An internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of bio-fermentation, specifically to an internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed. Some designs for fermentation tanks attempt to introduce internal flow guides or circulation structures, such as internal guide plates or external circulation using pumps. However, in these solutions, the material outlet is prone to adhesion and accumulation when dealing with high-viscosity and easily agglomerated feed materials, leading to circulation interruption. The constraint of the guide groove causes the dispersing arm to achieve radial rotation on a rotating drive disc via bearings. The tip of the rotating dispersing arm swings across the outer area of ​​the discharge port. The impact force generated by the instantaneous rotation of the dispersing arm is greater than that of the continuously rotating stirring blades, effectively breaking up viscous and easily agglomerated feed materials and preventing blockage at the discharge port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bio-fermentation, specifically to an internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed. Background Technology

[0002] In the industrial production of bio-fermented protein feed, the fermentation process is the core link that affects the quality, uniformity and production efficiency of the final product. Fermentation is usually carried out in large fermentation tanks, where materials undergo complex biochemical reactions under the action of microorganisms. During this process, maintaining the uniform distribution of temperature, humidity and nutrients in the materials inside the tank is crucial.

[0003] Common fermentation tank mixing techniques mainly rely on mechanical agitators installed inside the tank, which use the rotation of agitator blades to agitate the materials locally or as a whole.

[0004] Protein feed fermentation materials are typically highly viscous and prone to sedimentation. In static or weakly stirred areas, the materials easily clump and harden, forming an impermeable sediment layer. This hinders the uniform contact and growth of microorganisms, leading to a decrease in fermentation efficiency. Simple axial or radial stirring is insufficient to effectively break up and resuspend these clumps.

[0005] The following problems remain unresolved in the existing technology: Some designs inside the fermenter attempt to introduce internal flow guidance or circulation structures, set up internal flow guide plates or use pumps for external circulation, but the above circulation schemes still have limitations for high-viscosity protein feed fermentation materials that are prone to agglomeration.

[0006] Specifically, in the forced circulation discharge area, if the high concentration of viscous material is not sufficiently dispersed when discharged, it is easy to adhere and accumulate on the discharge edge or the guide surface below. Under the continuous fermentation heat and moisture evaporation, this initial adhesion will quickly harden and clump together, forming an increasingly thick accumulation layer. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide an internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art. To achieve the above objective, this invention provides the following technical solution: an internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed, comprising a fermentation tank in the feed fermentation process, a vertical internal circulation pipe fixedly installed on the top of the fermentation tank, a conical guide diffuser plate fixedly connected to the outer wall of the internal circulation pipe, a pair of symmetrically arranged discharge ports on the inner circulation pipe wall near the top of the conical guide diffuser plate, and a circulation mixing component disposed inside the internal circulation pipe corresponding to the discharge port area, the circulation mixing component including a drive device fixedly installed on the top of the fermentation tank. The drive shaft vertically penetrates the top of the fermenter and extends downward into the inner circulation pipe. At least one set of radial stirring blades is fixedly installed on the shaft section where the drive shaft extends into the bottom of the fermenter. These blades are used to break up the sediment layer formed at the bottom of the tank and disturb the bottom material. Continuous spiral conveying blades are fixedly installed on the shaft section where the drive shaft penetrates the inner circulation pipe. These blades are used to continuously pump the disturbed material from the bottom of the tank upward. A discharge and dispersing assembly is installed on the shaft section corresponding to the outlet of the inner circulation pipe. This assembly is used to process the material that is about to be discharged.

[0008] Preferably, the material discharging and dispersing component is mounted on the drive spindle and located in the outlet area of ​​the inner circulation pipe. The material discharging and dispersing component includes a rotary drive disk fixed on the drive spindle. A stationary limiting disk is vertically fixedly mounted on the inner top wall of the inner circulation pipe, corresponding to the position of the rotary drive disk. A limiting sleeve is fixedly connected inside the limiting disk. A triangular locking block is fixedly connected to the limiting sleeve. The limiting disk has inclined grooves with triangular trajectories machined on the circumferential positions of the two outlets. The inclined grooves and the locking blocks are configured to form guide grooves.

