Drying tower spray gun dredging system and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a drying tower spray gun dredging system and a control method. The drying tower spray gun dredging system comprises a spray gun, a material pipe, a steam pipe, a first material valve, a material flow meter and a steam valve. The spray gun has a spray gun inlet; a material outlet of the material pipe communicates with an inlet of the spray gun, and a material inlet of the material pipe communicates with materials; a steam outlet of the steam pipe is communicated with the spray gun inlet, and a steam inlet of the steam pipe is communicated with steam; the first material valve and the material flow meter are both mounted on the material pipe; the steam valve is installed on the steam pipe. Whether the spray gun is blocked or not can be judged by monitoring the numerical value of the material flow meter. Once the spray gun is blocked, the first material valve can be closed, further input of the materials is cut off, and the steam valve is opened, so that steam flows into the spray gun at preset pressure and flow, the cleaning process of the spray gun is simplified, blockage in the spray gun can be efficiently softened and washed away through the high-temperature and high-pressure characteristics of the steam, and the dredging efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of protein drying, and particularly relates to a drying tower spray gun dredging system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, industrial tail gas is usually recycled in the form of combustion heating or power generation, which will emit a large amount of pollutants such as CO2, SO2 and dust. However, directly converting industrial tail gas into liquid ethanol and microbial protein can effectively reduce the emissions of CO2, SO2 and particulate matter caused by combustion, and has a positive effect on controlling haze weather and protecting the environment.

[0003] The production of microbial protein powder involves the process of protein drying. The protein drying process mainly includes: a. centrifuging the mash; b. feeding the centrifuged mash into a drying tower for drying to obtain protein powder, which can be referred to Figure 2 as shown. The mash is sprayed into the drying tower through a spray gun. The mash is a complex mixture, which may contain insoluble substances. These insoluble substances are likely to cause the spray gun to become blocked when passing through the spray gun.

[0004] In the related art, when the spray gun becomes blocked, it is usually necessary to stop the drying system, that is, the drying system stops operating, replace the blocked spray gun or dredge the blocked spray gun with tools. The dredging of the spray gun is inconvenient and is not conducive to the continuous production of protein powder. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application aims to at least solve the technical problem of inconvenient spray gun dredging to a certain extent. For this reason, this application provides a drying tower spray gun dredging system and a control method thereof.

[0006] In a first aspect, a drying tower spray gun dredging system provided by an embodiment of this application includes:

[0007] A spray gun with a spray gun inlet;

[0008] A material pipe, the material outlet of the material pipe is communicated with the spray gun inlet, and the material inlet of the material pipe is used for communicating with materials;

[0009] A steam pipe, the steam outlet of the steam pipe is communicated with the spray gun inlet, and the steam inlet of the steam pipe is used for communicating with steam;

[0010] A first material valve and a material flowmeter, both installed on the material pipe;

[0011] A steam valve, installed on the steam pipe.

[0012] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system further includes a steam flowmeter, and the steam flowmeter is installed on the steam pipe.

[0013] In some embodiments, both the first material valve and the steam valve are automatic control valves;

[0014] The drying tower spray gun dredging system further includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the material flowmeter, the steam flowmeter, the first material valve and the steam valve. The controller controls the opening and closing of the first material valve and the steam valve based on the material flow value detected by the material flowmeter and the steam flow value detected by the steam flowmeter.

[0015] In some embodiments, the material pipe further has a water inlet for connecting to a water source; the drying tower spray gun dredging system further includes:

[0016] A water valve installed at the water inlet;

[0017] A second material valve installed at the material inlet.

[0018] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system further includes:

[0019] A temporary storage tank;

[0020] A recovery pipe connected to the material pipe and the temporary storage tank, and the end of the recovery pipe connected to the material pipe is located between the first material valve and the material inlet and on the side close to the first material valve;

[0021] A reflux valve installed on the recovery pipe.

[0022] In a second aspect, a control method for dredging a spray gun provided by an embodiment of the present application is applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system described in the first aspect. The method includes:

[0023] Obtain the material flow value Q1 detected by the material flowmeter, and determine whether the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1;

[0024] If so, close the first material valve and open the steam valve until the steam valve is opened for a set time T0.

[0025] In a third aspect, a control method for dredging a spray gun provided by an embodiment of the present application is applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system described in the first aspect. The drying tower spray gun dredging system has a plurality of the spray guns, and the first material valves, the material flowmeters and the steam valves with the same number as the spray guns. The spray guns, the first material valves, the material flowmeters, the steam valves and the spray guns are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the method includes:

[0026] Obtain the material flow rate value Q1 detected by each of the material flow meters, and determine whether each of the material flow rate values Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow rate value Q0 within a certain period of time;

[0027] If so, the corresponding spray gun is blocked;

[0028] Obtain the number A of the blocked spray guns, and determine whether the number A is greater than the set maximum number A0;

[0029] If not, close the first material valve corresponding to the blocked spray gun and open the corresponding steam valve until the corresponding steam valve is opened for the set time T0;

[0030] If so, first close the first material valves corresponding to A0 blocked spray guns and open the corresponding steam valves until the corresponding steam valves are opened for the set time T0; then, close the first material valves corresponding to the remaining blocked spray guns and open the corresponding steam valves until the corresponding steam valves are opened for the set time T0.

