Fruit juice concentration equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses fruit juice concentration equipment. The fruit juice concentration equipment comprises a gas transmission mechanism, a reaction mechanism and a recovery mechanism, the gas transmission mechanism is used for transmitting gas from the reaction mechanism, and the recovery mechanism is used for extracting and recovering hydrates from the reaction mechanism; the gas transmission mechanism comprises a carbon dioxide gas cylinder and a nitrogen gas cylinder; the carbon dioxide gas cylinder and the nitrogen gas cylinder are connected to one end of a gas transmission pipe; the reaction mechanism comprises a reaction kettle and a stirrer arranged in the reaction kettle; the reaction kettle is provided with a gas inlet, and the other end of the gas delivery pipe is connected to the gas inlet; the recycling mechanism comprises a water suction pump, a gas-liquid separator and a recycling bin, one end of the water suction pump is connected with the reaction kettle through a pipeline, the other end of the water suction pump is connected with the gas-liquid separator, and the recycling bin is used for recycling substances separated by the gas-liquid separator. According to the technical scheme, the production efficiency of juice extraction is improved, and the production cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of fruit juice preparation technology, and in particular to a fruit juice concentration device. Background Technology

[0002] Concentrated fruit juice is widely used in the fruit juice industry, and its concentration processes are diverse, including membrane concentration, evaporation concentration, freeze concentration, and the emerging gas hydrate concentration technology.

[0003] Gas hydrate concentration is similar to freeze concentration but has unique advantages. It utilizes high pressure and low temperature conditions to form gas hydrates between water in fruit juice and added gases such as carbon dioxide under high pressure and above zero degrees Celsius, without lowering the temperature below zero. The juice is then concentrated through simple solid-liquid separation. Compared to thermal concentration, this method better preserves the nutritional components, fruit flavor, and heat-sensitive components of the juice, while also consuming less energy, making it a highly promising green concentration technology.

[0004] However, the current method of hydrate concentration using carbon dioxide gas has obvious drawbacks. It requires harsh conditions to generate carbon dioxide hydrate, consumes a large amount of gas during the hydrate generation process, which increases costs, and the generation and decomposition processes are discontinuous, which greatly reduces production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a juice concentration device, which aims to improve the production efficiency of juice extraction and reduce production costs.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a juice concentration device, which includes a gas conveying mechanism, a reaction mechanism, and a recovery mechanism; the gas conveying mechanism is used to convey gas from the reaction mechanism, and the recovery mechanism is used to extract and recover hydrates from the reaction mechanism.

[0007] The gas delivery mechanism includes a carbon dioxide cylinder and a nitrogen cylinder, both of which are connected to one end of the gas delivery pipe.

[0008] The reaction mechanism includes a reaction vessel and a stirrer disposed inside the reaction vessel; the reaction vessel is provided with an air inlet, and the other end of the gas supply pipe is connected to the air inlet;

[0009] The recycling mechanism includes a water pump, a gas-liquid separator, and a recycling bin. One end of the water pump is connected to the reaction vessel via a pipe, and the other end of the water pump is connected to the gas-liquid separator. The recycling bin is used to recycle the substances separated by the gas-liquid separator.

[0010] In some embodiments of this utility model, a collection port is provided at the bottom of the reaction vessel, and the collection port is connected to a collection device through a closed switch; the collection device includes a collection tank, and a cylindrical filter screen is provided between the collection tank and the collection port.

[0011] In some embodiments of this utility model, the juice concentration equipment includes a pulverizing mechanism, which includes a pulverizer, a juicing chamber, and a sedimentation tank;

[0012] The pulverizer is located in the juicing chamber, which is connected to the sedimentation tank via a pipe. The sedimentation tank is connected to the reaction vessel via a water pump.

[0013] In some embodiments of this utility model, a heat exchange assembly is provided at the bottom of the sedimentation tank.

[0014] In some embodiments of this invention, the reactor is further provided with a heat-insulating structure for heat preservation.

[0015] In some embodiments of this utility model, the heat insulation structure includes a heat insulation layer covering the outer periphery of the reactor and a water bath jacket surrounding the periphery of the reactor.

[0016] In some embodiments of this utility model, the recycling chamber includes a recycling gas cylinder and a waste liquid collection chamber, wherein the recycling gas cylinder and the waste liquid collection chamber are respectively connected to the exhaust port and the drain port of the gas-liquid separator through pipes.

[0017] In some embodiments of this utility model, the reaction mechanism further includes a temperature and pressure monitor and a back pressure device disposed on the reaction vessel, wherein the temperature and pressure monitor and the back pressure device are respectively used to detect the temperature and pressure index of the reaction vessel.

