Plant oil extraction system

Abstract

The utility model provides a plant oil extraction system and relates to the technical field of plant oil extraction devices. By designing the first condensing device and the second condensing device, oil-water mixed gas from the extraction device is condensed twice, so that volatile oil can be completely cooled and transferred into a liquid phase, the loss of the volatile oil is reduced, and the yield of the volatile oil is increased. Besides, a feeding port pipeline of the separating device is designed to be of a structure with at least one corner, so that the path for an oil-water mixture from the second condensing device to enter the separating device is increased, meanwhile, the huge impulsive force of the oil-water mixture can be buffered, and the speed of the oil-water mixture entering the separating device is reduced; the oil-water separation device is prevented from entering the separation device to generate large disturbance on materials in the separation device, so that the oil-water separation efficiency is improved. Furthermore, the gas in the oil-water mixture can be released through the arrangement of a first exhaust valve and a second exhaust valve, so that relatively large disturbance of gas impact to materials in the separation device is avoided, and the oil-water separation efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of plant oil extraction devices, in particular to a plant oil extraction system. Background Art

[0002] Natural plants contain a variety of active ingredients, among which volatile oils are a key class of substances. These are secondary metabolites within plants and possess diverse biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antimicrobial, and anti-tumor properties. Volatile oils have broad application prospects in various fields, including medicine, food, and cosmetics. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), volatile oils are particularly important as active ingredients essential for the therapeutic effects of many Chinese medicines.

[0003] Currently, essential oil extraction methods primarily include steam distillation, solvent extraction, supercritical CO2 extraction, and cold pressing. Steam distillation is the most common method. Its principle is to extract essential oils from plants using high-temperature steam, condensing them as the steam flows. The condensed oil-water mixture is then allowed to stand. Due to the different densities of the essential oil and water, the two separate into separate layers, enabling the extraction and separation of the essential oil. Steam distillation offers advantages such as simple equipment, ease of operation, and low cost, making it a commonly used method in large-scale production.

[0004] However, due to improper equipment or system settings, the efficiency of volatile oil extraction using steam distillation is low. Some volatile oils and the aqueous phase do not have enough time to completely cool down, resulting in some volatile oils being contained in the discharged water vapor, leading to significant volatile oil losses. Furthermore, because steam distillation requires a standing period for oil-water separation, the condensed oil-water mixture is continuously produced during large-scale production. Therefore, when the continuously produced oil-water mixture enters the separation device for standing, it may cause the separated oil and water in the separation device to be dispersed, requiring re-standing and separation, ultimately reducing the oil-water separation efficiency.

[0005] In view of this, the present utility model is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a plant oil extraction system, which can reduce the loss of volatile oil and improve the oil-water separation efficiency.

[0007] The embodiment of the present utility model is achieved as follows:

[0008] In a first aspect, the utility model provides a plant oil extraction system, comprising an extraction device, a first condensing device, a second condensing device and a separation device connected in sequence.

[0009] The feed inlet pipe of the separation device is located in the middle section of the separation device; the feed inlet pipe of the separation device has at least one corner, and the extension direction of one end of the feed inlet pipe of the separation device located inside the separation device is upward.

[0010] A first exhaust valve is provided on the feed inlet pipeline of the separation device, and a second exhaust valve is provided on the separation device.

[0011] Optionally, the shape of the feed port pipe of the separation device includes any one of U-shape, V-shape, W-shape and N-shape.

[0012] Optionally, the feed inlet pipe of the separation device is U-shaped, and the extension direction of one end of the feed inlet pipe of the separation device inside the separation device is vertically upward.

[0013] Optionally, a heavy component outlet is provided at the bottom of the separation device, a light component outlet is provided at the top of the separation device, and transparent windows are provided at both the heavy component outlet and the light component outlet.

[0014] Optionally, the middle section of the separation device is further provided with an aromatic water circulation outlet, and the plant oil extraction system further includes an aromatic water circulation pipe network, which includes a liquid level control pipe, an aromatic water discharge pipe and an aromatic water circulation pipe.

[0015] A light component outlet pipe is provided at the light component outlet of the separation device, and the horizontal height of the liquid level control pipe is higher than the inlet end of the light component outlet pipe. The aromatic water circulation outlet of the separation device, the liquid level control pipe, the aromatic water circulation pipe and the feed port of the extraction device are connected in sequence.

