Multi-heat source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of agricultural product processing and drying machinery, and discloses a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system, which comprises a feeding module, a drying main body module, a multi-heat-source supply module, a material driving module, a discharging module and a control module, the multi-heat-source supply module is integrated with a microwave, a heat pump and an auxiliary heat source, the drying main body module is internally provided with a rotatable material bearing component, and each module is uniformly controlled and operated by the control module. The present application can complete the continuous drying operation of agricultural materials by monitoring the temperature, humidity, water content and drying time, starting and stopping the heat source according to the threshold value, adjusting the heat pump air volume, microwave power and transmission speed, and combining the heat recovery and continuous conveying structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural product processing and drying machinery technology, and more specifically, to a continuous drying system for agricultural materials with multiple heat source conversion. Background Technology

[0002] Post-harvest drying of agricultural materials is crucial for reducing post-harvest losses of grains and cash crops and extending their storage life. The integrated application of green energy and efficient drying technology has become an industry trend. Agricultural production places higher demands on the adaptability, energy efficiency, and continuous operation capability of drying equipment. Multi-heat source synergy, waste heat recovery, and intelligent control have become the core directions for the research and development of drying systems.

[0003] In the prior art, the multi-heat source drying method disclosed in CN113712220A can improve drying quality and efficiency and reduce energy consumption, but infrared and ultraviolet rays may damage fruits and vegetables; the multi-heat source adaptive system of CN111707058A can adaptively adjust the ambient temperature and improve energy utilization, but it occupies a large space; the steam heat source drying system of CN116538793A can perform stepped heating and improve efficiency, but system maintenance requires professional personnel; the multi-heat source controllable drying device of CN115585648A can meet the drying needs of agricultural and forestry products, but the control system has high requirements and the drying quality is prone to instability; the microwave infrared hot air rolling drying equipment of CN114739123A can dry quickly and evenly, but there is a risk of local overheating for some materials.

[0004] In summary, although the equipment and systems involved in the above-mentioned "multi-heat source heating" method integrate multiple heat sources and complex control mechanisms, they increase costs and operational difficulty, and may pose challenges in terms of maintenance convenience, system stability, and long-term operational reliability.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to design a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system that eliminates heat sources such as infrared, ultraviolet, and steam, and removes large heat exchange and water storage components. It adopts integrated and decoupled control logic, combined with intelligent adjustment, and solves the technical problems of existing technologies such as easy material damage, large footprint, high maintenance difficulty, high control requirements, unstable drying quality, and local overheating. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the present invention proposes a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system, which aims to solve the technical problems of easy material damage, high maintenance difficulty, high control requirements, unstable drying quality, and local overheating in the prior art by adopting integrated and decoupled control logic and intelligent adjustment.

[0007] This invention proposes a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system, comprising: The feeding module is used to transport agricultural materials; The main drying module is connected to the feeding module and is used to receive agricultural materials and dry them. The main drying module is also used to discharge the hot and humid exhaust gas and the dried agricultural materials after drying. A multi-heat source supply module is connected to the drying main module and is used to provide the heat energy required for the drying process. The multi-heat source supply module includes a microwave heat source unit, a heat pump heat source unit and an auxiliary heat source unit. A material driving module, connected to the drying main module, is used to drive the drying main module; The discharge module is connected to the main drying module and is used to receive the dried agricultural materials discharged from the main drying module. The control module is connected to the feeding module, the drying main module, the multi-heat source supply module, the discharge module, and the material drive module, respectively, and is used to monitor the operating parameters of each module and adjust the working status of each module.

[0008] Furthermore, the drying main module includes a microwave cavity component and a material carrying component. The microwave cavity component is used to form a closed drying space, and the material carrying component is rotatably connected to both ends of the microwave cavity component. The material carrying component is used to carry agricultural materials.

[0009] Furthermore, the microwave heat source unit is used to perform microwave drying treatment on agricultural materials inside the microwave cavity component; The heat pump heat source unit includes a heat pump main unit, a heat pump air inlet, and a heat pump air outlet. The heat pump main unit is connected to the microwave cavity component through the heat pump air inlet and delivers dry hot air into the microwave cavity component. The microwave cavity component discharges humid and hot exhaust gas through the heat pump air outlet. The auxiliary heating unit is connected to the heat pump outlet and is used to receive humid and hot exhaust gas and perform heat recovery treatment on the humid and hot exhaust gas. The auxiliary heating unit is also used to return the heat-recovered air to the microwave cavity component and perform secondary heating on the dry hot air in the microwave cavity component.

