Orange peel pomace cleaning and processing device and method

Abstract

The invention provides an orange peel pomace cleaning and processing device and method, the device comprises at least two countercurrent cleaning machines arranged in a grading mode, and the countercurrent cleaning machines are used for pushing pomace to make contact with cleaning water; each stage of countercurrent cleaning machine is provided with a feed port, a discharge port, a water inlet and a water outlet; a discharging port of each stage of countercurrent cleaning machine is provided with a corresponding stage of discharging machine; each stage of discharging machine is provided with a feeding hole and a discharging hole; all stages of countercurrent cleaning machines except the last stage of countercurrent cleaning machines convey the pomace to the next stage of countercurrent cleaning machine through the discharging machines of the corresponding stages; the upper side of the middle of each stage of discharging machine is provided with a corresponding stage of filter, and each stage of filter is used for separating pomace and cleaning water in the corresponding stage of discharging machine. According to the method, the water consumption for cleaning the orange peels is reduced, the wastewater treatment pressure after the orange peels are cleaned is reduced, the production and processing cost is saved, and high-valued orange peel pomace products and molasses products are obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fruit and vegetable juice by-product recycling and processing technology, and in particular to an orange peel and pomace washing and processing device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Influenced by the international orange juice market in recent years, my country's citrus juice industry has ushered in a peak processing period. In the citrus juice processing process, citrus peel pomace accounts for approximately 45-50% of the raw citrus fruit, meaning that almost one ton of citrus peel pomace is produced for every ton of citrus juice. Moreover, citrus peel pomace is rich in various functional components, such as pectin, hesperidin, and dietary fiber. To improve the processing efficiency of the citrus juice industry and alleviate the burden of processing pomace in juice factories, developing high-value-added comprehensive utilization technologies for citrus peel pomace byproducts is particularly important.

[0003] In the process of processing pectin and dietary fiber from fresh orange peel pomace, it is generally necessary to first wash and desugar the pomace to reduce the soluble solids content and ensure the quality of the pectin and dietary fiber products. This washing process generates a large amount of wastewater, resulting in significant water treatment costs for the factory.

[0004] The existing method for processing molasses from orange peel pomace involves adding a certain amount of lime water to the orange peel pomace to remove its stickiness, then pressing it to obtain juice. The pomace cake is then extracted with water and pressed a second time. The juice obtained after pressing is collected, filtered, and concentrated to obtain molasses. This method only produces molasses; the quality of the pomace is significantly reduced after lime treatment and pressing, making it only suitable for sale as a low-end product such as animal feed, resulting in poor economic returns. Furthermore, using lime as a neutralizing agent causes scaling during molasses concentration and evaporation, ultimately negatively impacting the production efficiency and purity of the molasses.

[0005] Therefore, developing a continuous processing model for orange peel pomace by-products and researching more water-saving washing methods and recycling processes for washing water can greatly help juice production enterprises to comprehensively utilize pomace, save production and processing costs, and improve processing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: how to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an orange peel and pulp washing and processing device and method to reduce the water consumption for orange peel washing, reduce the pressure of wastewater treatment after orange peel washing, save production and processing costs, and obtain high-value orange peel and pulp products and molasses products.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an orange peel pomace washing and processing device, comprising at least two countercurrent washing machines arranged in stages; the countercurrent washing machines are used to promote contact between the pomace and the washing water; each stage of the countercurrent washing machine is provided with a feed inlet, a discharge outlet, a water inlet, and a water outlet; each stage of the countercurrent washing machine is provided with a corresponding discharge machine at its discharge outlet; each stage of the discharge machine is provided with a feed inlet and a discharge outlet; except for the last stage, each stage of the countercurrent washing machine conveys the pomace to the next stage of the countercurrent washing machine through the corresponding stage's discharge machine; each stage of the discharge machine is provided with a corresponding stage's filter on its upper middle side, and each stage's filter is used to separate the pomace and washing water in the corresponding stage's discharge machine.

[0008] Optionally, the number of countercurrent cleaning machines is three; the three countercurrent cleaning machines arranged in stages are a primary countercurrent cleaning machine, a secondary countercurrent cleaning machine, and a tertiary countercurrent cleaning machine; the discharge ports of the primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent cleaning machines are respectively equipped with primary discharge machines, secondary discharge machines, and tertiary discharge machines; the discharge port of the primary countercurrent cleaning machine is connected to the inlet of the primary discharge machine; the inlet of the secondary countercurrent cleaning machine is connected to the discharge port of the primary discharge machine, and its discharge port is connected to the inlet of the secondary discharge machine; the inlet of the tertiary countercurrent cleaning machine is connected to the discharge port of the secondary discharge machine; a primary filter, a secondary filter, and a tertiary filter are respectively provided on the upper middle part of the primary, secondary, and tertiary discharge machines.

