it from the air outlet, thereby ensuring the air circulation inside the dryer and improving the drying efficiency. A humidity sensor is set in the drying chamber as needed to detect the humidity in the drying chamber. The control module I adjusts the rotation speed of the dehumidification fan according to the humidity. The control module I automatically adjusts the heating power of the carbon fiber heating device, the running speed of the conveying device, and the air volume of the ventilation module according to the signals fed back by the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and speed sensor, so that the control module I can automatically adjust the heating power, conveying speed, and ventilation volume according to the temperature inside the dryer and the running speed of the conveyor belt, realizing the automatic control of the drying process, being convenient to operate, and improving the production efficiency.

[0105] Working principle: Turn on the power of the control module I and set parameters such as drying temperature, conveyor belt running speed, and ventilation volume through the operation panel.

[0106] The dried pepper leaves are evenly placed on the conveyor belt from the feed port, and the conveyor module is started to make the conveyor belt start to circulate and transport the pepper leaves from the feed end to the discharge end. The carbon fiber heating module is set in the drying room, located above and below the conveyor module. The carbon fiber heating module is started, and the carbon fiber heating tube converts electrical energy into far-infrared radiation energy after being powered on. The reflector reflects the far-infrared radiation to the surface of the material to heat and dry the material.

[0107] During the drying process, the temperature sensor I monitors the temperature inside the dryer in real time, and the speed sensor monitors the running speed of the conveyor belt in real time, and feeds back the monitoring signal to the control module I. The control module I automatically adjusts the heating power of the carbon fiber heating module, the running speed of the conveying module, and the air volume of the dehumidification module according to the feedback signal, and accurately controls the drying process to ensure the stability and efficiency of the drying process.

[0108] Start the dehumidification module, and the dehumidification fan draws fresh air from the outside into the main body of the dryer from the air inlet or the treated dry air, mixes with the moisture on the surface of the material, and then discharges it from the air outlet to the dehumidification device. The hot dry air after dehumidification treatment returns to the drying chamber to ensure the air circulation inside the dryer. The dehumidification fan discharges the moisture from the drying chamber through the dehumidification pipe for secondary treatment and reuse, which can not only save energy, but also reduce the introduction of outside air, reduce the interference of the external environment on the drying process, and better protect the nutritional components of pepper leaves. In this scheme, the following effects are achieved by adding a carbon fiber heated belt dryer to the pretreatment unit:

[0109] 1. Improve the crushing effect

[0110] Prevent sticking: Fresh pepper leaves usually contain a high amount of water, which can easily cause the pepper leaves to stick together during the crushing process. When the pepper leaves are dried by adding a drying device, their water content is reduced, which can effectively avoid this sticking phenomenon, allowing the pepper leaves to be processed more smoothly in the crushing device, improving the uniformity and efficiency of the crushing.

[0111] Protect equipment: If the water content of pepper leaves is too high, it may cause a large load on the crushing equipment during crushing, increasing the wear and failure risk of the equipment. The dried pepper leaves are relatively brittle and easier to crush, reducing the wear of the crushing cutter and other parts, and extending the service life of the crushing equipment.

[0112] 2. Improve extraction efficiency

[0113] Increase contact area: After the dried pepper leaves are crushed, their particles are more dispersed and can form smaller and more uniform particles. In this way, in the subsequent extraction process, the extraction solvent can contact the pepper leaf particles more fully, and the speed and degree of dissolution of the effective ingredients from the pepper leaf particles will be increased, thereby significantly improving the extraction efficiency.

[0114] Reduce solvent dilution: If the water content of Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves is high, it is equivalent to adding extra water to the system during the extraction process, which will dilute the concentration of the extraction solvent and affect the dissolution and extraction effect of the active ingredients. Reducing the water content of Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves through drying can avoid this solvent dilution problem, ensure the effective concentration of the extraction solvent, and facilitate the extraction of active ingredients.

[0115] 3. Ensure product quality and stability

[0116] Reduce microbial growth: Water is one of the important conditions for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. The high water content in fresh pepper leaves provides a good living environment for microorganisms. Reducing the water content of pepper leaves through a drying device in the pretreatment stage can inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, reduce the impact of microbial metabolites on the effective ingredients of pepper leaves, and ensure the quality and safety of the extracted products.

