Material drying, moisture regaining and aroma enhancing equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses material drying, moisture regaining and aroma increasing equipment, and belongs to the technical field of drying. The material drying, moisture regaining and aroma increasing equipment comprises a drying machine and a spraying device; the air energy heating main machine comprises a rack, and a heat exchanger, a drainage fan, a heat pump, a liquid storage device, an expansion valve, a drying filter, a fin evaporator and an electric heater which are arranged on the rack, the fin evaporator is arranged in an exhaust pipeline located at the upper part of the drying machine, and a heat exchange core body is arranged at the communicating part of the upper part of the drying oven and the heating chamber; the heat exchange core is composed of air pipes which are arranged at intervals and intersect with one another, a liquid collecting tank is arranged below the fin evaporator and the heat exchange core, the liquid collecting tank is connected into a water tank through a drainage pipe, and the water tank is connected with a spraying device. Two times of heat recovery and condensate recovery are achieved through the heat exchange core and the fin evaporator, condensate is dampened into materials through the spraying device, and energy conservation and material aroma enhancement are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air energy equipment drying, and more particularly to a material drying, moisture regaining and fragrance enhancing device. Background Art

[0002] Currently, leafy agricultural products (including indigo leaves), flowers, tobacco leaves, and traditional Chinese medicines like ginseng and wolfberry generally have very low moisture content after drying, making them easily breakable, which seriously reduces product quality. Therefore, leafy agricultural products and traditional Chinese medicines must undergo a moisture reconditioning treatment in the later stages of drying to slightly soften the leaf surface. This ensures the quality of the leafy agricultural products and the uniform moisture distribution within the traditional Chinese medicines, preventing them from becoming brittle due to overdrying.

[0003] The current method of rehumidification after drying is natural rehumidification, that is, after the product is dried, the drying room is opened to allow the product to absorb moisture from the outside air to achieve the purpose of rehumidification. This rehumidification method is not restricted by the site. Although it is convenient and labor-saving, this method is seriously restricted by local climatic conditions, cannot be automatically controlled, and cannot achieve the effect of quickly and evenly rehumidifying the product, thereby reducing the quality of the product.

[0004] In the existing technology, for example, Patent ZL201620477518.9 discloses an automatic humidification and rehumidification system for drying, which mentions adding spray devices and heating devices in the drying chamber to improve the baking quality of tobacco leaves, save baking time, and reduce baking costs.

[0005] However, the above patent has obvious shortcomings. Although tap water and a heating device are used to provide hot water, which can quickly rehydrate, there are problems such as high heating energy consumption, reduced fresh water rehydration or diluted material taste and rehydration water source. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem of waste heat and waste gas in the drying room and make comprehensive utilization of it, and to provide an energy-saving and fragrance-enhancing material drying and rehumidification equipment.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: a material drying, rehumidification and fragrance-enhancing equipment, including a dryer and a spray device, the dryer includes an air-energy heating main unit and an oven detachably mounted on one side or both sides of the air-energy heating main unit, the air-energy heating main unit includes a frame and a heat exchanger, a draught fan, a heat pump, a liquid storage, an expansion valve, a drying filter, a fin evaporator, and an electric heater arranged on the frame, the fin evaporator is arranged in an exhaust duct located on the upper part of the dryer, the heat exchanger is located above the electric heater, the draught fan is installed on the lower surface of the heat exchanger and the wind direction is from the upper Downward, the heat exchanger, the exhaust fan, and the electric heater form a heating chamber through a frame and a partition. The nozzle of the spray device is arranged below the electric heater. A heat exchange core is provided at the connection between the upper part of the oven and the heating chamber. The heat exchange core is composed of air ducts that are arranged at intervals and cross each other. The longitudinal air duct constitutes the air inlet duct of the dryer and is connected to the heating chamber. The transverse air duct constitutes the air outlet duct and is connected to the exhaust duct where the fin evaporator is located. The air duct is made of heat-conducting metal material. A liquid collecting tank is provided below the fin evaporator and the heat exchange core. The liquid collecting tank is connected to the water tank through a drain pipe. The water tank is connected to the spray device.

[0008] Furthermore, the water tank is connected to a liquid concentration device, and the liquid concentration device is connected to the spray device.

[0009] Furthermore, a guide plate is provided at the bottom of the heating main unit below the electric heater.

[0010] Furthermore, an exhaust fan is provided in the exhaust duct.