[0009] Optionally, the feed inlet of the primary countercurrent washing machine is equipped with a feeder; the feeder is used to transport the pretreated fruit pomace to the primary countercurrent washing machine.

[0010] Optionally, the discharge port of the three-stage discharge machine is sequentially connected to a first conveyor, an extruder, a second conveyor, and a pomace bin; the fruit pomace conveyed to the three-stage countercurrent washing machine by the three-stage discharge machine is first conveyed by the first conveyor to the extruder for extrusion and dehydration, and then conveyed by the second conveyor to the pomace bin for drying.

[0011] Optionally, the inlet of the three-stage countercurrent cleaner is equipped with a purified water tank; the purified water tank is used to provide cleaning water for the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner.

[0012] Optionally, the outlets of the primary countercurrent cleaner, the secondary countercurrent cleaner, and the tertiary countercurrent cleaner are respectively equipped with a primary water collection tank, a secondary water collection tank, and a tertiary water collection tank; the cleaning water from the primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent cleaners flows into the primary water collection tank, the secondary water collection tank, and the tertiary water collection tank, respectively, and is then transported to the primary filter, the secondary filter, and the tertiary filter via pipelines and a delivery pump.

[0013] Optionally, the fruit pomace separated by the primary filter, the secondary filter, and the tertiary filter falls into the primary discharge machine, the secondary discharge machine, and the tertiary discharge machine respectively under gravity.

[0014] Optionally, the cleaning water separated by the secondary filter and the tertiary filter is respectively transported to the primary countercurrent cleaner and the secondary countercurrent cleaner via pipelines.

[0015] Optionally, the cleaning water outlet of the primary filter is equipped with an online saccharimeter; the online saccharimeter is used to detect the saccharimeter content of the cleaning water separated by the primary filter; the primary filter is also connected to a concentrate tank; the cleaning water separated by the primary filter is first detected by the online saccharimeter, and then transported through pipeline to the concentrate tank or back to the primary countercurrent cleaner.

[0016] Optionally, the concentrate tank is also connected to a concentration unit; the cleaning water in the concentrate tank is transported to the concentration unit via pipelines and a transfer pump; the concentration unit is used to concentrate the cleaning water in the concentrate tank into molasses.

[0017] Optionally, the countercurrent washing machine includes a horizontally arranged cylindrical shell; the feed inlet and the water outlet of the countercurrent washing machine are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of one end of the shell; the discharge outlet of the countercurrent washing machine is located on the lower side of the other end of the shell; the water inlet of the countercurrent washing machine is located in the middle of the shell so that washing water can flow into the countercurrent washing machine; a plurality of water replenishment spray cleaning ports are provided on the side of the shell; and a spiral propulsion device is provided inside the shell for conveying fruit pomace.

[0018] Optionally, in the countercurrent washing machine, the fruit residue is conveyed by the spiral propulsion device in a direction opposite to the flow direction of the washing water.

[0019] Optionally, the helical propulsion device includes a plurality of helical blades, and each helical blade has a plurality of punches.

[0020] Optionally, stirring blades are provided between each of the spiral blades.

[0021] Optionally, the feeder is a screw conveyor.

[0022] Optionally, all the discharge machines described at each stage are screw conveyors.

[0023] Optionally, all filters described in each stage are vertical scraper filters.

[0024] Optionally, both the primary conveyor and the secondary conveyor are screw conveyors.

[0025] Optionally, the extruder is a screw extrusion device.

[0026] Optionally, the concentration unit is a membrane concentration device.

[0027] The present invention also provides a method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace, based on the above-mentioned orange peel pomace cleaning and processing device, the method comprising the following steps:

[0028] S1. Input of cleaning water: The clean water tank delivers the cleaning water to the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, so that the cleaning water passes through the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner in sequence until the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner are all full of cleaning water;

[0029] S2. Input of fruit pomace: The feeder transports the pre-treated fruit pomace to the primary countercurrent washing machine;

[0030] S3. Fruit pomace washing: The primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent washing machines use screw propulsion devices to ensure that the fruit pomace is in full contact with the countercurrent washing water. At the same time, the primary, secondary, and tertiary filters separate the fruit pomace and washing water. The fruit pomace is then washed by the primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent washing machines and then conveyed to the first conveyor. The washing water is then washed by the tertiary, secondary, and primary countercurrent washing machines and then conveyed to the concentrate tank or returned to the primary countercurrent washing machine.

