Experimental seamless soft capsule drying machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses an experimental seamless soft capsule drying machine. The device comprises a sealing shell, a pair of carrier rollers arranged in the sealing shell, a power device, a rotating cage, an air outlet device, a refrigeration and dehumidification device and a reheating device, and the air outlet device comprises a negative pressure chamber and a fan. The refrigerating and dehumidifying device comprises a dehumidifying chamber connected with an air outlet of the fan, a surface air cooler matched with the dehumidifying chamber and a cooling-water machine connected with the surface air cooler; an air supply pipe is connected between the rotating cage and the reheating device, and hot air output from the reheating device can enter the rotating cage through the air supply pipe. The soft capsule drying device has the advantages that totally-closed drying treatment is achieved, the integration level is high, air exchange with the environment outside the device is avoided in the working process, the temperature and humidity adjusting function is achieved, dehumidification, cooling and temperature rising can be achieved, and therefore a soft capsule drying experiment can be completed within the wide temperature range and the wide humidity range without depending on external conditions; and the negative-pressure air outlet mode enables the air outlet to be more uniform and good in effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a drying device for drying soft capsules, specifically an experimental seamless soft capsule dryer. Background Technology

[0002] After production, soft capsules used in pharmaceuticals, food, and chemicals require drying to reduce their moisture content and prevent deterioration of the contents. Rotary drum dryers are currently widely used drying equipment. For example, utility model patents CN105571287B (a soft capsule dryer) and CN203609665U (a rotary drum for drying round particles) describe how these dryers work by placing soft capsules inside a rotating drum. The drum's rotation causes the capsules to tumble, and drying air is supplied into the drum. Simultaneously, a dehumidifier dries the exhaust air to improve the drying effect.

[0003] During the drying process, the time it takes for the soft capsules to run in the rotary drum depends on the temperature and humidity. The final moisture content is then manually measured to determine the approximate drying time. For mature products, existing dryers can be used effectively. However, when developing new soft capsule products, the actual drying process is unknown. It may require low temperature and low humidity conditions, or low temperature and medium-high humidity conditions, or even a combination of low humidity and low temperature followed by high humidity and low temperature, and then low humidity and low temperature again. Existing dryers are generally unable to quickly meet these conditions, and it takes a very long time to develop a complete drying process, which is not conducive to the rapid promotion of the product. In addition, in traditional rotary drum dryers, the drying air is usually blown in from the outside of the drum. On the one hand, the drying air loses some airflow as it passes through the drum, and on the other hand, the airflow from the fan outlet is uneven, thus affecting the drying effect. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide an experimental seamless soft capsule dryer that provides uniform airflow and can complete soft capsule drying experiments within a wide temperature and humidity range without relying on external conditions.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the experimental seamless soft capsule dryer of this utility model includes a sealed outer shell, a pair of idler rollers disposed inside the sealed outer shell, a power device for driving the idler rollers to rotate, and a rotating drum supported by the pair of idler rollers and capable of rotating with the idler rollers. The sealed outer shell also includes an air outlet device connected to the rotating drum, a refrigeration and dehumidification device connected to the air outlet device, and a reheating device located below the rotating drum. The air outlet device includes a negative pressure chamber matched with the rotating drum and a fan connected to the negative pressure chamber. The refrigeration and dehumidification device includes a dehumidification chamber connected to the air outlet of the fan, a surface cooler matched with the dehumidification chamber, and a chiller connected to the surface cooler. An air supply pipe connects the rotating drum and the reheating device. The hot air output from the reheating device can enter the rotating drum through the air supply pipe. The operation of the fan can cause the humid air in the rotating drum to first flow to the negative pressure chamber, and then be drawn from the negative pressure chamber to the dehumidification chamber through the fan. The refrigeration operation of the chiller can gradually reduce the surface temperature of the surface cooler, thereby causing the humid air in the dehumidification chamber to condense into water.

[0006] The refrigeration and dehumidification device also includes a water collection tray located below the surface cooler for collecting condensate, and a drain pump connected to the water collection tray to drain the condensate from the water collection tray.

[0007] A rotating cage ring plate is provided at each end of the rotating cage, and the two rotating cage ring plates press against the two side edges of each of the transmission idlers.

[0008] The outer circumferential surface of the rotating cage ring plate is provided with textures to increase friction.

[0009] The idler roller is provided with limiting rings on both sides for limiting the rotation of the drum.

[0010] The reheating device includes a reheating chamber located below the rotating drum, a heat recovery heat exchanger located in the reheating chamber for recovering energy from the chiller, a secondary heating device for secondary heating, and a first temperature and humidity transmitter installed in the air supply duct for detecting air temperature and humidity.

[0011] The sealed outer shell is also connected to a humidification device that leads to the reheat chamber.