[0009] Preferably, a disintegrating arm is connected to the outer circumference of the rotary drive disk via a bearing, and a pair of guide rollers are installed on the back of each disintegrating arm. The guide rollers are in close contact with and roll along the bottom edge of the limiting plate.

[0010] Preferably, an arc-shaped protective cover is fixedly installed above each outlet of the internal circulation pipe, and a trigger swing arm is hinged to each of the two sides of the arc-shaped protective cover via a torsion shaft.

[0011] Preferably, a reset spring is connected between the triggering arm and the arc-shaped protective cover. A horizontal stop bar is provided at one end of the triggering arm that extends into the space below the arc-shaped protective cover. A guide rail is provided on the surface of the arc-shaped protective cover in the vertical direction, and a slider is slidably fitted inside it. The slider is hinged to the middle of the corresponding triggering arm through a crank connecting rod.

[0012] Preferably, a flexible scraper is tensioned and connected between the two sliders on both sides of the arc-shaped protective cover, and the flexible scraper spans the inclined working surface of the lower conical guide diffuser plate.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0014] In this invention, the material lifted to the top is discharged through the outlet on the side wall of the inner circulation pipe, and is then processed by the discharge and dispersing component, which changes it from a concentrated stream to a dispersed material. The dispersed material falls onto the conical guide diffuser plate below. Under the guiding action of the diffuser plate, the material is evenly dispersed along the circumference of the tank wall and slowly slides back to the fermentation main area at the bottom of the tank. By forming a stable vertical inner circulation path inside the fermentation tank, not only is the mixing of materials achieved, but fermentation dead zones are also effectively eliminated.

[0015] In this invention, the constraint of the guide groove causes the dispersing arm to achieve radial flipping action on the rotating drive disk through the bearing. The end of the flipped dispersing arm swings and sweeps across the outer area of ​​the discharge port. The impact force generated by the instantaneous flipping of the dispersing arm is greater than that of the continuously rotating stirring blades, which can effectively break up viscous and easily agglomerated feed materials and prevent the discharge port from being blocked.

[0016] In this invention, the end of the dispersing arm will strike the side of the arc-shaped protective cover plate at the end of the flipping stroke, triggering the horizontal stop bar on the swing arm. The triggered swing arm, which is impacted, overcomes the tension of the return spring and deflects around its hinge axis, triggering the deflection motion of the swing arm. Through the crank connecting rod hinged to it, this motion is converted into a strong downward pull on the vertical slider. The downward pull on the slider pulls the flexible scraper belt tensioned between the two sliders, causing it to generate a short-stroke reciprocating scraping motion on the inclined surface of the conical guide diffuser plate.

[0017] In this invention, after the disintegrating arm finishes its flipping action and leaves, the trigger swing arm, which has lost its impact force, quickly swings back to its initial position under the action of the reset spring. It then drives the slider and the flexible scraper to reset synchronously through the crank connecting rod. The regular active scraping of the flexible scraper on the inclined surface of the conical guide diffuser plate can effectively remove the wet and sticky material that has just adhered but has not yet hardened, thus preventing the formation of a stubborn accumulation layer due to long-term retention, fermentation and hardening of the material. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fermenter of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a side view of the fermenter of the present invention with respect to the feed inlet;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of the fermenter structure in this invention;

[0021] Figure 4This is a front view of the circulating mixing component in this invention;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the inner circulation pipe in the circulating mixing assembly of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal circulation pipe in this invention;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the material discharging and dispersing component in this invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a front view of the material discharging and dispersing component in this invention;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural exploded view of the material discharging and dispersing component in this invention;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of a partial three-dimensional structure of the material discharge and dispersing process in this invention;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the inner structure of the arc-shaped protective cover in this invention;

[0029] Figure 12 This is a partial three-dimensional structural diagram of the inner structure of the arc-shaped protective cover in this invention.