[0018] In some embodiments of this utility model, the reactor is provided with a discharge port, the water pump is provided at the discharge port, and the air inlet and the discharge port are respectively provided at the upper end of the reactor.

[0019] This invention's gas delivery mechanism connects carbon dioxide and nitrogen cylinders to a gas delivery pipe, allowing carbon dioxide and nitrogen to mix in a specific ratio (e.g., 8:2) to form a dual-guest molecular system. In traditional hydrate formation technologies, using carbon dioxide alone requires stringent conditions of 281.15 K and 4.24 MPa to generate hydrates. However, the dual-guest molecular system of this invention, due to the synergistic effect of the size and properties of carbon dioxide and nitrogen molecules, alters the crystal structure and energy state of water molecules in hydrate formation, thus enabling hydration...

[0020] The product can be generated under relatively mild conditions of 275K and 2MPa. This significantly reduces the equipment's requirements for extreme temperature and pressure environments, reduces investment in high-pressure vessels and cryogenic refrigeration equipment, and lowers equipment costs. Simultaneously, the lower temperature and pressure conditions also reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. The agitator in the reaction mechanism increases the contact between gas and water molecules in the juice through stirring, accelerating hydrate formation, shortening reaction time, and improving production efficiency. The recovery mechanism uses a water pump to transport the hydrates in the reaction vessel to a gas-liquid separator, which decomposes the hydrates into gas and liquid. The recovery gas cylinder in the recovery chamber recovers the decomposed gas, allowing it to return to the reaction vessel to participate in the reaction, achieving gas recycling, significantly reducing gas consumption, and lowering production costs. The waste liquid collection chamber collects the separated waste liquid for centralized treatment, avoiding direct discharge of waste liquid and pollution to the environment, thus improving the environmental friendliness and economy of the entire production process. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fruit juice concentration equipment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the reaction vessel of this utility model.

[0024] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0025] 100. Gas delivery mechanism; 110. Carbon dioxide cylinder; 120. Nitrogen cylinder; 200. Reaction mechanism; 210. Reactor; 220. Stirrer; 230. Closing switch; 240. Collection tank; 250. Cylindrical filter screen; 260. Insulation layer; 270. Water bath jacket; 300. Recovery mechanism; 310. Water pump; 320. Gas-liquid classifier; 330. Recovery gas cylinder; 340. Waste liquid collection chamber; 400. Crushing mechanism; 410. Crusher; 420. Juicing chamber; 430. Sedimentation tank; 440. Heat exchange assembly; 500. Temperature and pressure monitor; 600. Back pressure device;

[0026] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0028] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this utility model embodiment are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0029] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this utility model is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, the user should consider such a combination of technical solutions to be non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0030] See appendix Figure 1-2 This utility model proposes a juice concentration device, which includes a gas conveying mechanism 100, a reaction mechanism 200, and a recovery mechanism 300; the gas conveying mechanism 100 is used to convey gas from the reaction mechanism 200, and the recovery mechanism 300 is used to extract and recover hydrates from the reaction mechanism 200.

[0031] The gas delivery mechanism 100 includes a carbon dioxide cylinder 110 and a nitrogen cylinder 120, both of which are connected to one end of the gas delivery pipe.

[0032] The reaction mechanism 200 includes a reaction vessel 210 and a stirrer 220 disposed inside the reaction vessel 210; the reaction vessel 210 is provided with an air inlet, and the other end of the gas supply pipe is connected to the air inlet;

[0033] The recycling mechanism 300 includes a water pump 310, a gas-liquid separator, and a recycling bin. One end of the water pump 310 is connected to the reaction vessel 210 through a pipe, and the other end of the water pump 310 is connected to the gas-liquid separator. The recycling bin is used to recycle the substances separated by the gas-liquid separator.