[0010] Furthermore, the material driving module includes a power component and a transmission component. One end of the transmission component is connected to the power component, and the other end is connected to the material carrying component of the drying main module. The power component drives the material carrying component to move through the transmission component, thereby driving the agricultural materials to move.

[0011] Furthermore, the control module includes a monitoring component and an adjustment component; The monitoring components include a temperature monitoring component, a humidity monitoring component, and a material moisture content monitoring component; The monitoring component is used to monitor the operating parameters of each module, wherein: The temperature monitoring component is used to monitor the air temperature data of each module in real time; The humidity monitoring component is used to monitor the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying main module in real time. The moisture content monitoring component is used to monitor the moisture content data of agricultural materials in the drying main module in real time. The adjustment component is used to adjust the working status of each module based on the monitoring data of the real-time monitoring component.

[0012] Furthermore, the adjustment component is connected to the microwave heat source unit, the heat pump heat source unit, and the auxiliary heat source unit, respectively. The adjustment component adjusts the operating status of each module according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component, including: The regulating component adjusts the operating status of the auxiliary heat source unit and the heat pump heat source unit based on the air temperature data within the drying main module and a preset temperature threshold, wherein: When the air temperature in the drying module is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, the adjustment component activates the auxiliary heat source unit to preheat the air in the microwave cavity component. When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the first preset temperature threshold, the regulating component shuts down the auxiliary heat source unit and starts the heat pump heat source unit and microwave heat source unit in stages.

[0013] Furthermore, the regulating component initiates the heat pump heat source unit and the microwave heat source unit in stages, including: When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the first preset temperature threshold, the adjustment component first starts the heat pump heat source unit to preheat the material carrying component; When the air temperature data in the main drying module reaches the second preset temperature threshold, the adjustment component starts the microwave heat source unit. If the air temperature data in the main drying module still does not reach the third preset temperature threshold after the heat pump heat source unit has been running for a first preset time, the adjustment component starts the auxiliary heat source unit again. When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the third preset temperature threshold, the regulating component shuts off the auxiliary heat source unit. If the air temperature data in the drying main module is higher than the third preset temperature threshold after a second preset duration, the regulating component controls the heat pump host to reduce the output power. The first preset temperature threshold is less than the second preset temperature threshold, which is less than the third preset temperature threshold. The first preset duration is less than the second preset duration.

[0014] Furthermore, the adjustment component adjusts the working state of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, and also includes: When the air temperature data within the drying main module remains above a third preset temperature threshold for a second preset duration. If the moisture content of the agricultural material in the drying main module is higher than the preset moisture content, the adjustment component controls the microwave heat source unit to increase the microwave output power. If the moisture content of the agricultural material in the drying module is lower than the preset moisture content, the adjustment component controls the microwave heat source unit to reduce the microwave output power.

[0015] Furthermore, the adjustment component adjusts the working state of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, and also includes: When the air temperature data within the drying module remains below or equal to a third preset temperature threshold for a second preset duration, If the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying main module is higher than the preset humidity threshold, the adjustment component controls the heat pump host to increase the output air volume; When the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying module is lower than the preset humidity threshold, the regulating component controls the heat pump host to reduce the output air volume.

[0016] Furthermore, the monitoring component also includes a quality monitoring component for real-time monitoring of the drying quality of agricultural materials in the discharge module and a drying time monitoring component; The adjustment component is connected to the transmission component; The adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component, and also includes: The regulating component calculates the drying rate of agricultural materials based on real-time monitored moisture content data, drying time data, and material quality data. When the drying rate of the agricultural material is less than a preset material drying rate threshold, the adjustment component increases the transmission rate of the current transmission component; When the drying rate of the agricultural material reaches a preset material drying rate threshold, the adjustment component maintains the current transmission rate of the transmission component.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention forms a complete continuous drying architecture by setting up a feeding module, a drying main module, a multi-heat source supply module, a material driving module, a discharge module, and a control module. It adopts a combination of microwave heat source, heat pump heat source, and auxiliary heat source supply, which can be flexibly switched and adjusted according to operating parameters. It replaces the traditional single heat source and infrared and ultraviolet heat sources that are easy to damage materials, and can adapt to the drying needs of various agricultural materials such as grains, fruits and vegetables, and medicinal materials, thus expanding the system's applicability. The modules work together to achieve continuous feeding, continuous drying, and continuous discharge. The material driving module drives the material to move evenly, effectively avoiding the sliding accumulation and uneven heating problems caused by traditional circular drums. At the same time, the recovery and circulation of wet and hot exhaust gas improves energy utilization and reduces heat loss. The control module monitors and adjusts the operating status of each module in real time, simplifying the system structure and control logic, reducing maintenance difficulty, improving operational stability, and avoiding defects such as local overheating of materials and unstable drying quality. Overall, it achieves efficient, energy-saving, stable, and safe continuous drying of agricultural materials. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front structural schematic diagram of a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a microwave drum dryer main unit of a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a microwave source magnetron for a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the layout of the auxiliary heat source unit of a multi-heat source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; The components are as follows: 1-Heat pump main unit; 2-Heat pump air outlet; 3-Transmission assembly; 4-Feed hopper; 5-Feed auger; 6-Auger bracket; 7-Base bracket; 8-Microwave suppressor; 9-Microwave source magnetron; 10-Quadrilateral PTFE roller; 11-Heat pump air inlet; 12-Roller frame; 13-Rotation support; 14-Feed hopper; 15-Microwave cavity components; 16-Recirculation assembly; 17-Auxiliary heat source unit. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Reference Figure 1 In some embodiments of this application, the present invention proposes a multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system, comprising: a feeding module, a drying main module, a multi-heat-source supply module, a material driving module, a discharging module, and a control module.

