A spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for keeping flavor components and a processing method thereof

Abstract

This invention discloses a quantitative low-temperature pulverization device and processing method for spices to retain flavor components. The device includes a pretreatment mechanism, a quantitative feeding mechanism, an airflow pulverizing mechanism, a separation mechanism, and a discharge mechanism. The pretreatment mechanism is used for low-temperature pretreatment of the spices; the quantitative feeding mechanism connects the pretreatment mechanism and the airflow pulverizing mechanism; a high-pressure, low-temperature airflow is introduced into the airflow pulverizing mechanism, causing the spices to move at high speed and collide with each other to achieve pulverization; the separation mechanism performs air classification on the pulverized powder, and its internal sieving adjustment component can adjust the separation particle size; the discharge mechanism discharges the separated powder. All mechanisms are sealed connections. This invention can achieve low-temperature pulverization of spices, effectively avoiding the loss of flavor components caused by excessively high temperatures in traditional pulverization processes, and can be adaptively adjusted according to the required particle size, making it suitable for pulverizing spices of different particle sizes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spice processing technology, specifically to a quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device and processing method for spices that preserves flavor components. Background Technology

[0002] Spices are commonly used seasonings in food processing. Their flavor compounds mainly consist of volatile oils (essential oils) and heat-sensitive components such as terpenes, aldehydes, and phenols. With the increasing demands for spice product quality in the modern food industry, ultrafine grinding technology has become an important means of deep processing of spices because it can significantly improve the utilization rate and flavor extraction effect.

[0003] Currently, the grinding and processing of spices mainly utilizes high-speed grinders. During the grinding process, a large amount of heat is generated due to mechanical actions such as collision, shearing, and friction, leading to a significant increase in the temperature of both the material and the equipment. Studies have shown that grinding temperature has a significant impact on flavor quality indicators such as piperine and essential oil content in spices. High temperatures not only cause a large amount of volatile oils to evaporate and dissipate but also easily trigger oxidation and deterioration, altering or weakening the flavor. Furthermore, traditional grinding methods often employ air cooling, which exposes volatile oils to a large amount of air, further intensifying the oxidation reaction. Taking pepper as an example, flavor components are severely lost under room-temperature grinding conditions, while low-temperature grinding can effectively improve this situation.

[0004] To overcome the aforementioned shortcomings, existing technologies have employed cryogenic pulverization using liquid nitrogen. For example, an existing patent (publication number: CN214974652U) proposes a pulverizing device suitable for spices with high volatile oil content. This device lowers the temperature by introducing liquid nitrogen into the pulverizing equipment to control the loss of volatile oils. However, this pulverizing device uses traditional mechanical pulverization methods (such as grinding and shearing), which still generates some mechanical heat during the pulverization process. Furthermore, this pulverizing device cannot effectively adjust the particle size during pulverization. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, in order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, the present invention provides a quantitative low-temperature pulverization device and processing method for spices that preserves flavor components. The present invention not only achieves low-temperature pulverization of spices, effectively avoiding the loss of flavor components caused by excessively high temperatures in traditional pulverization processes, but also uses an airflow pulverization mechanism to pulverize the materials, causing them to collide with each other to achieve pulverization, eliminating the need for a blade structure and effectively avoiding the problems that occur during blade pulverization. Furthermore, through the sieving adjustment component in the separation mechanism, the particle size can be adaptively adjusted according to the required particle size, making it suitable for pulverizing and processing spices of different particle sizes.

[0006] The present invention is achieved as follows: First, a quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device and processing method for spices that retain flavor components are provided, including a pretreatment mechanism for low-temperature pretreatment of the spices to be pulverized. A quantitative feeding mechanism, the feed end of which is connected to the discharge port of the pretreatment mechanism; The airflow pulverizing mechanism has its feed end connected to the discharge port of the quantitative feeding mechanism. High-pressure, low-temperature airflow is introduced into the airflow pulverizing mechanism. The high-pressure, low-temperature airflow blows the spices inside at high speed, causing them to collide with each other and thus pulverize them. The separation mechanism is located at the discharge port of the airflow pulverizing mechanism to classify the spice powder discharged with the airflow. The separation mechanism is equipped with a sieving adjustment component, which can adjust the particle size of the spice powder separated by airflow. The discharge mechanism discharges the spice powder separated by air separation from the separation mechanism; The pretreatment mechanism, quantitative feeding mechanism, airflow pulverizing mechanism, separation mechanism, and discharge mechanism are all sealed connections.