[0031] S4. Processing of fruit pomace and washing water: The extruder dehydrates the fruit pomace conveyed to the first conveyor, and the second conveyor transports the dehydrated fruit pomace to the pomace bin for drying; at the same time, the concentration unit concentrates the washing water conveyed to the concentrate tank into molasses.

[0032] Optionally, in step S2, the pretreated pomace is orange peel pomace after juicing and cutting.

[0033] Optionally, in step S3, the cleaning water in the three-stage countercurrent cleaner is separated by the three-stage filter and then sent to the two-stage countercurrent cleaner as the cleaning water for the two-stage countercurrent cleaner; the cleaning water in the two-stage countercurrent cleaner is separated by the two-stage filter and then sent to the one-stage countercurrent cleaner as the cleaning water for the one-stage countercurrent cleaner; the cleaning water in the one-stage countercurrent cleaner is separated by the one-stage filter and then tested by the online saccharimeter. If the saccharimeter value of the cleaning water is not less than 3°Bx, the cleaning water is sent to the concentrate tank as raw material for molasses processing; if the saccharimeter value of the cleaning water is less than 3°Bx, the cleaning water is sent back to the one-stage countercurrent cleaner for further cleaning.

[0034] Optionally, in steps S1 to S3, the ratio of fruit residue to washing water in the primary countercurrent washing machine, the secondary countercurrent washing machine, and the tertiary countercurrent washing machine is 1:(2-3); the temperature of the washing water is room temperature; and the washing time of the primary countercurrent washing machine, the secondary countercurrent washing machine, and the tertiary countercurrent washing machine is 5-8 minutes.

[0035] Optionally, in step S4, the extruder removes some of the moisture from the fruit pomace by spiral extrusion, so that the moisture content of the fruit pomace after spiral extrusion is 78-82%.

[0036] Optionally, in step S4, the concentration unit first concentrates the cleaning water to 30-40°Bx, and then concentrates it to 60-75°Bx through thermal concentration.

[0037] The present invention adopts the above technical solution and has the following technical effects compared with the prior art:

[0038] The orange peel pomace cleaning and processing device and method provided by this invention are applicable to the production process of co-processing orange peel pomace by-products. That is, the orange peel pomace treated by this invention has no effect on the content and quality of its functional components. In fact, due to the removal of soluble solids and water-soluble impurities by the cleaning and processing process, the quality of raw materials for pectin and orange peel fiber extraction is improved.

[0039] The orange peel and pulp cleaning and processing method provided by the present invention adopts a continuous countercurrent cleaning process, which can reduce water consumption by more than 30% when cleaning the same weight of raw materials compared with traditional cleaning processes.

[0040] This invention recycles and reuses high-sugar washing water, ultimately concentrating it into molasses products. Unlike common molasses processing techniques, this invention eliminates the need for adding lime as a neutralizing agent during the juice extraction process due to the counter-current setting, the increased local water pressure from the spiral blade perforation, the auxiliary cleaning effect of the stirring paddle, and the multi-stage cleaning process. This avoids the impact on the extraction rate and purity of molasses in the later stages. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow of the orange peel and pulp washing and processing device provided in the embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 2 This is a side view of the spiral blade structure in the orange peel and pulp washing and processing device provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the spiral blade in the orange peel and pulp washing and processing device provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the orange peel and pulp cleaning and processing method provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0046] The annotations in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0047] 1. Clean water tank; 2. First transfer pump; 3. Three-stage countercurrent washer; 4. Second transfer pump; 5. Three-stage water collection tank; 6. Three-stage filter; 7. Two-stage countercurrent washer; 8. Third transfer pump; 9. Two-stage water collection tank; 10. Two-stage filter; 11. First-stage countercurrent washer; 12. Fourth transfer pump; 13. First-stage water collection tank; 14. First-stage filter; 15. Concentrate tank; 16. Fifth transfer pump; 17. Feeder; 18. First-stage discharge machine; 19. Second-stage discharge machine; 20. Three-stage discharge machine; 21. First conveyor; 22. Extruder; 23. Second conveyor; 24. Scrap bin; 25. Spiral blade; 250. Perforation. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention in a schematic manner, and therefore only show the components relevant to the invention.

[0049] Example

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides an orange peel and pomace cleaning and processing device, including a primary countercurrent cleaner 11, a secondary countercurrent cleaner 7, and a tertiary countercurrent cleaner 3, which are arranged in stages.