[0016] The aromatic water discharge pipe and the heavy component outlet can be selectively communicated, and an aromatic water discharge valve is provided on the communicating pipe.

[0017] Optionally, the heavy component outlet can be selectively connected to the heavy oil storage tank and the end of the liquid level control pipe away from the aromatic water circulation pipe through a multi-way valve and a pipeline respectively, and a first valve is provided on the pipeline connecting the heavy component outlet and the liquid level control pipe.

[0018] Optionally, a third exhaust valve is provided on the liquid level control pipe.

[0019] Optionally, a partition extending axially along the separation device is provided inside the separation device.

[0020] Optionally, a steam conveying member is further provided in the extraction device. The steam conveying member is located at the lower part of the extraction device and is provided with a plurality of steam holes.

[0021] Optionally, the steam conveying member includes a steam coil arranged at the bottom of the extraction device and / or a steam inlet plate arranged on the side of the inner wall of the extraction device.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present utility model are:

[0023] The utility model provides a plant oil extraction system. By designing a first condensing device and a second condensing device, the oil-water mixture from the extraction device undergoes two condensations, ensuring that the volatile oil therein is completely cooled and transferred to the liquid phase, thereby reducing volatile oil loss and improving volatile oil yield. Furthermore, by designing the feed inlet conduit of the separation device with at least one corner, the path for the oil-water mixture from the second condensing device to enter the separation device is increased. This also buffers the significant impact of the oil-water mixture, slowing its speed of entry into the separation device and preventing it from significantly disturbing the material within the separation device upon entry, thereby improving oil-water separation efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a plant oil extraction system provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a first condensing device provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a second condensing device provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a separation device provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the separation device and its surrounding pipeline connections provided by an embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 A partial structural cross-sectional view of an extraction device provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a steam inlet plate provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the plant oil extraction system for separating heavy oil and water provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Figure 9Schematic diagram of the plant oil extraction system discharging aromatic water provided by the embodiment of the utility model;

[0034] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the plant oil extraction system for separating light oil and water provided in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 11 This is a structural diagram of a plant oil extraction system provided as a comparative example of the present utility model.

[0036] Icons: 100-Plant oil extraction system; 110-Extraction device; 111-Steam coil; 112-Steam inlet plate; 113-Steam hole; 120-First condensing device; 130-Second condensing device; 140-Separation device; 141-Feed inlet pipe; 142-Heavy component outlet; 143-Light component outlet; 1431-Light component outlet pipe; 144-Aromatic water circulation outlet; 145-Partition; 151-First exhaust valve; 152-Second exhaust valve; 153-Third exhaust valve; 154-Aromatic water discharge valve; 155-Multi-way valve; 156-First valve; 157-Second valve; 158-Third valve; 159-External discharge valve; 160-Transparent window; 171-Liquid level control pipe; 172-Aromatic water discharge pipe; 173-Aromatic water circulation pipe; 180-Heavy oil storage tank. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0040] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" and the like, indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the utility model product is typically placed when in use. These terms are intended solely to facilitate the description of this utility model and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used solely to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not necessarily mean that a component must be absolutely horizontal or overhanging, but rather that it can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but rather that it can be slightly tilted.

[0042] It should also be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediate medium, and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 1 This embodiment provides a plant oil extraction system 100 that can be used to extract volatile oils from a variety of plants. The system can separate water and oil using steam distillation. Depending on the volatile oil content of different plants, the system can be used to separate heavy volatile oils (heavy oils) with a higher density than water, and light volatile oils (light oils) with a lower density than water, resulting in a wide range of applications.

[0044] The plant oil extraction system 100 includes an extraction device 110, a first condensing device 120, a second condensing device 130 and a separation device 140 which are connected in sequence.

[0045] In combination with the principle of steam distillation, the general separation principle of the plant oil extraction system 100 provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0046] First, plants and water are added to the extraction device 110. The extraction device 110 is heated, and the water inside the extraction device 110 evaporates due to the heat to produce water vapor. The water vapor ascends and carries away the volatile oil components in the plants to form an oil-water mixture with a higher temperature. The oil-water mixture enters the first condensing device 120 for the first condensation. The water and oil in the oil-water mixture gradually cool down and turn into a liquid oil-water mixture.