[0007] Specifically, the pretreatment mechanism includes a tank and an internal agitation mechanism. Low-temperature gas is introduced into the tank, and the spices temporarily stored in the tank are pretreated at low temperature by the low-temperature gas and the agitation mechanism.

[0008] Specifically, the quantitative feeding mechanism includes a spiral feeding tube and a spiral shaft rotatably disposed inside the spiral feeding tube. The top of one end of the spiral feeding tube is connected to the bottom of the tank of the pretreatment mechanism, and the bottom of the other end of the spiral feeding tube is connected to the airflow pulverizing mechanism. The spiral shaft is driven to rotate by a drive motor on the outside of the end of the spiral feeding tube.

[0009] Specifically, the airflow pulverizing mechanism includes a cylindrical pulverizing disc with a hollow interior forming a pulverizing chamber. A feed port connected to a quantitative feeding mechanism and an air inlet for introducing high-pressure, low-temperature airflow are provided on the cylindrical surface of the pulverizing disc. A connection port connected to a separation mechanism is provided on the top cross-section of the pulverizing disc.

[0010] Specifically, the separation mechanism includes a separation chamber formed by the fastening of a lower cover and an upper cover, and a sieving adjustment assembly. The lower end of the lower cover has a tapered concave structure, and its small end is connected to the connection port of the airflow pulverizing mechanism. The upper end of the lower cover is cylindrical, and a semi-circular groove is correspondingly opened on the joint surface of the lower cover and the upper cover. After the two are fastened together, a circular through hole is formed for the support rod to pass through. The sieving adjustment assembly is rotatably installed in the circular through hole through the support rod.

[0011] Specifically, the screening adjustment assembly includes a grading wheel and a power device that drives the grading wheel to rotate. The grading wheel specifically includes a first disc and a second disc arranged parallel to each other and fixed together by a connecting rod. Several blades are installed in a circumferential distribution between the first disc and the second disc, and the blades are connected between the two discs by blade shafts. A first support rod and a second support rod are provided at the center of the outer end face of the first disc and the second disc. The first support rod and the second support rod enable the grading wheel to be placed horizontally in the separation chamber and kept rotating. The first support rod and the second support rod are both hollow rods, and their central holes respectively pass through the first disc and the second disc. The ends of the first support rod and the second support rod extend outside the separation chamber. The power device is located outside the separation chamber and is connected to any one of the support rods through a gear transmission mechanism. The outer end of the other support rod is connected to the discharge mechanism.

[0012] Specifically, the power unit is a variable frequency drive motor, with a drive gear mounted on the output shaft, and a driven gear that meshes with the drive gear is provided on the outer end of the first support rod outside the separation chamber, forming a gear transmission mechanism.

[0013] Specifically, the blade shaft is rotatably mounted between the first and second wheel disks. A driven adjusting wheel is provided at the position of the central rod of each blade near the first wheel disk. An adjusting rod is rotatably installed in the central hole of the first support rod. One end of the adjusting rod extends to the inner side of the first wheel disk, and an active adjusting wheel that meshes with the driven adjusting wheel of each blade is provided outside the adjusting rod. The other end of the adjusting rod extends to the outside of the first support rod to form an outer end. A central hole is opened on the outer end of the adjusting rod. A slot is opened on the circumference of the inner wall of the central hole of the adjusting rod. A locking block is installed in the central hole of the adjusting rod through an elastic element. A locking rod passing through the locking groove of the adjusting rod is provided at the outer end of the locking block. A chuck is formed on the end of the first support rod near the outer end of the adjusting rod by several staggered protrusions and grooves. A chuck is provided on the opposite surface of the locking rod of the locking block and the first support rod. When the locking rod of the locking block contacts the end of the first support rod, the two chucks engage together to achieve fixation.

[0014] Specifically, the high-pressure cryogenic gas flow is cryogenic nitrogen gas formed by the vaporization of liquid nitrogen.

