Refined green tea processing equipment and method

Abstract

The invention discloses refined green tea processing equipment and method, and relates to the technical field of tea processing, and the scheme is as follows: firstly, the refined green tea processing equipment comprises: a rack; the heating outer cylinder is mounted on the rack, and a heat source inlet and a waste heat outlet are formed in the heating outer cylinder; the conveying inner cylinder is rotationally mounted on the inner side of the heating outer cylinder, and a heating cavity is formed between the conveying inner cylinder and the heating outer cylinder; on the other hand, the refined green tea processing method comprises the following steps: introducing tea leaves to be processed into a preheating area, and indirectly preheating the tea leaves in a cross flow manner by utilizing hot air discharged from a subsequent heating area so as to increase the initial temperature of the tea leaves and recover heat energy; high-temperature flue gas and waste heat generated by the fixation machine can be efficiently recovered and reutilized, the energy utilization efficiency is improved, and the green and energy-saving development requirements of the tea industry are met.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of tea processing, in particular to a fine green tea processing equipment and method. BACKGROUND

[0002] Tea fixation is the core process in the processing of green tea, yellow tea, black tea and other tea types that determines the quality of the finished product. After the fresh leaves are detached from the tea tree, the active enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in the body are not immediately inactivated and will continue to catalyze the oxidation and browning reaction of tea polyphenols and other characteristic contents. If this reaction is not intervened in time, it will directly lead to the loss of the fresh and bright color of the tea leaves, and at the same time, it will cause the generation of bitter and astringent substances, resulting in deterioration of the taste. The key role of the fixation process is to rapidly inactivate these active enzymes through a high-temperature environment to fundamentally block the oxidation and browning process, which is the prerequisite and foundation for the smooth development of subsequent processes and the formation of unique flavors and quality of tea.

[0003] The current mainstream tea fixation process uses a drum-type fixation machine, which works by heating the drum body through external heating, and then relying on the heat conduction of the inner wall of the drum and the heat environment inside the drum to achieve fixation of the tea leaves inside the drum. However, the existing equipment generally has the problem of insufficient utilization of heat energy; the high-temperature flue gas (or waste heat gas stream) generated during the heating process is directly discharged without recycling, resulting in a large amount of heat energy being lost with the tail gas, which not only reduces the energy utilization efficiency, but also increases the production energy consumption cost, which is inconsistent with the green and energy-saving development needs of the tea industry. SUMMARY

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a fine green tea processing equipment and method that can efficiently recycle and reuse the high-temperature flue gas and waste heat generated by the fixation machine, improve energy utilization efficiency, and meet the green and energy-saving development needs of the tea industry.

[0005] The present application is achieved by the following technical solutions: Firstly, a refined green tea processing device includes: a frame; a heating outer cylinder mounted on the frame, the heating outer cylinder having a heat source inlet and a waste heat outlet; a conveying inner cylinder rotatably mounted inside the heating outer cylinder, forming a heating chamber between the conveying inner cylinder and the heating outer cylinder; a preheating outer cylinder connected to one end of the heating outer cylinder, the preheating outer cylinder having a reflux inlet; a preheating inner cylinder connected to one end of the conveying inner cylinder, the preheating inner cylinder being located inside the preheating outer cylinder, the preheating inner cylinder having multiple heat exchange through holes; a heat recovery pipe, one end of the heat recovery pipe connected to the waste heat outlet, the other end of the heat recovery pipe connected to the reflux inlet; and a drive assembly, the drive assembly being drivenly connected to the conveying inner cylinder, thereby conveying the tea leaves located inside the conveying inner cylinder.

[0006] Furthermore, in this invention, the above also includes a constraint guide cylinder; the constraint guide cylinder is coaxially arranged inside the inner conveying cylinder, and multiple radial struts are respectively installed at both ends of the constraint guide cylinder along the circumferential direction; one end of the radial strut is connected to the outer wall of the constraint guide cylinder, and the other end of the radial strut is connected to the inner wall of the inner conveying cylinder; wherein, an annular uniform flow channel is formed between the outer wall of the constraint guide cylinder and the inner wall of the inner conveying cylinder, and the annular uniform flow channel is used to limit the stacking height of the tea leaves and promote the tea leaves to be spread out and conveyed along the annular uniform flow channel.

[0007] Furthermore, in this invention, the aforementioned constrained guide tube has a hollow structure, and multiple heat transfer holes are provided on the side wall of the constrained guide tube; wherein, tea leaves can be simultaneously transported in the inner space of the constrained guide tube and in the annular uniformly distributed flow channel, and the heat transfer holes are used to transfer the heat from the inner cylinder side to the inner space of the constrained guide tube.

[0008] Furthermore, in this invention, a material distribution end cap is installed at one end of the aforementioned constraint guide cylinder, and multiple layered partition cylinders are installed on the side wall of the material distribution end cap facing the inside of the constraint guide cylinder; the outer diameter of the multiple layered partition cylinders increases sequentially from the inside to the outside, and the multiple layered partition cylinders are coaxially and sequentially nested, forming an annular limiting space between two adjacent layered partition cylinders; multiple layered material distribution guide ports are opened on the material distribution end cap, and the multiple layered material distribution guide ports are distributed radially at intervals along the material distribution end cap, and the layered material distribution guide ports are connected to the corresponding annular limiting spaces; wherein, tea leaves can enter the corresponding annular limiting spaces through the layered material distribution guide ports, causing the tea leaves to be conveyed in a layered and flat manner within the annular limiting space.