[0021] The feeding module is used to transport agricultural materials; The main drying module, connected to the feeding module, is used to receive agricultural materials and dry them. The main drying module is also used to discharge the hot and humid exhaust gas after drying and the dried agricultural materials. Specifically, the drying main module includes a microwave cavity component 15 and a material carrying component. The microwave cavity component 15 is used to form a closed drying space, and the material carrying component is rotatably connected to both ends of the microwave cavity component 15. The material carrying component 15 is used to carry agricultural materials.

[0022] Reference Figure 2-6 As shown, in some specific embodiments of this application, the drying main module further includes a base support 7, a microwave cavity component 15 is disposed on the base support 7, and a material carrying component is disposed inside the microwave cavity component 15.

[0023] It is worth noting that the material-bearing component is a quadrilateral microwave drum dryer made of microwave-penetrating material. The agricultural materials inside the material-bearing component undergo lifting, sliding, and tumbling during rotation. The material-bearing component can be a quadrilateral PTFE drum 10.

[0024] It is worth noting that the microwave cavity component 15 adopts a three-layer composite structure: the inner layer is a mirror-polished 304 stainless steel reflector, which is used to reflect microwaves and prevent corrosion; the middle layer is a nano-aerogel heat insulation layer, which is composed of multiple layers of nano-aerogel felt, effectively blocking heat loss; and the outer layer is a powder-coated carbon steel protective shell.

[0025] It is worth noting that the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 is mounted on both ends inside the microwave cavity component 15 via the roller frame 12 and the rotary support 13.

[0026] It is worth noting that the feeding module includes a feeding hopper 4, a feeding auger 5, and an auger support 6. The auger shaft of the feeding auger 5 extends into the front end of the material carrying component. Understandably, the material storage chamber is rectangular, and during the drying and rolling process, the material does not rotate with the chamber but falls freely. This design facilitates the tumbling of the material during the drying process, ensuring uniform drying of all parts of the material. It also promotes full contact between the hot air and the material, improving heat energy utilization.

[0027] It is worth noting that several sets of microwave source magnetrons 9 are arrayed on the top and side walls of the microwave cavity component 15. The microwave source emits microwaves into the cavity through a rectangular waveguide feed port, and a PTFE sealing plate is provided at the waveguide port to prevent dust from entering the waveguide.

[0028] Understandably, the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 lies horizontally inside the microwave cavity component 15. The quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 is made of high-strength polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sheet welded together. PTFE material has an extremely low dielectric loss factor and is "transparent" to microwaves, ensuring that microwaves can penetrate the roller wall and directly act on the internal materials. Simultaneously, it has good temperature resistance (up to 260℃), a low surface friction coefficient, and is not prone to material adhesion. The roller's cross-section is designed as a regular quadrilateral structure. Compared to traditional circular rollers, the quadrilateral structure forces the material to undergo a discontinuous motion of "lifting-sliding-tumbling" during rotation, breaking the laminar sliding of the material at the circular bottom. This greatly improves the mixing uniformity of the material with the microwave field and hot air, avoiding localized overheating.