[0117] Reduce the risk of oxidation: Water will promote the oxidation reaction of the active ingredients in the pepper leaves, resulting in the loss and deterioration of the active ingredients. Drying can reduce the moisture content and the probability of oxidation, which helps to maintain the stability of the active ingredients in the pepper leaves and improve the quality and shelf life of the final product.

[0118] 4. Easy to store and transport

[0119] The dried Sichuan pepper leaves have lower water content, lighter weight and smaller volume, which not only reduces the cost of storage and transportation, but also makes them less prone to mold and rot during storage, making it convenient for companies to store and allocate Sichuan pepper leaf raw materials and ensure production continuity.

[0120] As a further preferred solution, Figure 3-Figure 4 As shown, the concentrating evaporator comprises:

[0121] Multiple evaporation modules 401, multiple evaporation modules adopt multi-stage evaporation technology, that is, by utilizing the latent heat of secondary steam, the thermal energy utilization rate can be effectively improved and the energy consumption can be reduced. Each evaporation module includes: an evaporation chamber 4010, a heating chamber 4011, a gas-liquid separator 4012 arranged on the top of the evaporation chamber to separate the secondary steam and the concentrated liquid, and a circulation pump 4013 for conveying the concentrated liquid from the bottom of the gas-liquid separator to the heating chamber for circulation heating. A falling film heat exchanger 4014 with a corrugated plate structure is arranged between the evaporation chamber and the heating chamber. The structure adopts a falling film heat exchanger and a corrugated plate structure to increase the heat transfer area and the degree of fluid turbulence, and significantly improve the heat transfer efficiency. It mainly solves the technical problems that traditional evaporators mostly adopt shell-and-tube heat exchangers, have limited heat transfer efficiency, are easy to scale, and affect long-term stable operation;

[0122] A vacuum module 402 for maintaining a negative pressure environment in each evaporation module, which includes a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump cooperates with the condenser to uniformly condense the extracted secondary steam, and then recycles it as needed, so that it can be selectively used as a heat source according to the temperature after condensation, and used in the corresponding evaporation module, mainly to solve the technical problem that the existing multi-stage evaporation system involves multiple evaporators, condensers, vacuum pumps and other equipment, and the operation and control are relatively complicated;

[0123] The plate heat exchanger 403 for preheating the raw material liquid is used to preheat the raw material liquid by using the waste heat of the condensed water and the concentrated liquid;

[0124] The control module II 404 matched with the plate heat exchanger, vacuum module and each evaporation module is used to control the operating parameters of the evaporation module, including temperature, pressure and flow rate. It should be noted that each control module in the present invention adopts PLC control to realize automatic operation and remote monitoring;

[0125] Among them, each evaporation module is connected in series, and the secondary steam of the previous evaporation module is used as the heating heat source of the next evaporation module. Each evaporation module is equipped with a matching temperature sensor II, pressure sensor I, and flow sensor II;

[0126] The corrugated plate structure of the falling film heat exchanger adopts an asymmetric design to increase the turbulence of the fluid and improve the heat transfer efficiency. The vacuum module adopts a multi-stage steam jet pump to increase the vacuum degree and reduce the evaporation temperature.

[0127] The working principle of this scheme is that the concentrated evaporator includes three evaporation modules, a vacuum module, a preheating plate heat exchanger and a control module II. The raw liquid enters the heating chamber of the first-stage evaporation module after being preheated by the preheater, and is heated and evaporated in the falling film heat exchanger. The secondary steam generated enters the gas-liquid separator for gas-liquid separation. The separated secondary steam is used as the heating heat source of the second-stage evaporation module. The concentrated liquid is transported to the heating chamber by a circulating pump for circulating heating.

[0128] The working principle of the second-stage evaporation module and the third-stage evaporation module is the same as that of the first-stage evaporation module. The secondary steam generated by the third-stage evaporation module enters the condenser for condensation, and the non-condensable gas is discharged by the vacuum pump.

[0129] Control module II is used to control the temperature, pressure, flow and other parameters of each evaporation module to achieve automatic operation. This solution adopts multi-stage evaporation and reduced pressure evaporation technology, fully utilizes the latent heat of secondary steam, reduces energy consumption, adopts falling film heat exchanger and corrugated plate structure, increases heat transfer area and fluid turbulence, and significantly improves heat transfer efficiency.