[0031] Fourthly, a control method for unclogging a spray gun provided by an embodiment of the present application is applied to the drying tower spray gun unclogging system described in the first aspect. The method includes:

[0032] Obtain the material flow rate value Q1 detected by the material flow meter, and determine whether the material flow rate value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow rate value Q0 within a certain period of time T1;

[0033] If so, close the first material valve and open the steam valve;

[0034] Obtain the steam flow rate value q1 detected by the steam flow meter, and determine whether the steam flow rate value q1 is continuously greater than or equal to the set minimum steam flow rate value q0 within a certain period of time T2;

[0035] If so, open the first material valve and close the steam valve.

[0036] Fifthly, a control method for unclogging a spray gun provided by an embodiment of the present application is applied to the drying tower spray gun unclogging system described in the first aspect. The drying tower spray gun unclogging system has a plurality of the spray guns and the first material valves, the material flow meters, and the steam valves that are consistent with the number of the spray guns. The spray guns, the first material valves, the material flow meters, the steam valves, and the spray guns are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the method includes:

[0037] Respond to the drying load reduction signal;

[0038] Control some of the first material valves to close;

[0039] Open the steam valve corresponding to the closed first material valve until the steam valve has been opened for a set time T0.

[0040] Sixthly, a control method for a dredging spray gun provided by an embodiment of the present application is applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system described in the first aspect. The method includes:

[0041] In response to a shutdown signal of the drying system, control the water valve to open, the first material valve to close, the second material valve to close, and the reflux valve to open;

[0042] Control the spray gun to be outside the drying tower;

[0043] In response to the in-place signal of the spray gun, control the steam valve to open for a set time T0.

[0044] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0045] On the one hand, by monitoring the value of the material flowmeter, it is possible to judge whether the spray gun is blocked. Once it is found that the preset pressure and flow rate of the material flow into the spray gun, the cleaning process of the spray gun is simplified, and the high temperature and high pressure characteristics of the steam can efficiently soften and wash away the blockage in the spray gun, improving the dredging efficiency. In addition, by adjusting the opening degree of the steam valve, it is possible to flexibly respond to different degrees of blockage conditions and ensure the dredging effect.

[0046] On the other hand, since there is a certain amount of heat in the steam, when the spray gun is dredged by the steam, the steam will not have a great impact on the temperature of the drying tower, thus ensuring the stability of the temperature in the drying tower, which helps to ensure the continuity and stability of the protein powder drying process.

[0047] On the still other hand, since the water content in the steam is relatively low, when the steam enters the drying tower, it can be quickly dried by the hot air, greatly reducing the occurrence of phenomena such as powder sticking and agglomeration. This not only avoids the shutdown risk caused by powder sticking, agglomeration, etc., ensures the continuity of production, but also ensures that the quality of the protein powder is not affected by the steam and maintains the stable output of the protein powder. Description of the Drawings

[0048] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0049] Figure 1 Shows a schematic structural diagram of a drying tower spray gun dredging system in one or more embodiments of the present application.

[0050] Figure 2 Shows the process flow diagram of protein drying.

[0051] Reference numerals: 100 - drying tower spray gun dredging system, 110 - spray gun, 110a - spray gun inlet, 110b - spray gun outlet, 120 - material pipe, 120a - material inlet, 120b - material outlet, 120c - water inlet, 130 - steam pipe, 130a - steam inlet, 130b - steam outlet, 135 - first material valve, 140 - material flow meter, 145 - steam valve, 150 - steam flow meter, 155 - water valve, 160 - temporary storage tank, 160a - temporary storage tank inlet, 160b - temporary storage tank outlet, 165 - recovery pipe, 170 - reflux valve, 175 - steam buffer tank, 1751 - tank body, 1751a - tank body inlet, 1751b - tank body outlet, 1751c - tank body pressure relief port, 1751d - tank body condensate outlet, 1752 - first valve, 1753 - second valve, 1754 - steam trap, 1755 - safety valve, 180 - filter, 185 - rotor pump, 190 - high-pressure piston pump, 195 - second material valve, 197 - third valve. Detailed implementation manners

[0052] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] It should be noted that all the directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative position relationship and movement conditions between components in a specific posture. If this specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0054] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, terms such as "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0055] In addition, in the present invention, descriptions such as "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first", "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In addition, the technical solutions between various embodiments may be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of those of ordinary skill in the art to implement. When the combination of technical solutions results in contradictions or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0056] In the related art, when the spray gun becomes blocked, it is usually necessary to stop the drying system, replace the blocked spray gun or unblock the blocked spray gun with tools.

[0057] Before designing this solution, the applicant tried to unblock the spray gun by injecting water flow into the spray gun and using the impact of the water flow to unblock it. However, the applicant found that injecting water flow would, on the one hand, cause the temperature in the drying tower to drop, affecting the drying efficiency of the drying tower, thereby affecting the protein production and being unfavorable for the continuous protein production; on the other hand, the water flow would mix with the dried protein powder to form a paste, adhering to the inner walls of the drying tower and subsequent equipment (such as cyclone separators, bag filters, etc.), and in severe cases, would cause blockages in these equipment.

[0058] Therefore, in the related art, there is a technical problem that it is inconvenient to unblock the spray gun. The embodiment of the present application provides a drying tower spray gun unblocking system and control method, which can at least solve the technical problem of inconvenient spray gun unblocking to a certain extent.

