Grain and feed low-temperature bulking machine and temperature control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a cereal and feed low-temperature bulking machine and a temperature control method, and the cereal and feed low-temperature bulking machine comprises a machine base; the drying assembly is used for drying the grains or the feed; the puffing assembly is located at the output end of the drying assembly and comprises a puffing cylinder for inputting grains or feed; the heating assembly comprises a first pipeline and a second pipeline which are spirally and alternately wound on the peripheral wall of the bulking cylinder in the length direction of the bulking cylinder, and the first pipeline and the second pipeline respectively introduce liquid with the same temperature into the two ends of the bulking cylinder so as to heat the bulking cylinder. The drying pretreatment enables pathogenic bacteria to be more easily inactivated in the puffing stage, the subsequent puffing treatment time is shortened, the production efficiency of low-temperature puffing of cereals such as oatmeal, popcorn and oat or feeds such as soybean meal and fish meal is improved, and nutritional ingredients and product flavor are reserved; the problem of larger temperature difference caused by an overlong liquid conveying path is avoided, so that the whole puffing barrel is uniformly heated, and the stable puffing effect is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cereal and feed puffing treatment, and particularly relates to a low-temperature puffing machine for cereals and feeds, as well as a temperature control method applied to the low-temperature puffing machine for cereals and feeds. Background Art

[0002] In the field of cereal or feed processing, puffing technology, as an important processing means, can change the physical structure and taste of cereals or feeds, increase the nutritional value and edible diversity of cereals or feeds, and has been widely used in the production of various cereal or feed foods. Traditional puffing technology applies high temperature, high pressure and other conditions to cereals or feeds, so that the moisture inside the cereals or feeds instantaneously vaporizes and expands, thereby changing the physical structure and taste of cereals or feeds, and increasing the nutritional value and edible diversity of cereals or feeds.

[0003] However, traditional puffing technology has been difficult to meet the market demand for high-quality cereal or feed puffing products. High-temperature puffing may cause the loss of nutrients in cereals or feeds, damage the original flavor of cereals or feeds, and may also produce some harmful substances, affecting the quality and safety of products. Especially for some cereals rich in nutrients, such as whole wheat, oats, etc., as well as soybean meal, fish meal and other feeds, high-temperature puffing may cause a large loss of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, reducing the nutritional value of products. Therefore, how to reduce the puffing temperature and reduce the loss of nutrients while ensuring the puffing effect of cereals or feeds has become a research hotspot in the current field of cereal or feed puffing technology.

[0004] In addition, the existing cereal or feed puffing machines have deficiencies in temperature control, and it is difficult to accurately control the temperature during the puffing process, resulting in unstable puffing effects and uneven product quality. Especially in the processing of some cereals or feeds sensitive to temperature, such as the puffing of cereals or feeds added with functional bacterial liquid, the accurate control of temperature is crucial for ensuring the activity of the bacterial liquid and the functionality of the product. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cereal or feed puffing machine that can achieve low-temperature puffing and accurately control the temperature. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this reason, the present invention provides a low-temperature puffing machine for cereals and feeds, which can achieve low-temperature puffing of cereals or feeds, retain nutrients, ensure product flavor, and can accurately control the temperature during the puffing process to ensure stable puffing effects and improve product quality; in addition, functional bacterial liquid can be added to complete puffing together with cereals or feeds at low temperature to improve the food value.

[0006] The present invention also provides a temperature control method applied to the above-mentioned low-temperature puffing machine for cereals and feeds.

[0007] The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to the present invention includes: A machine base; A drying component, connected to the machine base, and the drying component is used for drying grains or feeds; A puffing component, connected to the machine base and located at the output end of the drying component. The puffing component includes a horizontally arranged puffing cylinder, and the puffing cylinder is connected with a feed pipe to input grains or feeds into the puffing cylinder; A heating component, connected to the machine base. The heating component includes a first pipe and a second pipe that are spirally and alternately wound around the outer peripheral wall of the puffing cylinder in the length direction of the puffing cylinder. The first pipe introduces a liquid at a preset temperature at one end of the puffing cylinder, and the second pipe introduces the preset temperature liquid at the other end of the puffing cylinder to heat the puffing cylinder.