[0009] Furthermore, in this invention, the above-mentioned material distribution end cap is provided with a plurality of layered material distribution guides at radial positions corresponding to each annular limiting space, and the plurality of layered material distribution guides are distributed along the circumferential direction of the material distribution end cap.

[0010] Furthermore, in this invention, a throttling end cap is installed at the end of the constraint guide cylinder away from the material distribution end cap; the throttling end cap has multiple layered throttling guides, which are distributed radially at intervals along the throttling end cap, and the multiple layered throttling guides are distributed one-to-one with multiple annular limiting spaces, and the layered throttling guides are connected to the corresponding annular limiting spaces; wherein, the number of layered material distribution guides in the annular limiting space is greater than the number of layered throttling guides, thereby reducing the discharge rate of tea leaves in the annular limiting space and prolonging the residence time of tea leaves in the annular limiting space.

[0011] Furthermore, in this invention, the throttling end cap is provided with a plurality of layered throttling guides; the diameter of the plurality of layered throttling guides increases sequentially from the inside to the outside along the radial direction of the throttling end cap.

[0012] Furthermore, in this invention, the aforementioned reflux inlet is located near the material distribution end cap; wherein, the airflow flowing into the preheating outer cylinder through the reflux inlet blows upward, which can cause the tea leaves to be in a loose and diffused state to avoid accumulation, thereby allowing the diffused tea leaves to enter each layer of material distribution inlet evenly and flow into the corresponding annular limiting space.

[0013] Furthermore, in this invention, the aforementioned driving assembly includes: a motor; a driven gear ring, which is fitted onto one end of the inner conveying cylinder extending to the outer side of the outer heating cylinder; and a driving gear, which is connected to the output end of the motor and engages in a transmission relationship with the driven gear ring.

[0014] On the other hand, a refined green tea processing method includes the following steps: introducing the tea leaves to be processed into a preheating zone, using hot airflow discharged from the subsequent heating zone to indirectly preheat the tea leaves through cross-flow, thereby increasing the initial temperature of the tea leaves and recovering heat energy; introducing the preheated tea leaves into the distribution zone at the inlet of the heating zone, and evenly distributing the tea leaves into multiple independent annular channels arranged radially through a combination of airflow-assisted diffusion and multi-annular channel diversion, achieving layered flat distribution of the tea leaves; in the heating zone, synchronously conveying and heating the tea leaves in the multiple annular channels to form a radial heat gradient from the inside out; at the outlet of the heating zone, differentially controlling the tea leaf discharge rate of each annular channel, so that the tea leaf layer receiving less heat has a lower discharge rate and a longer residence time to compensate for insufficient heat intake; and uniformly discharging the fully heated tea leaves from each annular channel from the heating zone.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: 1. The waste heat recovery system in this application can directionally transport the waste heat discharged after heat exchange in the heating zone to the preheating zone. Through heat exchange holes in the preheating inner cylinder and conduction with the cylinder wall, efficient heat exchange between the waste heat and the tea leaves to be processed is achieved. This design completely solves the energy waste problem caused by the direct discharge of waste heat from traditional withering equipment. In multi-batch processing, it can reduce the need for external heat source replenishment by more than 60%, significantly reducing energy costs and aligning with the green and low-carbon development requirements of the tea industry.

[0016] 2. The coaxial assembly structure of the layered partition cylinders in this application constructs multiple independent annular limiting spaces inside the inner conveying cylinder. Combined with the layered throttling guide design of the throttling end cap, where the diameter increases radially from the inside out, a mechanism is formed that allows for rapid discharge and short dwell times in the high-temperature zone (outer annular limiting space) and slow discharge and long dwell times in the low-temperature zone (inner annular limiting space). This can compensate for radial heat differences in the heating zone, completely solving the problem of uneven blanching caused by localized scorching edges and undercooked inner layers in traditional equipment, ensuring the consistency of the finished product. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention and form part of this application, do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the first viewing direction for sophisticated green tea processing equipment; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the second observation direction for sophisticated green tea processing equipment; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the inner conveying cylinder and the inner preheating cylinder. Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of a sophisticated green tea processing equipment along the tea leaf conveying direction; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the conveyor cylinder from the first viewing direction; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second viewing direction of the internal structure of the conveyor inner cylinder; Figure 8 A longitudinal sectional view of sophisticated green tea processing equipment; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a space structure in which multiple layered compartments are sequentially nested. Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a refined green tea processing method.

