Temperature self-adaptive control method applied to drying of Chinese herbal medicines

Abstract

This invention discloses a temperature adaptive control method applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, belonging to the field of drying process control technology for traditional Chinese medicinal materials. The method includes the following steps: establishing a process observation mode for temperature adaptive control; continuously acquiring changes in drying rate, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials, and temperature differences between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials during the drying process; and uniformly organizing these data into a temperature regulation rhythm record. This invention, through multi-dimensional process observation and rhythmic recording, avoids the accidental triggering of temperature increases due to transient increases in drying rate caused by volume shrinkage in the later stages of drying, ensuring that temperature regulation remains consistent with the actual water loss state of the medicinal materials. Simultaneously, the introduction of a regulation rhythm combining early correction and segmented cooling in the later stages reduces the accumulation of temperature fluctuations, stabilizes the drying process, and ensures the structural integrity and internal medicinal properties of the medicinal materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drying process control technology for Chinese medicinal materials, and specifically to a temperature adaptive control method applied to the drying of Chinese medicinal materials. Background Technology

[0002] Temperature adaptive control applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials refers to a dynamic adjustment and control of the drying temperature based on the different states of the medicinal materials during the drying process, rather than using a fixed heating temperature or a single-stage constant temperature method. Specifically, this control method uses the changes in water content, thermal response characteristics, or apparent drying rate of the medicinal materials during the heating stage, the water loss stage, and the stage approaching drying stability as the basis for adjustment. This allows the drying temperature to be gradually adjusted according to the changes in the state of the medicinal materials. In the stage with high moisture content, it avoids sudden temperature rises that could lead to the loss of effective components. In the stage where moisture continues to be released, it maintains an appropriate heat input. In the stage nearing the end of drying, it lowers the temperature to prevent over-drying, charring, or structural damage. Thus, it achieves a temperature control path that matches the changes in the physical properties of the medicinal materials throughout the drying process, ensuring the continuity and stability of the drying process and the consistency of the quality of the medicinal materials.

[0003] The existing technology has the following shortcomings: In the existing technology, the temperature adaptive control of the drying process of Chinese herbal medicines often uses the change in drying rate as the main criterion. Near the end of the drying process, the herbal tissues shrink significantly due to continuous water loss, and the residual internal moisture is released under structural compression, causing the drying rate to rebound briefly. The control process in the existing technology is prone to misinterpreting this transient change as still being in a high moisture content stage, thus triggering an increase in temperature. Such misjudgment leads to the herbal medicines continuing to be subjected to excessively high temperatures when the moisture content is already low, causing thermal degradation of some heat-sensitive active ingredients and accelerating surface pigment reactions, resulting in abnormally darkened surface color. Because this problem usually occurs in the later stages of drying, it is not easily detected after the process is completed, ultimately leading to a decline in the intrinsic medicinal properties of the herbal medicines, affecting their overall quality and usability.

[0004] The information disclosed in the background section is only intended to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a temperature adaptive control method for use in the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a temperature adaptive control method applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Establish a process observation method for temperature adaptive control, continuously acquire the drying rate change, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials during the drying process of Chinese herbal medicines, and compile the drying rate change, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials into a unified temperature regulation rhythm record.

[0008] By recording the temperature regulation rhythm, the phenomenon of short-term increase in drying rate that occurs in the final stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines was located. Combined with the volume shrinkage changes of Chinese herbal medicines in the final stage of drying, the corresponding time periods were marked to form a process characteristic record reflecting the influence of volume shrinkage.

[0009] Based on the process characteristic records, the sources of the short-term rise in drying rate were analyzed and separated to distinguish between normal moisture evaporation changes and concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage and compression. The occurrence time of the short-term rise in drying rate was traced back and a list of abnormal situations was compiled.

[0010] Based on the list of abnormal situations, the temperature regulation logic of the temperature adaptive control is adjusted to avoid the temperature rise judgment conditions during the time period corresponding to the list of abnormal situations, control the drying temperature to keep it changing slowly and steadily, and form a continuous temperature control arrangement according to the adjusted temperature regulation logic.

[0011] Based on continuous temperature control, a rhythm of early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling is introduced in the later stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines. By alternately releasing moisture, the accumulation of temperature fluctuations during drying is reduced, thus achieving dynamic temperature control throughout the entire drying process of Chinese herbal medicines.

[0012] Preferably, the steps for generating the temperature regulation rhythm record are as follows:

[0013] The process of water loss is continuously tracked during the drying of Chinese herbal medicines. By continuously recording the trend of changes in the quality of the herbs per unit time, the trajectory of the drying rate over time is obtained, and the changes in the drying rate are synchronously marked with the corresponding time nodes.

[0014] By using the time points of the drying rate change, the surface moisture content of the medicinal material is observed in the process. The changes in the wet state, water separation traces and surface drying appearance are recorded in the drying rate change trajectory, so that the surface moisture content of the medicinal material corresponds to the drying rate change.

[0015] Based on the synchronous compilation of the drying rate change and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material, continuous records of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material are introduced and arranged according to the same time scale as the drying rate change, so that the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material maintain a time correspondence.

[0016] The changes in drying rate, the moisture content on the surface of the medicinal materials, and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials are summarized and arranged in chronological order of the drying process to form a record of temperature regulation rhythm.

[0017] Preferably, the process feature record formation steps are as follows:

[0018] Following the time sequence recorded by the temperature regulation rhythm, the drying process was viewed in segments, and the time range of the drying end stage was screened with the change of drying rate as the main line.