[0011] Furthermore, a stirring device is provided in the water tank.

[0012] Furthermore, the nozzles of the spray device are multiple micron-level nozzles arranged in a matrix, and are extended through pipes and arranged at the bottom of the oven.

[0013] Furthermore, the liquid concentration device is a heating evaporation concentrator.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: (1) During the material drying process, the design of the heat exchange core uses the high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from the oven to heat the outside air entering the heating chamber of the dryer for the first time, realizing the first heat recovery. Here, the heat exchange core will produce a small amount of high-temperature moisture, which will condense into condensate when it is cooled. This part of the condensate is collected in the water tank for standby use; (2) During the material drying process, the low-temperature fin evaporator of the air energy absorbs heat from the high-temperature and high-humidity exhaust gas discharged from the heat exchange core, and transfers this part of the recovered heat to the heat exchanger through the air energy system, heating the air entering the heating chamber for the second time. At the same time, the fin evaporator realizes the second heat recovery. The low-temperature fin evaporator will condense a large amount of condensate, which is collected in the water tank for standby use. (3) During the rehumidification process of the material, the droplets sprayed by the spray device are condensed liquid, which contains a large amount of fragrance components and essence of the material itself. This part of the fragrance and essence is absorbed by the dried material through the droplets, achieving the purpose of fragrance enhancement; (4) During the drying process of the material, the condensate is continuously collected and the condensate can be concentrated simultaneously. During the drying process of the fresh material, the high-temperature and high-humidity exhaust gas is cooled twice through the heat exchange core and the fin evaporator, which can achieve the recovery and reuse of more than 95% of the heat energy. At the same time, the water can also be condensed and recovered by more than 50% during the drying process. Through many tests, the applicant found that the amount of condensate used in the rehumidification process accounts for 40-50% of the total condensate. Therefore, the total amount of recovered condensate is concentrated to 50% through the concentration device and then sprayed for rehumidification, which doubles the fragrance enhancement effect; (5) Compared with the previous generation of cascade air energy heating ovens of our company, this drying oven has the advantage of unlimited heating temperature. The original equipment uses an auxiliary heat exchanger to preheat the outside air entering the main heating chamber. Most of the high-temperature and high-humidity exhaust gas in the dryer passes through the fin evaporator and enters the main heating chamber for recycling. Although it saves electricity, the upper limit of the condenser temperature of the air energy heat pump heating system itself is about 80℃ in a high temperature environment. If the electric heater is heated to more than 100℃, the air energy heating system in this environment will not work normally, but will limit the drying time of certain types of agricultural products. The present invention has solved this problem in a breakthrough way. Through the two-pass heat recovery of the heat exchange core and the fin evaporator, more than 95% of the heat is recovered, and all the high-temperature and high-humidity exhaust gases in the oven are discharged from the dryer. The temperature of the air entering the air-to-air heat exchanger after the initial heating by the heat exchange core will not affect the normal operation of the air-to-air system. After the second heating to less than 80°C by the air-to-air heat exchanger, the third heating is carried out by the electric heater below, which can heat the air to 100°C-150°C or even higher, thereby improving the practicality and applicability of the dryer.

[0015] (6) Traditional water sources (usually tap water) often contain mineral salts such as calcium and magnesium (i.e., scale). Calcium salts, which are sprayed onto the surface of leaves or Chinese medicinal materials with water mist, evaporate and dry before crystallizing, potentially affecting product quality. The present invention uses condensate instead of traditional water sources, perfectly solving the above problem. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange core structure of the invention; Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the invented double-sided oven.

[0017] Description of the numbers in the figure: 1. Dryer, 2. Spray device, 4. Heating chamber, 5. Heat exchange core, 6. Water tank, 7. Liquid concentration device, 11. Air energy heating host, 12. Oven, 111. Rack, 21. Nozzle, 31. Heat exchanger, 32. Drain fan, 33. Heat pump, 34. Liquid reservoir, 35. Expansion valve, 36. Drying filter, 37. Fin evaporator, 38. Electric heater, 51. Air duct, 511. Air inlet duct, 512. Air outlet duct, 61. Stirring device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention; Example