[0018] The attached diagram shows the markings and corresponding component names: 1-Frame, 2-Heating outer cylinder, 3-Preheating outer cylinder, 4-Conveying inner cylinder, 5-Heat source inlet, 6-Recovery heat pipe, 7-Motor, 8-Driven gear ring, 9-Driving gear, 10-Preheating inner cylinder, 11-Distribution end cap, 12-Heat exchange through hole, 13-Feed end, 14-Annular uniform distribution channel, 15-Waste heat outlet, 16-Layered distribution guide, 17-Recirculation inlet, 18-Radial strut, 19-Throttle end cap, 20-Constraint guide cylinder, 21-Annular limiting space, 22-Layered partition cylinder, 23-Heat transfer through hole, 24-Airflow hole, 25-Layered throttling guide, 26-Gas drying layer, 27-Gas purification adsorption layer. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Example

[0020] Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 The present invention provides a refined green tea processing device. It includes a frame 1, a heating outer cylinder 2, a conveying inner cylinder 4, a preheating outer cylinder 3, a preheating inner cylinder 10, a heat recovery pipe 6, and a drive assembly. These components work together to achieve efficient green tea processing and efficient utilization of heat energy. Please refer to Figure 1 The heating outer cylinder 2 is mounted on the frame 1 and is arranged at an angle. A heat source inlet 5 and a waste heat outlet 15 are provided on the cylinder wall of the heating outer cylinder 2, located at opposite ends, providing channels for heat flow and heat exchange within the outer cylinder 2. A conveying inner cylinder 4 is coaxially fitted inside the heating outer cylinder 2, forming a closed heating chamber. Both ends of the conveying inner cylinder 4 are rotatably connected to the inner wall of the heating outer cylinder 2 via bearings. Simultaneously, a mechanical seal is installed at the connection between the conveying inner cylinder 4 and the heating outer cylinder 2. The dynamic and static rings of the mechanical seal adhere to each other, preventing heat leakage from the heating chamber and avoiding energy loss.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 5The preheating outer cylinder 3 is coaxially connected to one end of the heating outer cylinder 2, and the preheating outer cylinder 3 and the heating outer cylinder 2 remain relatively fixed and in a static state. The preheating inner cylinder 10 is coaxially connected to one end of the conveying inner cylinder 4, and the preheating inner cylinder 10 rotates synchronously with the conveying inner cylinder 4. The preheating inner cylinder 10 is located inside the preheating outer cylinder 3. Multiple through-holes 12 are provided on the cylinder wall of the preheating inner cylinder 10 to provide a path for heat exchange between waste heat and the tea leaves inside the preheating inner cylinder 10. One end of the heat recovery pipe 6 is connected to the waste heat outlet 15 of the heating outer cylinder 2, and the other end of the heat recovery pipe 6 is connected to the return inlet 17 of the preheating outer cylinder 3, forming a closed-loop channel for waste heat recovery. The drive assembly is connected to the conveying inner cylinder 4 for transmission, and drives the conveying inner cylinder 4 to rotate, thereby realizing the conveying of the tea leaves inside the conveying inner cylinder 4.

[0022] During the withering process of tea leaves, the operator introduces a heat source generated by an external heat source device into the heating chamber through the heat source inlet 5 of the heating outer cylinder 2. After entering the heating chamber, the heat source contacts the outer wall of the conveying inner cylinder 4 and exchanges heat, heating the conveying inner cylinder 4. When the temperature of the conveying inner cylinder 4 reaches the preset withering temperature, the operator adds the tea leaves to be withered from the feed end 13 of the preheating inner cylinder 10. Since the preheating inner cylinder 10 rotates synchronously with the conveying inner cylinder 4 and is arranged at an inclination, the tea leaves can be gradually conveyed into the conveying inner cylinder 4 along the axial direction of the preheating inner cylinder 10 under the combined action of the rotation and inclination structure. After the tea leaves enter the inner conveyor cylinder 4, they are continuously turned over as the inner conveyor cylinder 4 rotates. At the same time, they come into contact with the heated inner wall of the inner conveyor cylinder 4 to carry out the fixation process. During the turning process, all parts of the tea leaves can be evenly exposed to heat energy, which effectively avoids the problem of uneven heating in certain areas and improves the fixation efficiency. Moreover, the length of the inner conveyor cylinder 4 and the heating temperature parameters have been determined through experimental optimization, which can ensure that the residence time of the tea leaves in the inner conveyor cylinder 4 and the heat intensity are matched to achieve the best fixation effect.

[0023] Please refer to Figure 5Furthermore, since the heat source inlet 5 and the waste heat outlet 15 are located at opposite ends of the heating outer cylinder 2, the heat source, after entering the heating chamber from the heat source inlet 5, can flow fully along the axial direction of the heating outer cylinder 2 through the outer wall of the conveying inner cylinder 4, extending the contact time between the heat source and the conveying inner cylinder 4, allowing the heat from the heat source to be transferred more fully to the conveying inner cylinder 4, and improving the heat source utilization rate. The waste heat, which has decreased in temperature after heat exchange, eventually enters the preheating outer cylinder 3. The residual heat entering the preheating outer cylinder 3 is partially used to directly contact the tea leaves inside the preheating inner cylinder 10 through the heat exchange holes 12, thus preheating the tea leaves. This preheating allows the tea leaves to reach a state close to the fixing temperature before entering the conveying inner cylinder 4, reducing the heating time after the tea leaves enter the conveying inner cylinder 4 and shortening the overall fixing cycle. The other part of the residual heat contacts the outer wall of the preheating inner cylinder 10, heating the preheating inner cylinder 10. The heated preheating inner cylinder 10 can further assist in preheating the tea leaves, while reducing heat loss when the tea leaves come into contact with the cold cylinder wall, further improving the efficiency of heat energy utilization.