[0059] The following describes the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0060] As Figure 1 shown, the drying tower spray gun unblocking system 100 includes: a spray gun 110, a material pipe 120, a steam pipe 130, a first material valve 135, a material flow meter 140, and a steam valve 145. The spray gun 110 has a spray gun inlet 110a; the material outlet 120b of the material pipe 120 is connected to the spray gun inlet 110a, and the material inlet 120a of the material pipe 120 is used to connect to the material; the steam outlet 130b of the steam pipe 130 is connected to the spray gun inlet 110a, and the steam inlet 130a of the steam pipe 130 is used to connect to the steam; the first material valve 135 and the material flow meter 140 are both installed on the material pipe 120; the steam valve 145 is installed on the steam pipe 130.

[0061] The spray gun 110 has a connected spray gun inlet 110a and a spray gun outlet 110b. The spray gun 110 generally includes a barrel and a nozzle. The spray gun inlet 110a is provided at one end of the barrel away from the nozzle, and the spray gun outlet 110b is provided at one end of the nozzle away from the spray gun 110. In the production process of protein powder, the mash is first centrifuged by a centrifugal system. After centrifugation, a mash with a higher concentration (usually called thick mash) is obtained. The thick mash enters the spray gun 110 through the spray gun inlet 110a and finally sprays out in a mist from the spray gun outlet 110b.

[0062] The material pipe 120 is used to transport the mash. It is easy to understand that the material inlet 120a and the material outlet 120b of the material pipe 120 are connected. The material inlet 120a of the material pipe 120 can be connected to the outlet of the centrifugal system, and the material outlet 120b of the material pipe 120 is connected to the spray gun inlet 110a of the spray gun 110. Thus, the centrifuged mash directly enters the material pipe 120, is transported through the material pipe 120 into the spray gun 110, and finally sprays out from the spray gun outlet 110b of the spray gun 110.

[0063] The steam pipe 130 is used to transport steam. It is easy to understand that the steam outlet 130b and the steam inlet 130a are connected. The steam inlet 130a is connected to the steam, which can be connected to a steam storage tank storing steam or a pipe network transporting steam, and is not limited in this application.

[0064] The first material valve 135 is installed on the material pipe 120 to control the on-off of the material pipe 120. When the first material valve 135 is opened, the mash entering from the material inlet 120a can enter the spray gun 110; when the first material valve 135 is closed, the first material valve 135 cuts off the material pipe 120, and the mash entering from the material inlet 120a cannot enter the spray gun 110. The material flowmeter 140 is installed on the material pipe 120 to detect the flow rate of the mash in the material pipe 120.

[0065] The steam valve 145 is installed on the steam pipe 130 to control the on-off of the steam pipe 130. When the steam valve 145 is opened, the steam entering from the steam inlet 130a can enter the spray gun 110; when the steam valve 145 is closed, the steam valve 145 cuts off the steam pipe 130, and the steam entering from the steam inlet 130a cannot enter the spray gun 110.

[0066] After the design as described above:

[0067] On the one hand, by monitoring the value of the material flowmeter 140, it can be determined whether the spray gun 110 is blocked. Once it is found that the spray gun 110 is blocked, the first material valve 135 can be closed to cut off the further input of the material. At the same time, the steam valve 145 is opened to allow steam to pour into the spray gun 110 at a preset pressure and flow rate, which simplifies the cleaning process of the spray gun 110. Moreover, the high temperature and high pressure characteristics of the steam can efficiently soften and wash away the blockage in the spray gun 110, improving the dredging efficiency. In addition, by adjusting the opening degree of the steam valve 145, it is possible to flexibly respond to different degrees of blockage conditions and ensure the dredging effect.

[0068] On the other hand, since there is a certain amount of heat in the steam, when the spray gun 110 is dredged by the steam, the steam will not have a great impact on the temperature of the drying tower, thus ensuring the stability of the temperature in the drying tower, which helps to ensure the continuity and stability of the protein powder drying process.

[0069] On yet another hand, since the water content in the steam is relatively low, when the steam enters the drying tower, it can be quickly dried by the hot air, greatly reducing the occurrence of phenomena such as powder sticking and agglomeration. This not only avoids the shutdown risk caused by powder sticking, agglomeration, etc., ensures the continuity of production, but also ensures that the quality of the protein powder is not affected by the steam and maintains the stable output of the protein powder.

[0070] In summary, while solving the blockage problem of the spray gun 110, the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 also optimizes the production efficiency and ensures the stability and continuity of the protein powder production.

[0071] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a steam buffer tank 175. The steam buffer tank 175 includes a tank body 1751, a first valve 1752, a second valve 1753, a steam trap 1754 and a safety valve 1755. The tank body 1751 has a receiving cavity and a tank body inlet 1751a, a tank body outlet 1751b, a tank body pressure relief port 1751c, and a tank body condensate outlet 1751d that communicate with the receiving cavity.

[0072] The steam generated in the upstream section enters the tank 1751 through the tank inlet 1751a for storage and insulation. The tank inlet 1751a is provided with a first valve 1752, and the first valve 1752 controls the opening and closing of the tank inlet 1751a. When the steam volume in the tank 1751 is low, the first valve 1752 is opened to supplement steam. When the steam volume in the tank 1751 is moderate, the first valve 1752 is kept closed. The tank condensate outlet 1751d is provided with a thermodynamic trap 1754, and the condensate generated during storage is discharged through the thermodynamic trap 1754. A second valve 1753 is provided at the tank outlet 1751b. The second valve 1753 is connected to the steam inlet 130a of the tank outlet 1751b and the steam pipe 130. When the tank 1751 supplies gas to the steam pipe 130, the second valve 1753 is opened, and when it does not supply gas, the second valve 1753 is closed. To prevent the steam pressure in the upstream section from fluctuating and too much steam from surging in, a safety valve 1755 is installed at the tank pressure relief port 1751c. When the pressure in the tank 1751 exceeds the pressure limit, the safety valve 1755 automatically opens to relieve pressure and release some steam until the pressure in the tank 1751 stabilizes.