[0008] The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The drying component can pre-treat grains or feeds to remove excess moisture, creating good conditions for subsequent puffing. Moreover, the horizontally arranged puffing cylinder in the puffing component is paired with a feed pipe, enabling grains or feeds to smoothly enter the puffing cylinder, ensuring the continuity and stability of the puffing process, and helping to improve production efficiency. In addition, the heating component heats the puffing cylinder by spirally and alternately winding the first pipe and the second pipe around the puffing cylinder in the length direction and introducing a liquid. Compared with traditional heating methods, this circumferential heating method can make more effective use of heat, improve energy utilization efficiency, and reduce production costs. In addition, in order to avoid the problem of a large temperature difference between the end and the front of the pipeline conveying path of the liquid, the method of introducing the preset temperature liquid in the first pipe and the second pipe in the reverse direction is adopted. Under the combined action, the entire puffing cylinder can be evenly heated. Therefore, uniform heating can avoid uneven puffing of grains or feeds due to local overheating or underheating during the puffing process. By precisely controlling the heating temperature, it is ensured that each grain or feed particle can be puffed in a suitable temperature environment, better retaining the nutrients in the grains or feeds, reducing the damage to the nutrients caused by high temperature, making the puffed grains or feed products have both good taste and appearance, and being rich in nutrients, ensuring the quality stability and consistency of the puffed products, and meeting the needs of consumers for high-quality food.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the puffing cylinder of the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds is provided with a plurality of first temperature detection sensors. The puffing cylinder includes a plurality of puffing sections connected in sequence in the length direction. The first temperature detection sensors are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the puffing sections and are used to detect the temperature in the puffing sections. The machine base is connected with a temperature control component to control the temperature of several of the puffing sections.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, the temperature control component includes a linear module, a sliding seat and a cold air blower. The linear module is connected to and drives the sliding seat to move along the length direction of the puffing cylinder. The cold air blower is installed on the sliding seat, and the output port of the cold air blower is arranged towards one side of the puffing cylinder and can perform air cooling on at least one of the puffing sections.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, a wind guide shell is connected to the sliding seat. One end of the cold air blower is communicated with the air outlet side of the cold air blower, and the other end is provided with an air outlet groove. The length of the puffing section is A, and in the length direction of the puffing cylinder, the width of the end of the air outlet groove is B, satisfying: 0.5*A ≤ B ≤ 0.75*A.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, the puffing component further includes a feeding motor and a feeding screw. The feeding screw is rotatably arranged in the puffing cylinder, and the feeding motor is connected to drive the feeding screw to rotate so as to push the grains or feeds.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, the drying component includes a drying cylinder, a stirring motor, a stirring rod and a hot air component. The stirring rod is rotatably arranged in the drying cylinder, the stirring motor is connected to and drives the stirring rod to rotate, the hot air component feeds hot air into the drying cylinder, and the bottom of the drying cylinder can be opened to convey the grains or feeds to the puffing cylinder.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, the drying cylinder is arranged vertically, and the bottom of the stirring rod is provided with extrusion teeth, and the extrusion teeth cooperate with the inner bottom surface of the drying cylinder to extrude the grains or feeds.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, the hot air component includes a hot air pipe, a frequency modulation blower, a heating wire and a second temperature detection sensor. The heating wire can be energized to generate heat, the frequency modulation blower can adjust the wind speed, the air outlet side of the frequency modulation blower is communicated with one end of the hot air pipe, the other end of the hot air pipe is communicated with the drying cylinder, and the second temperature detection sensor is used to detect the temperature at the connection of the hot air pipe and the drying cylinder.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, for the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, a conveying cylinder is arranged between the drying component and the puffing component, and the conveying cylinder is provided with a feeding port for feeding a functional bacterial liquid.

[0017] The temperature control method according to the present invention is applied to the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds of the present invention; the temperature control method includes the following steps: Heating and puffing: Introduce the liquid with a preset temperature of 50°C to 90°C into the first pipeline and the second pipeline to heat the puffing cylinder. Temperature monitoring: After heating and puffing, the first temperature detection sensor detects the temperature corresponding to the puffing section to obtain the temperature value of each puffing section. Overall cooling: During temperature monitoring, if the average value of multiple temperature values is greater than 90°C, reduce the temperature of the liquid introduced into the first pipeline and the second pipeline, and / or increase the flow rate of the liquid in the first pipeline and the second pipeline. Local cooling: During temperature monitoring, compare the temperature values of each puffing section. If the difference between the highest temperature value and the lowest temperature value is ≥ 3°C, the linear module drives the cold air blower to move to the central position of the puffing section corresponding to the highest temperature value, and operate the cold air blower to perform air cooling on the puffing section.