[0051] Each of the aforementioned countercurrent washing machines is equipped with a feed inlet, a discharge outlet, a water inlet, and a water outlet. The feed inlet of the first-stage countercurrent washing machine 11 is connected to the feeder 17, and its discharge outlet is connected to the feed inlet of the first-stage discharge machine 18 with a hopper. The discharge outlet of the second-stage countercurrent washing machine 7 is connected to the feed inlet of the second-stage discharge machine 19 with a hopper. The discharge outlet of the second-stage discharge machine 19 is connected to the feed inlet of the third-stage countercurrent washing machine 3, and the discharge outlet of the third-stage countercurrent washing machine 3 is connected to the third-stage discharge machine 20 with a hopper. In this way, the feed inlet of the third-stage countercurrent washing machine 3 is connected to the discharge outlet of the second-stage countercurrent washing machine 7, and the feed inlet of the second-stage countercurrent washing machine 7 is connected to the discharge outlet of the first-stage countercurrent washing machine 11, thereby realizing a continuous multi-stage washing process for fruit pomace.

[0052] The primary discharge machine 18, secondary discharge machine 19, and tertiary discharge machine 20 are all screw conveyor equipment. A primary filter 14 is installed on the upper middle section of the primary discharge machine 18, a secondary filter 10 is installed on the upper middle section of the secondary discharge machine 19, and a tertiary filter 6 is installed on the upper middle section of the tertiary discharge machine 20. All three filters—primary filter 14, secondary filter 10, and tertiary filter 6—are vertical scraper filters.

[0053] The discharge port of the tertiary discharge machine 20 is connected to the first conveyor 21 to transport the washed fruit pomace to the extruder 22 for dehydration. The dehydrated fruit pomace is then transported to the pomace bin 24 via the second conveyor 23 for drying. Both the primary conveyor 21 and the secondary conveyor 23 are screw conveyors, and the extruder 22 is a screw extrusion device.

[0054] The purified water tank 1 is connected via pipeline to the inlet of the first transfer pump 2 and the tertiary countercurrent cleaner 3. The outlet of the tertiary countercurrent cleaner 3 is connected to the tertiary collection tank 5. The tertiary collection tank 5 is connected via pipeline to the tertiary filter 6 via the second transfer pump 4. The cleaning water outlet of the tertiary filter 6 is connected via pipeline to the inlet of the secondary countercurrent cleaner 7. The outlet of the secondary countercurrent cleaner 7 is connected to the secondary collection tank 9. The secondary collection tank 9 is connected via pipeline to the secondary filter 10 via the third transfer pump 8. The cleaning water outlet of the secondary filter 10 is connected via pipeline to the inlet of the primary countercurrent cleaner 11. The outlet of the primary countercurrent cleaner 11 is connected to the primary collection tank 13. The primary collection tank 13 is connected via pipeline to the primary filter 14 via the fourth transfer pump 12. The cleaning water outlet of the primary filter 14 is connected via pipeline to the concentrate tank 15 and the inlet of the primary countercurrent cleaner 11, respectively. The concentrate tank 15 is connected to the concentration unit via the fifth transfer pump 16. The concentration unit is used to concentrate the washing water in the concentrate tank 15 into molasses.

[0055] Specifically, the feeder 17 is a screw conveyor, which is used to transport the pretreated fruit pomace to the primary countercurrent washing machine 11.

[0056] Specifically, the inlet of the three-stage countercurrent cleaner 3 is equipped with a clean water tank 1, which is used to provide cleaning water for the three-stage countercurrent cleaner 3, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner 7 and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner 11.

[0057] Specifically, the fruit residue separated by the primary filter 14, secondary filter 10 and tertiary filter 6 falls into the primary discharge machine 18, secondary discharge machine 19 and tertiary discharge machine 20 respectively under gravity. Among them, the fruit residue falling into the primary discharge machine 18 and secondary discharge machine 19 enter the next stage of countercurrent washing process, which effectively reduces the amount of fruit residue lost during the washing process.

[0058] Specifically, the cleaning water separated by the secondary filter 10 and the tertiary filter 6 is transported through pipelines to the primary countercurrent cleaner 11 and the secondary countercurrent cleaner 7, respectively.

[0059] Specifically, the cleaning water outlet of the primary filter 14 is equipped with an online saccharimeter, which is used to detect the saccharimeter content of the cleaning water separated by the primary filter 14. The cleaning water separated by the primary filter 14 is first detected by the online saccharimeter, and then transported through pipelines to the concentrate tank 15 or returned to the primary countercurrent cleaner 11.