[0073] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a filter 180 installed on the side of the steam inlet 130a of the steam pipe 130. The filter 180 filters the steam entering the spray gun 110.

[0074] In some embodiments, two filters 180 are provided, and the two filters 180 are arranged in parallel. After such a design, one is for standby and the other is for use, which is convenient for switching and cleaning.

[0075] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a rotor pump 185 and a high-pressure piston pump 190 installed on one side of the material inlet 120a of the material pipe 120. Under the action of the rotor pump 185 and the high-pressure piston pump 190, the mash can be transported along the direction from the material inlet 120a to the material outlet 120b.

[0076] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a steam flow meter 150, and the steam flow meter 150 is installed on the steam pipe 130.

[0077] The steam flowmeter 150 is installed on the steam pipe 130 to detect the steam flow rate in the steam pipe 130. After the steam flowmeter 150 is set, on the one hand, the steam flow rate can be monitored in real time through the steam flowmeter 150, enabling the operator to accurately control the steam flow rate by adjusting the opening degree of the steam valve 145 according to actual needs. On the other hand, the blockage of the spray gun 110 can also be judged by observing the change of the value of the steam flowmeter 150. When the spray gun 110 is blocked, the value of the steam flowmeter 150 will decrease because the blockage will hinder the flow of steam. Once the blockage is cleared, the value of the steam flowmeter 150 will rise accordingly and return to the normal level. Therefore, the operator can monitor the change of the value of the steam flowmeter 150 in real time to judge the dredging state of the spray gun 110, so as to make timely adjustments to ensure the continuity and stability of production.

[0078] In some embodiments, both the first material valve 135 and the steam valve 145 are automatic control valves; the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a controller (not shown in the figure), and the controller is electrically connected to the material flowmeter 140, the steam flowmeter 150, the first material valve 135 and the steam valve 145. The controller controls the opening and closing of the first material valve 135 and the steam valve 145 based on the material flow rate value detected by the material flowmeter 140 and the steam flow rate value detected by the steam flowmeter 150.

[0079] The material flowmeter 140 and the steam flowmeter 150 are electrically connected to the controller to feedback the detected flow rate values to the controller. After such a design, the controller can automatically control the opening and closing or closing of the first material valve 135 and the steam valve 145 according to the flow rate values detected by the flowmeters, so as to automatically dredge the spray gun 110 when the spray gun 110 is blocked, facilitating the dredging of the spray gun 110 and ensuring the continuous progress of production. The automatic control valve can be an electromagnetic valve, a pneumatic valve, a hydraulic control valve, etc., which are not limited in this application.

[0080] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: when the material flow rate value is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow rate value within a certain period of time, control the first material valve 135 to close and control the steam valve 145 to open until the steam flow rate value detected by the steam flowmeter 150 is continuously greater than or equal to the set minimum steam flow rate value within a certain period of time.

[0081] Under stable production conditions, the flow rate of the mash ejected by the spray gun 110 usually remains within a constant range. When the material flow rate value is less than or equal to the preset minimum material flow rate value, this may be due to various factors, including but not limited to fluctuations in the rotor pump 185 and the high-pressure piston pump 190 or blockage of the spray gun 110 itself. It should be noted that even if the spray gun 110 is indeed blocked, the subsequent mash, due to its impact force, can sometimes relieve or even remove the blockage to a certain extent. In view of this, the controller is configured to trigger the closing of the first material valve 135 and the opening of the steam valve 145 only when the material flow rate value remains less than or equal to the minimum flow rate value Q0 for a certain period of time. This strategy can avoid overreacting to short-term flow fluctuations caused by non-blockage factors, thereby preventing unnecessary system interventions and cost increases; at the same time, it also allows the system to have a certain "observation period" to determine whether the blockage can be resolved by the impact of the subsequent mash itself.

[0082] In the case of blockage of the spray gun 110, the blockage will hinder the smooth flow of steam, resulting in the value of the steam flow meter 150 remaining at a low level. At this time, the value of the steam flow meter 150 is less than the minimum steam flow rate value. When the blockage is effectively removed, the steam can flow smoothly, and the value of the steam flow meter 150 will increase accordingly and gradually return to the normal level. At this time, the value of the steam flow meter 150 is greater than or equal to the minimum steam flow rate value. Therefore, the change in the value of the steam flow meter 150 provides an important basis for the controller to determine whether the blockage has been removed. The controller is configured to open the first material valve 135, start the material supply, close the steam valve 145, and end the steam supply only after the steam flow rate value remains greater than or equal to the set minimum steam flow rate value for a certain period of time. This setting means that only when the steam flow is stable and continuously exceeds the minimum steam flow rate value will the controller consider that the blockage has been effectively processed, which helps to completely remove the blockage.

[0083] The minimum material flow rate value and the minimum steam flow rate value need to be adaptively designed according to specific circumstances and are not limited in this application.

[0084] In some embodiments, the material pipe 120 further has a water inlet 120c, and the water inlet 120c is used to communicate with a water source; the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a water valve 155 and a second material valve 195. The water valve 155 is installed at the water inlet 120c, and the second material valve 195 is installed at the material inlet 120a.