[0019] During the final stage of drying, the changes in drying rate are continuously compared to locate short-term increases in drying rate, and the corresponding time index is written into the temperature regulation rhythm record.

[0020] To address the short-term increase in drying rate, a process record of volume shrinkage change was simultaneously introduced, and the volume shrinkage change was divided into shrinkage initiation stage, shrinkage progression stage and shrinkage stabilization stage, and then arranged according to time index.

[0021] By combining the short-term rise in drying rate with changes in volume shrinkage, the corresponding time periods are marked, and process characteristic records reflecting the influence of volume shrinkage are formed according to a fixed field order.

[0022] Preferably, the process feature record uses time index as the main line, and arranges the changes in drying rate, the moisture content of the medicinal material surface, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material and the changes in volume shrinkage in a fixed field order, and writes the marked abnormal time period back to the temperature regulation rhythm record, so that the volume shrinkage effect in the drying end stage can be traced in the continuous record.

[0023] Preferably, the steps for forming the list of abnormal situations are as follows:

[0024] According to the fixed field order of the process feature record, the start time, duration and end time of the short-term rise in drying rate are located with the time index as the main line, and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material and the volume shrinkage change are extracted simultaneously.

[0025] The abnormal time periods were organized into segments using a time index, and evidence of normal water evaporation and concentrated water release caused by volume contraction and compression were summarized in parallel around each time segment.

[0026] Based on the consistency of time index, the continuity of surface moisture content, the consistency of the direction of change of temperature difference inside and outside the medicinal material, and the synchronicity of volume shrinkage, the source of the short-term increase in drying rate is identified and written back into the process feature record.

[0027] By tracing back to the time when the drying rate briefly increased, information on the corresponding time boundaries and volume shrinkage changes was extracted and compiled into a list of abnormal situations.

[0028] Preferably, when forming the list of abnormal situations, records in which the volume shrinkage change is in the shrinkage advancement stage and the time index is aligned with the short-term increase in drying rate are written into the list of abnormal situations as limiting conditions. The list of abnormal situations maintains the time correspondence between the surface moisture content of the medicinal material and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material, which is used to constrain the applicable time range of the subsequent temperature adjustment logic.

[0029] Preferably, the temperature control arrangement is formed as follows:

[0030] Read the time boundaries of abnormal time periods according to the list of abnormal situations, and map the time boundaries of abnormal time periods to the time index of the temperature regulation rhythm record to form an abnormal time period index table.

[0031] Using the abnormal time period index table, the temperature rise judgment condition in the temperature regulation logic is decomposed, and a temperature rise judgment avoidance condition is introduced within the abnormal time period so that the temperature rise judgment does not take effect within the abnormal time period.

[0032] Around the set of abnormal time period segments, a segmented gradual change method is organized to keep the drying temperature changing slowly and steadily, and the temperature change results are written into the corresponding time index of the temperature regulation rhythm record.

[0033] Based on the adjusted temperature regulation logic, the temperature change requirements inside and outside the abnormal time period are uniformly arranged to form a continuous temperature control arrangement.

[0034] Preferably, relying on continuous temperature control, a regulatory rhythm combining early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling is introduced in the later stages of drying Chinese herbal medicines, and the temperature change steps of alternating moisture release are as follows:

[0035] Following the continuous temperature control arrangement, the time index window was divided for the later stage of drying of Chinese herbal medicines, and a sequence of later control segments was formed. At the same time, the time index point corresponding to the convergence characteristics of the moisture content on the surface of the herbal medicines was selected as the early callback anchor point.

[0036] Around the early pullback anchor point, the temperature holding segment is rewritten as the pullback segment, and the cooling segment and buffer segment are organized in sequence after the pullback segment to form a segmented cooling adjustment rhythm with the pullback segment, cooling segment and buffer segment arranged continuously.

[0037] Based on the segmented cooling adjustment rhythm, release segments and intermittent segments that alternately release moisture are embedded in the cooling segment and buffer segment, and the corresponding temperature change requirements are written into the continuous temperature control arrangement.

[0038] By continuously splicing together the temperature change trajectory around the later control segment sequence, and by adjusting the transition interval and the limiting conditions of temperature change in the subsequent pullback segment and cooling segment, the accumulation of drying temperature fluctuations is reduced, forming a dynamic temperature control arrangement that runs through the entire drying process.

[0039] The technical effects and advantages provided by the present invention in the above technical solution are as follows:

[0040] This invention introduces continuous process observation and rhythmic recording throughout the drying process, enabling temperature regulation to no longer rely solely on changes in the drying rate. Instead, it combines the surface moisture content of the medicinal material with the synergistic changes in the internal and external temperature differences. In the final stage of drying, the short-term increase in drying rate caused by volume shrinkage is specifically marked and analyzed to prevent such transient changes from triggering further temperature adjustments. This eliminates the potential for misjudgment of temperature in the later stages of drying, ensuring that temperature regulation remains consistent with the actual water loss state of the medicinal material. This effectively prevents the medicinal material from continuing to experience mismatched thermal effects while in a low-moisture state during the later stages of drying.

[0041] This invention, based on a continuous temperature control system, introduces a regulatory rhythm combining early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling in the later stages of drying. This transforms temperature changes from concentrated adjustments to phased releases, reducing the cumulative effect of temperature fluctuations over time through alternating moisture release. This control method makes temperature changes more stable and continuous in the later stages of drying, effectively suppressing local overheating and accelerated surface reactions, promoting the coordinated progress of the drying process inside and outside the medicinal material. Thus, without prolonging the drying cycle, it maintains the consistency of the medicinal material's structure and internal medicinal properties, improving the overall quality stability of the dried product. Attached Figure Description

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0043] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the temperature adaptive control method of the present invention applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that the description of this disclosure will be more complete and fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0045] This invention provides, for example Figure 1 The temperature adaptive control method shown, applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, includes the following steps:

[0046] Establish a process observation method for temperature adaptive control, continuously acquire the drying rate change, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials during the drying process of Chinese herbal medicines, and compile the drying rate change, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials into a unified temperature regulation rhythm record.