[0012] The humidification device includes a housing, an ultrasonic atomizer installed inside the housing, and a pipe connecting the housing and the reheat chamber. A second temperature and humidity transmitter is installed inside the reheat chamber at the inlet of the pipe.

[0013] The surface of the idler roller is covered with a non-metallic elastic layer.

[0014] The air supply pipe extends axially into the rotating cage, and ventilation holes are arranged on the air supply pipe.

[0015] The advantages of this utility model are:

[0016] (1) The entire sealed shell encloses the rotating cage and uses a fan to extract the air inside the rotating cage. The hot air in the reheat device can be introduced into the rotating cage for drying first, while the humid air in the rotating cage flows to the negative pressure chamber first. Then, it is drawn from the negative pressure chamber to the dehumidification chamber by the fan. Then, the surface temperature of the surface cooler is gradually reduced by the cooling operation of the chiller, so that the humid air in the dehumidification chamber condenses into water. This achieves a fully enclosed drying process. Of course, the refrigeration and dehumidification device and the reheat device are also integrated in the sealed shell. The integration is high. During operation, there is no air exchange with the outside environment. It has temperature and humidity control functions and can dehumidify, cool down and heat up. Therefore, soft capsule drying experiments can be completed in a wide temperature range and a wide humidity range without relying on external conditions. In particular, the negative pressure air outlet method is more uniform and effective than the positive pressure blower.

[0017] (2) A humidification device connected to the reheat chamber is connected to the sealed outer shell. In addition to dehumidification, cooling and heating, it can also humidify as needed, further improving the humidity control effect and expanding the application.

[0018] (3) By connecting the air supply pipe between the rotating drum and the reheating device, especially by extending the air supply pipe directly into the rotating drum, the air supply pipe can allow the air that has undergone temperature and humidity adjustment and meets the process requirements to directly enter the rotating drum, thereby forming an air intake method inside the rotating drum instead of external air intake from the bottom or side, effectively avoiding the problem of heat loss. Ventilation holes facing the material are opened on the air supply pipe, further improving the performance.

[0019] (4) The rotating cage is placed on the idler roller. The rotating cage is driven to rotate by the friction between the rotating cage ring plate and the idler roller. At the same time, the outer circumferential surface of the rotating cage ring plate has a machining pattern to increase the friction. Limit rings are installed on both sides of the idler roller to ensure that the rotating cage does not deviate and improve the operational reliability of the equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the experimental seamless soft capsule dryer (with skin removed) of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the experimental seamless soft capsule dryer of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the right side of the experimental seamless soft capsule dryer of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the left side of the experimental seamless soft capsule dryer of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the transfer cage and air supply pipe of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air supply duct in this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The experimental seamless soft capsule dryer of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] As shown in the figure, the experimental seamless soft capsule dryer of the present utility model includes a sealed outer shell 1, a pair of supporting rollers 4 arranged inside the sealed outer shell, a power device 2 for driving the supporting rollers to rotate, and a rotating cage 3 supported by the pair of supporting rollers and capable of rotating with the supporting rollers. An air outlet device 5 connected to the rotating cage, a refrigeration and dehumidification device 6 connected to the air outlet device 5, and a reheating device 7 located below the rotating cage 3 are also arranged inside the sealed outer shell 1. Among them, the sealed outer shell 1 includes a frame and all the masks directly contacting the outside. Sealing silica gel is installed between the mask and the frame to ensure that the entire laboratory-type seamless soft capsule dryer is fully sealed and there is no air exchange with the outside of the machine. In fact, the air outlet device 5 and the reheating device 7 are also independent parts separated inside the sealed outer shell 1. Specifically, a partition for dividing the rotating cage and the reheating device is arranged on the frame, and the driving supporting roller is located on the partition. The reheating device is arranged below the partition. The air outlet device 5 includes a negative pressure chamber 5-2 matching the rotating cage 3 and a fan 5-3 connected to the negative pressure chamber 5-2. It can be seen from the figure that the negative pressure chamber 5-2 is located beside the rotating cage, and the power device 2 is installed on the frame. In this embodiment, the said power device is a motor and a reducer supporting the motor. A synchronous pulley is installed on the outlet shaft of the reducer, and one of the driving supporting rollers is driven to rotate through a synchronous belt. The other supporting roller is a driven component. The refrigeration and dehumidification device 6 includes a dehumidification chamber 6-1 connected to the air outlet of the fan 5-3, a surface cooler 6-2 matching the dehumidification chamber 6-1, a chiller 6-3 connected to the surface cooler 6-2, a water collecting tray 6-4 located below the surface cooler 6-2 for containing condensed water, and a drain pump 6-5 connected to the water collecting tray and discharging the condensed water in the water collecting tray to the outside. The wet air coming out of the fan 5-3 is condensed by the surface cooler, and after the moisture is removed, the condensed water flows into the water collecting tray 6-4, and the condensed water is discharged to the outside through the drain pump 6-5. The outlet water temperature of the chiller 6-3 is determined according to the drying process. If low-humidity air is required, by adding antifreeze ethylene glycol into the chiller 6-3, the outlet water temperature is controlled to be near 0 degrees, and then the dew point temperature after drying will also be close to 0 degrees. The outlet water temperature is not recommended to be set below 0 degrees, which will cause frosting on the surface of the surface cooler and affect the further dehumidification effect. If the required humidity requirement is not high, the outlet water temperature of the chiller can be increased according to actual needs. A air supply pipe 9 is connected between the rotating cage 3 and the reheating device 7. The air supply pipe 5-1 extends along the axial center of the rotating cage into the rotating cage to discharge air inside the rotating cage. Ventilation holes 10 are arranged on the air supply pipe. The reheating device 7 includes a reheating cavity formed by partitioning below the rotating cage, a heat recovery heat exchanger 7-1 located inside the reheating cavity for recovering the energy of the chiller 6-3, a secondary heating device 7-2 for secondary heating, and a first temperature and humidity transmitter 7-3 installed on the air supply pipe 5-1 for detecting the temperature and humidity of the air. The heating form of the secondary heating device is not limited and can be any one of electric heating, heat pump heating, and microwave heating. Electric heating is preferred;The hot air output from the reheat unit 7 can enter the rotating drum 4 through the air supply pipe 5-1. The fan 5-3 causes the humid air in the rotating drum to first flow to the negative pressure chamber 5-2, and then from the negative pressure chamber 5-2, it is drawn into the dehumidification chamber 6-1 by the fan 5-3. The cooling operation of the chiller 6-3 gradually lowers the surface temperature of the surface cooler 6-2, causing the humid air in the dehumidification chamber to condense into water.

