A plasma generator and its insect-removing device for traditional Chinese medicinal materials

Abstract

This invention discloses a plasma generator and its insect-removing device for traditional Chinese medicine, belonging to the field of plasma technology. The plasma generator includes a base, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a heat-insulating tube. Its core function is to ionize a high-concentration mixed gas into a plasma "spark" through discharge between the central electrode and the tubular electrode. This "spark" then ignites an extremely rarefied mixed gas, achieving stable and low-consumption combustion. The insect-removing device integrates the generator, a gas path system, a transmission system, and a jet spraying device. Utilizing the high-temperature airflow generated by the generator, it uniformly sprays the processed and rotated medicinal materials from both sides, effectively killing insect eggs with instantaneous high temperature without leaving any drug residue. This device combines the advantages of high efficiency, safety, and energy saving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of plasma technology, and specifically relates to a plasma generator and its insect-removing device for traditional Chinese medicine. Background Technology

[0002] During the planting, harvesting, and processing of Chinese herbal medicines, they are easily exposed to soil, insects, and other carriers, resulting in insect eggs adhering to their surface or inside. These insect eggs are tiny and difficult to detect with the naked eye. Under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, they can hatch into larvae in 2 to 7 days. The larvae feed on nutrients such as starch, sugars, and proteins in the Chinese herbal medicines, which not only damages the structure of the medicinal materials but also excretes metabolic waste that contaminates the medicinal materials, leading to a decrease in the content of effective ingredients.

[0003] In the storage and preservation of Chinese medicinal herbs, effectively killing insect eggs on the surface and inside the herbs is crucial to ensuring their quality. Traditional pest control techniques mainly rely on methods such as chemical fumigation, sun exposure, or sealed storage, but these methods all have inherent structural design flaws that are difficult to overcome.

[0004] While chemical fumigation is effective in killing insect eggs, its structure, primarily consisting of a pesticide storage container, atomizing device, and a sealed space, lacks an effective pesticide removal or neutralization mechanism. This results in chemical residues indiscriminately adhering to the surface of medicinal materials and even penetrating their interiors, causing contamination. Furthermore, this structure requires extremely high sealing; any leakage will reduce its effectiveness and cause environmental pollution, making its safety structure complex.

[0005] The structure of sun-drying is extremely simple, relying solely on the drying area and natural environment. It lacks heat conduction or penetration mechanisms, meaning the heat can only act on the outermost layer of the medicinal materials, failing to penetrate and kill hidden insect eggs. More seriously, the open sun-drying environment itself is destructive; ultraviolet rays and high heat directly decompose the active ingredients in the medicinal materials, leading to a loss of efficacy. Furthermore, this structure is entirely dependent on the natural environment, lacking control over temperature, humidity, and time, resulting in highly unstable treatment effects.

[0006] The sealed storage structure mainly consists of storage containers and their sealing components. Although it can create an environment unsuitable for insect egg hatching by physically isolating oxygen, this structure does not have the function of actively killing insect eggs; it is merely a passive isolation container. If the medicinal materials already carry insect eggs when they are stored, they may still find a suitable microenvironment to hatch within the sealed environment. Furthermore, the sealed structure lacks a temperature and humidity monitoring and regulation subsystem, making it unable to actively disrupt the conditions for insect egg hatching, thus limiting its insect-proof effect. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The first objective of this invention is to provide a plasma generator, comprising a base, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a heat insulation tube. The upper part of the base is a cube, and the lower part is a cylinder. A concave cylindrical stepped hole is formed in the center of the cube. The cylindrical stepped hole has multiple concentric circular steps of different diameters, including a first step and a second step. An air inlet channel A and an air inlet channel B are formed on the side of the cube. The air inlet channel A extends to the side wall between the first step and the bottom surface of the cylindrical stepped hole, and the air inlet channel B extends to the side wall between the second step and the first step of the cylindrical stepped hole.

[0008] The cylindrical stepped hole has a circular through hole in the center, which extends to the cylindrical part of the base. A first electrode is installed in the through hole, and the bottom of the first electrode extends out of the cylindrical part of the base. A cylindrical second electrode is fixed on the first step of the cylindrical stepped hole, and a heat insulation tube is fixed on the second step of the cylindrical stepped hole. An air pipe is spirally wound on the heat insulation tube, and the air pipe extends into the air inlet channel B.