[0029] The multi-heat source supply module is connected to the main drying module and is used to provide the heat energy required for the drying process. The multi-heat source supply module includes a microwave heat source unit, a heat pump heat source unit and an auxiliary heat source unit. Specifically, the microwave heat source unit is used to microwave dry agricultural materials inside the microwave cavity component 15. The heat pump heat source unit includes a heat pump host 1, a heat pump air inlet 11 and a heat pump air outlet 2. The heat pump host 1 is connected to the microwave cavity component 15 through the heat pump air inlet 11 and delivers dry hot air into the microwave cavity component 15. The microwave cavity component 15 discharges humid and hot exhaust gas through the heat pump air outlet 2. The auxiliary heating unit 17 is connected to the heat pump outlet 2 and is used to receive humid and hot exhaust gas and perform heat recovery treatment on the humid and hot exhaust gas. The auxiliary heating unit 17 is also used to return the air after heat recovery treatment to the microwave cavity component 15 and perform secondary heating on the dry hot air in the microwave cavity component 15. It is worth noting that the microwave heat source unit includes several microwave generators, which are arrayed and installed on the top and side walls of the microwave cavity component 15. The heat pump inlet 11 is located on one side of the microwave cavity component 15, and the heat pump outlet 2 is located on the side of the microwave cavity component 15 away from the heat pump inlet 11.

[0030] It is worth noting that the auxiliary heating unit 17 includes a heat exchange component and a reflux component 16. The heat exchange component receives the humid and hot exhaust gas discharged from the microwave cavity component 15, and performs condensation, dehumidification, and heating treatment on the humid and hot exhaust gas to obtain heated air. The reflux component 16 is used to return the heated air to the microwave cavity component 15 for secondary heating of the dry hot air. The heat exchange component can be a finned electric heating tube or a steam heat exchanger.

[0031] It is worth noting that the heat pump outlet 2, heat exchange component, reflux component 16 and microwave cavity component 15 are connected in sequence to form a circulating whole.

[0032] In this embodiment, the heat pump host 1 outputs dry hot air with a temperature of 45-75℃ and a humidity of less than 20% to the microwave cavity component 15. The humid and hot exhaust gas flows back to the steam heat exchanger through the heat pump outlet 2 to achieve dehumidification, reheating and latent heat recovery.

[0033] Understandably, the embodiments of this invention abandon heat source forms that are prone to damaging materials or bulky systems, and select three major technical bases: microwave energy, heat pump, and hot air. Microwave energy utilizes dielectric heating characteristics to achieve volumetric heating of materials "from the inside out," alleviating the problem of "surface crusting" caused by traditional hot air, and has high electrothermal conversion efficiency and energy saving. The heat pump is based on the reverse Carnot cycle, with obvious advantages in "energy transport" and high energy efficiency ratio. It can also simultaneously complete the condensation and dehumidification of exhaust humid air, realizing the dual recovery of latent heat and sensible heat of the drying medium, which is an ultra-low energy consumption technology. Hot air, as a "moisture-carrying and dehumidifying" medium, removes free moisture from the surface of the material, maintains the humidity difference, and integrates multiple high-efficiency and energy-saving drying energy sources to achieve continuous drying of agricultural materials.

[0034] The material driving module is connected to the drying main module and is used to drive the drying main module; Specifically, the material driving module includes a power component and a transmission component 3. One end of the transmission component 3 is connected to the power component, and the other end is connected to the material carrying component of the drying main module. The power component drives the material carrying component to move through the transmission component 3, thereby driving the agricultural materials to move. It is worth noting that the power component can be a variable frequency motor, and the transmission component 3 can be a sprocket and a chain. The sprocket connects to one end of the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10, which is driven to rotate by the variable frequency motor via the chain.

[0035] The discharge module is connected to the main drying module and is used to receive the dried agricultural materials discharged from the main drying module. It is worth noting that the discharge module includes a discharge hopper 14, which is connected to the microwave cavity component 15. Microwave suppressors 8 are provided at the connection points between the microwave cavity component 15 and the feeding auger 5 and the discharge hopper 14. The microwave suppressor 8 has a 1 / 4 wavelength choke groove inside.

[0036] The control module is connected to the feeding module, the drying main module, the multi-heat source supply module, the circulating heat exchange module, the discharge module, and the material drive module, respectively, and is used to monitor the operating parameters of each module and adjust the working status of each module.

[0037] Specifically, the control module includes monitoring components and adjustment components; The monitoring components include temperature monitoring components, humidity monitoring components, and material moisture content monitoring components; The monitoring component is used to monitor the operating parameters of each module, including: The temperature monitoring component is used to monitor the air temperature data of each module in real time; The humidity monitoring component is used to monitor the surface humidity data of agricultural materials within the drying module in real time. The moisture content monitoring component is used to monitor the moisture content data of agricultural materials in the main drying module in real time; The adjustment component is used to adjust the working status of each module based on the monitoring data from the real-time monitoring component.

[0038] It is worth noting that the regulating component is equipped with a PID closed-loop algorithm, the monitoring component is a combination of multi-source sensors, the temperature monitoring component can be an infrared temperature sensor or a thermocouple; the humidity monitoring component can be a humidity sensor; and the material moisture content monitoring component can be an infrared moisture sensor.