[0024] It should be noted that the temperature required for fixing the tea leaves must be adapted to the processing requirements of green tea to ensure that while destroying the enzyme activity inside the tea leaves, excessive loss of effective components is avoided. The heat source entering the heating chamber, after heat exchange, exits at a significantly lower temperature from the waste heat outlet 15. This temperature is below the critical temperature for fixing the tea leaves, therefore the waste heat entering the preheating outer cylinder 3 will not scorch the tea leaves and can be safely used for preheating. Through the above structural and process design, this equipment achieves energy saving throughout the entire process from heating to waste heat recovery, fully improving thermal energy utilization and aligning with the energy-saving and environmentally friendly industrial development direction.

[0025] The preheating inner cylinder 10 rotates synchronously with the conveying inner cylinder 4, causing the tea leaves to undergo continuous tumbling and axial conveying motion within it. During the tumbling process, small-diameter impurities mixed in with the tea leaves can be separated from the material flow through the heat exchange holes 12 on the wall of the preheating inner cylinder 10 due to gravity and inertia, achieving primary screening and impurity separation. At the same time, the residual heat entering the preheating outer cylinder 3 can directly act on the tea leaves through the heat exchange holes 12, forming direct contact heat exchange, reducing heat transfer resistance and energy loss, and improving heat utilization efficiency.

[0026] For example, the heat source device can be an air heat pump. The hot air output end of the air heat pump is fixedly connected to the heat source inlet 5 of the heating outer cylinder 2 through a sealed pipeline, thereby forming a closed heat source delivery path. It can continuously provide heat to the inner conveying cylinder 4, ensuring that the inner conveying cylinder 4 is maintained within the process temperature range required for tea processing, and providing a stable heat source guarantee for subsequent tea processing operations.

[0027] Temperature sensors are installed inside the inner conveying cylinder 4 and the heat recovery pipe 6, respectively. These sensors collect real-time data on the processing temperature of the tea leaves inside the inner conveying cylinder 4 and the temperature parameters of the residual heat in the heat recovery pipe 6. The collected temperature signals are converted into electrical signals and continuously fed back to the equipment's control system. This allows the temperature of the tea leaves inside the inner conveying cylinder 4 to be stably maintained within the set processing range, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the withering effect. Furthermore, the preheating efficiency can be optimized based on the feedback from the residual heat temperature.

[0028] It should be noted that, to ensure the residual heat temperature entering the preheating outer cylinder 3 remains within the safe threshold for tea preheating and to prevent tea burn, a bypass connection to a room-temperature clean gas supply device can be made to the heat recovery pipe 6. Simultaneously, a pre-installed temperature sensor inside the heat recovery pipe 6 continuously collects residual heat temperature data. When the temperature exceeds the preset safe process threshold, the temperature sensor transmits an over-temperature signal to the equipment control system in real time. After analyzing and judging the signal using a preset logic algorithm, the control system outputs a control command to the electric valve of the room-temperature clean gas supply device, introducing room-temperature clean gas into the heat recovery pipe 6. Through the mixing and heat exchange of hot and cold airflows, the residual heat temperature is dynamically neutralized, ensuring that the gas temperature entering the preheating outer cylinder 3 quickly drops back to a safe range.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 5 Furthermore, to ensure the cleanliness of the waste heat gas entering the preheating outer cylinder 3 and to avoid contaminating the tea leaves, a gas drying layer 26 and a gas purification and adsorption layer 27 can be sequentially installed inside the heat recovery pipe 6. The gas drying layer 26 uses a food-grade solid desiccant carrier (such as a molecular sieve carrier or a silica gel desiccant carrier) to adsorb moisture carried in the waste heat gas, preventing the humid gas from contacting the tea leaves and causing abnormal fluctuations in the tea's moisture content. The gas purification and adsorption layer 27 uses a food-grade porous adsorption material carrier (such as an activated carbon adsorption carrier or an activated alumina adsorption carrier), which can efficiently adsorb impurities such as dust particles and volatile odor substances that may be mixed in the waste heat gas, ensuring that the treated waste heat gas meets the hygiene requirements for tea processing and guaranteeing the quality of tea processing from the source.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 5 to 8 In some embodiments of this application, the constraint guide cylinder 20 is coaxially arranged inside the inner conveying cylinder 4. Multiple radial struts 18 are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction at both ends of the constraint guide cylinder 20. One end of the radial strut 18 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the constraint guide cylinder 20, and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inner conveying cylinder 4, thereby rigidly connecting the constraint guide cylinder 20 and the inner conveying cylinder 4 into one unit, and rotating synchronously with the inner conveying cylinder 4.

[0031] An annular uniform flow channel 14 is formed between the outer wall of the constraint guide cylinder 20 and the inner wall of the conveying inner cylinder 4. The radial height parameter of the annular uniform flow channel 14 is determined by comprehensive optimization of the particle material conveying characteristics and heat transfer uniformity experiments. Its height is set to effectively limit the accumulation thickness of tea leaves during the conveying process, so that the tea leaves are axially spread and conveyed in a thin layer along the annular uniform flow channel 14.