[0047] However, after long-term research, the inventors found that after the high-temperature oil-water mixture undergoes the first condensation, some gas cannot be condensed in time. When the gas is directly discharged, the volatile oil in the gas that has not yet condensed is lost, resulting in a decrease in the yield of the volatile oil.

[0048] Therefore, the inventors proposed to set a second condensing device 130 connected to the discharge port of the first condensing device 120. The liquid oil-water mixture obtained by cooling the first condensing device 120 and part of the oil-water mixed gas that has not yet condensed are condensed again through the second condensing device 130. Through two condensations, the volatile oil in the oil-water mixed gas can be completely converted into liquid, thereby reducing the loss of volatile oil during the cooling process.

[0049] The liquid oil-water mixture condensed by second condenser 130 is piped into separator 140 and allowed to stand for natural separation. If the extracted volatile oil is heavy oil, the oil phase is located at the bottom of separator 140, with the water phase located above the oil phase. If the extracted volatile oil is light oil, the water phase is located at the bottom of separator 140, with the oil phase located above the water phase. Once the oil and water phases have completely separated, the oil is discharged from separator 140, and the volatile oil in the plant is separated.

[0050] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the second condensing device 130 can achieve a better condensation effect and reduce the loss of volatile oil, the temperature of the cooling water connected to the second condensing device 130 is 7 to 12°C to ensure that the temperature of the vaporized oil and water molecules drops sharply, thereby improving the oil-water separation efficiency and ensuring the stability of the condensation effect of the oil-water mixture in the large-scale production process.

[0051] In addition, it should be noted that Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the arrows indicate the flow direction of the cooling water in the first condensing device 120 and the second condensing device 130 in this embodiment, which flow direction is opposite to the flow direction of the oil-water mixture and / or the oil-water mixed gas to ensure the condensation effect of the oil-water mixed gas.

[0052] The plant oil extraction system 100 provided in this embodiment can separate plants including but not limited to cinnamon, mint, litsea cubeba, Zanthoxylum bungeanum, tangerine peel, and ginger.

[0053] In the existing plant oil extraction system 100, there is a large turbulent flow shock inside the separation device 140. This impact force may break up the separated oil phase and water phase, thereby requiring an increase in the standing time, which not only seriously affects the separation efficiency, but also leads to the risk of oil phase loss due to multiple oil-water separations.

[0054] Therefore, ensuring the stability inside the separation device 140 is one of the keys to improving the oil-water separation efficiency and the volatile oil yield.

[0055] The sources of the turbulent oscillation impact inside the separation device 140 are mainly: 1) gas release caused by the phase change process between the oil-water mixture and the oil-water mixed gas; 2) part of the oil-water mixed gas that has not yet condensed is entrained by the oil-water mixture, and the oil-water mixed gas enters the separation device 140 and causes impact; 3) impact caused by the falling gravity of the oil-water mixture.

[0056] Therefore, the inventor proposes to locate the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 in the middle section of the separation device 140; the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 has at least one corner, and the extension direction of one end of the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 located inside the separation device 140 is upward.

[0057] In an optional embodiment, the end of the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 located inside the separation device 140 can extend in an obliquely upward direction or in a vertically upward direction.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present invention, firstly, the design of the two condensing devices can completely convert the oil-water mixed gas into the oil-water mixture, thereby preventing the oil-water mixed gas from being entrained by the oil-water mixture and causing impact on the material inside the separation device 140.

[0059] Secondly, by setting the feed inlet pipe 141 to a structure with at least one corner, the impact of the oil-water mixture falling due to gravity will be offset by the corner structure of the feed inlet pipe 141. In addition, the extension direction of one end of the feed inlet pipe 141 located inside the separation device 140 is upward, which avoids the impact of the oil-water mixture falling due to gravity on the material inside the separation device 140.

[0060] Furthermore, a first exhaust valve 151 is provided on the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 , and a second exhaust valve 152 is provided on the separation device 140 .