[0047] In the drying process of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, in order to ensure that subsequent temperature regulation can accurately reflect the changes in the state of the medicinal materials, it is necessary to first conduct continuous and coordinated process observation of multidimensional state information during the drying process, and form a rhythmic record that can be used for temperature regulation. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0048] After the drying process begins, the dehydration process of the Chinese herbal medicines is continuously tracked. By continuously recording the trend of changes in the quality of the herbs within a unit of time, the trajectory of the drying rate evolution over time is obtained. This recording method does not rely on single changes as the basis for judgment, but rather uses the coherence of changes over a continuous time period to characterize the evolution rhythm of the drying rate, enabling changes in the drying rate to reflect the dehydration state of the herbs at different stages. Simultaneously, the changes in the drying rate are synchronously labeled with corresponding time points, allowing subsequent acquisition of other process information to be compared and organized within the same time dimension, thus laying the foundation for the unified organization of multi-source process information.

[0049] Based on continuous recording of drying rate changes, the process of observing the surface moisture content of medicinal materials was simultaneously carried out. The moisture state, water separation marks, and surface appearance changes exhibited by the medicinal materials during the drying process were compiled as continuous process information. This process used time points of drying rate changes as references, recording the surface moisture content of the medicinal materials in each time period onto the drying rate change trajectory, thus establishing a one-to-one correspondence between surface moisture content and drying rate changes. In this way, the surface moisture content of the medicinal materials no longer exists as an isolated phenomenon but becomes an important component reflecting the progress of the drying process, jointly constituting the process observation content with the aforementioned drying rate changes.

[0050] After simultaneously recording the changes in drying rate and the surface moisture content of the medicinal materials, continuous recording of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the materials was introduced. The difference between the internal temperature changes and the external drying environment temperature changes was used as important information reflecting the heat transfer state. In this process, the internal and external temperature differences were continuously recorded on the same timescale as the drying rate changes and arranged correspondingly to the surface moisture content, establishing a temporal correspondence between the internal and external temperature differences and the rate of water loss and surface condition. Through this organization, the internal and external temperature differences of the medicinal materials were incorporated into a unified process observation framework, becoming an important source of information for characterizing the thermal response features during the drying process.

[0051] After continuously acquiring and processing data on changes in drying rate, surface moisture content of medicinal materials, and temperature differences between the inside and outside of the materials, these three types of process information are summarized and arranged chronologically according to the drying process to form a temperature regulation rhythm record. This record uses continuous time as its main thread, employing changes in drying rate as a reference for water loss rhythm, surface moisture content of medicinal materials as process information characterizing the external drying state, and temperature differences between the inside and outside of the materials as process information reflecting the heat transfer state. This allows all three to form a continuous and traceable process expression within the same recording framework. In this way, the temperature regulation rhythm record can fully reflect the synergistic relationship between water loss, surface changes, and thermal response of Chinese herbal medicines during the drying process, providing a continuous and stable process basis for subsequent temperature regulation based on changes in the drying stages.

[0052] By recording the temperature regulation rhythm, the phenomenon of short-term increase in drying rate that occurs in the final stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines was located. Combined with the volume shrinkage changes of Chinese herbal medicines in the final stage of drying, the corresponding time periods were marked to form a process characteristic record reflecting the influence of volume shrinkage.

[0053] After establishing a temperature regulation rhythm record, to prevent temperature regulation in the later stages of drying from being influenced by transient water loss, it is necessary to separate specific changes in the final stage of drying from the continuous process information and to traceably record the effects related to volume shrinkage. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0054] Following the temporal organization method of temperature regulation rhythm recording, the drying process is segmented and viewed. The continuous trajectory of drying rate change is used as the main line, and the time range of the final stage is screened out from this main line. The determination of the final stage is based on the gradual convergence of the surface moisture content of the medicinal material in the temperature regulation rhythm record and the change of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material from expansion to convergence. This ensures that the range of the final stage is derived from the temporal position of the drying rate change and has a process boundary corresponding to the surface state and thermal response state. On this basis, the drying rate change within the final stage is continuously compared, and short-term rise segments in the drying rate change are highlighted from the change trend of adjacent time periods. The start time, duration, and end time of the short-term rise segment are written into the same time index of the temperature regulation rhythm record, so that the short-term rise phenomenon of drying rate can maintain a synchronous correspondence with the surface moisture content of the medicinal material and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material in the temperature regulation rhythm record.

[0055] To address the identified short-term increase in drying rate, the process of volume shrinkage change was simultaneously acquired and described within the same final stage. Volume shrinkage change was characterized by the continuous convergence of the medicinal material's outline, the evolution of surface wrinkle density, and changes in stacking height, all of which can be continuously recorded. At each time point, the time index of volume shrinkage change was aligned with that of the short-term increase in drying rate. To ensure the traceability of volume shrinkage change, it was divided into three process segments in chronological order: the shrinkage initiation segment, the shrinkage progression segment, and the shrinkage stabilization segment. The shrinkage initiation segment was marked by the first consecutive occurrence of outline convergence; the shrinkage progression segment by the consistent unidirectional change in outline convergence over a continuous time period; and the shrinkage stabilization segment by the convergent fluctuations in outline convergence over a continuous time period. These three process segments were recorded at the corresponding time points of the temperature regulation rhythm recording, making volume shrinkage change a process information that can be read alongside the short-term increase in drying rate.