[0039] In this embodiment, a set of monitoring components is set at each of the four inlet hoppers, the microwave cavity component 15, and the four outlet hoppers, forming a three-point monitoring system.

[0040] Specifically, the regulating component is connected to the microwave heat source unit, the heat pump heat source unit, and the auxiliary heat source unit, respectively. The regulating component adjusts the operating status of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, including: The regulating component adjusts the operating status of the auxiliary heat source unit and the heat pump heat source unit based on the air temperature data within the main drying module and a preset temperature threshold, wherein: When the air temperature inside the drying module is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, the regulating component activates the auxiliary heat source unit to preheat the air inside the microwave cavity component 15 and increase the internal temperature of the cavity. When the air temperature data in the main drying module reaches the first preset temperature threshold, the regulating component shuts down the auxiliary heat source unit and starts the heat pump heat source unit and microwave heat source unit in stages.

[0041] In this embodiment, the temperature monitoring component collects data at a frequency of 1 time per second.

[0042] It is understandable that this embodiment divides the system operation stages by preset temperature thresholds: when the system starts up, the cavity temperature is too low to meet the drying start conditions, so the auxiliary heat source unit is used to quickly heat up to complete the preheating; when the temperature reaches the preset benchmark, the auxiliary heat source unit is turned off and switched to a high-efficiency and energy-saving heat pump and microwave combined heat source, which not only ensures that the drying start temperature meets the standard, but also avoids excessive energy consumption caused by the long-term operation of the auxiliary heat source. At the same time, the staged start-up can prevent the cavity temperature from running out of control and the material from being heated unevenly due to the simultaneous operation of multiple heat sources.

[0043] Specifically, the regulating components activate the heat pump heat source unit and the microwave heat source unit in stages, including: When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the first preset temperature threshold, the regulating component first starts the heat pump heat source unit to preheat the material carrying component; When the air temperature data in the main drying module reaches the second preset temperature threshold, the regulating component starts the microwave heat source unit. If the air temperature data in the main drying module still does not reach the third preset temperature threshold after the heat pump heat source unit has been running for the first preset time, the regulating component will start the auxiliary heat source unit again to supplement heat and accelerate the temperature rise. When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the third preset temperature threshold, the regulating component shuts down the auxiliary heat source unit and enters a stable drying state. If the air temperature data in the drying main module is higher than the third preset temperature threshold after a second preset duration, the regulating component controls the heat pump host 1 to reduce the output power, slow down the temperature rise trend, and bring the cavity temperature back to the target range. The first preset temperature threshold is less than the second preset temperature threshold, which is less than the third preset temperature threshold. The first preset duration is less than the second preset duration.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first preset temperature threshold is set to 5°C, and the second preset temperature threshold is set to 45°C. The third preset temperature threshold is set to 60℃, the first preset duration is set to 10 minutes, and the second preset duration is set to 5 minutes. The heat pump output power adjustment range is 40%–100%. As is understandable, this embodiment uses temperature as the core control variable, and introduces heat sources in stages. First, a heat pump is used to complete low-energy air supply and dehumidification, and then microwaves are used to achieve internal heating. In low-temperature environments or when the temperature rise is insufficient, auxiliary heat sources are automatically supplemented, and the auxiliary heat sources are cut off to save energy after the target temperature is reached. When continuous overheating occurs, the heat pump power is reduced to maintain temperature stability. This method can avoid heat source impact, local overheating, and energy waste, and ensure stable temperature during the continuous drying process.

[0045] Specifically, the adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, and also includes: When the air temperature data within the drying module remains above a third preset temperature threshold for a second preset duration... If the moisture content of agricultural materials in the drying module is higher than the preset moisture content, the adjusting component controls the microwave heat source unit to increase the microwave output power. If the moisture content of agricultural materials in the drying module is lower than the preset moisture content, the regulating component controls the microwave heat source unit to reduce the microwave output power.

[0046] In this embodiment, the preset moisture content is set to 15%, and the microwave output power adjustment range is 30%–100%.

[0047] It is understandable that this embodiment uses the continuous overheating of the drying module as the trigger condition, and matches the microwave output power with the real-time moisture content of the material. Microwaves are used to dielectrically heat the moisture inside the material. When the temperature exceeds the limit and the moisture content of the material is high, increasing the microwave power can accelerate the internal moisture migration speed and shorten the drying cycle. When the temperature exceeds the limit and the moisture content of the material is low, reducing the microwave power can reduce the accumulation of heat inside the material, avoid overheating, charring, and damage to nutrients, and make the drying process compatible with the dehydration state of the material, thereby improving the uniformity and stability of drying.