[0130] As a further preferred solution, Figure 5 As shown, the spray dryer is configured to include:

[0131] An atomizing module 50 for atomizing liquid materials into fine droplets, which is used to atomize liquid materials into fine droplets. The atomizing module adopts a combination of a high-pressure nozzle 402 and a centrifugal atomizer 502 to improve the atomization effect. The high-pressure nozzle adopts an internal mixing structure to improve the atomization effect and atomization efficiency. The centrifugal atomizer is driven by a high-speed motor to increase the atomization speed and reduce the droplet particle size. The centrifugal atomizer is vertically fixedly connected to the top of the drying tower, and the terminal outlet of the atomizer is connected to the high-pressure nozzle, and the high-pressure nozzle extends into the drying tower;

[0132] A drying tower 51 for multi-stage drying of atomized droplets, for drying atomized droplets, the drying tower adopts a two-stage drying structure, including a primary drying chamber 510 and a secondary drying chamber, the primary drying chamber 511 adopts a downstream drying method, and the secondary drying chamber adopts a countercurrent drying method to improve drying efficiency, a material disperser 512 is provided between the primary drying chamber and the secondary drying chamber, for evenly dispersing the material to the secondary drying chamber, the material disperser can be a mesh plate with a smaller aperture, and the holes are radially distributed in space;

[0133] An air supply module 52 cooperates with the drying tower to provide the hot air required for drying. The air supply module includes a hot air furnace, an air filter and a hot air distributor. The hot air distributor adopts a porous plate structure to evenly distribute the hot air.

[0134] A tail gas recovery module 53 for recovering heat and dust from the tail gas in cooperation with the drying tower is used to recover heat and dust from the tail gas. The tail gas recovery module includes a cyclone separator 530, a bag filter 531 and a heat exchanger 532. The heat exchanger is used to recover heat from the tail gas and preheat the air entering the hot air furnace.

[0135] Working principle of this scheme: Liquid materials are atomized into fine droplets by high-pressure nozzles and / or centrifugal atomizers, and enter the primary drying chamber of the drying tower to be dried downstream with hot air. The dried materials enter the secondary drying chamber through the material disperser and are dried countercurrently with hot air to further reduce the moisture content of the materials. The air supply module provides the hot air required for drying. The hot air generated by the hot air furnace is filtered by the air filter and evenly distributed to the drying tower by the hot air distributor. The exhaust gas recovery module recovers heat and dust in the exhaust gas, the cyclone separator and bag dust collector separate the dust in the exhaust gas, and the heat exchanger recovers heat in the exhaust gas to preheat the air entering the hot air furnace.

[0136] The spray dryer of this scheme has the characteristics of low energy consumption, stable product quality and small equipment size. Specifically, it adopts a two-stage drying structure and an exhaust gas recovery module to improve thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption. It adopts an atomization method combining a high-pressure nozzle and / or a centrifugal atomizer, as well as hot air uniform distribution technology to ensure that the product particle size distribution is uniform and the water content is stable. It adopts a two-stage drying structure to shorten the drying time and reduce the equipment size.

[0137] As a further preferred solution, when a high pressure nozzle is used alone, Figure 6 As shown, the high pressure nozzle comprises:

[0138] The nozzle body 4020 of the integrated structure is made of wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel and ceramics;

[0139] A multi-channel medium access port 4021 is provided on the side of the nozzle body and is used to access different media or multiple channels of the same medium;

[0140] A mixing chamber 4022 is arranged inside the nozzle body and connected to multiple different media or multiple channels of the same medium, and is used to fully mix liquid and gas or liquid and gas. The mixing chamber adopts a Venturi structure and uses the Venturi effect to enhance the mixing effect of the gas-liquid two-phase, or a plurality of spirally distributed mixing blades 4023 are arranged in the mixing chamber. When multiple media enter the mixing chamber, since the spiral directions of each layer of mixing blades are different, the liquid is continuously divided, diverted and re-merged under the action of the multi-layer mixing blades, thereby achieving efficient and uniform mixing. In addition, the inner wall of the mixing chamber adopts a smooth curved surface design to reduce the resistance of liquid flow and improve mixing efficiency.