[0056] Utilizing the previously aligned short-term rise in drying rate and volume shrinkage changes, abnormal time periods are marked to form a process characteristic record reflecting the influence of volume shrinkage. The marking of abnormal time periods does not use a single instantaneous point, but rather a time segment approach. The starting point of the time segment is taken from the initial moment of the short-term rise in drying rate, and the ending point is taken from the corresponding moment when the volume shrinkage change enters the stable shrinkage phase. This ensures that the abnormal time periods simultaneously cover the entire process of the short-term rise in drying rate and the entire process of volume shrinkage change from its initial stage to its stable state. Within the abnormal time periods, the surface moisture content of the medicinal materials in the temperature regulation rhythm record is extracted hourly and recorded in series according to the "direction of surface moisture content change," thus recording the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials hourly. The data was extracted and recorded sequentially according to the "direction of internal and external temperature difference changes." The short-term rise in drying rate, the duration of the short-term rise, and the progressive characteristics of volume shrinkage changes were all written into the same process feature record. This ensured that the process feature record not only included the time boundary of the abnormal time period but also a synchronous description of the water loss rhythm, surface state, and thermal response state within the abnormal time period. In terms of recording method, the process feature record was arranged in a fixed field order of "time index - drying rate change - surface moisture content of medicinal material - internal and external temperature difference of medicinal material - volume shrinkage change." This allowed subsequent time points to return to the temperature regulation rhythm record and find the corresponding source information, thus forming a traceable process evidence chain in the process feature record.

[0057] The process characteristic records are written back into the temperature regulation rhythm records to form a continuous and interconnected recording system. This allows the temperature regulation rhythm records to maintain their original continuity while providing a structured expression of special phenomena in the final stage. Specifically, abnormal time period markers are inserted into the timeline of the temperature regulation rhythm records, and the process characteristic records are stored side-by-side as supplementary content to the abnormal time period markers. The time nodes before and after the abnormal time period markers still follow the original order of the temperature regulation rhythm records. This ensures that the short-term increase in drying rate and volume shrinkage changes in the final stage of drying are fully preserved and clearly distinguished from non-abnormal time periods. At the same time, the above marking and recording steps are performed on multiple short-term increases in drying rate that may occur in the same batch of drying process, and each process characteristic record is numbered according to the order of appearance. This makes the process characteristic records form a continuous and readable serialized expression in the final stage, thereby completing the marking of the corresponding time periods and forming process characteristic records that reflect the impact of volume shrinkage. This provides a directly referable process basis for subsequent temperature regulation logic adjustments based on the process characteristic records.

[0058] Based on the process characteristic records, the sources of the short-term rise in drying rate were analyzed and separated to distinguish between normal moisture evaporation changes and concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage and compression. The occurrence time of the short-term rise in drying rate was traced back and a list of abnormal situations was compiled.

[0059] After obtaining the process characteristic record, in order to avoid being misled by transient changes in the final stage during subsequent temperature adjustment, the short-term rise in drying rate can be attributed back to the water loss rhythm, surface condition, and thermal response state described in the process characteristic record for source analysis. Reproducible anomalies can then be documented in a list format. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0060] The reading path for the split analysis is organized according to the fixed field order of the process feature records. Using the time index as the main thread, the changes in drying rate, surface moisture content of the medicinal material, internal and external temperature differences, and volume shrinkage are sequentially analyzed. In each process feature record, the start, duration, and end times of the short-term increase in drying rate are first located. Corresponding change segments of surface moisture content and internal and external temperature differences are extracted under the same time index. Simultaneously, the progressive and stable segments of volume shrinkage changes are extracted, ensuring that the short-term increase in drying rate is coaxially correlated with volume shrinkage changes at the beginning of the split analysis. Based on this, the abnormal time periods in the process feature records are split into three continuous segments: the first segment, the middle segment, and the last segment. The first segment aligns with the start time of the short-term increase in drying rate, the middle segment aligns with the duration of the short-term increase in drying rate, and the last segment aligns with the end time of the short-term increase in drying rate. This allows subsequent source splitting to proceed within a unified time structure and maintains comparability between different batches.

[0061] After completing the time-segmented organization, process evidence characterizing normal moisture evaporation changes was extracted for each time segment and paralleled with process evidence characterizing concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage and compression. The process evidence for normal moisture evaporation changes was derived from the continuous convergence characteristics of surface moisture content and the stable convergence characteristics of the internal and external temperature difference of the medicinal material. This is manifested as a continuous decrease in surface moisture content along the time index, a continuous fading of water separation traces over time, and a continuous progression in the appearance of surface drying. Simultaneously, the internal and external temperature difference of the medicinal material maintains a convergent fluctuation within the same time period without abrupt reversals. The process evidence for concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage and compression was derived from... The volume shrinkage changes continued to advance within the mid-term time segment and occurred synchronously with the short-term increase in drying rate. This was manifested in the continuous advancement of the convergence of the volume shrinkage change contour within a short period of time, the traceable intensification evolution of surface wrinkle density within the same time period, and the continuous decrease in stacking height within the same time period. Furthermore, the aforementioned volume shrinkage changes and the short-term increase in drying rate showed a unidirectional alignment in the time index. During the induction process, evidence of normal moisture evaporation changes and evidence of concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage compression within each time segment were written into the accompanying record area of ​​the process characteristic record, so that the basis for the split analysis could be formed into a traceable textual expression at the record level.