[0028] Furthermore, the left and right ends of the aforementioned rotating cage 3 ( Figure 2 As shown in the left and right directions, there is a rotating cage ring plate 3-1 on each side. The two rotating cage ring plates 3-1 are pressed on the left and right edges of each idler roller. The rotating cage is placed on the two idler rollers. The rotating cage is driven to rotate by the friction between the rotating cage ring plate and the idler roller. The outer circumferential surface of the rotating cage end plate 3-1 is provided with texture to increase the friction. The two sides of the idler roller 4 are provided with limiting rings 4-1 to limit the rotation of the rotating cage 3 and ensure that the rotating cage does not deviate.

[0029] Furthermore, the sealed outer shell 1 is also connected to a humidification device 8 leading to the reheat chamber. The humidification device 8 includes a housing 8-1, an ultrasonic atomizer 8-2 installed inside the housing, and a pipe 8-3 connecting the housing and the reheat chamber. A second temperature and humidity transmitter 8-4 is installed inside the reheat chamber at the inlet of the pipe 8-3. The humidification device 8 determines whether to operate based on the temperature and humidity feedback from the second temperature and humidity transmitter 8-3 and the target temperature and humidity. The fully enclosed structure formed by this device does not exchange air with the outside environment during operation. The humid and dry air generated inside the device during operation is processed internally to meet the production process requirements. It has temperature and humidity control functions and can dehumidify, humidify, cool down, and heat up to meet experimental requirements.

[0030] Furthermore, the surface of the transmission roller 4 is coated with a non-metallic elastic layer. The material of the non-metallic elastic layer can be any one of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic vulcanized rubber (TPV), polyurethane elastomer (TPU), natural rubber (NR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and chloroprene rubber (CR), preferably any one of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) and chloroprene rubber (CR), and more preferably thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU).

[0031] Its working principle is as follows:

[0032] First, wet material is added into the rotating drum 3, and the equipment starts working. At this time, the power unit 2 starts to rotate, and the fan 5-3, chiller 6-3, drain pump 6-5, heat recovery heat exchanger 7-1, and secondary heating device 7-2 all start working. As the fan 5-3 starts working, the humid air in the rotating drum first flows to the negative pressure chamber 5-2, and then from the negative pressure chamber 5-2 through the fan 5-3, it is drawn into the dehumidification chamber 6-1. As the chiller 6-3 starts working to cool, the surface temperature of the surface cooler 6-2 gradually decreases, and the humid air condenses into water. The condensate falls into the water collection pan 6-4, and the condensate is discharged to the outside by the drain pump 6-5.

[0033] The outlet water temperature of the chiller is determined by the drying process. If low humidity is required, adding antifreeze glycol to the chiller and controlling the outlet water temperature to around 0 degrees Celsius will result in a dew point temperature close to 0 degrees Celsius after drying. It is not recommended to set the outlet water temperature below 0 degrees Celsius, as this will cause frost to form on the surface of the cooling coil, affecting further dehumidification. If the required humidity is not high, the chiller outlet water temperature can be increased according to actual needs. Unless there are special requirements, a normal dehumidification temperature setting of 7-10 degrees Celsius is sufficient.