[0060] Specifically, each of the aforementioned countercurrent washing machines includes a horizontally arranged cylindrical shell. The inlet and outlet of each countercurrent washing machine are located on the upper and lower sides of one end of the shell, respectively, while the outlet is located on the lower side of the other end. The inlet is located in the middle of the shell to allow washing water to flow into each machine. Several water replenishment spray nozzles are provided on the side of the shell. A spiral propulsion device is installed inside the shell to transport fruit pomace, with the direction of transport being opposite to the flow direction of the washing water.

[0061] like Figures 2-3 As shown, the spiral propulsion device includes several spiral blades 25, and each spiral blade 25 has several perforations 250, which can reduce the resistance of the spiral blades to water flow and increase the local pressure of hydraulic cleaning, effectively improving the cleaning effect of fruit residue.

[0062] Specifically, stirring blades are provided between the spiral blades 25, which can play a stirring role during the fruit residue washing process (especially light-weight fruit residue) and promote the forward conveying of the fruit residue.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown in the figure, this invention also provides a method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace. Based on the above-mentioned orange peel pomace cleaning and processing device, the method includes the following steps:

[0064] S1. Input of cleaning water: The clean water tank 1 delivers the cleaning water to the three-stage countercurrent cleaner 3, so that the cleaning water passes through the three-stage countercurrent cleaner 3, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner 7 and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner 11 in sequence until the three-stage countercurrent cleaner 3, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner 7 and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner 11 are all full of cleaning water;

[0065] S2. Input of fruit pomace: The feeder 17 conveys the pretreated fruit pomace to the primary countercurrent washing machine 11;

[0066] S3. Cleaning of fruit pomace: The primary countercurrent washer 11, the secondary countercurrent washer 7, and the tertiary countercurrent washer 3 use screw propulsion devices to ensure that the fruit pomace is in full contact with the countercurrent cleaning water. At the same time, the primary filter 14, the secondary filter 10, and the tertiary filter 6 separate the fruit pomace and the cleaning water. The fruit pomace is then conveyed to the first conveyor 21 after being cleaned by the primary countercurrent washer 11, the secondary countercurrent washer 7, and the tertiary countercurrent washer 3 in sequence. The cleaning water is then conveyed to the concentrate tank 15 or back to the primary countercurrent washer 11 after being conveyed by the tertiary countercurrent washer 3, the secondary countercurrent washer 7, and the primary countercurrent washer 11 in sequence.

[0067] S4. Processing of fruit pomace and washing water: The extruder 22 dehydrates the fruit pomace conveyed to the first conveyor 21, and the second conveyor 23 conveys the dehydrated fruit pomace to the pomace bin 24 for drying; at the same time, the concentration unit concentrates the washing water conveyed to the concentrate tank 15 into molasses.

[0068] Specifically, in step S2, the pretreated pomace is orange peel pomace that has been juiced and cut.

[0069] Specifically, in step S3, the cleaning water from the three-stage countercurrent cleaner 3 is separated by the three-stage filter 6 and then sent to the two-stage countercurrent cleaner 7 as its cleaning water. The cleaning water from the two-stage countercurrent cleaner 7 is separated by the two-stage filter 10 and then sent to the one-stage countercurrent cleaner 11 as its cleaning water. The cleaning water from the one-stage countercurrent cleaner 11 is separated by the one-stage filter 14 and then tested by an online saccharimeter. If the saccharimeter value of the cleaning water is not less than 3°Bx, the cleaning water is sent to the concentrate tank 15 as raw material for molasses processing. If the saccharimeter value of the cleaning water is less than 3°Bx, the cleaning water is sent back to the one-stage countercurrent cleaner 11 for further cleaning. The above process enables multiple uses of the same stage of cleaning water, effectively reducing water consumption.

[0070] Specifically, in steps S1 to S3, the ratio of fruit residue to washing water in the primary countercurrent washing machine 11, the secondary countercurrent washing machine 7, and the tertiary countercurrent washing machine 3 is 1:(2-3), the temperature of the washing water is room temperature, and the washing time of the primary countercurrent washing machine 11, the secondary countercurrent washing machine 7, and the tertiary countercurrent washing machine 3 is 5-8 minutes.

[0071] Specifically, in step S4, the extruder 22 removes some of the moisture from the fruit pomace through screw extrusion, resulting in a moisture content of 78-82% in the extruded fruit pomace. This portion of the fruit pomace can be dried and used as a raw material for extracting citrus by-products (pectin, dietary fiber, flavonoids, etc.).

[0072] Specifically, in step S4, the concentration unit first concentrates the washing water to 30–40°Bx, and then further concentrates it to 60–75°Bx through thermal concentration. The concentrated product is the orange peel molasses product.