[0009] Furthermore, the base is used to fix the first electrode and the second electrode, and is made of a high-temperature resistant insulating material, such as alumina ceramic.

[0010] Furthermore, the air tube is made of stainless steel threaded hose.

[0011] Furthermore, air inlet A and air inlet B respectively provide mixed gases of different concentrations to the plasma generator. The volume ratio of air to fuel gas in the mixed gas entering through air inlet A is 20:1; the volume ratio of air to fuel gas in the mixed gas entering through air inlet B is 100:1 to 200:1.

[0012] Furthermore, the first electrode is shaped like a microphone and is made of a conductive material, such as brass or stainless steel.

[0013] Furthermore, the second electrode is made of a conductive material, such as brass or stainless steel. The wall thickness of the second electrode is 1-2 mm, and its length is 40-50 mm. The portion of the first electrode passing through the base and the second electrode are connected to the plasma power source via wires. The base has threaded holes; during installation, a metal screw is screwed into these holes and tightened. The wires connected to the plasma power source are wound around the outer end of the screw, and a nut securely presses the wires onto the screw.

[0014] The second electrode is fixed on the base of the plasma generator, surrounding the first electrode. When the power is turned on, a discharge occurs between the first and second electrodes, ionizing the mixed gas entering from the inlet channel A and generating a large number of highly reactive free radicals, forming a chemically extremely active "spark" that serves as the plasma ignition torch.

[0015] The insulation pipe is made of high-temperature resistant metal and surrounded by a layer of insulation material. The lean gas mixture entering the air inlet B from the gas pipe is blown into the space between the insulation pipe and the second electrode, creating a lean combustion zone. This extremely lean gas mixture is instantly ignited and maintained in stable combustion by the active particle jet generated between the first and second electrodes.

[0016] The second objective of this invention is to provide a device for eliminating insects from Chinese medicinal herbs, comprising an air pump system, a gas cylinder, a combustion assembly, a transmission system, and an air jet device.

[0017] The air pump system includes a variable frequency air compressor and an air storage tank. The variable frequency air compressor is connected to the air storage tank through a pipeline. The air outlet of the air storage tank is divided into a first air path and a second air path through a three-way fitting.

[0018] The gas cylinder's outlet is divided into a first gas path and a second gas path via a three-way valve. Air and gas in the first gas path are combined through a three-way mixer to form a first gas path mixture. Air and gas in the second gas path are combined through another set of three-way mixers to form a second gas path mixture.

[0019] The combustion assembly includes an explosion-proof canister and a plasma generator. The plasma generator is installed inside the explosion-proof canister via a fixing plate. A first gas path mixture is input into the air inlet A, and a second gas path mixture is input into the air inlet B via a spirally wound gas pipe on an insulation pipe.

[0020] The transmission system includes an upper transmission device, a turning device, and a lower transmission device. The Chinese medicinal materials are conveyed to the turning device via the upper transmission device, and the turning device turns the Chinese medicinal materials and then sends them to the lower transmission device. The high-temperature nozzle of the jet device is located above the upper and lower transmission devices.

[0021] The jet device consists of an insulated transmission pipe and a high-temperature nozzle. One end of the insulated transmission pipe is connected to the insulated pipe of the plasma generator, and the other end is divided into two paths: one path is connected to the high-temperature nozzle above the upper actuator, and the other path is connected to the high-temperature nozzle above the lower actuator.

[0022] Furthermore, the volume ratio of air to fuel gas in the first gas path mixture is 20:1, and the volume ratio of air to fuel gas in the second gas path mixture is 100:1 to 200:1.

[0023] Furthermore, the heat-insulating transmission pipe is wrapped with heat-insulating material, and the high-temperature nozzle applies the high-temperature airflow from the combustion assembly to the surface of the Chinese medicinal materials. A turning device ensures that the entire Chinese medicinal material is processed. The temperature applied to the surface of the medicinal materials can be stably controlled within the ideal range of 100~300℃, while the temperature rise of the medicinal materials themselves is minimal.

[0024] Furthermore, the variable frequency air compressor has a discharge capacity of 1.1 m³ / min and a discharge pressure of 0.8 MPa, providing the air source for the entire system. Electronic gas flow valves are installed on the pipelines of the first and second air lines to control and monitor the air flow.