[0018] The temperature control method according to the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: In the heating and puffing stage, introduce the liquid with a preset temperature of 50°C - 90°C into the first pipeline and the second pipeline to heat the puffing cylinder, which can not only meet the requirements of low-temperature puffing of grains or feeds, avoid the destruction of the nutritional components and flavors of grains or feeds by high temperature, but also provide sufficient energy to complete the puffing process of grains or feeds. Then, during temperature monitoring, the first temperature detection sensor detects the temperature corresponding to the puffing section to obtain the temperature value of each puffing section, providing an accurate data basis for subsequent temperature regulation. Among them, when the average value of multiple temperature values is greater than 90°C, the overall temperature of the puffing cylinder is quickly and effectively reduced by reducing the temperature of the liquid introduced into the first pipeline and the second pipeline and / or increasing the liquid flow rate, preventing over-puffing of grains or feeds or damage to nutritional components due to excessive temperature; when the difference between the highest temperature value and the lowest temperature value is ≥ 3°C, the linear module drives the cold air blower to move to the central position of the puffing section corresponding to the highest temperature value, and operate the cold air blower to perform air cooling on this puffing section. This local cooling method can accurately solve the problem of excessive local temperature, avoid uneven puffing of grains or feeds caused by uneven local temperature. Furthermore, through this comprehensive temperature control method, the temperature inside the puffing cylinder can always be maintained within an appropriate range, enabling each grain or feed particle to be puffed in a uniform and stable temperature environment, thereby improving the stability and consistency of product quality, meeting the needs of consumers for high-quality grain or feed puffing products, and also helping to improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0019] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, become apparent in part from the following description, or be learned through the practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and be readily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the drying cylinder of the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a flowchart of the temperature control method applied to the low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Description of the reference numerals in the drawings: Machine base 100; Drying assembly 200; Drying cylinder 210; Telescopic plate 211; Stirring motor 220; Stirring rod 221; Extrusion teeth 2211; Hot air assembly 230; Hot air pipe 231; Frequency modulation fan 232; Heating wire 233; Second temperature detection sensor 234; Puffing assembly 300; Puffing cylinder 310; Puffing section 311; Pushing motor 320; Pushing screw 330; Heating assembly 400; First pipe 410; Second pipe 420; Temperature control assembly 500; Linear module 510; Sliding seat 520; Air guiding shell 530; Feeding cylinder 600; Feeding port 610. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are exemplary only for explaining the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that for the orientation description, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., the orientation or positional relationship indicated is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "a number of" is one or more, the meaning of "a plurality of" is more than two, and understandings such as "greater than", "less than", "exceeding", etc. do not include the present number, and understandings such as "above", "below", "within", etc. include the present number. If there is a description of "first" and "second", it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0025] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as "set", "installed", "connected", etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, descriptions with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" mean 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 invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions 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 a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0027] In the field of grain or feed processing, the puffing technology, as an important processing means, can change the physical structure and taste of grains or feeds, increase the nutritional value and edible diversity of grains or feeds, and has been widely applied to the production of various grain or feed foods. The traditional puffing technology changes the physical structure and taste of grains or feeds, and increases the nutritional value and edible diversity of grains or feeds by applying high temperature, high pressure and other conditions to the grains or feeds, so that the moisture inside the grains or feeds instantaneously vaporizes and expands.

[0028] However, the traditional puffing technology has been difficult to meet the market demand for high-quality grain or feed puffing products. High-temperature puffing may cause the loss of nutritional components in grains or feeds, damage the original flavor of grains or feeds, and may also produce some harmful substances, affecting the quality and safety of products. Especially for some grains rich in nutritional components, such as whole wheat, oats, etc., and feed such as soybean meal and fish meal, high-temperature puffing may cause a large loss of nutritional components such as vitamins and minerals in them, reducing the nutritional value of the products. Therefore, how to reduce the puffing temperature and reduce the loss of nutritional components while ensuring the puffing effect of grains or feeds has become a research hotspot in the current field of grain or feed puffing technology.

[0029] In addition, existing cereal or feed puffing machines have deficiencies in temperature control. It is difficult to precisely control the temperature during the puffing process, resulting in unstable puffing effects and uneven product quality. Especially in the processing of some temperature-sensitive cereals or feeds, such as the puffing of cereals or feeds added with functional bacterial solutions, the precise control of temperature is crucial for ensuring the activity of the bacterial solution and the functionality of the product. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cereal or feed puffing machine that can achieve low-temperature puffing and precisely control the temperature.