[0073] Comparative Example

[0074] This comparative example provides a common molasses processing technology, the steps of which include:

[0075] (1) Pretreatment of raw materials: Orange peel pomace is used as raw material. The raw material is cut into certain sizes and 0.2% quicklime is added as a neutralizing agent to reduce the viscosity of the peel pomace.

[0076] (2) Pressing of pomace: The pomace was pressed using a belt press, and the juice was collected. The sugar content was measured to be 10°Bx. The pressed pomace cake was collected and washed at a ratio of 1:2 (material to liquid), for 20 minutes, and once. The sugar content of the washing water was measured to be 1.38°Bx. Since the sugar content of the washing water was already less than 3°Bx, a second washing was not performed, and this washing water was not used as raw material for molasses recovery.

[0077] (3) Juice processing: The juice with a sugar content of 10°Bx is filtered and then sent to the concentration unit. The concentration unit is a membrane concentration device, which can concentrate the raw material to 30-40°Bx. Then, the raw material is concentrated to 60-75°Bx by heat concentration. The concentrated product is orange peel molasses.

[0078] This comparative example also provides a reference group, which refers to the experimental group in which the orange peel pomace was cut into pieces and dried directly without any treatment.

[0079] Test case

[0080] This test example provides a method for determining the calcium salt content in molasses, the method comprising:

[0081] The calcium salt content (calculated as Ca(OH)2) in molasses was determined by EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) complexometric titration. The specific procedure was as follows: Take 50 mL of sample, add 2 mol / L NaOH, and adjust the pH to 12–13; add a small amount of calcium indicator, and titrate with 0.01 mol / L EDTA standard solution until the purple-red color changes to blue, which is the titration endpoint. The formula for calculating the calcium salt content is:

[0082]

[0083] In the formula: V EDTA The volume of EDTA consumed is in ml.

[0084] C EDTA This represents the concentration of EDTA, in mol / L.

[0085] 74.09 is the mass fraction of Ca(OH)2.

[0086] This test example also provides a method for determining the pectin extraction rate from orange peel pomace, the method comprising:

[0087] Pectin was extracted using acid extraction, and the extraction rate was determined. The specific procedures were as follows: Orange peel pomace was washed after different treatments and then dried until the moisture content was less than 10%. 10g of dried orange peel pomace after each washing treatment was weighed out and added to hot water at 90℃ at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:20. The pH was adjusted to 2.0 with phosphoric acid, and the mixture was extracted at this temperature for 2 hours. After centrifugation to separate the solid and liquid, the supernatant was collected, and ammonia was added to adjust the pH to 3.0. After fine filtration, the mixture was precipitated with three times its volume of 80% ethanol solution for 2 hours. The precipitated pectin was then dried at 100℃ for 2 hours to obtain the pectin. The formula for calculating the pectin extraction rate is:

[0088]

[0089] In the formula: W n The weight of pectin extracted from dried orange peel is in grams.

[0090] 10 represents the weight of dried orange peel and pomace, in grams.

[0091] The test content for this test case is as follows:

[0092] (1) Effect of different cleaning processes on the pectin extraction rate of orange peel pomace

[0093] Fruit pomace treated in the above examples, comparative examples, and reference groups were dried with hot air until the moisture content was less than 10%. 10g of dried orange peel pomace was weighed from each group, and pectin was extracted using acid extraction. The extracted pectin was then dried, and its weight was measured. The pectin extraction rate was calculated. Fresh fruit pomace without any treatment was used as a reference group. After drying the reference group samples, their pectin extraction rates were determined using the same method. The test results are shown in Table 1.

[0094] Table 1. Effects of different treatment methods on pectin extraction rate from orange peel pomace.

[0095] Test No. Pectin extraction rate % Example 22 Comparative Example 10

[0096] According to Table 1, the pectin extraction rate of the processed fruit pomace in the above embodiments was 22%, while the pectin extraction rate of the processed fruit pomace in the above comparative examples was only 10%. Analysis shows that in the above comparative examples, the addition of 0.2% slaked lime to remove the stickiness of the fruit pomace facilitated pressing and juice extraction. However, slaked lime also destroys the stickiness of the pectin, reducing the pectin content in the pomace. Therefore, the obtained fruit pomace cannot be used as a raw material for pectin extraction and can only be used for animal feed processing, resulting in low added value. Furthermore, the purity and quality of the pectin extracted in the above embodiments were significantly better than those obtained in the above reference group. The corresponding quality images were obtained through photography and are not specifically shown here.