[0019] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the material drying, rehumidification and fragrance-enhancing equipment of the present application includes a dryer 1 and a spray device 2, the dryer includes an air-energy heating main unit 11 and an oven 12 detachably mounted on one side or both sides of the air-energy heating main unit 11, the air-energy heating main unit 11 includes a frame 111 and a heat exchanger 31, a draught fan 32, a heat pump 33, a liquid reservoir 34, an expansion valve 35, a drying filter 36, a fin evaporator 37, and an electric heater 38 arranged on the frame 111, the fin evaporator 37 is arranged in the exhaust duct 13 located at the upper part of the dryer, the heat exchanger 31 is located above the electric heater 38, the draught fan 32 is installed on the lower surface (or upper surface) of the heat exchanger and the wind direction is from top to bottom, The heat exchanger 31, the exhaust fan 32, and the electric heater 38 form a heating chamber 4 through a frame 111 and a partition. The nozzle 21 of the spray device 2 is arranged below the electric heater 38. A heat exchange core 5 is provided at the connection between the upper part of the oven 12 and the heating chamber 4. The heat exchange core 5 is composed of air ducts 51 arranged at intervals and intersecting with each other, wherein the longitudinal air duct constitutes the air inlet duct 511 of the dryer and is connected to the heating chamber 4, and the transverse air duct constitutes the air outlet duct 512 and is connected to the exhaust duct 13 where the fin evaporator 37 is located. The air duct 51 is made of heat-conducting metal material. A liquid collecting tank is provided below the heat exchanger 31 and the heat exchange core 5. The liquid collecting tank is connected to the water tank 6 through a drain pipe, and the water tank 6 is connected to the spray device 2.

[0020] The air-energy heating system and other technologies in this equipment can be referenced in our company's invention patent, "A Cascade Air-Energy Heating Main Unit and Drying Equipment and Its Applications" (Patent No. ZL202211311546.X). Based on this invention patent, the auxiliary heat exchanger has been removed. Copper pipes are used to sequentially connect the heat pump 33, heat exchanger 31, filter drier 36, liquid reservoir 34, expansion valve 35, and finned evaporator 37, and then connect them back to the heat pump 33 to form a circuit. The heating air duct has also been redesigned to recover all high-temperature, high-humidity exhaust gas through heat and moisture recovery before exhausting it from the dryer. Fresh air is then introduced into the dryer. This overcomes the limitation of the air-energy heating system in the original patent, which involved circulating high-temperature exhaust gas within the dryer and only replenishing a small amount of fresh air.

[0021] The air duct design of the single-sided oven of the present application is as follows: the fresh air from the outside enters the heating chamber through the air inlet duct of the heat exchange core through the suction fan in the heating chamber, and then flows through the oven from top to bottom. The air duct in the oven flows from bottom to top, and then enters the exhaust duct of the dryer from the exhaust duct of the heat exchange core, passes through the fin evaporator in the exhaust duct, and is discharged from the dryer.

[0022] like Figure 3 As shown, the air duct design of the double-sided oven of the present application refers to the above-mentioned single-sided one, and two heat exchange cores, fin evaporators and exhaust ducts are symmetrically arranged (the two groups of exhaust ducts can be combined into one, and the fin evaporators are placed in the total exhaust duct), and are symmetrically arranged above the heating host. The nozzles of the spray device are symmetrically arranged in the oven, and the heat pump 33, drying filter 36, liquid storage 34, expansion valve 35, etc. of the air energy heating host can be adjusted and arranged at the rear of the entire dryer, located outside the rear side wall of the heating chamber 4.

[0023] The present application sets a liquid concentration device 7 in the water tank 6, and the liquid concentration device 7 is connected to the spray device 2. The liquid concentration device 7 is a heating evaporation concentrator. After many tests, the drying equipment of the present application, when drying fresh leaves (fresh materials), the condensate recovered through two condensation processes of the heat exchange core and the fin evaporator has a water recovery ratio of more than 50%, and the heat recovery can reach up to 95%. Under high-temperature drying conditions below 90°C, the heat recovery rate is high, and under high-temperature drying conditions above 100°C, the heat recovery rate can reach more than 76%. The total amount of recovered condensate used in the subsequent rehumidification process usually accounts for about 20%. Therefore, after concentrating the collected condensate to increase the concentration of aromatic substances, and then rehumidifying it to the leaf surface, it helps to multiply the fragrance-enhancing effect. For example, the dry-to-wet ratio of indocalamus leaves is approximately 4:10 (10 kg of fresh leaves yields 4 kg of dry leaves after drying). During the drying process, the aroma of the leaves, aside from the dissipated portion, is largely retained in the condensate. After concentration, the condensate is re-moistened into the leaves, enhancing their aroma and quality. This, in turn, enhances the aroma and market competitiveness of zongzi (zongzi) during the subsequent production process. In experiments, drying 100 kg of indocalamus leaves yielded approximately 30 kg of condensate (60 kg of water evaporated during drying). The amount of condensate sprayed during the re-moistening process typically ranges from 10 to 14 kg. Using a liquid concentrator to concentrate the 30 kg of condensate to 14 kg before spraying can significantly enhance the aroma-enhancing effect. The concentrator can be either filter press or heat-based. The present device operates under electrical conditions, thus utilizing the smaller heat-based concentration method and equipment. The concentration process evaporates water, preserving the aromatic and essential substances in the water.