[0032] After the tea leaves are conveyed to the inlet end of the conveying inner cylinder 4 through the preheating inner cylinder 10, they are forced into the annular uniform flow channel 14 under the radial limiting action of the constraint guide cylinder 20. Since the height of the annular uniform flow channel 14 is controlled, a uniform material layer thickness can be maintained, avoiding uneven heating due to local accumulation. At the same time, the flat material layer makes the residence time of the tea leaves on the conveying path tend to be consistent, thereby ensuring that all tea leaves can receive sufficient and uniform fixation treatment in the conveying inner cylinder 4, effectively avoiding the situation where some tea leaves are over-fixed while others are under-fixed, and significantly improving the uniformity of the fixation effect.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments of this application, the constraint guide cylinder 20 has a hollow structure, and multiple through heat transfer holes 23 are provided on the side wall of the constraint guide cylinder 20. Tea leaves can be simultaneously conveyed in the inner space of the constraint guide cylinder 20 and in the annular uniform flow channel 14. The heat transfer holes 23 are used to transfer heat from the side of the conveying inner cylinder 4 to the inner space of the constraint guide cylinder 20. When the tea leaves are conveyed from the preheating inner cylinder 10 to the conveying inner cylinder 4, they can simultaneously enter the inner side of the annular uniform flow channel 14 and the constraint guide cylinder 20. The temperature is used to fix the tea leaves inside the constraint guide cylinder 20 through the heat transfer holes 23, thereby ensuring that the tea leaves are conveyed evenly and optimizing the spatial distribution of the tea leaves to avoid accumulation.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 9 In some embodiments of this application, a material distribution end cap 11 is installed at one end of the constraint guide cylinder 20, and multiple layered partition cylinders 22 are coaxially arranged on the inner side wall of the material distribution end cap 11; the outer diameter of the multiple layered partition cylinders 22 increases sequentially from the inside to the outside, forming a coaxial fitting structure, and an annular limiting space 21 is formed between two adjacent layered partition cylinders 22; multiple layered material distribution guide ports 16 are radially spaced on the material distribution end cap 11, and each layered material distribution guide port 16 is connected to the corresponding annular limiting space 21 to realize the directional distribution of tea leaves.

[0035] When tea leaves are conveyed from the preheating inner cylinder 10 to the inlet end of the conveying inner cylinder 4 and come into contact with the distribution end cover 11, under the guiding effect of the distribution end cover 11, the tea leaves can enter the corresponding annular limiting space 21 through the layered distribution guides 16 at different radial positions, forming a multi-layered parallel thin-layer material flow. The above structure divides the internal space of the constraint guide cylinder 20 into radial sections, so that the tea leaves are conveyed in a layered and flat manner in the conveying direction, thereby significantly optimizing the distribution state of the tea leaves in the space and avoiding local accumulation and uneven material layer thickness; at the same time, the multi-layer diversion design can effectively improve the material filling rate and unit volume processing capacity in the constraint guide cylinder 20, and increase the continuous processing capacity of tea leaves under the same equipment size.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 9 For example, multiple airflow holes 24 are provided on the multiple layered partition cylinders 22. The airflow holes 24 can break the heat barrier between the annular limiting spaces 21, so that the heat on the side of the inner conveying cylinder 4 can flow freely and be evenly distributed in different annular limiting spaces 21, reduce the temperature difference in each area, and thus ensure that the tea leaves in different annular limiting spaces 21 can obtain sufficient heat, ensuring the consistency of the fixation effect.

[0037] The distributing end cap 11 has multiple layered distributing guides 16 arranged in the radial region corresponding to each annular limiting space 21, and these multiple layered distributing guides 16 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the distributing end cap 11. Tea leaves can enter the annular limiting space 21 simultaneously through the multiple layered distributing guides 16 corresponding to the same annular limiting space 21, realizing multi-point coordinated feeding in the circumference of the annular limiting space 21. This not only improves the feeding efficiency of tea leaves entering the annular limiting space 21, but also promotes the rapid spreading of tea leaves in the circumference within the annular limiting space 21.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 7 For example, a throttling end cap 19 is installed at the end of the constraint guide cylinder 20 away from the material distribution end cap 11; the throttling end cap 19 has multiple layered throttling guide ports 25, which are distributed radially at intervals along the throttling end cap 19 and are connected to multiple annular limiting spaces 21 one-to-one. By making the number of layered material distribution guide ports 16 corresponding to the annular limiting space 21 greater than the number of layered throttling guide ports 25, the discharge rate of tea leaves in the annular limiting space 21 can be reduced, thereby prolonging the residence time of tea leaves in the annular limiting space 21.

[0039] Meanwhile, a material distribution end cap 11 is fitted to one end of the constraint guide cylinder 20, and a throttling end cap 19 is fitted to the other end; multiple layered partition cylinders 22 are connected at one end to the material distribution end cap 11 and at the other end to the throttling end cap 19, forming a through-type conveying channel between adjacent layered partition cylinders 22. This can effectively reduce the flow resistance of tea during the conveying process, improve the tea conveying efficiency, and at the same time prevent tea from stagnating or blocking in the channel, ensuring the smoothness of the conveying process.