[0015] Secondly, a method for low-temperature pulverization of spices is also provided. This method is based on the aforementioned low-temperature quantitative pulverization device for spices and specifically includes the following steps: S1: The spices to be crushed are sent to the pretreatment unit for low-temperature pretreatment; S2: The spices that have undergone low-temperature pretreatment are quantitatively fed into the grinding chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism through a quantitative feeding mechanism; S3: High-pressure, low-temperature airflow is introduced into the pulverizing chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism, causing the spices to move at high speed and collide with each other under the action of the high-pressure, low-temperature airflow, thereby achieving pulverization; S4: The pulverized spice powder enters the separation mechanism with the airflow, and is classified by air separation through the screening adjustment component to obtain spice powder that meets the particle size requirements; S5: Spices that meet the particle size requirements are discharged and collected by the discharge mechanism.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention uses high-pressure, low-temperature airflow to pulverize spices. The pulverization process is carried out in a low-temperature, inert gas environment, which avoids the problem of mechanical heating during traditional mechanical pulverization. At the same time, the pretreatment mechanism, quantitative feeding mechanism, airflow pulverization mechanism, separation mechanism, and discharge mechanism are all sealed, which effectively prevents the loss of flavor substances and the intrusion of external moisture, thus ensuring the inherent flavor quality of the spices.

[0017] 2. The separation mechanism is equipped with a screening adjustment component. The cutting particle size of the air separation can be changed by adjusting the angle of the classifying wheel blades, and / or the centrifugal force of the classifying wheel can be changed by adjusting the rotation speed of the classifying wheel, thereby realizing the screening adjustment of different particle sizes. This adjustment method does not require the replacement of the screen and is easy to operate. Operators can quickly adjust to the required particle size according to the different requirements of powder fineness for different spice types and downstream applications. The equipment has strong versatility.

[0018] 3. The spices to be crushed are pre-treated at low temperature by the pre-treatment mechanism, which increases the brittleness of the spices, making them easier to crush by impact. It also avoids the formation of condensation or ice on the inner wall and pipeline of the crushing chamber due to excessive temperature difference when the spices at room temperature are directly put into the low temperature crushing chamber, which would affect the airflow crushing.

[0019] 4. The pre-treated spices are quantitatively fed to the airflow pulverizing mechanism through a quantitative feeding mechanism, which can effectively control the amount of feed per unit time, ensure the stability of the gas-solid ratio in the pulverizing chamber, and thus ensure the consistency of product fineness and quality between batches.

[0020] 5. The airflow impact crushing method eliminates the easily worn parts such as blades and hammers of traditional crushing equipment, reducing the frequency of daily maintenance and parts replacement; the classifying wheel adopts a hollow shaft structure, and fine powder is discharged from the center of the hollow shaft, which ensures smooth discharge and is not prone to clogging; the screening adjustment component has a compact structure, and the blade angle adjustment mechanism is easy to operate and reliable in locking, reducing the difficulty of equipment maintenance and operating costs. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the detailed embodiments of the invention to explain the invention, but do not constitute any limitation on the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pulverizing device; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the pulverizing device viewed from the front. Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of the pulverizing device; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of section AA in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pulverizing device from another perspective; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow pulverizing mechanism and the separation mechanism in this pulverizing device when disassembled; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the sieving and adjusting components in this pulverizing device; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing only one blade of the sieving adjustment component in this pulverizing device; Figure 9 for Figure 8 A structural diagram from another perspective; Figure 10 for Figure 8 A structural diagram without the power unit; Figure 11 for Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure from a mid-side view; Figure 12 for Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle BB section; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the classifying wheel structure of the screening adjustment component in this crushing device (the blades are not shown for clarity). Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the first support rod and locking block of the screening adjustment component in this crushing device; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the pulverizing process. In the picture: 100. Pre-treatment facility; 200. Quantitative feeding mechanism; 300. Airflow pulverizing mechanism; 301. Pulverizing disc; 302. Feed inlet; 303. Air inlet; 304. Connection port; 400. Separation mechanism; 401. Lower cover; 402. Upper cover; 403. Power unit; 404. Drive gear; 405. Driven gear; 406. First support rod; 407. First wheel; 408. Second wheel; 409. Connecting rod; 410. Blade; 411. Second support rod; 412. Driven adjusting wheel; 413. Adjusting rod; 414. Driven adjusting wheel; 415. Locking block; 416. Elastic element; 500. Discharge mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustrating and explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way. The accompanying drawings in the present invention are only for describing the embodiments and for facilitating understanding and use, and are not intended to limit the present invention in any way.