[0030] In the diagram: 1. Fermentation tank; 11. Internal circulation pipe; 12. Conical guide diffuser plate; 13. Discharge port; 2. Circulating mixing assembly; 21. Drive unit; 22. Drive shaft; 23. Radial stirring blade; 24. Spiral conveyor blade; 3. Discharge and dispersing assembly; 31. Rotary drive disc; 32. Limiting disc; 33. Guide groove; 34. Bearing; 35. Dispersing arm; 36. Guide roller; 37. Limiting sleeve; 38. Clamping block; 4. Arc-shaped protective cover; 41. Torque shaft; 42. Trigger swing arm; 43. Reset spring; 44. Lateral stop bar; 45. Guide slide rail; 46. Slider; 47. Crank connecting rod; 48. Flexible scraper belt. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Example

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 12The present invention provides a technical solution: an internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed, including a circulation mixing component 2 suitable for feed fermentation, which solves the problem of uneven temperature gradient and humidity caused by material static placement in the fermentation tank 1 through internal circulation;

[0034] The circulating mixing component 2 is integrated into the fermentation tank 1 in the feed fermentation process. A vertical inner circulation pipe 11 is fixedly installed on the top of the fermentation tank 1. A conical guide diffuser plate 12 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the inner circulation pipe 11. A pair of discharge ports 13 are symmetrically opened on the inner circulation pipe 11 near the top of the conical guide diffuser plate 12.

[0035] The circulating mixing component 2 disclosed herein is installed in the inner circulation pipe 11 and corresponds to the area of ​​the discharge port 13. It disperses and guides the material flow discharged from the discharge port 13, so that it is evenly distributed to the periphery of the fermenter 1 via the conical guide diffuser plate 12.

[0036] Specifically, the circulating mixing assembly 2 includes a drive device 21 fixedly installed on the top of the fermenter 1, preferably a servo motor with speed regulation function, and the output shaft of the drive device 21 is connected to the drive spindle 22 through a coupling.

[0037] The drive shaft 22 penetrates vertically through the top of the fermenter 1 and extends downward into the interior of the inner circulation pipe 11.

[0038] At least one set of radial stirring blades 23 are fixedly installed on the shaft section of the drive shaft 22 that extends into the bottom of the fermenter 1, for breaking up the sediment layer formed at the bottom of the tank and disturbing the bottom material.

[0039] A continuous spiral conveying blade 24 is fixedly installed on the shaft section of the drive shaft 22 that passes through the inner circulation pipe 11, which is used to continuously pump the material that has been disturbed at the bottom from the bottom of the tank upward.

[0040] A discharge and dispersing assembly 3 is installed on the shaft section of the drive spindle 22 corresponding to the discharge port 13 of the inner circulation pipe 11, for processing the material to be discharged.

[0041] At the start of fermentation, feed materials are fed into fermentation tank 1 through the inlet. The radial stirring blades 23 at the bottom rotate to shear and agitate the materials at the bottom of fermentation tank 1 to prevent caking. The spiral conveying blades 24 located in the inner circulation pipe 11 rotate synchronously. Under the pumping action of the spiral conveying blades 24, the materials in the bottom area of ​​the tank are sucked into the bottom inlet of the inner circulation pipe 11 and conveyed vertically upward along the pipe. The materials lifted to the top are discharged through the outlet 13 on the side wall of the inner circulation pipe 11 and are then processed by the discharge and dispersing component 3, which changes the concentrated stream into dispersed material. The dispersed material falls onto the conical guide diffuser plate 12 below. Under the guiding action of the conical guide diffuser plate 12, the material is evenly dispersed along the circumference of the tank wall and slowly slides back to the fermentation main area at the bottom of the tank. By forming a stable vertical inner circulation path inside fermentation tank 1, not only is the mixing of materials achieved, but fermentation dead zones are also effectively eliminated.

[0042] In this embodiment, the material discharge and dispersing component 3 is disposed on the drive spindle 22 and located in the area of ​​the discharge port 13 of the inner circulation pipe 11. The material discharge and dispersing component 3 includes a rotating drive disk 31 fixed on the drive spindle 22. A stationary limiting disk 32 is vertically fixedly installed on the inner top wall of the inner circulation pipe 11, corresponding to the position of the rotating drive disk 31. A limiting sleeve 37 is fixedly connected inside the limiting disk 32. A triangular locking block 38 is fixedly connected on the limiting sleeve 37. The limiting disk 32 is machined with a triangular trajectory groove corresponding to the circumferential position of the two discharge ports 13. The groove and the locking block 38 are respectively constructed to form a guide groove 33.

[0043] In this embodiment, a disintegrating arm 35 is connected to the outer circumference of the rotary drive disk 31 via a bearing 34. A pair of guide rollers 36 are installed on the back of each disintegrating arm 35. The guide rollers 36 are close to and roll along the bottom edge of the limiting plate 32.