[0097] (2) Effects of different molasses processing techniques on calcium salt content in molasses

[0098] Take 50 mL of the molasses products obtained in the above examples and comparative examples respectively, and determine the calcium salt content in the samples by EDTA titration. The test results are shown in Table 2.

[0099] Table 2. Effects of different treatments on calcium salt content in molasses

[0100] Test No. Calcium salt content (mg / L) Example 80 Comparative Example 500

[0101] According to Table 2, the presence of calcium salts in molasses significantly affects the concentration of molasses. Specifically, during concentration, the scaling reaction of calcium salts reduces the concentration ratio and affects the purity of the product. The calcium salt content in the above examples and comparative examples is acceptable. In the comparative example, the addition of 0.2% quicklime as a neutralizing agent resulted in a calcium salt content as high as 500 mg / L in the obtained molasses. In contrast, the washing and subsequent filtration processes in the above examples effectively reduced the calcium content in the raw materials.

[0102] The above embodiments, comparative examples, and test examples are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A device for washing and processing orange peel and pulp, characterized in that, It includes at least two countercurrent washing machines arranged in stages; the countercurrent washing machines are used to promote the contact between fruit pulp and washing water; each stage of the countercurrent washing machine is provided with a feed inlet, a discharge outlet, a water inlet and a water outlet; Each stage of the countercurrent washing machine is equipped with a corresponding discharge machine at its discharge port; each stage of the discharge machine is equipped with a feed inlet and a discharge outlet; except for the last stage, each stage of the countercurrent washing machine conveys the fruit pomace to the next stage of the countercurrent washing machine through the corresponding discharge machine. Each of the discharge machines at each stage is equipped with a corresponding filter on the upper side of the middle section. Each filter is used to separate the fruit residue and washing water in the corresponding stage of the discharge machine.

2. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of countercurrent cleaning machines is three; the three countercurrent cleaning machines configured in stages are a first-stage countercurrent cleaning machine, a second-stage countercurrent cleaning machine, and a third-stage countercurrent cleaning machine; The discharge ports of the primary countercurrent cleaning machine, the secondary countercurrent cleaning machine, and the tertiary countercurrent cleaning machine are respectively equipped with a primary discharge machine, a secondary discharge machine, and a tertiary discharge machine; the discharge port of the primary countercurrent cleaning machine is connected to the inlet of the primary discharge machine; the inlet of the secondary countercurrent cleaning machine is connected to the discharge port of the primary discharge machine, and its discharge port is connected to the inlet of the secondary discharge machine; the inlet of the tertiary countercurrent cleaning machine is connected to the discharge port of the secondary discharge machine. A primary filter, a secondary filter, and a tertiary filter are respectively installed on the upper middle part of the primary discharge machine, the secondary discharge machine, and the tertiary discharge machine.

3. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feed inlet of the primary countercurrent washing machine is equipped with a feeder; the feeder is used to transport the pretreated fruit pomace to the primary countercurrent washing machine.

4. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The discharge port of the three-stage discharge machine is sequentially connected to a first conveyor, an extruder, a second conveyor, and a pulp bin. The fruit pulp conveyed to the three-stage countercurrent washing machine by the three-stage discharge machine is first conveyed by the first conveyor to the extruder for extrusion and dehydration, and then conveyed by the second conveyor to the pulp bin for drying.

5. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The three-stage countercurrent cleaner is equipped with a purified water tank at its inlet; the purified water tank is used to provide cleaning water for the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner.

6. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outlets of the primary countercurrent cleaner, the secondary countercurrent cleaner, and the tertiary countercurrent cleaner are respectively equipped with a primary water collection tank, a secondary water collection tank, and a tertiary water collection tank; the cleaning water from the primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent cleaners flows into the primary water collection tank, the secondary water collection tank, and the tertiary water collection tank, respectively, and is then transported to the primary filter, the secondary filter, and the tertiary filter via pipelines and a delivery pump.

7. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fruit residue separated by the primary filter, the secondary filter, and the tertiary filter falls into the primary discharge machine, the secondary discharge machine, and the tertiary discharge machine respectively under gravity.

8. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cleaning water separated by the secondary and tertiary filters is transported through pipelines to the primary countercurrent cleaner and the secondary countercurrent cleaner, respectively.

9. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The primary filter is equipped with an online saccharimeter at its cleaning water outlet; the online saccharimeter is used to detect the saccharimeter content of the cleaning water separated by the primary filter; the primary filter is also connected to a concentrate tank; the cleaning water separated by the primary filter is first detected by the online saccharimeter, and then transported through pipelines to the concentrate tank or back to the primary countercurrent cleaner.

10. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The concentrate tank is also connected to a concentration unit; the cleaning water in the concentrate tank is transported to the concentration unit via pipelines and a transfer pump; the concentration unit is used to concentrate the cleaning water in the concentrate tank into molasses.

11. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The countercurrent washing machine includes a horizontally arranged cylindrical shell; the feed inlet and the water outlet of the countercurrent washing machine are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of one end of the shell; the discharge outlet of the countercurrent washing machine is located on the lower side of the other end of the shell; the water inlet of the countercurrent washing machine is located on the middle side of the shell to allow washing water to flow into the countercurrent washing machine; several water replenishment spray cleaning ports are provided on the side of the shell; a spiral propulsion device is provided inside the shell for conveying fruit pomace.

12. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 11, characterized in that, In the countercurrent washing machine, the fruit residue is conveyed by the spiral propulsion device in a direction opposite to the flow direction of the washing water.

13. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 12, characterized in that, The spiral propulsion device includes several spiral blades, and each spiral blade has several punches.

14. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 13, characterized in that, A stirring blade is provided between each of the spiral blades.

15. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeder is a screw conveyor.

16. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, All the discharge machines mentioned in each stage are screw conveyors.

17. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, All filters described in each stage are vertical scraper filters.

18. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the primary conveyor and the secondary conveyor are screw conveyor devices.

19. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The extruder is a screw extrusion device.

20. The orange peel and pomace washing and processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The concentration unit is a membrane concentration device.

21. A method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace, based on the orange peel pomace cleaning and processing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: S1. Input of cleaning water: The clean water tank delivers the cleaning water to the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, so that the cleaning water passes through the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner in sequence until the three-stage countercurrent cleaner, the two-stage countercurrent cleaner and the one-stage countercurrent cleaner are all full of cleaning water; S2. Input of fruit pomace: The feeder transports the pre-treated fruit pomace to the primary countercurrent washing machine; S3. Fruit pomace washing: The primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent washing machines use screw propulsion devices to ensure that the fruit pomace is in full contact with the countercurrent washing water. At the same time, the primary, secondary, and tertiary filters separate the fruit pomace and washing water. The fruit pomace is then washed by the primary, secondary, and tertiary countercurrent washing machines and then conveyed to the first conveyor. The washing water is then washed by the tertiary, secondary, and primary countercurrent washing machines and then conveyed to the concentrate tank or returned to the primary countercurrent washing machine. S4. Processing of fruit pomace and washing water: The extruder dehydrates the fruit pomace conveyed to the first conveyor, and the second conveyor transports the dehydrated fruit pomace to the pomace bin for drying; at the same time, the concentration unit concentrates the washing water conveyed to the concentrate tank into molasses.

22. The method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace according to claim 21, characterized in that, In step S2, the pretreated fruit residue is orange peel residue after juicing and cutting.

23. The method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace according to claim 21, characterized in that, In step S3, the cleaning water in the three-stage countercurrent cleaner is separated by the three-stage filter and then transported to the two-stage countercurrent cleaner as the cleaning water for the two-stage countercurrent cleaner. The cleaning water in the secondary countercurrent cleaner is separated by the secondary filter and then sent to the primary countercurrent cleaner as the cleaning water for the primary countercurrent cleaner; The cleaning water in the primary countercurrent cleaner is separated by the primary filter and then tested by the online saccharimeter. If the saccharimeter value of the cleaning water is not less than 3°Bx, the cleaning water is sent to the concentrate tank as raw material for molasses processing. If the saccharimeter value of the cleaning water is less than 3°Bx, the cleaning water is sent back to the primary countercurrent cleaner for further cleaning.

24. A method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace according to claim 21, characterized in that, In steps S1 to S3, the ratio of fruit residue to washing water in the primary countercurrent washing machine, the secondary countercurrent washing machine, and the tertiary countercurrent washing machine is 1:(2-3); the temperature of the washing water is room temperature; and the washing time of the primary countercurrent washing machine, the secondary countercurrent washing machine, and the tertiary countercurrent washing machine is 5-8 minutes.

25. A method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace according to claim 21, characterized in that, In step S4, the extruder removes some of the moisture from the fruit pomace by spiral extrusion, so that the moisture content of the fruit pomace after spiral extrusion is 78-82%.

26. A method for cleaning and processing orange peel pomace according to claim 21, characterized in that, In step S4, the concentration unit first concentrates the cleaning water to 30-40°Bx, and then concentrates it to 60-75°Bx through thermal concentration.

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