[0023] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the accompanying drawings of this specification are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification, so that those skilled in the art can understand and read them, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0024] As described in the background section, existing spice pulverizing equipment suffers from problems such as significant flavor loss and inability to adjust particle size.

[0025] Based on the above reasons, and to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution. Example 1, Please see the appendix Figure 1 ~Appendix Figure 14 A quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for spices that retains flavor components, the device specifically includes a pretreatment mechanism 100, a quantitative feeding mechanism 200, an airflow pulverizing mechanism 300, a separation mechanism 400, and a discharge mechanism 500.

[0026] The pretreatment unit 100 includes a tank and an agitation mechanism disposed inside the tank. The tank has an inlet, a outlet, and a cryogenic gas inlet. Cryogenic gas (preferably cryogenic nitrogen formed by the vaporization of liquid nitrogen) is introduced into the tank through the cryogenic gas inlet. The agitation mechanism rotates continuously inside the tank, causing the spices to tumble and come into full contact with the cryogenic nitrogen, thereby achieving uniform cooling. The bottom of the tank of the pretreatment unit 100 is connected to the inlet end of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200.

[0027] The quantitative feeding mechanism 200 includes a screw feed tube and a screw shaft rotatably disposed inside the screw feed tube (see appendix). Figure 4 (As can be seen). One end of the spiral feeding pipe is connected to the bottom of the tank of the pretreatment mechanism 100, and the other end is connected to the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300. The spiral shaft is driven to rotate by a drive motor located on the outside of the spiral feeding pipe end. By controlling the speed of the drive motor, the feeding amount per unit time can be precisely controlled, ensuring a constant amount of material entering the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300, thereby achieving quantitative pulverization of spices. The wall of the spiral feeding pipe can adopt a double-layer jacket structure, and low-temperature nitrogen gas is introduced into the jacket to prevent the material from warming up during the conveying process.

[0028] See appendix Figure 4 and attached Figure 6 The airflow pulverizing mechanism 300 includes a cylindrical pulverizing disc 301, the interior of which is hollow to form a pulverizing chamber. The cylindrical surface of the pulverizing disc 301 is provided with a feed inlet 302 connected to the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 and an air inlet 303 for introducing high-pressure, low-temperature airflow. The top section of the pulverizing disc 301 is provided with a connection port 304 connected to the separation mechanism 400.

[0029] During operation, a high-pressure, low-temperature gas flow (preferably low-temperature nitrogen formed by the vaporization of liquid nitrogen, with a temperature controlled between -20°C and -60°C and a pressure controlled between 0.6 MPa and 1.0 MPa) is introduced into the grinding chamber through the air inlet 303. After low-temperature pretreatment, the spices enter the grinding chamber through the feed pipe 302 and, driven by the high-pressure, low-temperature gas flow, move at high speed along the inner wall of the grinding chamber on the grinding disc 301. The particles undergo intense collisions, friction, and shearing, thus achieving grinding. Because the grinding process relies on the interaction between materials rather than the cutting of metal blades, there is no issue of temperature rise due to blade wear, which could cause component volatilization during the grinding process, effectively ensuring the quality of spice grinding.

[0030] The separation mechanism 400 is located at the discharge port of the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300, specifically at the connection port 304 at the top of the pulverizing disc 301. It includes a separation chamber formed by the interlocking of a lower cover 401 and an upper cover 402, and a screening adjustment assembly. The lower end of the lower cover 401 has a tapered constriction structure, with its small end connected to the connection port 304 of the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300; the upper end of the lower cover 401 is cylindrical. Semi-circular grooves are correspondingly formed on the mating surfaces of the lower cover 401 and the upper cover 402, forming a circular through-hole for a support rod to pass through after they are interlocked. The screening adjustment assembly is rotatably mounted within this circular through-hole via the support rod.