[0030] The following examples take cereals as an example.

[0031] For this purpose, as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the present invention provides a low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, which includes a machine base 100, a drying component 200 connected to the machine base 100, a puffing component 300 connected to the machine base 100 and located at the output end of the drying component 200, and a heating component 400 connected to the machine base 100. Among them, the drying component 200 is used for drying grains. The puffing component 300 includes a horizontally arranged puffing cylinder 310, and the puffing cylinder 310 is connected with a feed pipe to input grains into the puffing cylinder 310. Further, the heating component 400 includes a first pipe 410 and a second pipe 420 that are spirally and alternately wound around the outer peripheral wall of the puffing cylinder 310 in the length direction of the puffing cylinder 310. The first pipe 410 introduces a liquid at a preset temperature at one end of the puffing cylinder 310, and the second pipe 420 introduces a liquid at a preset temperature at the other end of the puffing cylinder 310 to heat the puffing cylinder 310. It should be noted that the drying component 200 can pre-treat grains, remove excess moisture, and create good conditions for subsequent puffing. Moreover, the horizontally arranged puffing cylinder 310 in the puffing component 300 is equipped with a feed pipe, enabling grains to smoothly enter the puffing cylinder 310, ensuring the continuity and stability of the puffing process, and helping to improve production efficiency. In addition, the heating component 400 heats the puffing cylinder 310 by spirally and alternately winding the first pipe 410 and the second pipe 420 around the puffing cylinder 310 in the length direction and introducing liquids. Compared with traditional heating methods, this circumferential heating method can more effectively utilize heat, improve energy utilization efficiency, and reduce production costs. In addition, in order to avoid the problem of large temperature differences between the end and the front end of the liquid in the pipeline conveying path, a method of introducing liquids at a preset temperature in the opposite direction in the first pipe 410 and the second pipe 420 is adopted. Under the combined action, the entire puffing cylinder 310 can be evenly heated. Thus, uniform heating can prevent uneven puffing of grains during the puffing process due to excessive or too low local temperatures. By precisely controlling the heating temperature, it is ensured that each grain particle can be puffed in a suitable temperature environment, better retaining the nutrients in the grains, reducing the damage to nutrients caused by high temperatures, making the puffed grain products have both good taste and appearance, and being rich in nutrients, ensuring the quality stability and consistency of the puffed products, and meeting the needs of consumers for high-quality foods.

[0032] Refer again to Figure 1, in some embodiments of the present invention, the puffing cylinder 310 is provided with a plurality of first temperature detection sensors (not shown in the figure). Correspondingly, the puffing cylinder 310 includes a plurality of puffing segments 311 connected in sequence in the length direction. The first temperature detection sensors are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the puffing segments 311 and are used to detect the temperature inside the puffing segments 311. The machine base 100 is connected with a temperature control component 500 to control the temperature of several puffing segments 311. First of all, due to factors such as grain flow and heat transfer, there may be temperature differences in different puffing segments 311. For example, the puffing component 300 includes a feeding motor 320 and a feeding screw 330. The feeding screw 330 is rotatably arranged inside the puffing cylinder 310, and the feeding motor 320 is used to drive the feeding screw 330 to rotate to push the grains. In some applications, even though the feeding screw 330 mainly functions to push the grains so that they are evenly distributed inside the puffing cylinder 310, during the process of pushing the grains, friction will occur between the feeding screw 330 and the grains and between the grain particles. This friction will consume mechanical energy and be converted into heat energy, thereby increasing the temperature of the grains. For the spiral angle design of some feeding screws 330, the grains will be continuously pushed to the rear end of the puffing cylinder 310 during rotation. During this process, the screw generates radial and axial pressures on the grains. The radial pressure causes the grains to be extruded against the inner wall of the puffing cylinder 310, and the axial pressure pushes the grains forward. As the screw continues to rotate and advance, the pressure borne by the grains gradually increases. At the same time, as the feeding screw 330 advances, the space of the grains inside the puffing cylinder 310 gradually becomes smaller. Under the extrusion of the feeding screw 330, the grains are compressed. During the compression process, the distance between the grain molecules decreases, and the kinetic energy of the molecules increases, resulting in a temperature increase. In other applications, the rotation of the feeding screw 330 can also play a certain role in stirring and turning the grains. This enables the grains to be heated more evenly inside the puffing cylinder 310, avoiding the situation where some grains are over-puffed due to being in a high-temperature area for a long time, or some grains are incompletely puffed due to insufficient heating. Through more uniform heating, the grains can better complete the puffing process, improving the quality consistency of the product. In addition, the reasonable feeding speed can be flexibly adjusted according to different grain types, initial moisture content, and puffing process requirements, further optimizing the puffing effect, improving production efficiency and product quality, making the production process more controllable, and meeting the production requirements of different products. To sum up, for the temperature differences in different puffing segments 311, a plurality of first temperature detection sensors can accurately sense the actual temperature conditions inside each puffing segment 311, realizing fine monitoring of the temperature during the puffing process. This one-to-one monitoring method can accurately capture the temperature changes of each local area, providing reliable data support for precise control. Secondly, based on the information fed back by the first temperature detection sensors, the temperature control component 500 can perform targeted temperature control on each puffing segment 311.This means that heating or cooling measures can be flexibly adjusted according to the specific temperature conditions of each puffing section 311, avoiding the influence of too high or too low local temperature on the cereal puffing effect. Through this refined temperature management, it is possible to ensure a more uniform temperature distribution within the entire puffing cylinder 310, enabling the cereal to be puffed in a suitable temperature environment in each puffing section 311, thereby significantly improving the quality stability and consistency of the puffed products and meeting the strict requirements for product quality in large-scale production.