[0085] The water valve 155 is installed at the water inlet 120c of the material pipe 120 to control the opening and closing of the water inlet 120c. The second material valve 195 is installed at the material inlet 120a to control the closing of the material inlet 120a. When the water valve 155 is open and the second material valve 195 is closed, water can enter the material pipe 120 and flow along the material pipe 120 into the spray gun 110. When the water valve 155 is closed, water cannot enter the material pipe 120. After such a design, when the steam supply is insufficient or unavailable, resulting in the inability to remove the blockage of the spray gun 110 by steam, etc., the water valve 155 can be opened and the second material valve 195 can be closed to dredge the spray gun 110 through the water flow, ensuring the cleanliness and smoothness of the spray gun 110 and providing guarantee for the continuous and stable operation of the production line.

[0086] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a storage tank 160, a recovery pipe 165 and a reflux valve 170. The recovery pipe 165 is connected to the material pipe 120 and the storage tank 160, and the end of the recovery pipe 165 connected to the material pipe 120 is located between the first material valve 135 and the material inlet 120a and is on the side close to the first material valve 135; the reflux valve 170 is installed on the recovery pipe 165.

[0087] One end of the recovery pipe 165 is connected to the material pipe 120 and the other end is connected to the storage tank 160. The end of the storage tank 160 connected to the material pipe 120 is as close as possible to the end where the material pipe 120 is connected to the spray gun 110, and along the flow direction of the material in the material pipe 120, the end of the storage tank 160 connected to the material pipe 120 is located behind the first material valve 135. The reflux valve 170 is installed on the recovery pipe 165 to control the on-off of the recovery pipe 165. When the reflux valve 170 is opened, the mash or water in the material pipe 120 can enter the recovery pipe 165. When the reflux valve 170 is closed, the reflux valve 170 cuts off the recovery pipe 165 and the mash or water in the material pipe 120 cannot enter the recovery pipe 165. After such a design, when the drying system is shut down, the water valve 155 can be opened, the first material valve 135 can be closed and the second material valve 195 can be closed, so that the material pipe 120 is flushed with clean water, and the residual mash in the material pipe 120 is collected into the storage tank 160. On the one hand, the problem of mash retention and blockage of the material pipe 120 is avoided, and on the other hand, the residual mash is collected so that the mash can be reused, reducing the waste of mash.

[0088] In some embodiments, the storage tank 160 has a receiving cavity and a storage tank inlet 160a and a storage tank outlet 160b communicating with the receiving cavity. The storage tank inlet 160a is connected to the recovery pipe 165. The drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a third valve 197 installed at the storage tank outlet 160b, and the third valve 197 controls the opening and closing of the storage tank outlet 160b.

[0089] In some embodiments, the outlet 160b of the buffer tank is connected to the inlet of the centrifugation system, such that the mixture of water and mash in the buffer tank 160 can enter the centrifugation system for centrifugation treatment under the condition that the third valve 197 is opened, to obtain thick mash, and further dried to obtain protein powder, reducing mash waste.

[0090] In some embodiments, the reflux valve 170, the water valve 155, and the second material valve 195 are all electric control valves. The controller is also electrically connected to the reflux valve 170, the water valve 155, and the second material valve 195. The controller is configured to: after receiving the drying system shutdown signal, control the water valve 155 to open, the second material valve 195 to close, the first material valve 135 to close, and the reflux valve 170 to open, so as to realize the function of automatically cleaning the material pipe 120 after the drying system shuts down. It should be noted that after the cleaning of the material pipe 120 is completed, the controller also controls the water valve 155 and the reflux valve 170 to close to stop the water supply.

[0091] In some embodiments, a level gauge for the buffer tank 160 is provided on the buffer tank 160. The third valve 197 is an electric control valve. A level gauge (not shown in the figure) is also provided inside the buffer tank 160. The level gauge inside the buffer tank 160 and the third valve 197 are both electrically connected to the controller. The controller is configured to: when the level value of the level gauge is greater than or equal to the set high value, control the third valve 197 to open until the level value is less than or equal to the set low level value, so that after the buffer tank 160 is filled with mash, it can be automatically discharged.

[0092] In some embodiments, the drying tower spray gun dredging system further includes a driving mechanism (not shown in the figure). The driving mechanism is installed on the outer shell of the drying tower. The spray gun 110 is installed at the output end of the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism can adjust the position of the spray gun 110, such that the spray gun 110 can be switched between a first position inside the drying tower and a second position outside the drying tower. The structure of the driving mechanism is diverse, and it can be a robotic arm, etc., which is not limited in this application.

[0093] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: after receiving the drying system shutdown signal, control the driving mechanism to act to move the spray gun 110 outside the drying tower; after receiving the in-place signal that the spray gun 110 is outside the drying tower, then control the steam valve 145 to open and the first material valve 135 to close, so as to flush out the residual mash in the spray gun 110, prevent the mash from solidifying or causing corrosion in the spray gun 110, etc., thereby maintaining the long-term stable operation of the drying system. After the drying system shuts down, the primary and secondary heating systems of the drying system will also stop and will not supply hot air to the drying heat. When the spray gun 110 is outside the drying tower, then control the steam valve 145 to open to avoid steam entering the drying tower, because if steam enters the drying tower, it will not be effectively dried and may condense into water, which may damage the internal structure of the drying tower.