[0025] Furthermore, the gas tank is used to store gas, wherein the gas is methane or butane, and electronic gas flow valves are respectively installed on the pipelines of the first gas path and the second gas path to control and monitor the gas flow rate.

[0026] Beneficial technical effects of the present invention:

[0027] (1) In this invention, the first electrode (center electrode) is in the shape of a microphone, and the second electrode (outer electrode) is in the shape of a cylindrical tube, and the two are nested together. This structure forms a concentrated strong electric field region with high discharge efficiency.

[0028] (2) Inlet A provides a high-concentration gas mixture (air:fuel gas = 20:1). This gas is directly ionized by the discharge between the electrodes, generating highly active free radicals and particles, forming a high-energy plasma "spark". This structure is specifically designed to solve the problem of the difficulty in igniting lean fuel gas. Inlet B, through a spiral gas pipe, enters the area between the insulation pipe and the second electrode, providing an extremely lean gas mixture (air:fuel gas = 100:1~200:1). This structural design allows the high-energy "spark" to ignite the low-concentration "mainstream gas flow", achieving tiered energy utilization. Only a small amount of electrical energy is needed to generate the plasma "spark", which can ignite and stably maintain a large flow of lean combustion, thereby greatly reducing fuel gas consumption and achieving the goal of high efficiency and energy saving.

[0029] (3) An insulation pipe is also fixed on the base. The insulation pipe is installed on the outermost step and is made of high-temperature resistant metal and wrapped with insulation material. This structure forms a high-temperature combustion chamber. After the lean mixture gas entering from the air inlet B is ignited by the "spark" in this preheated insulation pipe, the heat is not easily dissipated and the flame temperature is maintained.

[0030] (4) This herbal medicine pest control device achieves efficient, uniform, and harmless pest control through its highly integrated system structure. The core combustion assembly generates a pure, high-temperature airflow, which is precisely sprayed onto the herbs via an insulated transmission pipe and a high-temperature nozzle. Combined with the automated transmission system consisting of an upper drive, a turning device, and a lower drive, it ensures that both sides of the herbs are treated evenly, completely solving the problems of incomplete treatment and dead spots caused by traditional methods. At the same time, this structure kills insects using a high-temperature physical method, fundamentally eliminating drug residue pollution caused by chemical fumigation.

[0031] (5) The gas pump system and the gas tank of this device are connected by a dual-gas mixing system that is precisely controlled by an electronic gas flow valve. This system provides a stable supply of mixed gas of different concentrations to the plasma generator, thereby keeping the operating temperature stable within the ideal range. The entire high-temperature combustion process is enclosed in an explosion-proof tank, creating a safe and controllable working environment. The system has a high degree of integration and automation, which significantly improves the safety of operation and the consistency of the treatment effect. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a plasma generator.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of a plasma generator.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the base;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the combustion assembly.

[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a device for removing insects from Chinese medicinal herbs.

[0038] In the diagram: 1-Plasma generator, 2-Base, 3-First electrode, 4-Second electrode, 5-Insulation pipe, 6-Inlet channel A, 7-Inlet channel B; 8-Gas pipe, 9-Air pump system, 10-Gas tank, 11-Combustion assembly, 12-Transmission system, 13-Jet device; 14-Variable frequency air compressor, 15-Gas storage tank, 16-Upper drive, 17-Tilting device, 18-Lower drive, 19-Insulated transmission pipe, 20-High temperature nozzle, 21-Explosion-proof tank. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Example 1 Plasma Generator

[0041] As attached Figures 1 to 5As shown, the plasma generator 1 of this invention is the core component of the entire device, including a base 2. The upper part of the base 2 is a cube, and the lower part is a cylinder. The base 2 is made of a high-temperature resistant insulating material such as alumina ceramic. A concave, multi-layered cylindrical stepped hole is machined in the center of the cube portion of the base 2. The cylindrical stepped hole includes a first step and a second step. Simultaneously, air inlet channels A6 and B7 are machined on the side surfaces of the cube, respectively. Air inlet channel A6 leads to the side wall of the lower stepped hole, and air inlet channel B7 leads to the side wall of the upper stepped hole. A through hole penetrating both the upper and lower parts is provided in the center of the base 2.