[0061] By setting the first exhaust valve 151, the gas generated in the feed port pipe 141 due to the phase change between the oil-water mixture and the oil-water mixed gas, or even if a small amount of oil-water mixed gas is entrained, will overflow after hitting the corner structure of the feed port pipe 141, and then be discharged through the first exhaust valve 151.

[0062] By providing the second exhaust valve 152 , a small amount of gas that may be generated inside the separation device 140 due to phase change can be removed, thereby ensuring a stable separation process inside the separation device 140 .

[0063] In this embodiment, a partition 145 extending axially along the separation device 140 is further provided inside the separation device 140. The partition 145 can be fixedly connected to the wall inside the separation device 140, but the two axial ends are not completely sealed to separate the feed inlet pipe 141 on one side inside the separation device 140, but the oil and water inside can be connected to further reduce the turbulence and shock inside the separation device 140.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 4 In this embodiment, the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 is U-shaped, and the extension direction of one end of the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 inside the separation device 140 is vertically upward.

[0065] In other embodiments, the shape of the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 may also be any one of V-shape, W-shape and N-shape.

[0066] In this embodiment, in order to better achieve the separation of oil and water, and the separation of light oil and water or the separation of heavy oil and water, a heavy component outlet 142 is provided at the bottom of the separation device 140, and a light component outlet 143 is provided at the top of the separation device 140, and transparent windows 160 are provided at both the heavy component outlet 142 and the light component outlet 143.

[0067] A heavy component outlet 142 and a light component outlet 143 are provided on the separation device 140 according to the positions of the light oil and heavy oil relative to the water. Then, transparent windows 160 are provided at positions corresponding to the heavy component outlet 142 and the light component outlet 143, respectively, so as to better observe the separation or enrichment of the volatile oil in the separation device 140 and facilitate the timely collection of the volatile oil.

[0068] Furthermore, the inventors have discovered that in the existing plant oil extraction system 100, after the separation device 140 separates and obtains the volatile oil, the aqueous phase still contains some volatile oil. However, if this aromatic water containing a small amount of volatile oil is directly discarded and discharged, the yield of the volatile oil will also be reduced. Therefore, based on the structure of the above-mentioned plant oil extraction system 100, the inventors have proposed a pipeline connection unit for recycling the volatile oil remaining in the aromatic water, as follows:

[0069] Please refer to Figure 5The middle section of the separation device 140 is also provided with an aromatic water circulation outlet 144. In this embodiment, the height of the aromatic water circulation outlet 144 is substantially the same as the height of the end of the feed inlet pipe 141. The function of the aromatic water circulation outlet 144 is mainly to circulate the aromatic water containing heavy oil during the separation of heavy oil and water.

[0070] In order to further ensure the circulation process of the aromatic water, the plant oil extraction system 100 also includes an aromatic water circulation pipe 173 network, which includes a liquid level control pipe 171, an aromatic water discharge pipe 172 and an aromatic water circulation pipe 173.

[0071] A light component outlet pipe 1431 is provided at the light component outlet 143 of the separation device 140, and the horizontal height of the liquid level control pipe 171 is higher than the inlet end of the light component outlet pipe 1431. The aromatic water circulation outlet 144 of the separation device 140, the liquid level control pipe 171, the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 and the feed port of the extraction device 110 are connected in sequence.

[0072] When the separation device 140 is used to separate heavy oil and water, the density of heavy oil is greater than that of aromatic water, so the heavy oil is deposited at the bottom of the separation device 140, and the aromatic water is located on the surface of the heavy oil. The heavy oil can be discharged from the heavy component outlet 142 at the bottom of the separation device 140. The aromatic water accumulates in the separation device 140 until the height of the aromatic water exceeds the aromatic water circulation outlet 144, and then the aromatic water flows out from the aromatic water circulation outlet 144, passes through the pipeline in turn into the liquid level control pipe 171 and the aromatic water circulation pipe 173, and then enters the extraction device 110 from the feed port of the extraction device 110. The aromatic water evaporates repeatedly in the extraction device 110, and then enters the first condensing device 120 and the second condensing device 130 for condensation, and then returns to the separation device 140 for oil-water separation.

[0073] This circulation process can realize the circulation of water, reduce the demand for water in the plant oil extraction system 100, and at the same time improve the yield of volatile oil. The aromatic water circulation pipe 173 has a simple network structure and is easy to implement in the production process.