[0094] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application also provides a control method, which is applied to the above drying tower spray gun dredging system 100, and includes:

[0095] S1, obtain the material flow value Q1 detected by the material flowmeter 140, and determine whether the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1.

[0096] If the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain time period, it indicates that the spray gun 110 corresponding to the material flow value Q1 is blocked.

[0097] S2, if so, close the first material valve 135 and open the steam valve 145 until the steam valve 145 is opened for a set time T0.

[0098] Under stable production conditions, the flow rate of the mash sprayed by the spray gun 110 usually maintains within a constant range. When the material flow value Q1 is less than or equal to the preset minimum material flow value Q0, this may be due to various factors, including but not limited to fluctuations of the rotor pump 185 and the high-pressure piston pump 190 or blockage of the spray gun 110 itself. It should be noted that even if the spray gun 110 is indeed blocked, the subsequent mash, due to its impact force, can sometimes relieve or even remove the blockage to a certain extent. When the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the minimum flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1, the first material valve 135 is triggered to close and the steam valve 145 is opened. This strategy can avoid overreacting to short-term flow fluctuations caused by non-blocking factors, thereby preventing unnecessary system intervention and cost increase; at the same time, it also allows the system to have a certain "observation period" to determine whether the blockage can be resolved by the impact of the subsequent mash on its own.

[0099] It should be noted that after the steam valve 145 is opened for the set time T0, the first material valve 135 is opened and the steam valve 145 is closed so that the spray gun 110 continues to spray the mash.

[0100] The specific values of the minimum flow value Q0, the set time T0, and the certain time period T1 can be adaptively set by the user according to the specific situation and are not limited in this application.

[0101] Generally, multiple spray guns 110 are provided in the drying tower, and the multiple spray guns 110 spray mash at the same time. If multiple spray guns 110 are blocked simultaneously and unblocked by steam at the same time, the situation of insufficient mash spraying may occur, affecting the production efficiency of protein powder. Therefore, based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a control method, which is applied to the above-mentioned drying tower spray gun dredging system 100. The drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 has multiple spray guns 110 and first material valves 135, material flow meters 140 and steam valves 145 with the same number as the spray guns 110. The spray guns 110, the first material valves 135, the material flow meters 140, the steam valves 145 and the spray guns 110 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence. The method includes:

[0102] S10, obtaining the material flow value Q1 detected by each material flow meter 140, and judging whether each material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain period of time.

[0103] S20, if so, the corresponding spray gun 110 is blocked.

[0104] If a certain material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain period of time, it means that the spray gun 110 corresponding to the material flow value Q1 is blocked.

[0105] S30, obtaining the number A of the blocked spray guns 110, and judging whether the number A is greater than the set maximum number A0.

[0106] The maximum number A0 refers to the maximum number of spray guns 110 that can be dredged simultaneously at one time under the condition of ensuring the stable operation of the drying system.

[0107] S40, if not, closing the first material valve 135 corresponding to the blocked spray gun 110 and opening the corresponding steam valve 145 until the corresponding steam valve 145 is opened for the set time T0.

[0108] If A is less than or equal to A0, it means that the number of blocked spray guns 110 is less than the maximum number of spray guns 110 that can be dredged simultaneously at one time. Then, these A spray guns 110 can be dredged simultaneously, or these A spray guns 110 can be dredged sequentially.

[0109] S50, if so, first closing the first material valve 135 corresponding to A0 blocked spray guns 110 and opening the corresponding steam valve 145 until the corresponding steam valve 145 is opened for the set time T0; then, closing the first material valve 135 corresponding to the remaining blocked spray guns 110 and opening the corresponding steam valve 145 until the corresponding steam valve 145 is opened for the set time.

[0110] If A is greater than A0, it indicates that the number of blocked spray guns 110 is greater than the maximum number of spray guns 110 that can be unclogged simultaneously at one time. Then, it is not possible to unclog these A spray guns 110 simultaneously. Instead, A0 of these spray guns 110 should be unclogged first. After these A0 spray guns 110 are unclogged, the other spray guns 110 can be unclogged to ensure the number of spray guns 110 working simultaneously, thereby ensuring the spraying volume of the mash and guaranteeing the production efficiency of the protein powder.

[0111] The following is an example. Suppose there are a total of 10 spray guns 110. To ensure the production efficiency of the protein powder, at least 4 of these spray guns 110 need to work simultaneously, so A0 is 6. If it is detected that 5 spray guns 110 are blocked, and 5 < 6, then these 5 spray guns 110 can be unclogged simultaneously. If it is detected that 8 spray guns 110 are blocked, and 8 > 6, then 6 of these spray guns 110 should be unclogged first to ensure that at least 4 spray guns 110 are working. After these 6 spray guns 110 are unclogged, the remaining two spray guns 110 can be unclogged.

[0112] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application also provides a control method. This method is applied to the above-mentioned drying tower spray gun unclogging system 100 and includes:

[0113] S100, obtain the material flow value Q1 detected by the material flowmeter 140, and determine whether the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1.

[0114] If the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1, it indicates that the spray gun 110 corresponding to this material flow value Q1 is blocked.

[0115] S200, if so, close the first material valve 135 and open the steam valve 145.