[0040] After being conveyed to the throttling end cap 19 within the various annular limiting spaces 21, the tea leaves are confined and can only leave the annular limiting spaces 21 through the corresponding layered throttling guides 25. They then fall into the inner conveying cylinder 4 and continue to be conveyed until discharge. Because there are no obstructions when the tea leaves are conveyed within the annular uniform flow channel 14, they can pass through quickly, resulting in a shorter residence time. Simultaneously, the tea leaves within the annular uniform flow channel 14 are in close contact with the inner conveying cylinder 4, allowing them to receive more heat. Conversely, the tea leaves within the annular limiting spaces 21 are farther from the inner conveying cylinder 4, receiving less heat and requiring a longer residence time to achieve sufficient processing.

[0041] Based on the above structure, the number of layered material guides 16 in the annular limiting space 21 is greater than the number of layered throttling guides 25, so that the conveying rate of tea leaves in the annular limiting space 21 is lower than the conveying rate of tea leaves in the annular uniform distribution channel 14, thereby extending the residence time of tea leaves in the annular limiting space 21 and effectively solving the problem of insufficient heat reception of tea leaves in the annular limiting space 21.

[0042] The throttling end cap 19 is provided with multiple layered throttling guide ports 25, and the diameter of the multiple layered throttling guide ports 25 is distributed in an increasing manner from the inside to the outside along the radial direction of the throttling end cap 19. Since the heat field inside the conveying inner cylinder 4 is radially stepped, the heat intensity gradually decreases with the increase of the distance from the inner wall of the conveying inner cylinder 4. This means that the further away from the annular limiting space 21 of the conveying inner cylinder 4, the less heat it can provide for fixing the tea leaves. The tea leaves in the corresponding area need a longer heat exchange time to meet the requirements of the fixing process.

[0043] Based on the aforementioned heat distribution characteristics, by setting the diameter of the stratified throttling guide 25 to increase radially from the inside out, the cross-sectional area of ​​the corresponding stratified throttling guide 25 becomes smaller the further away from the annular limiting space 21 of the conveying inner cylinder 4. This reduces the discharge rate of tea leaves within the annular limiting space 21, extends the residence time of tea leaves in the low-heat area, and ensures that the tea leaves in this area can fully absorb heat to complete the fixation process, thus avoiding the problem of substandard fixation caused by insufficient heat supply and too short residence time.

[0044] It should be noted that the tea fixing process has clear temperature and time coupling requirements. The core lies in achieving the inhibition of enzyme activity and the appropriate transformation of internal components in fresh leaves through the synergistic effect of specific temperature and corresponding time. In the structural design of this invention, based on the radial temperature field distribution law of the inner conveying cylinder 4, the actual heat supply level of each annular limiting space 21 is precisely matched with the discharge rate of the corresponding layered throttling guide 25. By controlling the residence time of tea leaves in different annular limiting spaces 21, it is ensured that the tea leaves can obtain an effective heat exchange time that meets the requirements of the fixing process under the heat conditions of their respective areas, thereby achieving the target fixing effect.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments of this application, the reflux inlet 17 is located in the adjacent area of ​​the distribution end cap 11; the airflow delivered by the reflux inlet 17 into the preheating outer cylinder 3 flows upward. This airflow can break the adhesion between tea leaves through fluid disturbance, causing the tea leaves to break away from the agglomerated state and be loosely distributed, fundamentally avoiding the problem of tea leaf accumulation in the feeding area. This ensures that the loosened tea leaves can be evenly distributed within the radial range of the distribution end cap 11 and accurately enter the layered distribution guides 16 of each level, providing a feeding basis for the uniform withering of tea leaves in each subsequent annular limiting space 21.

[0046] At the same time, the waste heat airflow flowing into the area adjacent to the material distribution end cover 11 can pass through the heat exchange holes 12 through the diffusion effect, forming an airflow field covering the entire area of ​​the preheating inner cylinder 10, so that the tea leaves in the preheating inner cylinder 10 can fully exchange heat with the waste heat airflow and complete the preheating treatment of the tea leaves; this process not only realizes the secondary utilization of waste heat, but also reduces the difference between the initial temperature of the tea leaves and the subsequent fixation temperature, creating conditions for the stable development of the subsequent fixation process.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments of this application, the drive assembly consists of a motor 7, a driven gear ring 8, and a drive gear 9; wherein, the driven gear ring 8 is fitted onto the end of the inner conveying cylinder 4 extending to the outer side of the outer heating cylinder 2, and the drive gear 9 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 7, and the drive gear 9 and the driven gear ring 8 form a meshing transmission cooperation.

[0048] During operation, the operator controls the motor 7 to drive the drive gear 9 to rotate. Based on the transmission characteristics of the drive gear 9, the drive gear 9 can drive the inner conveying cylinder 4 connected to the driven gear ring 8 to rotate. The rotation of the inner conveying cylinder 4 realizes the dynamic conveying of tea leaves within the inner conveying cylinder 4, and on the other hand, ensures that the tea leaves make full contact with the heat transferred from the heating outer cylinder 2, thus ensuring the orderly progress of the withering operation.