[0074] In this embodiment, a second valve 157 is provided outside the aromatic water circulation outlet 144. The second valve 157 is used to control the opening and closing of the aromatic water during the separation process of heavy oil and aromatic water. Generally speaking, when separating heavy oil and water, the second valve 157 is fully opened, and the circulation process of the aromatic water relies on the automatic overflow of the aromatic water.

[0075] It should be further explained that during the separation process of heavy oil and water, the operator can observe the collection of heavy oil through the transparent window 160 at the heavy component outlet 142. When the heavy oil is enriched to more than 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the height of the transparent window 160, the valve at the heavy component outlet 142 can be opened to collect the heavy oil into the heavy oil storage tank 180.

[0076] Due to the large size of the production equipment during the production process, the total volume of the heavy component outlet 142 or light component outlet 143 of the extraction device 110 corresponding to transparent window 160 is 2000 mL. Therefore, when the heavy oil is enriched to exceed 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of the height of transparent window 160, the volume of the heavy oil is generally around 1000 mL to 1330 mL. Therefore, controlling the heavy oil collection level within this range prevents excessive collection and prevents the heavy oil level from rising too high and overflowing from the aromatic water circulation outlet 144.

[0077] In other embodiments, a sensor may be provided at a target liquid level line inside the heavy component outlet 142 (e.g., 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 above the height of the transparent window 160), and the opening and closing of a valve at the heavy component outlet 142 may be controlled by the detection signal of the sensor to achieve automated collection of heavy oil.

[0078] In this embodiment, the heavy component outlet 142 can be selectively connected to the heavy oil storage tank 180 and the end of the liquid level control pipe 171 away from the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 through the multi-way valve 155 and the pipeline respectively, and a first valve 156 is provided on the pipeline connecting the heavy component outlet 142 and the liquid level control pipe 171.

[0079] In this embodiment, since the heavy component outlet 142 is connected to the heavy oil storage tank 180 and the liquid level control pipe 171 respectively, a three-way valve is provided at the connection position between the three, and in order to control the flow direction of the material, the multi-way valve 155 there is a three-way valve.

[0080] By controlling the three-way valve, the heavy component outlet 142 can be connected to the heavy oil storage tank 180 to collect heavy oil; or the heavy component outlet 142 can be connected to the liquid level control pipe 171 to realize the circulation of aromatic water during the separation process of light oil and water; or the heavy component outlet 142 is not connected to any device or pipeline to ensure that stable separation of water and oil can be achieved inside the separation device 140.

[0081] Specifically, when the volatile oil is light oil, during the separation of light oil and water, the circulation process of the aromatic water is as follows:

[0082] Since light oil has a lower density than water, it resides on the surface of the water, while the water falls due to gravity and accumulates at the bottom of the separator 140. The light oil needs to be discharged and collected from the light component outlet 143. Therefore, the separation of light oil and water needs to be continuously carried out inside the separator 140 (during the separation process, the second valve 157 outside the aromatic water circulation outlet 144 is fully closed to ensure the enrichment of the liquid inside the separator 140) until the light oil level can be observed through the transparent window 160 at the light component outlet 143.

[0083] When the level of light oil continues to rise until one end of the light component outlet pipe 1431 located in the light component outlet 143 is in the light oil, open the valve on the light component outlet pipe 1431 to collect the light oil. During the process of collecting light oil, keep one end of the light component outlet pipe 1431 located in the light component outlet 143 in the light oil throughout the process.

[0084] When the light oil is collected to the point where the oil-water separation line can be observed from the transparent window 160, the valve on the light component outlet pipe 1431 is quickly closed, and it is necessary to ensure that the end of the light component outlet pipe 1431 located in the light component outlet 143 is still in the light oil (this control process can be observed and controlled by the operator or a sensor can be designed to receive signals to achieve control of the valve on the light component outlet pipe 1431).