[0116] Under stable production conditions, the flow rate of the mash sprayed by the spray gun 110 usually remains within a constant range. When the material flow value Q1 is less than or equal to the preset minimum material flow value Q0, this may be due to various factors, including but not limited to fluctuations in the rotor pump 185 and the high-pressure piston pump 190 or blockage of the spray gun 110 itself. It should be noted that even if the spray gun 110 is indeed blocked, the subsequent mash, by virtue of its impact force, can sometimes relieve or even remove the blockage to a certain extent. When the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the minimum flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1, the closing of the first material valve 135 and the opening of the steam valve 145 are triggered. This strategy can avoid overreacting to short-term flow fluctuations caused by non-blockage factors, thereby preventing unnecessary system intervention and cost increase; at the same time, it also allows the system to have a certain "observation period" to determine whether the blockage may be resolved by the impact of the subsequent mash on its own.

[0117] S300, obtain the steam flow value q1 detected by the steam flowmeter 150, and determine whether the steam flow value q1 is continuously greater than or equal to the set minimum steam flow value q0 within a certain time period T2.

[0118] S400, if so, open the first material valve 135 and close the steam valve 145.

[0119] In the case where the spray gun 110 is blocked, the blockage will hinder the smooth flow of steam, resulting in the value of the steam flowmeter 150 remaining at a low level. At this time, the value of the steam flowmeter 150 is less than the minimum steam flow value q0. When the blockage is effectively removed, the steam can flow smoothly, and the value of the steam flowmeter 150 will increase accordingly and gradually return to the normal level. At this time, the value q1 of the steam flowmeter 150 is greater than or equal to the minimum steam flow value q0.

[0120] Therefore, the change in the value of the steam flowmeter 150 is an important basis for judging whether the blockage has been removed. After the steam flow value q1 is continuously greater than or equal to the set minimum steam flow value q0 within a certain time period, then open the first material valve 135, start the material supply, and close the steam valve 145 to end the steam supply, which helps to completely remove the blockage.

[0121] The specific values of the minimum material flow value Q0, the minimum steam flow value q0, the time period T1, and the time period T2 need to be adaptively designed according to specific circumstances and are not limited in this application.

[0122] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of this application also provides a control method, which is applied to the above-mentioned drying tower spray gun dredging system 100. The drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 has a plurality of spray guns 110 and the same number of first material valves 135, material flowmeters 140, and steam valves 145 as the number of spray guns 110. The spray guns 110, the first material valves 135, the material flowmeters 140, the steam valves 145, and the spray guns 110 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence. The method includes:

[0123] S1000, in response to the drying load reduction signal.

[0124] The drying load reduction signal is specifically a signal indicating a decrease in the temperature of the hot air generated by the primary heating device and the secondary heating device on the front side of the drying tower. When the hot air temperature decreases, the amount of mash that the drying tower can dry also decreases.

[0125] S2000, control part of the first material valves 135 to close.

[0126] When the hot air temperature decreases, the amount of mash that the drying tower can dry decreases. Therefore, the first material valve 135 of the control part in step S20 is closed to reduce the amount of mash entering the drying tower.

[0127] S3000, control the steam valve 145 corresponding to the closed first material valve 135 to open until the steam valve 145 is opened for a set time T0.

[0128] After the first material valve 135 is closed, the spray gun 110 corresponding to the first material valve 135 will no longer spray mash. At this time, control the steam valve 145 corresponding to the first material valve 135 to open and open for a set time to flush out the residual mash in the spray gun 110 corresponding to the first material valve 135 through steam, so as to avoid the mash remaining in the spray gun 110 and blocking the spray gun 110 after solidification.

[0129] The following is an example. Suppose there are a total of 10 spray guns 110. When the hot air temperature drops to only meet the requirement for 6 spray guns 110 to spray mash simultaneously for drying, then close the first material valves 135 corresponding to 4 of the spray guns 110 so that these 4 spray guns 110 no longer spray mash. Then, control the steam valves 145 corresponding to these 4 spray guns 110 to open for a set time to spray out the residual mash in the 4 spray guns 110.

[0130] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present application also provides a control method, which is applied to the above-mentioned drying tower spray gun dredging system 100. The method includes:

[0131] S10000, in response to the drying system shutdown signal, control the water valve 155 to open, the first material valve 135 to close, the second material valve 195 to close, and the reflux valve 170 to open.

[0132] The shutdown signal refers to the signal that the drying system stops running, and the drying system will no longer dry the mash. After receiving the drying system shutdown signal, control the water valve 155 to open, the first material valve 135 to close, the second material valve 195 to close, and the reflux valve 170 to open, so that the clear water flushes the material pipe 120, and the residual mash in the material pipe 120 is collected into the temporary storage tank 160. On the one hand, it avoids the problems of mash retention and blockage of the material pipe 120, and on the other hand, it collects the residual mash so that the mash can be reused, reducing the waste of mash.

[0133] S20000, control the spray gun 110 to be outside the drying tower.

[0134] It can be that the spray gun 110 is manually moved outside the drying tower. In the embodiment where the drying tower spray gun dredging system 100 further includes a driving mechanism, the spray gun 110 can be moved outside the drying tower through the driving mechanism.

[0135] S30000 controls the steam valve 145 to open for a set time T0 in response to the in-place signal of the spray gun 110.

[0136] After receiving the in-place signal that the spray gun 110 is outside the drying tower, the steam valve 145 is then controlled to open to flush out the residual mash in the spray gun 110, preventing the mash from solidifying or causing corrosion in the spray gun 110, thereby maintaining the long-term stable operation of the drying system. When the spray gun 110 is outside the drying tower, the steam valve 145 is then controlled to open to avoid steam entering the drying tower, because if steam enters the drying tower, it will not be effectively dried and may condense into water, which may damage the internal structure of the drying tower. It should be noted that the steam valve 145 closes after opening for the set time T0.