[0062] Based on the parallel induction of evidence, the sources of the short-term increase in drying rate are analyzed and the results are differentiated. The analysis is based on the consistency of four processes: consistency of time index, continuity of surface moisture content, consistency of the direction of change of temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material, and synchronicity of the volume shrinkage change. Specifically, when the surface moisture content of the medicinal material shows continuous convergence and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material maintains convergent fluctuation during the period of the short-term increase in drying rate, and the volume shrinkage change is in a stable shrinkage phase and lacks synchronicity with the short-term increase in drying rate, the source of the short-term increase in drying rate is classified as normal moisture evaporation. When the volume shrinkage change is in a stable shrinkage phase during the period of the short-term increase in drying rate, the source of the short-term increase in drying rate is classified as normal moisture evaporation. When the shrinkage phase is aligned with the time index of the short-term increase in drying rate, and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material shows short-term fluctuations while the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material shows a fluctuation direction inconsistent with the preceding and following time periods, the source of the short-term increase in drying rate is attributed to the concentrated release of moisture caused by volume shrinkage and compression. To ensure the repeatable description of the separation and discrimination process, after each separation and discrimination, the discrimination result is written back to the process feature record in a fixed format. The fixed format includes the source type, the corresponding time index range, the corresponding volume shrinkage change segment identifier, the corresponding medicinal material surface moisture content segment identifier, and the corresponding medicinal material internal and external temperature difference segment identifier, so that the discrimination result and the original information in the process feature record form a one-to-one correspondence. Finally, after source segmentation and identification, the occurrence time of the short-term increase in drying rate was retrospectively analyzed and compiled into an abnormal situation list. The retrospective analysis was based on the time index of the process characteristic records. From each record categorized as a concentrated release of moisture caused by volume shrinkage, the start, duration, and end times of the short-term increase in drying rate were extracted. Simultaneously, the time boundaries corresponding to the abnormal time period markers were extracted, and the segment numbers of the volume shrinkage changes in the shrinkage progression phase were added to the list entries. The abnormal situation list was compiled using a numbered entry method, with each entry sequentially including the drying batch identifier, the time boundary of the abnormal time period, the time index range of the short-term increase in drying rate, and the volume shrinkage change segment number. The list of abnormal situations includes descriptions of surface moisture content, internal and external temperature differences, and source differentiation. This allows the list to reproduce both the occurrence time of short-term increases in drying rate and the simultaneous combination of volume shrinkage changes, surface moisture content, and internal / external temperature differences. When multiple abnormal situations exist within the same drying batch, the entries are arranged in chronological order while maintaining consistent field order. This ensures a continuous and readable evolutionary sequence within the batch, enabling the analysis of the source of short-term increases in drying rate, distinguishing between normal moisture evaporation and concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage, and tracing back the occurrence time of the short-term increases in drying rate to form the abnormal situation list.

[0063] Based on the list of abnormal situations, the temperature regulation logic of the temperature adaptive control is adjusted to avoid the temperature rise judgment conditions during the time period corresponding to the list of abnormal situations, control the drying temperature to keep it changing slowly and steadily, and form a continuous temperature control arrangement according to the adjusted temperature regulation logic.

[0064] After obtaining the list of abnormal situations, in order to prevent the temperature adjustment in the later stages of drying from being affected by short-term increases in the drying rate, the list of abnormal situations can be used as a constraint on the temperature adjustment logic. The temperature rise judgment can be removed from the abnormal time period, and the changes in drying temperature can be organized into a continuously executable temperature control arrangement. The specific implementation method is as follows:

[0065] Following the sequential order of the abnormal situation list, the time boundaries of the abnormal time periods corresponding to each item are read and mapped to the time index of the temperature regulation rhythm record, forming an abnormal time period index table. The abnormal time period index table includes the drying batch identifier, the start time of the abnormal time period, the end time of the abnormal time period, the time index range of the short-term increase in drying rate, the segment number of the volume shrinkage change, the segment description of the surface moisture content of the medicinal material, and the segment description of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material, ensuring that the abnormal time period index table and the temperature regulation rhythm record are consistent under the same time index. Based on this, the record segments in the temperature regulation rhythm record that match the abnormal time period index table are separated to form an abnormal time period segment set. At the same time, a continuous time segment before and after the abnormal time period segment set is retained to form a preceding segment and a following segment, so that subsequent temperature regulation logic adjustments can be constrained within the abnormal time period segment set, while maintaining the continuous connection of temperature changes in the preceding segment and the following segment.

[0066] The original temperature control logic's temperature rise judgment conditions were reorganized around a set of abnormal time periods. These conditions were broken down into two parts: triggering basis and triggering action. The triggering basis was derived from the upward trend of the drying rate, signs of moisture reabsorption on the surface of the medicinal material, and signs of widening temperature differences between the inside and outside of the medicinal material. The triggering action was derived from the generation and execution rhythm of the drying temperature increase command. After decomposition, the source identification conclusions, volume shrinkage change segment numbers, and abnormal time period boundaries of each item in the abnormal situation list were incorporated into the applicable scope of the triggering basis, forming temperature rise judgment avoidance conditions. These avoidance conditions, bounded by the abnormal time period index table, restrict the adoption range of the triggering basis within the abnormal time period, ensuring that even if a short-term increase in the drying rate occurs, the triggering basis will not trigger a temperature rise judgment. Meanwhile, outside of the abnormal time period, the original organization of the triggering basis is still used, ensuring that the temperature control logic of temperature adaptive control maintains a unified framework throughout the process, only handling the avoidance of temperature rise judgment conditions within the abnormal time period, thereby avoiding fragmented changes in the temperature control logic at different drying stages.