[0034] Based on the aforementioned technical features, the gas delivery mechanism 100 connects carbon dioxide cylinder 110 and nitrogen cylinder 120 to the gas delivery pipe, allowing carbon dioxide and nitrogen to mix in a specific ratio (e.g., 8:2) to form a dual-guest molecular system. In traditional hydrate formation technologies, using carbon dioxide alone requires stringent conditions of 281.15 K and 4.24 MPa to generate hydrates. However, the dual-guest molecular system of this invention, due to the synergistic effect of the size and properties of carbon dioxide and nitrogen molecules, alters the crystal structure and energy state of water molecules forming hydrates, enabling hydrates to be generated under relatively mild conditions of 275 K and 2 MPa. This significantly reduces the equipment's requirements for extreme temperature and pressure environments, reduces investment in high-pressure containers and cryogenic refrigeration equipment, and lowers equipment costs. Simultaneously, the lower temperature and pressure conditions also reduce energy consumption and improve energy efficiency. The stirrer 220 in the reaction mechanism 200, through stirring, increases the contact opportunities between the gas and water molecules in the juice, accelerating hydrate formation, shortening reaction time, and improving production efficiency. The recycling unit 300 uses a water pump 310 to transport the hydrate in the reactor 210 to a gas-liquid separator, which decomposes the hydrate into gas and liquid. The gas recovery cylinder 330 in the recycling bin recovers the decomposed gas, allowing it to return to the reactor 210 to participate in the reaction, achieving gas recycling, significantly reducing gas consumption, and lowering production costs. The waste liquid collection bin 340 collects the separated waste liquid, facilitating centralized treatment and avoiding direct discharge of waste liquid that would pollute the environment, thus improving the environmental friendliness and economy of the entire production process.

[0035] Furthermore, a collection port is provided at the bottom of the reactor 210, which is connected to a collection device via a closing switch 230. The collection device includes a collection tank 240, and a cylindrical filter screen 250 is installed between the collection tank 240 and the collection port. The collection port at the bottom of the reactor 210, in conjunction with the closing switch 230, allows for precise control of the timing and flow rate of concentrated fruit juice collection, preventing premature or delayed collection that could lead to a decline in fruit juice quality or the introduction of impurities. The cylindrical filter screen 250 between the collection tank 240 and the collection port has a large filtration area and a suitable pore size. During the hydrate formation and sedimentation process, even if hydrates deposit, the gaps in the cylindrical filter screen 250 still allow concentrated fruit juice to pass through smoothly, effectively separating hydrates and concentrated fruit juice, preventing hydrates from mixing into the concentrated fruit juice, and improving the purity and quality of the concentrated fruit juice. At the same time, this design avoids collection difficulties or production interruptions caused by hydrate blockage, ensuring the continuity and stability of the concentrated fruit juice collection process and improving production efficiency.

[0036] Specifically, the juice concentration equipment includes a pulverizer 410 and a 400 structure, which includes a pulverizer 410, a juicing chamber 420, and a sedimentation tank 430.

[0037] A pulverizer 410 is installed in the juicing chamber 420, which is connected to a sedimentation tank 430 via a pipe. The sedimentation tank 430 is connected to a reaction vessel 210 via a water pump 310. The pulverizer 410 structure 400 realizes integrated pretreatment from fruit raw materials to the juice participating in the reaction. Located within the juicing chamber 420, the pulverizer 410 can directly and efficiently pulverize the input fruit, breaking down the fruit's cell structure, making the juice flow more easily, and improving juicing efficiency. The juicing chamber 420 is connected to the sedimentation tank 430 via a pipe, allowing the extracted juice to flow smoothly into the sedimentation tank 430 for sedimentation and preliminary filtration. In the sedimentation tank 430, larger impurity particles naturally settle to the bottom, initially removing impurities from the juice. The sedimentation tank 430 is connected to the reaction vessel 210 via the water pump 310, transporting the pre-treated, relatively pure juice to the reaction vessel 210, providing qualified raw materials for the subsequent concentration reaction. This layout ensures a seamless process from fruit to juice, reducing material loss and contamination risks in intermediate stages, improving overall production efficiency, and guaranteeing the stability of concentrated juice quality.

[0038] In this embodiment, a heat exchange component 440 is installed at the bottom of the sedimentation tank 430. This heat exchange component 440 cools the juice before it enters the reaction vessel 210. Lowering the juice temperature reduces the energy required for subsequent temperature control in the reaction vessel 210. With the pre-cooled juice entering the reaction vessel 210, only minor temperature adjustments are needed to achieve the required temperature for hydrate formation, thus reducing energy consumption for temperature control and minimizing energy waste. Simultaneously, the low-temperature environment effectively inhibits the growth and reproduction of microorganisms and enzyme activity. Microbial growth and enzyme activity lead to the decomposition of nutrients and loss of flavor compounds in the fruit pulp. Cooling through the heat exchange component 440 better preserves the freshness of the fruit pulp, maximizing the retention of nutrients, flavor compounds, and heat-sensitive components, thereby improving the quality and market competitiveness of the concentrated juice.