[0085] Then open the three-way valve outside the heavy component outlet 142, connect the heavy component outlet 142 with the liquid level control pipe 171, and discharge the aromatic water from the heavy component outlet 142. Close the aromatic water discharge valve 154 on the aromatic water discharge pipe 172, and open the first valve 156 on the pipeline. Due to the siphon principle, the aromatic water will gradually reach the liquid level control pipe 171 along the pipeline. Since the horizontal height of the liquid level control pipe 171 is higher than the inlet end of the light component outlet pipe 1431, it is ensured that the light component can always be controlled and discharged from the light component outlet pipe 1431. After the aromatic water reaches the liquid level control pipe 171, it can pass through the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 along the pipeline and enter the extraction device 110 from the feed port of the extraction device 110. The aromatic water evaporates repeatedly in the extraction device 110, and then enters the first condensing device 120 and the second condensing device 130 for condensation, and then returns to the separation device 140 for oil-water separation.

[0086] In this embodiment, in order to prevent the generation or inclusion of gas during the circulation of the aromatic water, which may affect the stability of the system, a third exhaust valve 153 is provided on the liquid level control pipe 171 .

[0087] In this embodiment, to quickly discharge the aroma water after the essential oil has been recovered, the aroma water discharge pipe 172 is selectively connected to the heavy component outlet 142, and the connecting pipe is provided with an aroma water discharge valve 154. The aroma water discharge valve 154 is opened only when the aroma water after the essential oil has been recycled and collected is to be quickly discharged; otherwise, it is closed.

[0088] In this embodiment, the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 is connected to the feed port of the extraction device 110, and a third valve 158 and a transparent window 160 are provided on the aromatic water circulation pipe 173, and the transparent window 160 is located on the side of the third valve 158 on the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 away from the extraction device 110.

[0089] By providing the third valve 158 and the transparent window 160 on the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 , it is possible to control whether the aromatic water enters the extraction device 110 .

[0090] In an optional embodiment, the third valve 158 is connected to the extraction device 110 via a hose. The third valve 158 can be connected to the original extraction device 110 with plant residues inside, or it can be connected to a new extraction device 110 without plant residues inside. The operator can adjust which extraction device 110 the aromatic water circulation pipe 173 is connected to according to the aromatic water and volatile oil content in the separation device 140.

[0091] Furthermore, the inventors have also discovered that another key reason for the low volatile oil extraction rate in the existing plant oil extraction system 100 is that the amount of volatile oil volatilized in the extraction device 110 is small, and some volatile oil in the plant residue in the extraction device 110 has not yet been vaporized or is carried away by water vapor, resulting in a large loss of the remaining volatile oil in the plant residue.

[0092] The reason for this is that the existing extraction device 110 relies on jacket heating, requiring the water inside the extraction device 110 to be heated and vaporized before the volatile oil can be extracted. This results in low extraction efficiency. Furthermore, the temperature inside the extraction device 110 is significantly affected by the temperature of the jacket. When the material temperature inside the jacket is insufficient, the temperature inside the extraction device 110 also fails to meet the required volatile oil extraction requirements. To address this issue, this embodiment improves the structure of the extraction device 110 to further increase the volatile oil extraction rate, thereby improving the volatile oil extraction rate.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 In this embodiment, a steam conveying member is further provided in the extraction device 110 . The steam conveying member is located at the lower part of the extraction device 110 and is provided with a plurality of steam holes 113 .

[0094] In this embodiment, the steam conveying member includes a steam coil 111 arranged at the bottom of the extraction device 110 and a steam inlet plate 112 arranged on the inner wall side of the extraction device 110, and the number of steam inlet plates 112 is three, which are evenly spaced on the inner wall side of the extraction device 110.

[0095] By providing the steam coil 111 and the steam inlet plate 112, the extraction device 110 provided in this embodiment not only has conventional jacket heating, but also directly adds high-temperature steam inside the extraction device 110, so that the temperature inside the extraction device 110 is higher, the heat source is more stable, and the volatile oil extraction rate is improved.

[0096] The plant oil extraction system 100 provided in this embodiment is used to extract volatile oil from cinnamon as an example. The density of volatile oil in cinnamon is greater than that of water, so it is a separation of heavy oil and water. The overall working principle is as follows:

[0097] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 8 The cinnamon raw material is crushed, water is added, and the mixture is placed in the extraction device 110. The extraction device 110 is heated, and high-temperature steam is simultaneously transported into the extraction device 110 through the steam coil 111 and the steam inlet plate 112 to quickly heat the material inside the extraction device 110.