[0067] After completing the temperature rise assessment to avoid implantation conditions, the tissue is controlled to maintain a slow and stable change in drying temperature. The change in drying temperature is expressed using a segmented gradual change method. This segmented gradual change method divides the abnormal time period into three continuous segments: an entry segment, a maintenance segment, and an exit segment, with the start time of the abnormal time period as the boundary. The entry segment aligns with the drying temperature level at the end of the preceding segment, and within the entry segment, the temperature is gradually adjusted to the maintenance segment level using a limited temperature change amplitude method. Within the maintenance segment, the drying temperature is maintained to exhibit a slow and stable change under a continuous time index, avoiding any abrupt upward adjustments. The exit segment aligns with the drying temperature level at the beginning of the subsequent segment, and within the exit segment, the temperature gradually transitions to the subsequent segment using a limited temperature change amplitude method. The temperature change rhythm of each segment; during the organization of the entry, maintenance, and exit segments, the descriptions of the surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials in the abnormal situation list are used as reference information for the temperature change rhythm. The description of the surface moisture content of the medicinal materials is used to constrain the rate of temperature change, and the description of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials is used to constrain the transition interval of temperature change, so that the drying temperature changes slowly and steadily not only depends on the time division, but also keeps synchronous with the process characteristics solidified in the abnormal situation list; at the same time, the control result of the slow and steady change of drying temperature is written into the time index position of the temperature regulation rhythm record, forming a traceable temperature change record.

[0068] A continuous temperature control arrangement is formed according to the adjusted temperature regulation logic. This arrangement uses the drying batch identifier as the main thread and the temperature regulation rhythm record as the carrier. The temperature change requirements for the entry, maintenance, and exit segments corresponding to the abnormal time period index table, along with the temperature change requirements outside the abnormal time periods, are uniformly arranged into a continuous temperature control sequence. The temperature control sequence maintains a continuous progression in the time index, with each time index position corresponding to a drying temperature change requirement. This requirement includes the temperature setpoint, the direction of temperature change, the limiting conditions for the temperature change amplitude, and the temperature change transition interval. A temperature rise judgment avoidance condition identifier is added to the time index positions covered by the abnormal time period index table, ensuring the temperature control sequence is executable and traceable. When multiple abnormal situations exist within the same drying batch, the temperature control is performed according to the order of the abnormal situation list items. The corresponding entry, maintenance, and exit segments are inserted sequentially into the sequence, maintaining a continuous connection between the temperature change requirements before and after insertion. This ensures that multiple abnormal time periods are arranged continuously within the same temperature control sequence and avoids mutual conflicts. Between different drying batches, the temperature control sequence is used to form a temperature control arrangement list with the same field order. The temperature control arrangement list includes the drying batch identifier, time index range, abnormal time period index table reference information, temperature rise judgment avoidance condition identifier, segmented gradual change requirements for maintaining slow and stable drying temperature, and temperature change requirements outside the abnormal time period. This completes the adjustment of the temperature regulation logic for temperature adaptive control based on the abnormal situation list, avoiding the temperature rise judgment condition within the time period corresponding to the abnormal situation list, controlling the drying temperature to maintain a slow and stable change, and forming a continuous temperature control arrangement according to the adjusted temperature regulation logic.

[0069] Based on continuous temperature control, a rhythm of early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling is introduced in the later stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines. By alternately releasing moisture, the accumulation of temperature fluctuations during drying is reduced, thus achieving dynamic temperature control throughout the entire drying process of Chinese herbal medicines.

[0070] In the continuous operation phase during the later stages of drying, in order to further extend the previously established continuous temperature control arrangements into a sustainable final adjustment rhythm, and to mitigate the accumulated risks of temperature fluctuations common in the later stages of drying, the specific implementation steps are as follows:

[0071] Using the time index range and drying batch identifier in the continuous temperature control arrangement, the window is divided for the later stage of drying of Chinese herbal medicines. The time index segments marked as the later stage of drying in the temperature control arrangement list are extracted and arranged into a sequence of later control segments in chronological order. In the later control segment sequence, the time index points corresponding to the convergence characteristics of the moisture content on the surface of the herbal medicines are selected as early pullback anchor points. The setting of the early pullback anchor points is based on the temperature setpoint and the direction of temperature change in the temperature control sequence. At each early pullback anchor point, the temperature holding segment that may have continued is rewritten as a pullback segment. The direction of temperature change in the pullback segment is fixed as downward pullback. At the same time, the limiting conditions of the temperature change amplitude and the temperature change transition interval of the pullback segment are written into the continuous temperature control arrangement. This ensures that the early pullback is consistent at the recording level and the execution level, and allows the subsequent segmented cooling to be carried out at the temperature level after the early pullback is completed.

[0072] Around the sequence of later-stage control segments with pre-written callback anchors, a segmented cooling rhythm is organized. The continuous time index interval of the later drying stage is divided into multiple continuous cooling segments. Each cooling segment corresponds one-to-one with the temperature change requirements in the continuous temperature control arrangement, and transition buffer segments are set between segments to maintain the continuity of temperature changes. The segmented cooling segments are arranged in a fixed, repetitive order of callback segment—cooling segment—buffer segment. The callback segment aligns with the pre-written callback anchor and performs a downward callback. The cooling segment performs segmented cooling at the temperature level after the callback segment ends. The buffer segment performs a slow and stable temperature change at the temperature level after the cooling segment ends, so that each cooling segment is naturally connected on the temperature trajectory of the previous buffer segment. In each cooling segment, the temperature change amplitude limitation conditions and temperature change transition intervals in the temperature control sequence are written into the continuous temperature control arrangement in a unified field order. At the same time, the temperature rise judgment avoidance condition markers involved in the abnormal time period index table are carried over to the cooling segments of the later drying stage, so that the adjustment rhythm of the segmented cooling rhythm maintains a unified constraint logic within the later-stage control segment sequence.