[0042] A microphone-shaped first electrode 3, made of brass or stainless steel, is inserted from above into the through hole in the center of the base 2, with its bottom protruding from the cylindrical part. This bottom is used to connect the wires of the plasma power supply. Subsequently, a cylindrical second electrode 4, also made of brass or stainless steel, with a wall thickness of 1-2 mm and a length of 40-50 mm, is installed on the first step of the stepped hole, so that the second electrode 4 precisely surrounds the central first electrode 3.

[0043] A heat-insulating pipe 5, made of high-temperature resistant metal and covered with heat-insulating material, is installed on the second step of the stepped hole. A stainless steel threaded flexible tube 8 is spirally wound on the outer wall of the heat-insulating pipe 5, and one end of the flexible tube 8 is connected to the air inlet channel B7.

[0044] Example 2: Insect-removing device for Chinese medicinal herbs

[0045] As attached Figure 5-6 As shown, a traditional Chinese medicine pest control device includes an air pump system 9, a gas cylinder 10, a combustion assembly 11, a transmission system 12, and a jetting device 13.

[0046] The air pump system 9 includes a variable frequency air compressor 14 and an air storage tank 15. The parameters of the variable frequency air compressor 14 are: discharge volume 1.1 m³ / min, discharge pressure 0.8 MPa, which generates compressed air and stores it in the air storage tank 15. The air outlet of the air storage tank 15 is divided into a first air path and a second air path through a three-way fitting.

[0047] The outlet of the methane or butane stored in the gas tank 10 is also divided into a first gas path and a second gas path via a three-way valve. Electronic gas flow valves are installed in the first and second gas paths respectively to precisely control and monitor the flow rates of air and gas.

[0048] The air and fuel gas in the first gas path are mixed through a three-way mixer to form an air-to-fuel mixture with a volume ratio of 20:1. This mixture is then piped to the air inlet A6 of the plasma generator 11. The air and fuel gas in the second gas path are mixed through another three-way mixer to form an air-to-fuel mixture with a volume ratio of 100:1 to 200:1. This mixture is then piped to the gas pipe 8 wrapped around the insulation pipe 5 and finally enters the air inlet B7.

[0049] The combustion assembly 11 includes an explosion-proof canister 21 and a plasma generator 1. The plasma generator 1 is installed inside the explosion-proof canister 21 by a fixing plate. The first gas path mixture is input into the air inlet channel A6, and the second gas path mixture is input into the air inlet channel B7 via the gas pipe 8 wound on the heat insulation pipe 5.

[0050] The plasma generator 1 is mounted in a sealed explosion-proof container 21 via a fixing plate, forming a combustion assembly 11. After the plasma power supply is turned on, a discharge occurs between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, ionizing the rich mixture entering from the air inlet A6 and generating a plasma "spark". This "spark" instantly ignites the lean mixture formed between the insulation pipe 5 and the second electrode 4, which enters from the air inlet B7, producing a stable high-temperature flame.

[0051] The transmission system 12 includes an upper transmission device 16, a turning device 17, and a lower transmission device 18. The Chinese medicinal materials are conveyed to the turning device 17 via the upper transmission device 16. The turning device 17 turns the Chinese medicinal materials over and then sends them to the lower transmission device 18. The high-temperature nozzle 20 of the jet device 13 is located above the upper transmission device 16 and the lower transmission device 18.

[0052] The jet device 13 consists of a heat-insulated transmission pipe 19 and a high-temperature nozzle 20. One end of the heat-insulated transmission pipe 19 is connected to the heat-insulated pipe 5 of the plasma generator 1, and the other end is divided into two paths: one path is connected to the high-temperature nozzle 20 above the upper actuator 16, and the other path is connected to the high-temperature nozzle 20 above the lower actuator 18.

[0053] The high-temperature airflow generated by the plasma generator 1 is guided to the jet device 13 through the heat-insulating transmission pipe 19 covered with heat-insulating material. The Chinese medicinal materials to be treated are first placed on the upper conveyor 16 and conveyed backward. The upper surface of the medicinal materials is first treated by the high-temperature nozzle 20 above the upper conveyor 16, then automatically flipped by the flipping device 17, and then conveyed by the lower conveyor 18, where the lower surface is treated by the high-temperature nozzle 20 above it. By precisely controlling the airflow temperature (100~300℃) and the transmission speed, it is ensured that both sides of the medicinal materials receive uniform instantaneous high-temperature treatment, effectively killing insect eggs, while avoiding excessively high temperatures in the medicinal materials themselves.