[0031] Please refer to the appendix carefully. Figure 7 ~Appendix Figure 14The screening and adjusting assembly includes a grading wheel and a power unit 403 that drives the grading wheel to rotate. Specifically, the grading wheel includes a first disc 407 and a second disc 408 arranged parallel to each other and facing each other. The first disc 407 and the second disc 408 are fixed together by a connecting rod 409. Several blades 410 are circumferentially distributed between the first disc 407 and the second disc 408, and the blades 410 are rotatably connected between the two discs via blade shafts. A first support rod 406 and a second support rod 411 are provided at the center of the outer end faces of the first disc 407 and the second disc 408, which allow the grading wheel to be placed horizontally within the separation chamber and maintain rotation.

[0032] Both the first support rod 406 and the second support rod 411 are hollow rods, with their central holes penetrating the first wheel 407 and the second wheel 408, respectively. The ends of the first support rod 406 and the second support rod 411 extend outside the separation chamber. The power unit 403 is located outside the separation chamber and is connected to the first support rod 406 via a gear transmission mechanism; the outer end of the second support rod 411 is connected to the discharge mechanism 500.

[0033] The power unit 403 is preferably a variable frequency drive motor, with a drive gear 404 mounted on its output shaft. A driven gear 405, which meshes with the drive gear 404, is provided on the outer end of the first support rod 406 outside the separation chamber, forming a gear transmission mechanism. By adjusting the rotational speed of the classifying wheel through the variable frequency drive motor, the magnitude of the centrifugal force generated by the classifying wheel can be changed, thereby achieving adjustment of the separated particle size.

[0034] The discharge mechanism 500 is connected to the outer end of the second support rod 411, and is used to discharge and collect the qualified spice powder after air separation from the separation mechanism 400. As can be seen from the attached figure, the discharge mechanism 500 is a discharge pipe, through which gas and powder are transported to the external cyclone separator. After the powder-containing airflow passes through the cyclone separator to achieve gas-solid separation, the powder is collected.

[0035] The pretreatment mechanism 100, the quantitative feeding mechanism 200, the air jet milling mechanism 300, the separation mechanism 400, and the discharge mechanism 500 are all sealed together, and each connection is equipped with a low-temperature resistant sealing ring. This sealed connection prevents flavor substances from escaping and external moisture from intruding, ensuring the flavor quality of the spices throughout the low-temperature milling process.

[0036] Example 2, Please refer to the appendix for details. Figure 10 ~Appendix Figure 14 Based on Example 1, this example provides another structure for adjusting particle size.

[0037] Specifically, blades 410 are rotatably mounted between the first disk 407 and the second disk 408 via blade shafts. A driven adjusting wheel 412 is fixedly mounted on one end of the blade shaft of each blade 410 near the first disk 407. An adjusting rod 413 is rotatably mounted within the central hole of the first support rod 406. One end of the adjusting rod 413 extends to the inner surface of the first disk 407, and a driving adjusting wheel 414 is fixedly mounted at this end of the adjusting rod 413. The driving adjusting wheel 414 engages with each driven adjusting wheel 412 for transmission. The other end of the adjusting rod 413 extends to the outside of the first support rod 406 to form an outer end.

[0038] The outer end of the adjusting rod 413 has a central hole along the axial direction, and the inner wall of the adjusting rod 413 with the central hole has a circumferential groove. A locking block 415 is installed in the central hole of the adjusting rod 413 through an elastic element 416 (preferably a compression spring). The outer end of the locking block 415 is provided with a locking rod that passes through the locking groove of the adjusting rod 413 and extends to the outside of the adjusting rod 413. On the end of the first support rod 406 near the outer end of the adjusting rod 413, a first chuck is formed by several staggered protrusions and grooves; a second chuck is correspondingly provided at the locking rod end of the locking block 415.

[0039] Under normal conditions, the elastic element 416 pulls the locking block 415 to move towards the inner wall of the center hole of the adjusting rod 413, so that the second chuck and the first chuck at the end of the first support rod 406 engage with each other, thereby locking the relative rotation of the adjusting rod 413 and the first support rod 406, and keeping the angle of the blade 410 fixed.

[0040] When the blade angle needs to be adjusted, pull the locking block 415 outward to cause the elastic element 416 to deform elastically until the second chuck disengages from the first chuck. At this time, rotate the locking rod at the outer end of the locking block 415. Under the limiting action of the locking groove, the adjusting rod 413 is driven to rotate. At this time, the active adjusting wheel 414 rotates synchronously with the adjusting rod 413, and through the meshing transmission with each driven adjusting wheel 412, drives all blades 410 to deflect synchronously, thereby changing the blade angle. After the adjustment is completed, release the locking block 415. The elastic element 416 returns to its original position and pulls the locking block 415 inward. The second chuck re-engages with the first chuck, locking the adjusting rod 413, and the angle of the blade 410 is fixed.