[0073] Based on the rhythmic adjustment of segmented cooling, an alternating moisture release process is introduced, creating a rhythmic relationship between temperature changes and dehumidification. The alternating moisture release is organized using a time index within a continuous temperature control arrangement. Within the time index range of each cooling-buffering segment, release and intermittent moisture release segments are embedded. Release segments correspond to enhanced dehumidification operations while maintaining limited temperature changes, while intermittent segments correspond to dehumidification slowdown operations while maintaining slow and stable temperature changes. Release and intermittent segments are arranged alternately within the same segment according to the time index, preventing moisture release from being concentrated at a single moment. This avoids the recurrence of short-term increases in drying rate that could trigger further temperature adjustments. In terms of recording, the time index boundaries, corresponding temperature setpoints, temperature change directions, and temperature transition intervals for each release and intermittent segment are written into the continuous temperature control arrangement. The release and intermittent segments are also correlated with descriptions of the moisture content on the surface of the medicinal material, ensuring that the rhythm of alternating moisture release is synchronized with the convergence process of the moisture content on the medicinal material's surface. This transforms alternating moisture release from an operational habit into a traceable entry within the temperature control arrangement.

[0074] During the continuous operation of the alternating moisture release rhythm, reducing the accumulation of drying temperature fluctuations is taken as the organizational goal of the later control segment sequence. Segmented suppression of temperature fluctuation accumulation is implemented, and the temperature change trajectories corresponding to each callback segment, cooling segment, and buffer segment are continuously spliced ​​together according to time index to form the later temperature trajectory record. In the later temperature trajectory record, temperature fluctuation accumulation segments are marked at segment boundaries. The marking of temperature fluctuation accumulation segments is described using three types of process characteristics: the number of times the temperature change direction repeats, the number of times the temperature change transition interval overlaps, and the distribution of the switching positions between release segments and intermittent segments, making the temperature fluctuation accumulation segments readable. When accumulated temperature ranges appear consecutively in adjacent ranges, the temperature change transition interval of the next cooling range in the continuous temperature control arrangement is adjusted to a longer interval, and the temperature change amplitude limitation condition of the next pullback range is adjusted to a smaller pullback amplitude. At the same time, the temperature rise judgment avoidance condition mark remains unchanged, so that subsequent ranges can achieve decentralized processing of accumulated fluctuations under the same adjustment rhythm. In this way, the continuous temperature control arrangement introduces an adjustment rhythm of early pullback and segmented cooling in the later stage of the drying of Chinese herbal medicines, and reduces the accumulation of drying temperature fluctuations by alternately releasing moisture, so that the entire drying process of Chinese herbal medicines forms a continuous and traceable dynamic temperature control.

[0075] This invention introduces continuous process observation and rhythmic recording throughout the drying process, enabling temperature regulation to no longer rely solely on changes in the drying rate. Instead, it combines the surface moisture content of the medicinal material with the synergistic changes in the internal and external temperature differences. In the final stage of drying, the short-term increase in drying rate caused by volume shrinkage is specifically marked and analyzed to prevent such transient changes from triggering further temperature adjustments. This eliminates the potential for misjudgment of temperature in the later stages of drying, ensuring that temperature regulation remains consistent with the actual water loss state of the medicinal material. This effectively prevents the medicinal material from continuing to experience mismatched thermal effects while in a low-moisture state during the later stages of drying.

[0076] This invention, based on a continuous temperature control system, introduces a regulatory rhythm combining early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling in the later stages of drying. This transforms temperature changes from concentrated adjustments to phased releases, reducing the cumulative effect of temperature fluctuations over time through alternating moisture release. This control method makes temperature changes more stable and continuous in the later stages of drying, effectively suppressing local overheating and accelerated surface reactions, promoting the coordinated progress of the drying process inside and outside the medicinal material. Thus, without prolonging the drying cycle, it maintains the consistency of the medicinal material's structure and internal medicinal properties, improving the overall quality stability of the dried product.

[0077] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A temperature self-adaptive control method applied to drying of Chinese herbal medicines, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Establish a process observation method for temperature adaptive control, continuously acquire the drying rate change, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials during the drying process of Chinese herbal medicines, and compile the drying rate change, surface moisture content of the medicinal materials and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials into a unified temperature regulation rhythm record. By recording the temperature regulation rhythm, the phenomenon of short-term increase in drying rate that occurs in the final stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines was located. Combined with the volume shrinkage changes of Chinese herbal medicines in the final stage of drying, the corresponding time periods were marked to form a process characteristic record reflecting the influence of volume shrinkage. Based on the process characteristic records, the sources of the short-term rise in drying rate were analyzed and separated to distinguish between normal moisture evaporation changes and concentrated moisture release caused by volume shrinkage and compression. The occurrence time of the short-term rise in drying rate was traced back and a list of abnormal situations was compiled. Based on the list of abnormal situations, the temperature regulation logic of the temperature adaptive control is adjusted to avoid the temperature rise judgment conditions during the time period corresponding to the list of abnormal situations, control the drying temperature to keep it changing slowly and steadily, and form a continuous temperature control arrangement according to the adjusted temperature regulation logic. Based on continuous temperature control, a rhythm of early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling is introduced in the later stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines. The accumulation of temperature fluctuations during drying is reduced by releasing moisture alternately.