Claims

1. A plasma generator, characterized in that: The device includes a base (2), a first electrode (3), a second electrode (4), and a heat insulation pipe (5). The upper part of the base (2) is a cube and the lower part is a cylinder. A concave cylindrical stepped hole is provided in the center of the cube. The cylindrical stepped hole includes a first step and a second step. An air inlet channel A (6) and an air inlet channel B (7) are provided on the side of the cube. The air inlet channel A (6) extends to the side wall between the first step and the bottom surface of the cylindrical stepped hole, and the air inlet channel B (7) extends to the side wall between the second step and the first step of the cylindrical stepped hole. The cylindrical stepped hole has a circular through hole in the center, which extends to the cylindrical part of the base (2). A first electrode (3) is installed in the through hole, and the bottom of the first electrode (3) extends out of the cylindrical part of the base (2). A cylindrical second electrode (4) is fixed on the first step of the cylindrical stepped hole, and a heat insulation pipe (5) is fixed on the second step of the cylindrical stepped hole. An air pipe (8) is spirally wound on the heat insulation pipe (5), and the air pipe (8) extends into the air inlet channel B (7).

2. The plasma generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (2) is made of high temperature resistant insulating material, and the insulation pipe (5) is made of high temperature resistant metal material, and the outer wall is covered with insulation material.

3. The plasma generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first electrode (3) is shaped like a microphone and is made of conductive material.

4. The plasma generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second electrode (4) is made of conductive material. The wall thickness of the second electrode (4) is 1~2mm and the length is 40mm~50mm.

5. The plasma generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air tube (8) is made of stainless steel threaded hose.

6. A medicinal herb pest control device comprising the plasma generator according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: Includes air pump system (9), gas tank (10), combustion assembly (11), transmission system (12), and jet device (13): The air pump system (9) includes a variable frequency air compressor (14) and an air storage tank (15). The variable frequency air compressor (14) is connected to the air storage tank (15) through a pipeline. The air outlet of the air storage tank (15) is divided into a first air path and a second air path through a three-way fitting. The gas outlet of the gas cylinder (10) is divided into a first gas path and a second gas path through a three-way valve. The air in the first gas path and the gas in the first gas path are combined through a three-way mixer to form a first gas path mixed gas. The air in the second gas path and the gas in the second gas path are combined through another set of three-way mixers to form a second gas path mixed gas. The combustion assembly (11) includes an explosion-proof canister (21) and a plasma generator (1). The plasma generator (1) is installed inside the explosion-proof canister (21) by a fixing plate. The first gas path mixture is input into the air inlet channel A (6), and the second gas path mixture is input into the air pipe (8) wound on the heat insulation pipe (5) and enters the air inlet channel B (7). The transmission system (12) includes an upper transmission device (16), a turning device (17), and a lower transmission device (18). The Chinese medicinal materials are conveyed to the turning device (17) via the upper transmission device (16), and the turning device (17) turns the Chinese medicinal materials over and then sends them to the lower transmission device (18). The high-temperature nozzle (20) of the jet device (13) is located above the upper transmission device (16) and the lower transmission device (18). The jet device (13) consists of a heat-insulated transmission pipe (19) and a high-temperature nozzle (20). One end of the heat-insulated transmission pipe (19) is connected to the heat-insulated pipe (5) of the plasma generator (1), and the other end is divided into two paths. One path is connected to the high-temperature nozzle (20) above the upper drive (16), and the other path is connected to the high-temperature nozzle (20) above the lower drive (18).

7. The insect-removing device for Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the first gas path mixture, the volume ratio of air to fuel gas is 20:1, and in the second gas path mixture, the volume ratio of air to fuel gas is 100:1 to 200:

1. The fuel gas used is methane or butane.

8. The insect-removing device for Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 6, characterized in that: Electronic gas flow valves are installed on the air supply lines of the first and second gas lines to control and monitor the air flow rate. Electronic gas flow valves are installed on the gas pipelines that transport gas in the first and second gas lines to control and monitor the gas flow rate.

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