[0141] The injection channel 4025 is arranged between the mixing chamber 4022 and the nozzle 4024 to transport the mixed liquid to the nozzle for injection. It is used to accelerate the mixed liquid of the same medium or the gas-liquid two-phase flow. The injection channel adopts a conical structure, and its inner diameter gradually decreases from one end of the mixing chamber to the other end of the nozzle. The cone angle is 15° to 30°, which increases the flow rate of the gas-liquid two-phase flow. This tapered structure can accelerate the mixed liquid in the injection channel, increase the injection speed and pressure, and improve the atomization effect. At the same time, the inner wall of the injection channel is polished to reduce the friction between the liquid and the channel wall and reduce pressure loss;

[0142] Furthermore, the nozzle 4024 is detachably designed and connected to the injection channel through a threaded connection. The nozzle is configured as an atomizing chamber with a swirl structure, and is provided with a plurality of atomizing outlets 4026, and the swirl angle of the atomizing outlets is 30° to 60°. The shape of the nozzle can be changed according to different application requirements, such as circular, fan-shaped, etc. In practical applications, according to actual needs, a spoiler can also be provided inside the nozzle to further enhance the injection effect of the liquid and make the injected liquid more dispersed and uniform.

[0143] Among them, each medium inlet is equipped with a flow control valve and a one-way valve to adjust the flow and on-off of the liquid and / or gas. The flow control valve is used to accurately control the inflow of each medium, so as to achieve a precise mixing ratio of different media, and the one-way valve prevents the liquid from flowing back and ensures that the liquid can only flow into the mixing chamber in one direction;

[0144] The mixing chamber and the injection channel are respectively provided with pressure sensors II.

[0145] Working principle of this scheme: Different or the same medium is controlled by the flow control valve respectively, and the inflow of each medium is accurately controlled according to the preset mixing ratio, and introduced into the mixing chamber inside the nozzle body from the medium inlet. The mixing chamber can use a Venturi structure or multiple layers of spirally distributed mixing blades to enhance the mixing effect;

[0146] The mixed medium flows into the injection channel for acceleration, increasing the injection speed and pressure. The accelerated medium enters the nozzle, and the swirl structure and / or spoiler inside the nozzle are used to atomize the medium into fine droplets, while enhancing the injection effect, so that the liquid is more dispersed and evenly ejected through the atomization outlet. This solution adopts an internal mixing structure, uses the Venturi effect to enhance the mixing of gas and liquid phases, and combines swirl atomization technology to obtain a fine particle size and uniform distribution of atomization effects. Compared with traditional airflow nozzles, it can save a lot of compressed air consumption and reduce energy consumption. By adjusting the gas-liquid ratio, it can be suitable for the atomization needs of liquids with different viscosities. The nozzle has a simple structure, is easy to disassemble and assemble, and is easy to clean and maintain. By optimizing the internal structure design, multiple media can be efficiently and evenly mixed inside the nozzle, improving the mixing effect and injection quality; at the same time, it reduces liquid leakage and pressure loss during high-pressure injection, and improves the service life and working stability of the nozzle; and enhances the versatility of the nozzle so that it can adapt to different working media and working conditions.

[0147] It should be further explained that when the high-pressure nozzle is used in conjunction with a centrifugal atomizer, one of the medium access ports of the nozzle body in the high-pressure nozzle is connected to the high-speed gas, and a matching rotating blade is provided on the atomization outlet. The high-speed gas is used to rotate the rotating blade to further break up the medium ejected from the atomization outlet to ensure the atomization effect, and the injection channel, mixing blades, etc. are selected as needed to meet different processing needs.

[0148] The application method of the system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves of the present invention mainly comprises the following steps:

[0149] Step 1: Preprocessing

[0150] Fresh pepper leaves are placed in a cleaning device and rinsed with circulating water for 5-10 minutes in a spray-type cleaning manner to remove dust, impurities and pesticide residues on the surface. The washed pepper leaves are transported to a drying device to remove surface moisture or dehydrate them. The dried pepper leaves enter a crushing device and are crushed into particles with a particle size of 2-5 mm using a hammer mill.

[0151] Step 2: Extraction stage: The crushed Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles are transported to the extraction tank, and an appropriate amount of extraction solvent (such as ethanol) is added to the extraction tank through the solvent supply module. The stirring device is started to fully mix the Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles with the extraction solvent. At the same time, the temperature control module and the pressure control module are turned on to control the extraction temperature at 50-60°C, the pressure at 0.1-0.2MPa, and the extraction time is 2-3 hours.