[0024] A guide plate 39 is provided at the bottom of the heating main unit below the electric heater 38. The setting of the guide plate 39 can straighten the wind direction and reduce the turbulence caused by the hot air impacting the flat plate at the bottom of the heating chamber. In addition, the guide plate can be evenly provided with strips. After the airflow is straightened by the strips, it changes direction and enters the oven 12 evenly.

[0025] An exhaust fan 131 is provided in the exhaust duct 13. The exhaust fan provides power for exhausting air and reduces the load of the induced draft fan.

[0026] The water tank 6 is provided with a stirring device 61. The stirring device in the water tank continuously stirs to ensure that the fragrance substance or essence in the condensate is fully dissolved in the water, preventing the essence from floating on the water after analysis and unable to enter the concentration device, thereby ensuring that the recovered essence is fully utilized in the subsequent process.

[0027] The nozzles 21 of the spray device 2 are multiple micron-sized nozzles arranged in a matrix, which are extended by pipes and arranged at the bottom of the oven. The micron-sized nozzles are arranged in a matrix at the bottom of the oven. The micron-sized droplets are passed through the material from bottom to top with the air flow, rehumidifying the material and achieving a good rehumidification effect.

[0028] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention; however, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who, within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, makes equivalent substitutions or modifications based on the technical solutions and improved concepts of the present invention shall be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A material drying, moisture regaining and fragrance enhancing device, characterized by: The invention comprises a dryer and a spray device, wherein the dryer comprises an air-energy heating main unit and an oven detachably mounted on one side or both sides of the air-energy heating main unit, wherein the air-energy heating main unit comprises a frame and a heat exchanger, a draught fan, a heat pump, a liquid storage device, an expansion valve, a drying filter, a fin evaporator and an electric heater arranged on the frame, wherein the fin evaporator is arranged in an exhaust duct located on the upper part of the dryer, the heat exchanger is located above the electric heater, the draught fan is mounted on the lower surface of the heat exchanger and the wind direction is from top to bottom, and the heat exchanger, the draught fan and the electric heater are connected to the main unit. The heater is composed of a heating chamber through a frame and a partition. The nozzle of the spray device is arranged below the electric heater. A heat exchange core is arranged at the connection between the upper part of the oven and the heating chamber. The heat exchange core is composed of air ducts that are arranged at intervals and cross each other. The longitudinal air duct constitutes the air inlet duct of the dryer and is connected to the heating chamber. The transverse air duct constitutes the air outlet duct and is connected to the exhaust duct where the fin evaporator is located. The air duct is made of heat-conducting metal material. A liquid collecting tank is provided below the fin evaporator and the heat exchange core. The liquid collecting tank is connected to the water tank through a drain pipe. The water tank is connected to the spray device.

2. The material drying, moisture-recovery and fragrance-enhancing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water tank is connected to a liquid concentration device, and the liquid concentration device is connected to the spray device.

3. The material drying, moisture-recovery and fragrance-enhancing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A guide plate is provided at the bottom of the heating main unit below the electric heater.

4. The material drying, moisture-recovery and fragrance-enhancing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: An exhaust fan is provided in the exhaust duct.

5. The material drying, moisture regaining and fragrance enhancing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A stirring device is provided in the water tank.

6. The material drying, moisture-recovery and fragrance-enhancing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nozzles of the spray device are multiple micron-level nozzles arranged in a matrix, and are extended through pipelines and arranged at the bottom of the oven.

7. The material drying, moisture regaining and fragrance enhancing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The liquid concentration device is a heating evaporation concentrator.

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