[0098] The high-temperature steam inside the extraction device 110 carries volatile oil to form an oil-water mixed gas. The oil-water mixed gas enters the first condensing device 120 through a pipeline from the discharge port at the top of the extraction device 110. The oil-water mixed gas undergoes a first condensation to obtain a mixture of oil-water mixture and oil-water mixed gas. The mixture is then transported to the second condensing device 130 through a pipeline for a second condensation to completely condense the oil-water mixed gas to obtain an oil-water mixture.

[0099] The oil-water mixture enters the feed inlet pipe 141 of the separation device 140 through a pipeline. The oil-water mixture impacts the U-shaped feed inlet pipe 141, reducing its gravitational potential energy. Meanwhile, the remaining gas inside escapes and is discharged to the outside of the system through the first exhaust valve 151. The oil-water mixture then enters the separation device 140 for static separation. During this static separation process, excess gas in the separation device 140 can be discharged through the second exhaust valve 152.

[0100] Because the process involves separating heavy oil from water, second valve 157 remains open, the valve on light component outlet pipe 1431 remains closed, aromatic water discharge valve 154 remains closed, external discharge valve 159 remains closed, and first valve 156 remains closed. The oil-water mixture is allowed to stand in separation device 140 to separate into layers, with cinnamon volatile oil at the bottom and water at the top. Once the accumulation of cinnamon volatile oil is observed through transparent window 160 of heavy component outlet 142, the three-way valve is opened, connecting heavy component outlet 142 to heavy oil storage tank 180, and the cinnamon volatile oil is discharged into heavy oil storage tank 180 for collection. Once the oil-water boundary is observed through transparent window 160 of heavy component outlet 142, collection of cinnamon volatile oil is stopped, the three-way valve is closed, and the oil-water mixture is allowed to stand for further separation.

[0101] During this process, the level of the aromatic water within separation device 140 continues to rise until it overflows from aromatic water circulation outlet 144. Since first valve 156 is normally closed, the aromatic water can only rise with the liquid level within separation device 140 until it reaches liquid level control tube 171. The aromatic water then flows through a pipeline to aromatic water circulation tube 173. After observing the aromatic water through transparent window 160 on aromatic water circulation tube 173, third valve 158 is opened to discharge the aromatic water into extraction device 110 for recirculation. This cycle continues, and the volatile oil of cinnamon is collected at intervals through transparent window 160 of heavy component outlet 142 until collection is complete.

[0102] Please refer to Figure 9 After the cinnamon-free volatile oil is enriched in the separation device 140, the three-way valve is opened to connect the heavy component outlet 142 with the aromatic water discharge pipe 172, the aromatic water discharge valve 154, the external discharge valve 159 and the first valve 156 are opened, and the third valve 158 is closed to discharge the aromatic water in the plant oil extraction system 100.

[0103] Please refer to Figure 10 In other embodiments, when the plant is mint, the density of the volatile oil therein is lower than that of water and it is a light oil. Its separation process is similar to that of cinnamon oil. The only difference is that the volatile oil of mint is discharged from the light component outlet 143 at the top of the separation device 140, and the aromatic water is discharged from the heavy component outlet 142 at the bottom of the separation device 140. During the separation process, the second valve 157 is kept normally closed, the aromatic water discharge valve 154 is kept normally closed, the external discharge valve 159 is kept normally closed, and the first valve 156 is kept normally open.

[0104] Wait for the oil-water mixture to stand and stratify in the separation device 140 until the mint volatile oil is observed from the transparent window 160 at the light component outlet 143, then control the valve on the light component outlet pipe 1431 to discharge the mint volatile oil until the oil-water boundary line is observed from the transparent window 160 at the light component outlet 143, and stop collecting the mint volatile oil.

[0105] Open the three-way valve to connect heavy component outlet 142 with liquid level control pipe 171. The aromatic water is discharged from heavy component outlet 142 and enters liquid level control pipe 171 along the pipeline. The aromatic water then flows through the pipeline into aromatic water circulation pipe 173. After observing the aromatic water through transparent window 160 on aromatic water circulation pipe 173, open third valve 158 to discharge the aromatic water into extraction device 110 for circulation. This circulation process is maintained, and the mint volatile oil is collected at intervals through transparent window 160 of light component outlet 143 until collection is complete.