[0033] Specifically, referring again to Figure 1 , in some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature control component 500 includes a linear module 510, a sliding seat 520, and a cold air blower (not shown in the figure). The linear module 510 is connected to and drives the sliding seat 520 to move along the length direction of the puffing cylinder 310. The cold air blower is installed on the sliding seat 520, and the output port of the cold air blower is arranged towards one side of the puffing cylinder 310 and can perform air cooling on at least one of the puffing sections 311. On the one hand, the precise motion control ability of the linear module 510 enables the sliding seat 520 to move along the length direction of the puffing cylinder 310 according to a preset path and speed, so that the cold air blower can perform targeted air cooling adjustment on different positions of the puffing cylinder 310. For example, when the temperature of a certain puffing section 311 is too high or rapid cooling is required, the sliding seat 520 can quickly move to the corresponding position and promptly start the cold air blower for cooling operation, effectively solving the problem that it is difficult to quickly respond to local temperature changes in the traditional temperature control method. On the other hand, this dynamic temperature control method greatly improves the temperature controllability of the entire puffing process. By flexibly adjusting the air cooling effect at different positions, it is possible to better balance the temperature distribution within the puffing cylinder 310, reduce the uneven puffing of cereals caused by temperature fluctuations, and thereby improve the product qualification rate and overall quality. In addition, this design also increases the flexibility and adaptability of the equipment. It can detect and feedback the internal temperature change situation in real time during the puffing process according to factors such as different cereal varieties and processing technology requirements, and timely adjust the air cooling position and duration of the cold air blower to meet diverse production needs. For example, for heat-sensitive raw materials such as apples and bananas, the puffing temperature is usually 60°C to 80°C. For another example, for functional foods such as probiotics and low-fat puffed cereals, the puffing temperature is usually 50°C to 90°C.

[0034] Furthermore, as Figure 1As shown, the sliding seat 520 is connected to a wind guide housing 530. One end of the air cooler is communicated with the air outlet side of the air cooler, and the other end is provided with an air outlet groove. The length of the puffing section 311 is A, and in the length direction of the puffing cylinder 310, the width of the end of the air outlet groove is B, satisfying: 0.5*A ≤ B ≤ 0.75*A, which further optimizes the air cooling effect. The presence of the wind guide housing 530 can effectively guide and restrict the air blown by the air cooler, making the cold air act more concentrated and stably on the surface of the puffing cylinder 310. Through careful design, on the one hand, 0.5*A ≤ B can prevent the cold air from being too concentrated in a small area, causing too low local temperature and affecting the uniformity of grain puffing. On the other hand, B ≤ 0.75*A can ensure that the cold air can diffuse within a suitable range, better target the puffing section 311 that needs to be cooled, and avoid affecting the adjacent puffing sections 311 that do not need to be cooled. In this way, the accuracy of temperature control is further improved, so that the temperatures of each puffing section 311 in the puffing cylinder 310 can be more effectively controlled, providing a more stable and uniform puffing environment for the grains, helping to improve product quality, and reducing product defects caused by uneven temperature, such as insufficient puffing and local charring.