[0041] With the above structure, the angle of the classifying wheel blades can be easily and precisely adjusted without disassembling the equipment, thereby changing the cutting particle size of the air separation and meeting the different requirements of different spice categories for powder fineness.

[0042] Example 3, As a further improvement of the present invention, this embodiment provides a control system and automatic control method for the above-mentioned spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device.

[0043] The control system includes a controller (preferably a PLC programmable logic controller), a gas flow meter, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a frequency converter. The gas flow meter is installed on the inlet pipe of the high-pressure, low-temperature gas flow; the temperature sensor is installed inside the crushing chamber and the separation chamber; the pressure sensor is installed on the inlet pipe of the high-pressure, low-temperature gas flow; and the frequency converter is electrically connected to the drive motor of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 and the power unit 403 of the separation mechanism 400.

[0044] First, the control system controls the intake airflow in real time based on temperature detection. The airflow pulverizing mechanism 300 has one or more temperature sensors inside its pulverizing chamber for real-time monitoring of the ambient temperature. A flow regulating valve is located at the inlet 303 of the high-pressure, low-temperature airflow. The opening of the flow regulating valve and the feedback signal from the temperature sensors form a temperature control loop. The control system adjusts the opening of the flow regulating valve in real-time using a PID controller based on a preset target temperature value (preferably -20℃ to -60℃): when the measured temperature is higher than the target temperature, the flow rate of the high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen is automatically increased; when the measured temperature is lower than the target temperature, the flow rate of the high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen is automatically decreased. Through this closed-loop temperature control, the ambient temperature inside the pulverizing chamber is consistently maintained within the set target temperature range.

[0045] Secondly, the gas-solid ratio entering the pulverizing chamber is controlled by the control system. The gas-to-solid ratio (GPR) is the ratio of the mass flow rate of high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen gas entering the grinding chamber to the mass of spices fed into the grinding chamber per unit time. The GPR is controlled within the range of 0.5 to 3.0 (mass ratio). Specifically, for low-density spices such as Sichuan pepper with high volatile oil content, the GPR is preferably controlled between 0.8 and 1.5; for high-density spices such as black pepper and cinnamon, the GPR is preferably controlled between 1.5 and 2.5. The control system, based on the preset GPR target value, collects gas flow rate and feed rate signals in real time. Through a PID controller, it adjusts the opening of the flow regulating valve (i.e., the regulating valve where the air inlet 303 is located) and the speed of the drive motor to maintain the actual GPR near the target value. When the temperature inside the grinding chamber rises due to the grinding process, the control system automatically increases the gas flow rate to enhance cooling, while simultaneously adjusting the feed rate to maintain a constant GPR.

[0046] Finally, the speed of the grading wheel is controlled by the control system. The grading wheel speed is adjusted by the power unit 403. A higher speed results in greater centrifugal force, allowing for smaller particle sizes to pass through. After the grading wheel speed is determined, the feeding rate of the quantitative feeding mechanism 200 needs to be adjusted to the optimal value matching that speed. The control system has a pre-stored table of grading wheel speeds and optimal feeding rates for different spice types. After the operator selects the material type and inputs the target particle size, the control system automatically retrieves the corresponding speed and feeding rate values, enabling one-click parameter configuration.

[0047] Example 4, like Figure 15 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for low-temperature pulverization of spices. This method uses a low-temperature pulverization device for preserving flavor components as described in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, and specifically includes the following steps: S1: The spices to be crushed are sent to the pretreatment unit 100 for low-temperature pretreatment; Specifically, the spices to be pulverized (such as Sichuan peppercorns, black pepper, cinnamon, etc.) are fed into the tank of the pretreatment unit 100. Low-temperature nitrogen gas (formed from liquid nitrogen through vaporization) is introduced into the tank, while simultaneously activating the stirring mechanism to tumble the spices within the tank, ensuring thorough contact with the low-temperature nitrogen. The flow rate of the introduced low-temperature nitrogen is controlled to gradually lower the temperature inside the tank below the brittleness point of the spices, maintaining this temperature for 5–30 minutes. Taking Sichuan peppercorns as an example, it is preferable to lower the temperature to -20℃ to -40℃ and maintain this temperature for 10–20 minutes to brittle the peppercorns completely.