[0048] Specifically, the adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, and also includes: When the air temperature data within the drying module remains below or equal to a third preset temperature threshold for a second preset duration, If the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying module is higher than the preset humidity threshold, the regulating component controls the heat pump host 1 to increase the output air volume. When the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying module is lower than the preset humidity threshold, the regulating component controls the heat pump host 1 to reduce the output air volume.

[0049] In this embodiment, the preset humidity threshold is set to 12%, and the heat pump output air volume adjustment range is set to 30%–100%.

[0050] Understandably, in this embodiment, when the temperature within the main drying module is within a stable and acceptable range, the surface humidity of the agricultural materials is used as the core adjustment criterion, and the heat pump outputs airflow to carry away and remove moisture from the material surface. When the surface humidity is high, increasing the airflow can accelerate moisture removal and improve the drying rate; when the surface humidity is low, reducing the airflow can reduce airflow disturbance and energy consumption, while avoiding problems such as uneven water loss and surface cracking caused by excessive air sweeping. This ensures that the dehumidification intensity matches the current dehydration state of the material, guaranteeing drying uniformity and system energy efficiency.

[0051] Specifically, the monitoring components also include a quality monitoring component for real-time monitoring of the drying quality of agricultural materials in the discharge module and a drying time monitoring component; The adjusting component is connected to the transmission component 3; The adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, and also includes: The regulating component calculates the drying rate of agricultural materials based on real-time monitored moisture content data, drying time data, and material quality data. When the drying rate of agricultural materials is less than the preset material drying rate threshold, the regulating component increases the transmission rate of the current transmission component 3. When the drying rate of agricultural materials reaches the preset material drying rate threshold, the regulating component maintains the current transmission rate of the transmission component 3.

[0052] It is worth noting that the adjustment component is based on the formula: Real-time calculation of drying rate; In this embodiment, the preset material drying rate threshold is set to 0.5% / min, and the transmission speed adjustment range is 3r / min to 6r / min. When the drying rate of agricultural materials is lower than the preset threshold, it indicates that the current drying intensity is insufficient or the material dehydration characteristics have entered a slowdown phase. The adjustment component increases the transmission speed of the transmission component 3, accelerates the tumbling speed of the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10, and ensures that the material fully contacts the hot air flow and completes effective dehydration. When the drying rate reaches the threshold, the current rotation speed is maintained.

[0053] It is worth noting that the quality monitoring component uses online weighing sensors, located at the inlet of the feeding module and the outlet of the discharging module, to calculate the change in absolute moisture content of the material during the drying process through differential calculation. The drying time monitoring component records the real-time time taken for the material to travel from entering the main drying module to reaching the discharging module, and calculates the instantaneous drying rate by combining this with the change in moisture content. The regulating component has a built-in drying rate prediction model. This model integrates the initial moisture content of the material, the current moisture content, the temperature of the drying medium, and the airflow parameters, dynamically correcting the preset threshold to enable feedforward control of the transmission rate regulation, reducing the fluctuation in drying quality caused by lag response.

[0054] Understandably, this embodiment uses the real-time moisture content of the material, drying time, and material mass as the basis for calculation. The drying rate is calculated uniformly by adjusting the components, and the drying rate is used as the core evaluation index to adjust the transmission speed of the transmission component 3. Increasing the transmission speed increases the material tumbling frequency, expands the contact area between the material and hot air / microwaves, and accelerates moisture migration and removal; decreasing the transmission speed reduces the material movement amplitude, adapting to the stable drying of materials with low moisture content. By adjusting the transmission speed according to the drying rate, the material drying intensity can be matched with the system operating state in real time, ensuring the uniformity and stability of the continuous drying process.

[0055] As can be seen, the embodiments of the present invention, through graded start-up and coupling adjustment of microwave heat source, heat pump heat source and auxiliary heat source, combined with real-time monitoring of multiple parameters such as temperature, humidity, moisture content, drying time and material quality and closed-loop calculation of drying rate, can adapt to the drying needs of different agricultural materials, avoid material damage caused by infrared, ultraviolet and other heat sources, reduce system space occupation, reduce maintenance difficulty and control complexity, prevent local overheating and uneven drying of materials, and realize heat recovery and continuous stable drying, effectively improving heat source utilization efficiency and drying operation reliability.