[0044] When the drive spindle 22 rotates, it drives the rotary drive disk 31 and all the dispersing arms 35 to revolve synchronously. When the revolving dispersing arm 35 moves to the area aligned with the discharge port 13, one of the guide rollers 36 on the back of the dispersing arm 35 just enters the guide groove 33 on the limiting plate 32. One guide roller 36 moves according to the inclined side of the guide groove 33, while the other roller rolls along the outer contour of the bottom edge of the limiting plate 32. The constraint of the guide groove 33 causes the dispersing arm 35 to achieve radial flipping on the rotary drive disk 31 through the bearing 34. The end of the flipped dispersing arm 35 swings and sweeps across the outer area of ​​the discharge port 13. The impact force generated by the instantaneous flipping of the dispersing arm 35 is greater than that of the continuously rotating spiral conveyor blade 24, which can effectively break up viscous and easily agglomerated feed materials and prevent the discharge port 13 from being blocked.

[0045] In this embodiment, an arc-shaped protective cover plate 4 is fixedly installed above each discharge port 13 of the inner circulation pipe 11, and a trigger swing arm 42 is hinged to each of the two sides of the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4 via a torsion shaft 41.

[0046] In this embodiment, a reset spring 43 is connected between the trigger swing arm 42 and the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4. A horizontal stop bar 44 is provided at one end of the trigger swing arm 42 that extends into the space below the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4. A guide slide rail 45 is provided on the surface of the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4 in the vertical direction, and a slider 46 is slidably fitted inside it. The slider 46 is hinged to the middle of the corresponding trigger swing arm 42 through a crank connecting rod 47.

[0047] In this embodiment, a flexible scraper 48 is tensioned and connected between two sliders 46 located on both sides of the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4. The flexible scraper 48 is straddling the inclined working surface of the lower conical guide diffuser plate 12.

[0048] When the dispersing arm 35 flips and disperses the material at the discharge port 13 under the action of the guide groove 33, the end of the dispersing arm 35 will hit the transverse stop bar 44 on one side of the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4 at the end of the flipping stroke. The triggered swing arm 42, which is impacted, overcomes the tension of the return spring 43 and deflects around its torsional axis 41. The deflection motion of the triggered swing arm 42 is converted into a strong downward pull on the vertical slider 46 through the crank connecting rod 47 hinged to it. The downward pull of the slider 46 pulls the flexible scraper belt tensioned between the two sliders 46. 48, causing it to generate a short-stroke reciprocating scraping motion on the inclined surface of the conical guide diffuser plate 12. When the dispersing arm 35 finishes its flipping action and leaves, the trigger swing arm 42, which has lost its impact force, quickly swings back to its initial position under the action of the reset spring 43, and drives the slider 46 and the flexible scraper 48 to reset synchronously through the crank connecting rod 47. The regular active scraping of the inclined surface of the conical guide diffuser plate 12 by the flexible scraper 48 can effectively remove the wet and sticky materials that have just adhered but have not yet hardened, and prevent the formation of a stubborn accumulation layer due to long-term retention, fermentation and hardening of materials.

[0049] Working principle: When the fermentation operation begins, the drive device 21 is started, which drives the drive shaft 22 to rotate. The radial stirring blades 23 fixed at the bottom of the shaft first shear and turn over the sediment layer at the bottom of the fermentation tank 1 to prevent the material from caking. At the same time, the continuous spiral conveying blades 24 installed on the inner shaft section of the inner circulation pipe 11 rotate synchronously, generating an upward pumping force to continuously suck the stirred material at the bottom of the tank into the bottom of the inner circulation pipe 11 and vertically convey it upward to the discharge port 13 area at the top.

[0050] When the material flow is discharged from the discharge port 13, the discharge dispersing component 3 immediately performs dynamic crushing on it. The drive shaft 22 drives the rotating drive disk 31 and the dispersing arm 35 to revolve. When the dispersing arm 35 moves to align with the discharge port 13, the guide roller 36 on its back is restricted by the trajectory of the guide groove 33 on the limiting plate 32, which forces the dispersing arm 35 to instantly perform a radial flipping action. This flipping action enables the end of the dispersing arm 35 to effectively disperse the easily agglomerated material stream with a higher impact force.