2. The temperature adaptive control method applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps for generating temperature regulation rhythm records are as follows: The process of water loss is continuously tracked during the drying of Chinese herbal medicines. By continuously recording the trend of changes in the quality of the herbs per unit time, the trajectory of the drying rate over time is obtained, and the changes in the drying rate are synchronously marked with the corresponding time nodes. By using the time points of the drying rate change, the surface moisture content of the medicinal material is observed in the process. The changes in the wet state, water separation traces and surface drying appearance are recorded in the drying rate change trajectory, so that the surface moisture content of the medicinal material corresponds to the drying rate change. Based on the synchronous compilation of the drying rate change and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material, continuous records of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material are introduced and arranged according to the same time scale as the drying rate change, so that the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material maintain a time correspondence. The changes in drying rate, the moisture content on the surface of the medicinal materials, and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal materials are summarized and arranged in chronological order of the drying process to form a record of temperature regulation rhythm.

3. The temperature adaptive control method applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The steps for forming process feature records are as follows: Following the time sequence recorded by the temperature regulation rhythm, the drying process was viewed in segments, and the time range of the drying end stage was screened with the change of drying rate as the main line. During the final stage of drying, the changes in drying rate are continuously compared to locate short-term increases in drying rate, and the corresponding time index is written into the temperature regulation rhythm record. To address the short-term increase in drying rate, a process record of volume shrinkage change was simultaneously introduced, and the volume shrinkage change was divided into shrinkage initiation stage, shrinkage advancement stage and shrinkage stabilization stage, and then arranged according to time index. By combining the short-term rise in drying rate with changes in volume shrinkage, the corresponding time periods are marked, and process characteristic records reflecting the influence of volume shrinkage are formed in a fixed field order.

4. The temperature adaptive control method for drying traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process feature record uses time index as the main line, and arranges the changes in drying rate, surface moisture content of medicinal materials, temperature difference between inside and outside of medicinal materials and changes in volume shrinkage in a fixed field order. The marked abnormal time periods are written back to the temperature regulation rhythm record, so that the volume shrinkage effect at the end of the drying stage can be traced in the continuous record.

5. The temperature adaptive control method for drying traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steps for creating the list of abnormal situations are as follows: According to the fixed field order of the process feature record, the start time, duration and end time of the short-term rise in drying rate are located with the time index as the main line, and the surface moisture content of the medicinal material, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material and the volume shrinkage change are extracted simultaneously. The abnormal time periods were organized into segments using a time index, and evidence of normal water evaporation and concentrated water release caused by volume contraction and compression were summarized in parallel around each time segment. Based on the consistency of time index, the continuity of surface moisture content, the consistency of the direction of change of temperature difference inside and outside the medicinal material, and the synchronicity of volume shrinkage, the source of the short-term increase in drying rate is identified and written back into the process feature record. By tracing back to the time when the drying rate briefly increased, information on the corresponding time boundaries and volume shrinkage changes was extracted and compiled into a list of abnormal situations.

6. The temperature adaptive control method for drying traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, When creating the list of abnormal situations, records where the volume shrinkage change is in the shrinkage progression phase and the time index is aligned with the short-term increase in drying rate are written into the list of abnormal situations as limiting conditions. The list of abnormal situations also maintains the time correspondence between the surface moisture content of the medicinal material and the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the medicinal material.

7. The temperature adaptive control method applied to the drying of traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 5, characterized in that, The temperature control arrangement was formed as follows: Read the time boundaries of abnormal time periods according to the list of abnormal situations, and map the time boundaries of abnormal time periods to the time index of the temperature regulation rhythm record to form an abnormal time period index table. Using the abnormal time period index table, the temperature rise judgment condition in the temperature regulation logic is decomposed, and a temperature rise judgment avoidance condition is introduced within the abnormal time period so that the temperature rise judgment does not take effect within the abnormal time period. Around the set of abnormal time period segments, a segmented gradual change method is organized to keep the drying temperature changing slowly and steadily, and the temperature change results are written into the corresponding time index of the temperature regulation rhythm record. Based on the adjusted temperature regulation logic, the temperature change requirements inside and outside the abnormal time period are uniformly arranged to form a continuous temperature control arrangement.

8. The temperature adaptive control method for drying traditional Chinese medicinal materials according to claim 7, characterized in that, Based on continuous temperature control, a rhythm of early temperature adjustment and segmented cooling is introduced in the later stage of drying Chinese herbal medicines. Combined with the alternating release of moisture, the temperature change steps of the drying process are as follows: Following the continuous temperature control arrangement, the time index window was divided for the later stage of drying of Chinese herbal medicines, and a sequence of later control segments was formed. At the same time, the time index point corresponding to the convergence characteristics of the moisture content on the surface of the herbal medicines was selected as the early callback anchor point. Around the early pullback anchor point, the temperature holding segment is rewritten as the pullback segment, and the cooling segment and buffer segment are organized in sequence after the pullback segment to form a segmented cooling adjustment rhythm with the pullback segment, cooling segment and buffer segment arranged continuously. Based on the segmented cooling adjustment rhythm, release segments and intermittent segments that alternately release moisture are embedded in the cooling segment and buffer segment, and the corresponding temperature change requirements are written into the continuous temperature control arrangement. By continuously splicing together the temperature change trajectory around the later control segment sequence, and by adjusting the transition interval and the limiting conditions of temperature change in the subsequent pullback segment and cooling segment, the accumulation of drying temperature fluctuations is reduced, forming a dynamic temperature control arrangement that runs through the entire drying process.

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