[0106] Please refer to Figure 9 After the mint-free volatile oil in the separation device 140 is enriched, open the three-way valve, connect the heavy component outlet 142 with the aromatic water discharge pipe 172, open the aromatic water discharge valve 154, the external discharge valve 159 and the first valve 156, and close the first valve 156 after the aromatic water in the pipeline where the first valve 156 is located is discharged, and continue to discharge the aromatic water in the plant oil extraction system 100.

[0107] Comparative Example

[0108] Please refer to Figure 11 This comparative example provides a plant oil extraction system 200, comprising an extraction device 210, a first condensing device 220 and a separation device 230 connected in sequence.

[0109] The extraction device 210 does not contain the steam coil 111 and the steam inlet plate 112, and the feed port of the separation device 230 is a conventional straight pipe feed. At the same time, the plant oil extraction system 200 provided in this comparative example does not recycle the aromatic water.

[0110] According to the above-mentioned system of the embodiment and the first comparative example, a volatile oil extraction experiment was conducted on the same plant (cinnamon) according to the same method and experimental conditions, and the results shown in Table 1 were obtained.

[0111] Table 1 Extraction effects of different systems

[0112]

[0113] Among them, the technical requirements satisfaction rate: actual oil extraction volume / theoretical collection volume*100%; the theoretical oil extraction volume is calculated according to the feed volume*1.0%, and the technical requirement for the theoretical oil extraction volume is the feed volume*(0.5%~1.0%). The higher the theoretical oil extraction volume, the better the oil extraction effect. Therefore, the technical requirements satisfaction rate is calculated based on the maximum theoretical oil extraction volume.

[0114] As can be seen from Table 1, the plant oil extraction system 100 provided in the embodiment of the present invention can significantly improve the yield of volatile oil.

[0115] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plant oil extraction system, characterized in that: It comprises an extraction device, a first condensation device, a second condensation device and a separation device which are connected in sequence; The feed inlet pipe of the separation device is located in the middle section of the separation device; the feed inlet pipe of the separation device has at least one corner, and the extension direction of the feed inlet pipe of the separation device located inside the separation device is upward; A first exhaust valve is provided on the feed inlet pipeline of the separation device, and a second exhaust valve is provided on the separation device.

2. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the feed port pipe of the separation device includes any one of U-shape, V-shape, W-shape and N-shape.

3. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feed inlet pipe of the separation device is U-shaped, and the extension direction of the feed inlet pipe of the separation device at one end inside the separation device is vertically upward.

4. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the separation device is provided with a heavy component outlet, the top of the separation device is provided with a light component outlet, and transparent windows are provided at the heavy component outlet and the light component outlet.

5. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The middle section of the separation device is also provided with an aromatic water circulation outlet, and the plant oil extraction system further comprises an aromatic water circulation pipe network, which comprises a liquid level control pipe, an aromatic water discharge pipe and an aromatic water circulation pipe; A light component outlet pipe is provided at the light component outlet of the separation device, the level of the liquid level control pipe is higher than the inlet end of the light component outlet pipe, and the aromatic water circulation outlet of the separation device, the liquid level control pipe, the aromatic water circulation pipe and the feed inlet of the extraction device are connected in sequence; The aromatic water discharge pipe and the heavy component outlet are selectively connected, and an aromatic water discharge valve is provided on the connected pipe.

6. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heavy component outlet is selectively connected to the heavy oil storage tank and the end of the liquid level control pipe away from the aromatic water circulation pipe through a multi-way valve and a pipeline, and a first valve is provided on the pipeline connecting the heavy component outlet and the liquid level control pipe.

7. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that: The liquid level control pipe is provided with a third exhaust valve.

8. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A partition extending along the axial direction of the separation device is provided inside the separation device.

9. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A steam conveying member is further provided in the extraction device. The steam conveying member is located at the lower part of the extraction device and is provided with a plurality of steam holes.

10. The plant oil extraction system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The steam conveying member includes a steam coil arranged at the bottom of the extraction device and / or a steam inlet plate arranged on the side of the inner wall of the extraction device.

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