[0049] Compared to the existing technology that requires driving the heating outer cylinder 2 to rotate, this solution only drives the conveying inner cylinder 4 to rotate. Since the mass of the conveying inner cylinder 4 (including the tea load) is much smaller than that of the heating outer cylinder 2 (insulation layers such as rock wool and polyurethane rigid foam), the torque and power required for driving are significantly reduced, which can effectively reduce energy consumption and fully meet the current technical requirements for energy conservation and environmental protection and the industry development direction. Example

[0050] Please refer to Figure 10 The present invention provides a refined green tea processing method. It includes the following steps: S1: Introducing the tea leaves to be processed into a preheating zone, and using the hot airflow discharged from the subsequent heating zone to indirectly preheat the tea leaves through cross-flow, thereby increasing the initial temperature of the tea leaves and recovering heat energy; After the operators send the tea leaves to be processed into the preheating zone, the preheating process eliminates the temperature difference between the initial temperature of the tea leaves and the subsequent fixation temperature. This reduces the heat supply required in the subsequent fixation stage, thereby improving the overall fixation efficiency and process stability. From a technical perspective, the preheating zone relies on the exhaust heat from the subsequent heating zone as its heat source. Through a cross-flow indirect heat exchange structure, the residual heat from the exhaust airflow and the tea leaves form an efficient heat exchange: on the one hand, the initial temperature of the tea leaves gradually increases during the indirect heat exchange process, avoiding uneven heating caused by excessive temperature differences when directly entering the high-temperature fixation zone; on the other hand, the residual heat from the heating zone is reused, replacing the additional heat source required by traditional preheating, effectively reducing heat loss and fully meeting the requirements of energy-saving and environmentally friendly process design.

[0051] S2: The preheated tea leaves are introduced into the distribution area at the inlet of the heating zone. Through a combination of airflow-assisted diffusion and multi-ring channel diversion, the tea leaves are evenly distributed into the multi-layer independent ring channels arranged radially, so as to achieve the layered flat distribution of the tea leaves. Before entering the heating zone, the preheated tea leaves first enter the sorting zone. The sorting zone introduces hot airflow from the subsequent heating zone, creating an upward airflow field that continuously disturbs the tea leaves, promoting full diffusion within the space and effectively breaking down any adhesion or clumping between the leaves, resulting in a uniform, loose distribution. Guided by the directional airflow, the loose tea leaves are evenly distributed into annular channels of different radial layers and enter the heating zone in a layered, flat pattern.

[0052] The combination of loose airflow and multiple annular flow channels ensures that the tea leaves maintain a uniform thickness and distribution density in each annular flow channel of the heating zone. This fundamentally avoids the problem of local overheating or insufficient heat caused by tea leaf accumulation, ensuring that each layer of tea leaves can obtain uniform and sufficient fixation treatment under the corresponding heat conditions, and significantly improving the stability and consistency of the final product quality.

[0053] S3: In the heating zone, the tea leaves in the multi-layer annular flow channel are simultaneously transported and heated, forming a radial heat gradient from the inside to the outside; Heat is transferred from the outermost layer of the multi-layered annular flow channel inwards, so that the tea leaves in the outermost annular flow channel receive the highest amount of heat, while the heat decreases layer by layer radially inwards, and the tea leaves in the innermost annular flow channel receive the lowest amount of heat, thus forming a temperature distribution that decreases from the outside to the inside within the heating zone.

[0054] S4: At the discharge end of the heating zone, the discharge rate of tea leaves in each layer of the annular flow channel is differentiated, so that the tea leaf layer that receives less heat has a lower discharge rate and a longer residence time to compensate for the insufficient heat intake. Based on the radial heat gradient distribution characteristics of the heating zone from the outside to the inside, the outermost annular flow channel has the highest temperature, and the innermost annular flow channel has the lowest temperature. Inverse adaptation between temperature and residence time is achieved through rate control: for the outermost annular flow channel with higher temperature, the tea leaves are discharged at a relatively high rate, shortening their residence time in the heating zone; for the innermost annular flow channel with lower temperature, the tea leaves are discharged at a relatively low rate, extending their residence time in the heating zone; the intermediate annular flow channels are matched with corresponding discharge rates and residence times based on their own temperature levels. This ensures that the total heat received by the tea leaves in each annular flow channel is consistent, thereby meeting the requirements of the fixation process and guaranteeing the stability of the fixation effect throughout the entire area.

[0055] S5: Discharge the tea leaves from each of the fully heated annular channels into the heating zone; The tea leaves in each annular flow channel undergo thorough fixation under process parameters that are appropriate for the temperature and residence time of their respective channels. After this process, the tea leaves are discharged from the heating zone through their respective annular flow channels, providing the necessary conditions for the subsequent tea leaf collection process.

[0056] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sophisticated green tea processing device, characterized in that, include: Rack (1); Heating outer cylinder (2), the heating outer cylinder (2) is installed on the frame (1), and the heating outer cylinder (2) is provided with a heat source inlet (5) and a waste heat outlet (15). The inner conveying cylinder (4) is rotatably installed inside the outer heating cylinder (2), and a heating chamber is formed between the inner conveying cylinder (4) and the outer heating cylinder (2); A preheating outer cylinder (3) is connected to one end of the heating outer cylinder (2), and a reflux inlet (17) is provided on the preheating outer cylinder (3). A preheating inner cylinder (10) is connected to one end of the conveying inner cylinder (4). The preheating inner cylinder (10) is located inside the preheating outer cylinder (3). The preheating inner cylinder (10) is provided with a plurality of heat exchange through holes (12). A heat recovery pipe (6) is provided, one end of which is connected to the waste heat outlet (15), and the other end of which is connected to the return inlet (17). A drive assembly is connected to the inner conveying cylinder (4) to convey tea leaves located inside the inner conveying cylinder (4).