[0152] Step 3: Separation stage. After the extraction is completed, the extract is transported to the filtration device through a pipeline, and a plate and frame filter press is used for preliminary filtration to separate the solid residue. The filtered extract then enters the centrifuge and is centrifuged at a speed of 3000-5000r / min to further remove fine particles and impurities in the extract.

[0153] Step 4: Concentration stage: The separated extract is transported to the concentration evaporator and concentrated by reduced pressure evaporation. The evaporation temperature is controlled at 40-50°C and the vacuum degree is -0.08-0.09MPa to concentrate the extract to 1 / 5-1 / 10 of the original volume. The steam generated by evaporation is condensed and recovered through the condenser for recycling.

[0154] Step 5, drying stage, the concentrated extract is transported to the spray dryer through a pipeline, the inlet air temperature is set to 150-180°C, the outlet air temperature is set to 80-100°C, the spray speed is set to 5-10L / h, and spray drying is performed to produce a powdered product.

[0155] During the entire extraction process, the control unit uses PLC to monitor and control the operating parameters of each unit in real time. The operator can view the operating status and parameters of the system through the touch screen operation interface and adjust them as needed. When the system fails, the control unit will automatically send out an alarm signal and shut down for protection. At the same time, a microwave-assisted extraction module is set up during the extraction stage to shorten the extraction time.

[0156] Through the above

[0157] The above solution is only an illustration of a preferred embodiment, but is not limited thereto. When implementing the present invention, appropriate replacement and / or modification can be performed according to user needs.

[0158] The number of devices and processing scales described here are used to simplify the description of the present invention. Applications, modifications and variations of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0159] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and the embodiments. It can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those familiar with the art, additional modifications can be easily realized. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and equivalent scope, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and the illustrations shown and described here.

Claims

1. A system for extracting effective ingredients from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves, characterized in that: include: A pre-treatment unit for washing, drying and crushing Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves; A processing unit for obtaining an extract from the crushed Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaf powder comprises an extraction tank and a solvent supply module, a temperature control module and a pressure control module matched with the extraction tank, wherein a stirring component and a heating jacket are arranged in the extraction tank; A secondary treatment unit for solid-liquid separation of the extract, including a filter for separating solid residues from the extract and a centrifuge for further separating fine particles and impurities from the extract; A concentration unit, comprising a concentrator for concentrating and evaporating the separated supernatant and a condenser for condensing and recovering the steam generated by evaporation; a drying unit, including a spray dryer for spray drying the concentrate to produce a powdered product; A post-treatment unit for fermenting and granulating the residue after centrifugal separation and filtration; A control unit that automatically controls the entire extraction system through a programmable logic controller (PLC); The drying of the pretreatment unit is configured to be achieved by using a carbon fiber heated belt dryer.

2. The system for extracting effective ingredients from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The belt dryer is configured to include: A housing with an inlet and an outlet; A conveying module arranged inside the housing to convey the material to be dried; A carbon fiber heating module is arranged inside the dryer body and located above and / or below the conveying device to heat and dry the material; A ventilation module is provided on the dryer body to discharge moisture in the housing during the drying process; Control module I communicating with the conveying module, the ventilation module, and the carbon fiber heating module; The carbon fiber heating module comprises: carbon fiber heating tubes arranged in a grid or array and a Y-shaped bracket for fixing each carbon fiber heating tube on the side wall of the shell, the surface of each carbon fiber heating tube is coated with a far-infrared radiation coating, and a special-shaped reflective plate matched with the carbon fiber heating tube is installed on the shell, and the carbon fiber heating tube is configured as a carbon fiber quartz electric heating tube with a woven structure; The conveying module is provided with a speed sensor which is in communication with the control module, and the shell is provided with a temperature sensor I inside.

3. The system for extracting effective ingredients from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The filtering device is configured to adopt a plate and frame filter press or a centrifugal filter.