[0035] In addition, it should be noted that another difficulty in low-temperature puffing is the limited killing effect on pathogenic bacteria. For some applications, corresponding sterilization measures need to be combined. For example, for common foodborne pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus, the time required to inactivate 90% at 90°C is mostly several minutes to dozens of minutes. In addition, water activity is also one of the key control factors. If the water activity of the final product > 0.85, such as incompletely dried fruit and vegetable chips, grains, etc., pathogenic bacteria can proliferate during storage.

[0036] In this application, the grains are dried by the drying component 200 before the puffing component 300. On the one hand, the drying pretreatment makes the pathogenic bacteria in a dormant or sub-lethal state, reducing their heat resistance, so that they are more easily completely inactivated during the puffing stage. On the other hand, the drying treatment before puffing can shorten the subsequent puffing treatment time and improve production efficiency. Such as Figure 1As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the drying assembly 200 includes a drying cylinder 210, a stirring motor 220, a stirring rod 221, and a hot air assembly 230. The stirring rod 221 is rotatably arranged in the drying cylinder 210. The stirring motor 220 is connected to and drives the stirring rod 221 to rotate. The hot air assembly 230 passes hot air into the drying cylinder 210. The bottom of the drying cylinder 210 can be opened to convey grains to the puffing cylinder 310. For example, a telescopic plate 211 is provided at the bottom of the drying cylinder 210. After drying is completed, the telescopic plate 211 retracts, allowing the grains to fall out of the drying cylinder 210. It is easy to understand that the stirring rod 221 rotates under the drive of the stirring motor 220, which can fully stir the grains in the drying cylinder 210, enabling the grains to come into full contact with the hot air. This stirring effect greatly improves the drying efficiency because only when the grains are in full contact with the hot air can the moisture evaporate more quickly from the grain surface. At the same time, the hot air assembly 230 provides a stable heat source for the drying process, accelerating the evaporation of moisture from the grains. Further, referring again to Figure 2 , the drying cylinder 210 is vertically arranged, and an extrusion tooth 2211 is provided at the bottom of the stirring rod 221. The extrusion tooth 2211 cooperates with the inner bottom surface of the drying cylinder 210 to extrude the grains. On the one hand, due to the certain gaps and structures between the grain particles, simply relying on hot air drying may not be able to quickly and effectively discharge the internal moisture. In this regard, during the drying process, the extrusion tooth 2211 applies a certain pressure to the grains, making it easier to extrude the internal moisture of the grains. Moreover, the extrusion action of the extrusion tooth 2211 can break part of the structure of the grains, increasing the evaporation channels for moisture, thereby accelerating the drying speed and improving the drying efficiency. On the other hand, the extrusion process can also perform a certain degree of pre-crushing on the grains. In the subsequent puffing process, the pre-crushed grains are more likely to expand when heated, making the puffing effect more uniform and sufficient. In addition, the cooperative design of the extrusion tooth 2211 and the inner bottom surface of the drying cylinder 210 is reasonable, which can effectively achieve the extrusion function while ensuring the stirring effect. This synergistic effect enables the dried grains to have a more suitable moisture content and physical structure, laying a good foundation for high-quality puffed products and contributing to improving the taste, nutrient retention rate, and appearance quality of the products.

[0037] It should be noted that the temperature during hot air drying should not be too high, otherwise it may cause damage to the nutrients in the grains, such as vitamins, proteins, etc. For some heat-sensitive grains, such as certain special grains or organic grains, too high a temperature may also cause the grains to become charred, affecting the quality and taste of the products. Generally speaking, the hot air temperature should be controlled within an appropriate range according to the type of grains and specific requirements. For example, for ordinary rice grains, the hot air temperature can be controlled between 50 °C and 80 °C.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 1As shown, the hot air assembly 230 includes a hot air duct 231, a frequency modulation blower 232, a heating wire 233, and a second temperature detection sensor 234. The heating wire 233 can be energized to generate heat, and the frequency modulation blower 232 can adjust the wind speed. The air outlet side of the frequency modulation blower 232 is communicated with one end of the hot air duct 231, and the other end of the hot air duct 231 is communicated with the drying cylinder 210. The second temperature detection sensor 234 is used to detect the temperature at the connection between the hot air duct 231 and the drying cylinder 210. Furthermore, the heat and air volume in the drying process can be precisely controlled. In some applications, when the temperature is too high, the power of the heating wire 233 can be reduced or the wind speed can be increased to take away the excess heat; when the temperature is too low, the power of the heating wire 233 can be increased or the wind speed can be reduced to increase the heat input. This precise temperature control can ensure that the temperature of the hot air in the drying process is stabilized within a suitable range, avoiding the loss of grain nutrients due to too high temperature or affecting the drying efficiency due to too low temperature.