[0051] After being dispersed, the material falls onto the conical guide diffuser plate 12 fixed to the outer wall of the inner circulation pipe 11. At the end of the dispersing action, the dispersing arm 35 will hit the transverse stop bar 44 on the trigger swing arm 42 on the side of the arc-shaped protective cover plate 4. This impact force forces the trigger swing arm 42 to deflect over the tension of the reset spring 43, and then drive the slider 46 to slide down in the guide rail 45 through the crank connecting rod 47. The flexible scraper 48, which is tensioned between the two sliders 46, will then generate a downward scraping motion on the inclined surface of the conical guide diffuser plate 12, which can promptly remove the wet and sticky material attached to the inclined surface and prevent the formation of a stubborn accumulation layer.

[0052] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed, characterized in that, include: Fermentation tank (1), with a vertical internal circulation pipe (11) fixedly installed on the top inside. A conical flow guide diffuser plate (12) is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the inner circulation pipe (11); The drive unit (21) is fixedly installed on the top of the fermenter (1); The drive spindle (22) is connected to the output shaft of the drive device (21) and extends vertically downward through the top of the fermenter (1) and the inner circulation pipe (11). Radial stirring blades (23) are fixedly installed on the shaft section of the drive shaft (22) that extends into the bottom of the fermenter (1); A continuous spiral conveying blade (24) is fixedly installed on the shaft section of the drive shaft (22) located inside the inner circulation pipe (11); The material discharge and dispersing assembly (3) is installed on the drive spindle (22) and corresponds to the discharge port (13) area opened on the wall of the inner circulation pipe (11); When the drive shaft (22) rotates, it drives the radial stirring blades (23) to disturb the material at the bottom of the tank, and drives the spiral conveying blades (24) to pump the material upward. After the material is discharged through the discharge port (13), it is dispersed by the discharge and dispersing assembly (3). The material discharging and dispersing component (3) includes: A rotary drive disk (31) is fixed on the drive spindle (22); The limiting plate (32) is vertically fixed to the inner top wall of the inner circulation pipe (11) and corresponds to the rotating drive plate (31). Guide groove (33) is formed on the limiting plate (32); At least one dispersing arm (35) is connected to the outer circumference of the rotary drive disk (31) via a bearing (34); A pair of guide rollers (36) are mounted on the back of each of the dispersing arms (35) and are able to roll along the bottom edge outline of the limiting plate (32) and the guide groove (33).

2. The internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting plate (32) is internally fixedly connected to a limiting sleeve (37); A triangular locking block (38) is fixedly connected to the limiting sleeve (37); The guide groove (33) is formed by a triangular trajectory groove formed on the limiting plate (32) and corresponding to the locking block (38).

3. The internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material discharging and dispersing component (3) also includes: An arc-shaped protective cover (4) is fixedly installed above the discharge port (13); Two trigger swing arms (42) are each hinged to the two sides of the arc-shaped protective cover (4) via a torsion shaft (41); A reset spring (43) is connected between each of the trigger swing arms (42) and the arc-shaped protective cover plate (4); A transverse stop (44) is provided at one end of each of the trigger arms (42) extending into the space below the arc-shaped protective cover (4).

4. The internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide rail (45) is set vertically on the surface of the arc-shaped protective cover (4); The slider (46) is slidably fitted within the guide rail (45); The crank connecting rod (47) is hinged at both ends to the middle of the trigger swing arm (42) and the slider (46), respectively; The flexible scraper (48) is tensioned between the two sliders (46) located on both sides of the arc-shaped protective cover (4) and spans across the inclined working surface of the conical guide diffuser plate (12).

5. The internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed according to claim 4, characterized in that: The discharge port (13) is symmetrically opened on the wall of the inner circulation pipe (11) near the top of the conical guide diffuser plate (12).

6. The internal circulation mixing device for bio-fermented protein feed according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the dispersing arm (35) flips, its end can strike the transverse stop bar (44), driving the trigger swing arm (42) to deflect. The deflection of the trigger swing arm (42) is converted into the downward motion of the slider (46) through the crank connecting rod (47), thereby driving the flexible scraper (48) to generate scraping motion on the inclined surface of the conical guide diffuser plate (12).

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