2. The refined green tea processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a constraint guide tube (20); The constraint guide tube (20) is coaxially arranged inside the inner conveying cylinder (4), and multiple radial struts (18) are installed at both ends of the constraint guide tube (20) along the circumferential direction. One end of the radial strut (18) is connected to the outer wall of the constraint guide cylinder (20), and the other end of the radial strut (18) is connected to the inner wall of the conveying inner cylinder (4); An annular uniform flow channel (14) is formed between the outer wall of the constraint guide cylinder (20) and the inner wall of the conveying inner cylinder (4). The annular uniform flow channel (14) is used to limit the stacking height of the tea leaves and to make the tea leaves spread out and conveyed along the annular uniform flow channel (14).

3. The refined green tea processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The constraint guide tube (20) has a hollow structure, and multiple heat transfer holes (23) are provided on the side wall of the constraint guide tube (20). Tea leaves can be simultaneously transported in the inner space of the constraint guide tube (20) and the annular uniform flow channel (14). The heat transfer through hole (23) is used to transfer the heat from the inner conveying cylinder (4) to the inner space of the constraint guide tube (20).

4. The refined green tea processing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, One end of the constraint guide tube (20) is equipped with a material distribution end cap (11), and multiple layered partitions (22) are installed on the side wall of the material distribution end cap (11) facing the inside of the constraint guide tube (20). The outer diameter of the multiple layered partitions (22) increases sequentially from the inside to the outside. The multiple layered partitions (22) are coaxially and sequentially assembled. An annular limiting space (21) is formed between two adjacent layered partitions (22). The material distribution end cap (11) is provided with a plurality of layered material distribution guides (16), and the plurality of layered material distribution guides (16) are distributed radially at intervals along the material distribution end cap (11), and the layered material distribution guides (16) are connected to the corresponding annular limiting space (21). Tea leaves can enter the corresponding annular limiting space (21) through the layered material guide (16), causing the tea leaves to be transported in a layered manner within the annular limiting space (21).

5. The refined green tea processing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The material distribution end cap (11) is provided with a plurality of layered material distribution guides (16) at the radial position corresponding to each of the annular limiting spaces (21), and the plurality of layered material distribution guides (16) are distributed along the circumferential direction of the material distribution end cap (11).

6. The refined green tea processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, A throttling end cap (19) is installed at the end of the constraint guide tube (20) away from the material distribution end cap (11). The throttling end cap (19) is provided with a plurality of layered throttling guide ports (25). The plurality of layered throttling guide ports (25) are distributed radially at intervals along the throttling end cap (19). The plurality of layered throttling guide ports (25) are distributed one-to-one with the plurality of annular limiting spaces (21). The layered throttling guide ports (25) are connected to the corresponding annular limiting spaces (21). The number of layered material guides (16) in the annular limiting space (21) is greater than the number of layered throttling guides (25), thereby reducing the discharge rate of tea leaves in the annular limiting space (21) and extending the residence time of tea leaves in the annular limiting space (21).

7. The refined green tea processing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The throttling end cap (19) is provided with a plurality of the layered throttling guides (25); The diameter of the plurality of layered throttling inlets (25) increases sequentially from the inside to the outside along the radial direction of the throttling end cap (19).

8. The refined green tea processing equipment according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The return inlet (17) is located adjacent to the material distribution end cap (11); The return inlet (17) blows the airflow into the preheating outer cylinder (3) upward, which can make the tea leaves loose and diffused to avoid accumulation, and then make the diffused tea leaves evenly enter each of the layered material guides (16) and flow into the corresponding annular limiting space (21).

9. The refined green tea processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The driving component includes: Motor (7); Driven gear ring (8), which is fitted onto one end of the inner conveying cylinder (4) extending to the outside of the outer heating cylinder (2); The driving gear (9) is connected to the output end of the motor (7) and is in transmission cooperation with the driven gear ring (8).

10. A refined method for processing green tea, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The tea leaves to be processed are introduced into the preheating zone, and the hot airflow discharged from the subsequent heating zone is used to indirectly preheat the tea leaves by cross-flow, so as to increase the initial temperature of the tea leaves and recover heat energy. The preheated tea leaves are introduced into the material distribution area at the inlet of the heating zone. Through a combination of airflow-assisted diffusion and multi-ring channel diversion, the tea leaves are evenly distributed into multiple independent ring channels arranged radially, achieving layered flat distribution of the tea leaves. In the heating zone, the tea leaves in the multi-layered annular flow channel are simultaneously transported and heated, forming a radial heat gradient from the inside to the outside; At the discharge end of the heating zone, the discharge rate of tea leaves in each layer of the annular flow channel is controlled differently, so that the tea leaf layer that receives less heat has a lower discharge rate and a longer residence time to compensate for the insufficient heat intake. The tea leaves, which have been fully heated, are discharged from the heating zone through each annular flow channel.

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