[0056] The specific implementation process of this invention is as follows: The system enters the initialization and preheating stage: the control module is started, and the temperature monitoring component in the monitoring component collects the ambient temperature and the air temperature inside the microwave quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 component in real time. When the detected temperature is lower than 5℃, the adjustment component automatically turns on the auxiliary heat source unit to preheat the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 and the microwave quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 component as a whole to avoid the generation of condensation inside. The system enters the feeding and drying stage: the regulating component starts the power component and transmission component 3 of the material drive module, sets the rotation speed of the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 to 3-6 r / min, and simultaneously starts the feeding auger 5 of the feeding module. The high-moisture corn material is continuously fed into the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 from the feeding hopper 4 through the feeding auger 5. When the monitoring component detects that there is material passing through the roller and the detection temperature reaches 5℃, the control module shuts down the auxiliary heat source unit and starts the heat pump host 1, and continuously delivers drying hot air into the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 through the heat pump air inlet 11.

[0057] During the adjustment component's execution phase: When the temperature monitoring component detects that the internal temperature of the microwave quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 remains below 45°C for 10 minutes, the adjustment component restarts the auxiliary heat source unit to help raise the internal temperature of the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10. When the cavity temperature reaches 45°C, the adjustment component shuts off the auxiliary heat source unit, maintains the operation of the heat pump heat source unit, and activates the microwave heat source unit. The microwave source emits microwaves that penetrate the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10, directly acting on the water molecules inside the material, generating a pump effect that rapidly squeezes and migrates the internal moisture to the material surface. The dry hot air input by the heat pump flows over the continuously tumbling material surface, quickly carrying away the moisture migrated to the material surface by the microwaves. The humid and hot exhaust gas is discharged through the heat pump outlet 2, and after condensation, dehumidification, and heat recovery by the heat exchange components of the auxiliary heat source unit, it flows back into the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 for recycling. If the internal temperature of the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 remains above 60°C for 5 minutes, the adjustment component controls the heat pump main unit 1 to reduce its output power.

[0058] The system enters the closed-loop feedback control stage: the infrared temperature sensor collects the surface temperature of the corn material in real time, the humidity sensor collects the surface humidity of the corn material in real time, the infrared moisture sensor collects the moisture content data of the corn material in real time, the online weighing sensor collects the mass data of the dried corn material in the discharge hopper 14, and the drying time monitoring component accumulates the drying time. When the moisture content of the corn material being collected is higher than 15%, the regulating component increases the output power of the microwave heat source unit; when the moisture content of the corn material being collected is lower than 15%, the regulating component decreases the output power of the microwave heat source unit. When the cavity temperature is stable at 60℃ or below, the regulating component adjusts the output air volume of the heat pump host 1 according to the surface humidity of the material. When the surface humidity of the corn material is higher than 12%, the regulating component increases the output air volume of the heat pump host 1. When the surface humidity of the corn material is lower than 12%, the regulating component decreases the output air volume of the heat pump host 1. When the drying rate is below 0.5% / min, the regulating component increases the transmission rate of the transmission component 3; when the drying rate reaches 0.5% / min, the regulating component maintains the transmission rate of the transmission component 3 unchanged. If the surface temperature of the corn material exceeds 60°C, the regulating component will automatically reduce the microwave source power or switch to pulse intermittent heating mode.

[0059] The system enters the shutdown process phase: When the drying operation is completed, the regulating component first controls the feeding module to stop feeding. After the material inside the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 is completely emptied and discharged by the discharge module, the microwave heat source unit, auxiliary heat source unit, and heat pump heat source unit are turned off in sequence. The quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 continues to rotate for 5-10 minutes under the drive of the material drive module to complete the heat dissipation and cooling of the quadrilateral PTFE roller 10 and the roller, so as to avoid deformation caused by high temperature. After the cooling is completed, the material drive module stops running, and the whole machine completes the shutdown.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program goods. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program goods embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0061] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program goods according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, as well as combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0062] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0063] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0064] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuous drying system for agricultural materials with multiple heat sources and variable heat source, characterized in that, include: The feeding module is used to transport agricultural materials; The main drying module is connected to the feeding module and is used to receive agricultural materials and dry them. The main drying module is also used to discharge the hot and humid exhaust gas and the dried agricultural materials after drying. A multi-heat source supply module is connected to the drying main module and is used to provide the heat energy required for the drying process. The multi-heat source supply module includes a microwave heat source unit, a heat pump heat source unit and an auxiliary heat source unit. A material driving module, connected to the drying main module, is used to drive the drying main module; The discharge module is connected to the main drying module and is used to receive the dried agricultural materials discharged from the main drying module. The control module is connected to the feeding module, the drying main module, the multi-heat source supply module, the discharge module, and the material drive module, respectively, and is used to monitor the operating parameters of each module and adjust the working status of each module.

2. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying main module includes a microwave cavity component and a material carrying component. The microwave cavity component is used to form a closed drying space, and the material carrying component is rotatably connected to both ends of the microwave cavity component. The material carrying component is used to carry agricultural materials.

3. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The microwave heat source unit is used to perform microwave drying on agricultural materials inside the microwave cavity component. The heat pump heat source unit includes a heat pump main unit, a heat pump air inlet, and a heat pump air outlet. The heat pump main unit is connected to the microwave cavity component through the heat pump air inlet and delivers dry hot air into the microwave cavity component. The microwave cavity component discharges humid and hot exhaust gas through the heat pump air outlet. The auxiliary heating unit is connected to the heat pump outlet and is used to receive humid and hot exhaust gas and perform heat recovery treatment on the humid and hot exhaust gas. The auxiliary heating unit is also used to return the heat-recovered air to the microwave cavity component and perform secondary heating on the dry hot air in the microwave cavity component.

4. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material driving module includes a power component and a transmission component. One end of the transmission component is connected to the power component, and the other end is connected to the material carrying component of the drying main module. The power component drives the material carrying component to move through the transmission component, thereby moving the agricultural materials.

5. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control module includes a monitoring component and an adjustment component; The monitoring components include a temperature monitoring component, a humidity monitoring component, and a material moisture content monitoring component; The monitoring component is used to monitor the operating parameters of each module, wherein: The temperature monitoring component is used to monitor the air temperature data of each module in real time; The humidity monitoring component is used to monitor the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying main module in real time. The moisture content monitoring component is used to monitor the moisture content data of agricultural materials in the drying main module in real time. The adjustment component is used to adjust the working status of each module based on the monitoring data of the real-time monitoring component.

6. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The adjustment component is connected to the microwave heat source unit, the heat pump heat source unit, and the auxiliary heat source unit, respectively. The adjustment component adjusts the operating status of each module based on the monitoring data from the monitoring component, including: The regulating component adjusts the operating status of the auxiliary heat source unit and the heat pump heat source unit based on the air temperature data within the drying main module and a preset temperature threshold, wherein: When the air temperature in the drying module is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, the adjustment component activates the auxiliary heat source unit to preheat the air in the microwave cavity component. When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the first preset temperature threshold, the regulating component shuts down the auxiliary heat source unit and starts the heat pump heat source unit and microwave heat source unit in stages.

7. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The regulating component initiates the heat pump heat source unit and the microwave heat source unit in stages, including: When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the first preset temperature threshold, the adjustment component first starts the heat pump heat source unit to preheat the material carrying component; When the air temperature data in the main drying module reaches the second preset temperature threshold, the adjustment component starts the microwave heat source unit. If the air temperature data in the main drying module still does not reach the third preset temperature threshold after the heat pump heat source unit has been running for a first preset time, the adjustment component starts the auxiliary heat source unit again. When the air temperature data in the drying main module reaches the third preset temperature threshold, the regulating component shuts off the auxiliary heat source unit. If the air temperature data in the drying main module is higher than the third preset temperature threshold after a second preset duration, the regulating component controls the heat pump host to reduce the output power. The first preset temperature threshold is less than the second preset temperature threshold, which is less than the third preset temperature threshold. The first preset duration is less than the second preset duration.

8. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component, and also includes: When the air temperature data within the drying main module remains above a third preset temperature threshold for a second preset duration. If the moisture content of the agricultural material in the drying main module is higher than the preset moisture content, the adjustment component controls the microwave heat source unit to increase the microwave output power. If the moisture content of the agricultural material in the drying module is lower than the preset moisture content, the adjustment component controls the microwave heat source unit to reduce the microwave output power.

9. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component, and also includes: When the air temperature data within the drying module remains below or equal to a third preset temperature threshold for a second preset duration, If the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying main module is higher than the preset humidity threshold, the adjustment component controls the heat pump host to increase the output air volume; When the surface humidity data of agricultural materials in the drying module is lower than the preset humidity threshold, the regulating component controls the heat pump host to reduce the output air volume.

10. The multi-heat-source convertible agricultural material continuous drying system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The monitoring components also include a quality monitoring component for real-time monitoring of the drying quality of agricultural materials in the discharge module and a drying time monitoring component. The adjustment component is connected to the transmission component; The adjustment component adjusts the working status of each module according to the monitoring data of the monitoring component, and also includes: The regulating component calculates the drying rate of agricultural materials based on real-time monitored moisture content data, drying time data, and material quality data. When the drying rate of the agricultural material is less than a preset material drying rate threshold, the adjustment component increases the transmission rate of the current transmission component; When the drying rate of the agricultural material reaches a preset material drying rate threshold, the adjustment component maintains the current transmission rate of the transmission component.

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