[0039] In addition, during the hot air drying process, the final moisture content, color, taste and other quality indicators of the grain can be precisely controlled by controlling parameters such as the temperature, wind speed and drying time of the hot air. In some applications, hot air drying at a lower temperature and higher wind speed is suitable for producing grain products with better brittleness. In other applications, the drying method at a higher temperature and lower wind speed will result in a lower moisture content of the grain products, but may have a certain impact on the color and taste.

[0040] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, a conveying cylinder 600 is provided between the drying assembly 200 and the puffing assembly 300. The conveying cylinder 600 is provided with a feeding port 610 for injecting a functional bacterial liquid, such as improving the nutritional value of the grain, increasing special flavors or endowing the product with specific health functions, etc., bringing more possibilities to grain processing, especially suitable for the production of grain puffing products that need to add functional bacterial liquid. It can be understood that adding the functional bacterial liquid during the conveying process can make the bacterial liquid evenly distributed on the surface of the grain, and the design of the conveying cylinder 600 can ensure that the grain has enough time to fully contact and mix with the bacterial liquid before entering the puffing cylinder 310, avoiding the occurrence of too high or too low local bacterial liquid concentration.

[0041] Referring again to Figure 3 , according to the temperature control method of the embodiment of the present invention, it is applied to the grain and feed low-temperature puffing machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein the temperature control method includes the following steps: S100. Heating and puffing: Inject a liquid with a preset temperature of 50°C to 90°C into the first pipeline 410 and the second pipeline 420 to heat the puffing cylinder 310; optionally, the temperature of the liquid is 70°C, and the puffing treatment time is 25 minutes.

[0042] S200. Monitor the temperature: After heating and puffing, the first temperature detection sensor detects the temperature of the corresponding puffing section 311 to obtain the temperature value of each puffing section 311. S310. Overall cooling: During the temperature monitoring, if the average value of multiple temperature values is greater than 90 °C, reduce the temperature of the liquid flowing into the first pipe 410 and the second pipe 420, and / or increase the flow rate of the liquid in the first pipe 410 and the second pipe 420. S320. Local cooling: During the temperature monitoring, compare the temperature values of each puffing section 311. If the highest temperature value - the lowest temperature value ≥ 3 °C, the linear module 510 drives the air cooler to move to the central position of the puffing section 311 corresponding to the highest temperature value, and operate the air cooler to air-cool the puffing section 311.

[0043] According to the temperature control method of the embodiment of the present invention, in the heating and puffing stage, a liquid with a preset temperature of 50 °C - 90 °C is introduced into the first pipe 410 and the second pipe 420 to heat the puffing cylinder 310, which can not only meet the requirements of low-temperature puffing of grains, avoid the destruction of grain nutrients and flavors caused by high temperature, but also provide sufficient energy to complete the puffing process of grains. Then, during the temperature monitoring process, the first temperature detection sensor detects the temperature of the corresponding puffing section 311 to obtain the temperature value of each puffing section 311, providing an accurate data basis for subsequent temperature regulation. Among them, when the average value of multiple temperature values is greater than 9 °C, the overall temperature of the puffing cylinder 310 is rapidly and effectively reduced by reducing the temperature of the liquid flowing into the first pipe 410 and the second pipe 420 and / or increasing the liquid flow rate, preventing over-puffing of grains or damage to nutrients due to excessive temperature; when the difference between the highest temperature value and the lowest temperature value ≥ 3 °C, the linear module 510 drives the air cooler to move to the central position of the puffing section 311 corresponding to the highest temperature value, and operate the air cooler to air-cool the puffing section 311. This local cooling method can accurately solve the problem of excessive local temperature and avoid uneven puffing of grains caused by uneven local temperature. Furthermore, through this comprehensive temperature control method, the temperature in the puffing cylinder 310 can be ensured to always remain within an appropriate range, enabling each grain particle to puff in a uniform and stable temperature environment, thereby improving the stability and consistency of product quality, meeting the needs of consumers for high-quality grain puffing products, and also helping to improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0044] Other components and operations of the temperature control method according to the embodiment of the present invention are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention within the scope of knowledge possessed by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