[0137] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0138] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of those of ordinary skill in the art to implement. When the combination of technical solutions results in contradictions or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present application.

[0139] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and purposes of the present application. The scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A drying tower spray gun dredging system, characterized in that, Comprising: A spray gun (110) having a spray gun inlet (110a); A material pipe (120), the material outlet (120b) of the material pipe (120) being communicated with the spray gun inlet (110a), and the material inlet (120a) of the material pipe (120) being used for communicating with materials; A steam pipe (130), the steam outlet (130b) of the steam pipe (130) being communicated with the spray gun inlet (110a), and the steam inlet (130a) of the steam pipe (130) being used for communicating with steam; A first material valve (135) and a material flow meter (140), both installed on the material pipe (120); A steam valve (145), installed on the steam pipe (130).

2. The dry tower spray gun dredging system according to claim 1, wherein, The drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) further includes a steam flow meter (150), and the steam flow meter (150) is installed on the steam pipe (130).

3. The drying tower spray gun dredging system according to claim 2, characterized in that Both the first material valve (135) and the steam valve (145) are automatic control valves; The drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) further includes a controller, the controller is electrically connected to the material flow meter (140), the steam flow meter (150), the first material valve (135) and the steam valve (145), and the controller controls the opening and closing of the first material valve (135) and the steam valve (145) based on the material flow value detected by the material flow meter (140) and the steam flow value detected by the steam flow meter (150).

4. The drying tower spray gun dredging system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that The material pipe (120) further has a water inlet (120c), and the water inlet (120c) is used for communicating with a water source; the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) further includes: A water valve (155), and the water valve (155) is installed on the water inlet (120c); A second material valve (195), and the second material valve (195) is installed on the material inlet (120a).

5. The dry tower spray gun dredging system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) further includes: A temporary storage tank (160); A recovery pipe (165), communicating with the material pipe (120) and the temporary storage tank (160), and the end of the recovery pipe (165) communicating with the material pipe (120) is located between the first material valve (135) and the material inlet (120a) and is close to the side of the first material valve (135); A reflux valve (170), installed on the recovery pipe (165).

6. A control method for a dredging spray gun, characterized in that, Applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, the method includes: Obtaining the material flow value Q1 detected by the material flow meter (140), and judging whether the material flow value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to the set minimum material flow value Q0 within a certain time period T1; If so, closing the first material valve (135) and opening the steam valve (145) until the steam valve (145) is opened for a set time T0.

7. A control method for a dredging spray gun, characterized in that, Applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) described in any one of claims 1-5, the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) has a plurality of the spray guns (110), and the first material valves (135), the material flow meters (140) and the steam valves (145) that are consistent with the number of the spray guns (110). The spray guns (110), the first material valves (135), the material flow meters (140), the steam valves (145) and the spray guns (110) are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the method includes: Obtain the material flow rate values Q1 detected by each of the material flow meters (140), and determine whether each of the material flow rate values Q1 is continuously less than or equal to a set minimum material flow rate value Q0 within a certain time period; If so, the corresponding spray gun (110) is blocked; Obtain the number A of the blocked spray guns (110), and determine whether the number A is greater than a set maximum number A0; If not, close the first material valve (135) corresponding to the blocked spray gun (110) and open the corresponding steam valve (145) until the corresponding steam valve (145) is opened for a set time T0; If so, first close the first material valves (135) corresponding to A0 blocked spray guns (110) and open the corresponding steam valves (145) until the corresponding steam valves (145) are opened for a set time T0; then, close the first material valves (135) corresponding to the remaining blocked spray guns (110) and open the corresponding steam valves (145) until the corresponding steam valves (145) are opened for a set time T0.

8. A control method for a dredging spray gun, characterized in that Applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) described in claim 2 or 3, the method includes: Obtain the material flow rate value Q1 detected by the material flow meter (140), and determine whether the material flow rate value Q1 is continuously less than or equal to a set minimum material flow rate value Q0 within a certain time period T1; If so, close the first material valve (135) and open the steam valve (145); Obtain the steam flow rate value q1 detected by the steam flow meter (150), and determine whether the steam flow rate value q1 is continuously greater than or equal to a set minimum steam flow rate value q0 within a certain time period T2; If so, open the first material valve (135) and close the steam valve (145).

9. A control method for a dredging spray gun, characterized in that Applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) described in any one of claims 1-5, the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) has a plurality of the spray guns (110), and the first material valves (135), the material flow meters (140) and the steam valves (145) that are consistent with the number of the spray guns (110). The spray guns (110), the first material valves (135), the material flow meters (140), the steam valves (145) and the spray guns (110) are arranged in one-to-one correspondence; the method includes: Respond to the drying load reduction signal; Control part of the first material valves (135) to close; Open the steam valve (145) corresponding to the closed first material valve (135) until the steam valve (145) is opened for a set time T0.

10. A control method for a dredging spray gun, characterized in that Applied to the drying tower spray gun dredging system (100) described in claim 5, the method includes: In response to the shutdown signal of the drying system, control the water valve (155) to open, the first material valve (135) to close, the second material valve (195) to close, and the reflux valve (170) to open; Control the spray gun (110) to be outside the drying tower; In response to the in-place signal of the spray gun (110), control the steam valve (145) to open for a set time T0.

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