4. The system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The concentrating evaporator comprises: A plurality of evaporation modules, each of which comprises: an evaporation chamber, a heating chamber, a gas-liquid separator arranged on the top of the evaporation chamber to separate secondary steam and concentrated liquid, and a circulation pump for conveying the concentrated liquid from the bottom of the gas-liquid separator to the heating chamber for circulation heating, and a falling film heat exchanger with a corrugated plate structure is arranged between the evaporation chamber and the heating chamber; A vacuum module for maintaining a negative pressure environment in each evaporation module; A plate heat exchanger for preheating the raw liquid; Control module II II that cooperates with the plate heat exchanger, vacuum module, and various evaporation modules; Among them, each evaporation module is connected in series, and each evaporation module is provided with a matching temperature sensor II, pressure sensor I, and flow sensor II; The corrugated plate structure of the falling film heat exchanger adopts an asymmetric design, and the vacuum module adopts a multi-stage steam jet pump.

5. The system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The spray dryer is configured to include: Atomizing module for atomizing liquid materials into fine droplets; A drying tower for multi-stage drying of atomized droplets; An air supply module that cooperates with the drying tower to provide hot air required for drying; A tail gas recovery module that works with the drying tower to recover heat and dust from the tail gas; Wherein, the atomization module is configured to include a matching high-pressure nozzle and / or a centrifugal atomizer; The air supply module includes a hot air furnace, an air filter and a hot air distributor with a porous plate structure; The tail gas recovery module includes a cyclone separator, a bag dust collector and a heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger is arranged at the air inlet end of the hot air furnace; The drying tower comprises a primary drying chamber and a secondary drying chamber. The primary drying chamber adopts a downstream drying method, and the secondary drying chamber adopts a countercurrent drying method. A material disperser is arranged between the primary drying chamber and the secondary drying chamber.

6. The system for extracting effective components from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The high pressure nozzle comprises: Nozzle body with one-piece structure; A multi-channel medium access port is provided on the side of the nozzle body and is used to access different media or multiple channels of the same medium; A mixing chamber is arranged inside the nozzle body and is connected to a plurality of mixing chambers connected to different media or multiple mixing chambers of the same medium; An injection channel disposed between the mixing chamber and the nozzle to transport the mixed liquid to the nozzle for injection; Among them, each medium inlet is equipped with a flow regulating valve and a one-way valve; The mixing chamber is provided with multiple layers of mixing blades distributed in a spiral shape, and the spiral direction of each layer of mixing blades is different; The inner diameter of the injection channel gradually decreases from one end of the mixing chamber to one end of the nozzle; The mixing chamber and the injection channel are respectively provided with pressure sensors II.

7. An application method, applied to the system for extracting effective ingredients from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: include: In the pretreatment stage, fresh Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves are placed in a cleaning device, rinsed with circulating water for 5-10 minutes by spray cleaning, and then transported to a crushing device after drying excess surface water, and crushed into particles with a particle size of 2-5 mm by a hammer mill; In the extraction stage, the crushed Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles are transported to an extraction tank, a predetermined amount of extraction solvent is added to the extraction tank through a solvent supply module, a stirring device is started to fully mix the Zanthoxylum bungeanum particles with the extraction solvent, a temperature control module and a pressure control module are turned on, the extraction temperature is controlled at 50-60° C., the pressure is controlled at 0.1-0.2 MPa, and the extraction time is 2-3 hours; In the separation stage, the extract is transported to the filtration device through the corresponding pipeline, and a plate and frame filter press is used for preliminary filtration to separate the solid residue. The filtered extract then enters the centrifugal separator and is centrifuged at a speed of 3000-5000r / min to further remove fine particles and impurities; In the concentration stage, the separated extract is transported to the concentration evaporator and concentrated by reduced pressure evaporation. The evaporation temperature is controlled at 40-50°C and the vacuum degree is -0.08-0.09MPa. The extract is concentrated to 1 / 5-1 / 10 of the original volume, and the steam generated by evaporation is condensed and recovered through the condenser for recycling; In the drying stage, the concentrated extract is transported to the spray dryer through the corresponding pipeline, and the inlet air temperature is set to 150-180°C, the outlet air temperature is set to 80-100°C, and the spray speed is set to 5-10L / h for spray drying to produce a powdered product; Control and monitoring: During the entire extraction process, the control unit uses PLC to monitor and control the operating parameters of each unit in real time, so as to automatically send out an alarm signal and shut down for protection when a system failure occurs.

8. The application method according to claim 7, characterized in that: A microwave-assisted extraction module is provided in the extraction stage.

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