Claims

1. Low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds, characterized in that, Comprising: A machine base; A drying component, connected to the machine base, for drying grains or feeds; An extrusion component, connected to the machine base and located at the output end of the drying component, the extrusion component includes a horizontally arranged extrusion cylinder, and the extrusion cylinder is connected with a feed pipe for inputting grains or feeds into the extrusion cylinder; A heating component, connected to the machine base, the heating component includes a first pipe and a second pipe spirally and alternately wound around the outer peripheral wall of the extrusion cylinder in the length direction of the extrusion cylinder, the first pipe leads into a liquid at a preset temperature at one end of the extrusion cylinder, and the second pipe leads into the preset temperature liquid at the other end of the extrusion cylinder to heat the extrusion cylinder.

2. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of first temperature detection sensors are arranged on the extrusion cylinder, the extrusion cylinder includes a plurality of sequentially connected extrusion segments in the length direction, the first temperature detection sensors are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the extrusion segments and are used to detect the temperature in the extrusion segments, and the machine base is connected with a temperature control component to control the temperature of several of the extrusion segments.

3. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 2, wherein: The temperature control component includes a linear module, a sliding seat and a cold air blower, the linear module is connected and drives the sliding seat to move along the length direction of the extrusion cylinder, the cold air blower is installed on the sliding seat, and the outlet of the cold air blower is arranged towards one side of the extrusion cylinder and can air-cool at least one of the extrusion segments.

4. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 3, wherein: The sliding seat is connected with a wind guide shell, one end of the cold air blower is communicated with the air outlet side of the cold air blower, and the other end is provided with an air outlet groove, the length of the extrusion segment is A, and in the length direction of the extrusion cylinder, the width of the end of the air outlet groove is B, satisfying: 0.5*A ≤ B ≤ 0.75*A.

5. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 1, wherein: The extrusion component further includes a feeding motor and a feeding screw, the feeding screw is rotatably arranged in the extrusion cylinder, and the feeding motor is used to drive the feeding screw to rotate to push the grains or feeds.

6. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 1, wherein: The drying component includes a drying cylinder, a stirring motor, a stirring rod and a hot air component, the stirring rod is rotatably arranged in the drying cylinder, the stirring motor is connected and drives the stirring rod to rotate, the hot air component feeds hot air into the drying cylinder, and the bottom of the drying cylinder can be opened to convey the grains or feeds to the extrusion cylinder.

7. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 6, characterized in that: The drying cylinder is arranged vertically, and the bottom of the stirring rod is provided with extrusion teeth, and the extrusion teeth cooperate with the inner bottom surface of the drying cylinder to extrude the grains or feeds.

8. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 6, characterized in that: The hot air component includes a hot air pipe, a frequency modulation blower, a heating wire and a second temperature detection sensor, the heating wire can be energized to generate heat, the frequency modulation blower can adjust the wind speed, the air outlet side of the frequency modulation blower is communicated with one end of the hot air pipe, the other end of the hot air pipe is communicated with the drying cylinder, and the second temperature detection sensor is used to detect the temperature at the connection of the hot air pipe and the drying cylinder.

9. The low-temperature puffing machine for grains and feeds according to claim 1, wherein: A conveying cylinder is arranged between the drying component and the extrusion component, and the conveying cylinder is provided with a feeding port for feeding a functional bacterial liquid.

10. Temperature control method, characterized in that: Applied to the low-temperature extrusion machine for grains and feeds as described in claim 3; The temperature control method includes the following steps: Heating and puffing: Introduce the liquid with a preset temperature of 50°C to 90°C into the first pipeline and the second pipeline to heat the puffing cylinder; Temperature monitoring: After heating and puffing, the first temperature detection sensor detects the temperature corresponding to the puffing section to obtain the temperature value of each puffing section; Overall cooling: During temperature monitoring, if the average value of multiple temperature values is greater than 90°C, reduce the temperature of the liquid introduced into the first pipeline and the second pipeline, and / or increase the flow rate of the liquid in the first pipeline and the second pipeline; Local cooling: During temperature monitoring, compare the temperature values of each puffing section. If the highest temperature value - the lowest temperature value ≥ 3°C, the linear module drives the cold air blower to move to the central position of the puffing section corresponding to the highest temperature value, and operate the cold air blower to perform air cooling on the puffing section.

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