[0048] S2: The spices that have undergone low-temperature pretreatment are quantitatively fed into the grinding chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300 through the quantitative feeding mechanism 200; Specifically, the spices, after low-temperature pretreatment, are quantitatively fed into the grinding chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300 via a quantitative feeding mechanism 200. By controlling the speed of the drive motor, the speed of the screw shaft is precisely controlled, thereby controlling the feeding amount per unit time and ensuring the stability of the gas-solid ratio within the grinding chamber.

[0049] S3: High-pressure, low-temperature airflow is introduced into the pulverizing chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism 300, causing the spices to move at high speed and collide with each other under the action of the high-pressure, low-temperature airflow, thereby achieving pulverization; Specifically, high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen gas is introduced into the grinding chamber of the airflow grinding mechanism 300. For example, the temperature of the high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen gas is controlled between -20℃ and -60℃, and the pressure is controlled between 0.6MPa and 1.0MPa. Driven by the high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen gas, the spices move at high speed within the grinding chamber, and the particles collide, rub, and shear against each other, achieving grinding. During the grinding process, high-pressure, low-temperature nitrogen gas is continuously introduced to maintain the ambient temperature within the grinding chamber between -20℃ and -60℃.

[0050] S4: The pulverized spice powder enters the separation mechanism 400 with the airflow, and is classified by air separation through the screening adjustment component to obtain spice powder that meets the particle size requirements; Specifically, the pulverized spice powder enters the separation mechanism 400 with the airflow and is classified by air separation through the sieving adjustment component. Fine powder passes through the gaps between the blades 410 of the classifying wheel and enters the interior of the classifying wheel, and is discharged through the hollow center hole of the second support rod 411; coarse particles that do not meet the fineness requirements are thrown back into the pulverizing chamber by the classifying wheel for further pulverization, forming a closed-loop cycle. By adjusting the rotation speed of the power device 403 to change the centrifugal force of the classifying wheel, or by adjusting the angle of the blades 410 to change the cutting particle size, spice powder that meets the particle size requirements can be obtained. Preferably, the finished particle size is controlled to be between 200 mesh and 600 mesh.

[0051] S5: Spices powder that meet the particle size requirements are discharged and collected by the discharge mechanism 500.

[0052] Specifically, spice powder that meets the particle size requirements is discharged through the discharge mechanism 500 with the airflow and finally flows into the external cyclone separator for gas-solid separation and collection.

[0053] The above description is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made under the technical spirit of the present invention should fall within the patent scope covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for spices to retain flavor components, characterized in that, include: The pretreatment unit performs low-temperature pretreatment on the spices to be crushed; A quantitative feeding mechanism, the feed end of which is connected to the discharge port of the pretreatment mechanism; The airflow pulverizing mechanism has its feed end connected to the discharge port of the quantitative feeding mechanism. High-pressure, low-temperature airflow is introduced into the airflow pulverizing mechanism. The high-pressure, low-temperature airflow blows the spices inside at high speed, causing them to collide with each other and thus pulverize them. The separation mechanism is located at the discharge port of the airflow pulverizing mechanism to classify the spice powder discharged with the airflow. The separation mechanism is equipped with a sieving adjustment component, which can adjust the particle size of the spice powder separated by airflow. The discharge mechanism discharges the spice powder separated by air separation from the separation mechanism; The pretreatment mechanism, quantitative feeding mechanism, airflow pulverizing mechanism, separation mechanism, and discharge mechanism are all sealed connections.

2. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pretreatment mechanism includes a tank and an internal agitation mechanism. Low-temperature gas is introduced into the tank, and the spices temporarily stored in the tank are pretreated at low temperature by the low-temperature gas and the agitation mechanism.

3. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 2, characterized in that, The quantitative feeding mechanism includes a spiral feeding tube and a spiral shaft rotatably disposed inside the spiral feeding tube. The top of one end of the spiral feeding tube is connected to the bottom of the tank of the pretreatment mechanism, and the bottom of the other end of the spiral feeding tube is connected to the airflow pulverizing mechanism. The spiral shaft is driven to rotate by a drive motor on the outside of the end of the spiral feeding tube.

4. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airflow pulverizing mechanism includes a cylindrical pulverizing disc with a hollow interior forming a pulverizing chamber. A feed port connected to a quantitative feeding mechanism and an air inlet for introducing high-pressure, low-temperature airflow are provided on the cylindrical surface of the pulverizing disc. A connection port connected to a separation mechanism is provided on the top cross-section of the pulverizing disc.

5. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 4, characterized in that, The separation mechanism includes a separation chamber formed by the fastening of a lower cover and an upper cover, and a sieving adjustment assembly. The lower end of the lower cover has a tapered concave structure, and its small end is connected to the connection port of the airflow pulverizing mechanism. The upper end of the lower cover is cylindrical. A semi-circular groove is correspondingly opened on the joint surface of the lower cover and the upper cover. After the two are fastened together, a circular through hole is formed for the support rod to pass through. The sieving adjustment assembly is rotatably installed in the circular through hole through the support rod.

6. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 5, characterized in that, The screening adjustment assembly includes a grading wheel and a power device for driving the grading wheel to rotate. The grading wheel specifically includes a first disc and a second disc arranged parallel to each other and fixed together by a connecting rod. Several blades are installed in a circumferential distribution between the first disc and the second disc, and the blades are connected between the two discs by blade shafts. A first support rod and a second support rod are provided at the center of the outer end face of the first disc and the second disc. The first support rod and the second support rod enable the grading wheel to be placed horizontally in the separation chamber and keep rotating. The first support rod and the second support rod are both hollow rods with their central holes passing through the first disc and the second disc, respectively. The ends of the first support rod and the second support rod extend outside the separation chamber. The power device is located outside the separation chamber and is connected to any one of the support rods through a gear transmission mechanism. The outer end of the other support rod is connected to the discharge mechanism.

7. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 6, characterized in that, The power unit is a variable frequency drive motor, with a drive gear mounted on the output shaft and a driven gear meshing with the drive gear on the outer end of the first support rod outside the separation chamber, forming a gear transmission mechanism.

8. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 6, characterized in that, The blade shaft is rotatably mounted between the first and second wheel disks. A driven adjusting wheel is provided at the position of the central rod of each blade near the first wheel disk. An adjusting rod is rotatably installed in the central hole of the first support rod. One end of the adjusting rod extends to the inner side of the first wheel disk, and an active adjusting wheel that meshes with the driven adjusting wheel of each blade is provided on the outside of the adjusting rod. The other end of the adjusting rod extends to the outside of the first support rod to form an outer end. A central hole is opened on the outer end of the adjusting rod. A groove is opened on the circumference of the inner wall of the central hole of the adjusting rod. A locking block is installed in the central hole of the adjusting rod through an elastic element. A locking rod passing through the locking groove of the adjusting rod is provided at the outer end of the locking block. A chuck is formed by several staggered protrusions and grooves on the end of the first support rod near the outer end of the adjusting rod. A chuck is provided on the opposite surface of the locking rod of the locking block and the first support rod. When the locking rod of the locking block contacts the end of the first support rod, the two chucks engage together to achieve fixation.

9. The spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing device for preserving flavor components according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-pressure cryogenic gas flow is cryogenic nitrogen gas formed by the vaporization of liquid nitrogen.

10. A method for low-temperature pulverizing of spices using the spice quantitative low-temperature pulverizing apparatus for preserving flavor components as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: The spices to be crushed are sent to the pretreatment unit for low-temperature pretreatment; S2: The spices that have undergone low-temperature pretreatment are quantitatively fed into the grinding chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism through a quantitative feeding mechanism; S3: High-pressure, low-temperature airflow is introduced into the pulverizing chamber of the airflow pulverizing mechanism, causing the spices to move at high speed and collide with each other under the action of the high-pressure, low-temperature airflow, thereby achieving pulverization; S4: The pulverized spice powder enters the separation mechanism with the airflow, and is classified by air separation through the screening adjustment component to obtain spice powder that meets the particle size requirements; S5: Spices that meet the particle size requirements are discharged and collected by the discharge mechanism.

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