[0034] The dried air, now free of moisture, enters the reheat unit 7 for heating, as its initial temperature is very low and needs to be raised to the required process temperature. Inside the reheat unit 7, the dry air first passes through the heat recovery heat exchanger 7-1, where the heat is recovered from the chiller unit in the refrigeration and dehumidification section, saving some energy. Since the preheated air temperature is still insufficient, it continues heating through the secondary heating unit 7-2. This unit uses multiple electric heaters, and the system automatically determines which heaters to activate based on the temperature feedback from the downstream temperature and humidity transmitter 7-3 and the required temperature difference. If the temperature difference is too large, all heaters are activated; if the difference is small, only one heater is activated, or none are activated at all. The dry air, meeting the process requirements, then flows evenly into the drum through the air supply duct, brushing over the surface of the wet material to further remove moisture. The humid air continues this cycle, repeating until the seamless soft capsule drying process is complete.

[0035] Of course, the above description is not intended to limit the present utility model, and the present utility model is not limited to the examples given above. Any changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present utility model should also fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A laboratory scale seamless soft capsule dryer characterized in that: The application relates to a sealed shell (1), a pair of supporting rollers (4) arranged in the sealed shell, a power device (2) for driving the supporting rollers to rotate, and a rotating cage (3) supported by the pair of supporting rollers and capable of rotating with the supporting rollers, wherein the sealed shell (1) is further provided with air outlet devices (5) connected with the rotating cage, refrigeration and dehumidification devices (6) connected with the air outlet devices (5), and reheating devices (7) located below the rotating cage (3), the air outlet devices (5) comprise negative pressure chambers (5-2) matched with the rotating cage (3) and fans (5-3) connected with the negative pressure chambers (5-2), the refrigeration and dehumidification devices (6) comprise dehumidification chambers (6-1) connected with air outlets of the fans (5-3), surface coolers (6-2) matched with the dehumidification chambers (6-1), and cold water machines (6-3) connected with the surface coolers (6-2), the rotating cage (3) is connected with air supply pipes (9) between the rotating cage (3) and the reheating devices (7), hot air output from the reheating devices (7) can enter the rotating cage (3) through the air supply pipes (9), and the wet air in the rotating cage can flow to the negative pressure chambers (5-2) through the working of the fans (5-3), and then be sucked into the dehumidification chambers (6-1) from the negative pressure chambers (5-2) through the fans (5-3), the surface temperature of the surface coolers (6-2) can be gradually reduced through the refrigeration working of the cold water machines (6-3), and then the wet air in the dehumidification chambers can be condensed into water.

2. The experimental-type dryers for soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration and dehumidification devices (6) further comprise water collecting trays (6-4) located below the surface coolers (6-2) and used for containing the condensed water, and water drainage pumps (6-5) connected with the water collecting trays and used for draining the condensed water in the water collecting trays.

3. The experimental-type dryers for soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Two rotating cage ring plates (3-1) are arranged at the two ends of the rotating cage (3) respectively, and the two rotating cage ring plates (3-1) are pressed on the two side edge portions of each supporting roller.

4. The experimental-type dryers for soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer circumferential surface of the rotating cage ring plate (3-1) is provided with a pattern for increasing friction.

5. The experimental-type dryers for soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 1, 2 or 4, characterized in that: The two sides of the supporting roller (4) are provided with limiting rings (4-1) used for limiting the rotating cage (3).

6. The experimental-type dryers for soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 5, characterized in that: The reheating devices (7) comprise reheating cavities located below the rotating cage, heat recovery heat exchangers (7-1) located in the reheating cavities and used for recovering the energy of the cold water machines (6-3), secondary heating devices (7-2) used for secondary heating, and a first temperature and humidity transmitter (7-3) installed on the air supply pipes (9) and used for detecting the temperature and humidity of air.

7. The experimental-type dryers for soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 1, 2, 4 or 6, characterized in that: The sealed shell (1) is further connected with humidifying devices (8) leading into the reheating cavities.

8. The experimental-type machine for drying soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 7, characterized in that: The humidifying devices (8) comprise a box body (8-1), ultrasonic atomizers (8-2) arranged in the box body, and pipelines (8-3) connected between the box body and the reheating cavities, and the reheating cavities are provided with a second temperature and humidity transmitter (8-4) located at the inlet of the pipelines (8-3).

9. The experimental-type machine for drying soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 8, characterized in that: The surface of the supporting roller (4) is adhered with a non-metallic elastic layer.

10. The experimental-type machine for drying soft gelatin capsules without seams according to claim 9, characterized in that: The air supply pipes (9) extend into the rotating cage along the axial direction, and the air supply pipes are provided with air vents (10).

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