[0039] Furthermore, the reactor 210 is also equipped with a heat-insulating structure. This structure maintains a stable reaction temperature environment by reducing heat loss within the reactor 210. Temperature is a crucial factor in hydrate formation. Stable temperature conditions help maintain the crystal structure and energy state of water molecules forming hydrates, avoiding problems such as unstable hydrate formation rates, reduced hydrate production, or decomposition of already formed hydrates due to temperature fluctuations. This improves the success rate and consistency of hydrate formation, ensuring the stability of the concentrated fruit juice quality. In addition, reducing heat loss means reducing the additional energy consumed to maintain the reaction temperature, lowering production costs, improving energy efficiency, and making the entire production process more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

[0040] The insulation structure includes an insulation layer 260 covering the outer periphery of the reactor 210 and a water bath jacket 270 surrounding the reactor 210. The insulation layer 260, covering the outer periphery of the reactor 210, acts as the first layer of thermal insulation, effectively preventing heat conduction and radiation from the reactor 210, thus providing initial insulation. The surrounding water bath jacket 270 further precisely controls the temperature of the reactor 210. Under a stable temperature environment, water molecules can more orderly combine with carbon dioxide and nitrogen molecules to form hydrates, which helps improve the efficiency and quality of hydrate formation, ensuring efficient reaction. Simultaneously, stable temperature conditions reduce the thermal stress on other components within the reactor 210 caused by temperature changes, extending the equipment's service life.

[0041] Specifically, the recycling bin includes a gas cylinder 330 and a waste liquid collection bin 340, which are connected to the exhaust port and drain port of the gas-liquid separator via pipelines. The gas cylinder 330 collects gases produced by the gas-liquid separator during hydrate decomposition, primarily carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The recovered gases are then returned to the reactor 210 for further reaction, achieving gas recycling. This significantly reduces gas consumption and production costs, while also minimizing the potential environmental impact of gas emissions. The waste liquid collection bin 340 collects the separated waste liquid, which may contain impurities and unreacted substances. Centralized waste liquid treatment allows for the recovery of useful components and the neutralization of harmful substances, preventing environmental pollution and meeting environmental protection requirements. This classified recycling and treatment method improves resource utilization and makes the entire production process greener and more sustainable.

[0042] Furthermore, the reaction mechanism 200 also includes a temperature and pressure monitor 500 and a pressure return device 600 located in the reaction vessel 210. The temperature and pressure monitor 500 and pressure return device 600 are used to detect the temperature and pressure indices of the reaction vessel 210, respectively. The temperature and pressure monitor 500 in the reaction mechanism 200 monitors the temperature and pressure data inside the reaction vessel 210 in real time and feeds this data back to the pressure return device 600. Based on the received data, the pressure return device 600 adjusts the temperature and pressure environment inside the reaction vessel 210 in a timely manner to ensure that the hydrate formation conditions of 275K and 2MPa are always maintained inside the reaction vessel 210. A stable temperature and pressure environment is crucial for the formation and decomposition of hydrates. Under stable temperature and pressure conditions, the formation and decomposition of hydrates can proceed according to predetermined chemical kinetics and thermodynamic laws, ensuring the continuity and stability of the reaction. This avoids problems such as changes in reaction rate, reaction interruption, or the formation of abnormal products due to temperature and pressure fluctuations, improving production efficiency and product quality. At the same time, stable temperature and pressure conditions help ensure the safe operation of the equipment. Excessively high or low temperatures and pressures can damage the reactor 210 and its auxiliary equipment, such as causing deformation or seal failure. The coordinated operation of the temperature and pressure monitor 500 and the backpressure device 600 reduces damage caused by abnormal temperatures and pressures, extends the equipment's lifespan, and lowers maintenance costs.

[0043] In this embodiment, the reactor 210 is equipped with an outlet, a water pump 310 is located at the outlet, and the air inlet and outlet are respectively located at the upper end of the reactor 210. The air inlet and outlet of the reactor 210 are both located at the upper end, and the water pump 310 is located at the outlet. This layout optimizes material transport during the reaction process. The air inlet being located at the upper end allows the introduced carbon dioxide and nitrogen mixture to quickly and evenly diffuse into the fruit juice within the reactor 210 using its buoyancy and diffusion properties. This increases the contact area and contact opportunities between the gas and water molecules in the fruit juice, promoting mass transfer and chemical reactions between the gas and water molecules, and accelerating the formation of hydrates. The outlet being located at the upper end and equipped with the water pump 310 facilitates the timely extraction of the hydrates generated during the reaction from the reactor 210. Since the density of hydrates is usually different from that of fruit juice, they gradually accumulate at the upper part of the reactor 210 during the reaction process. The hydrates can be efficiently extracted through the drain port and water pump 310 located at the upper end, preventing excessive accumulation of hydrates in the reactor 210 and thus avoiding interference with the further progress of the reaction. This ensures that the reaction can proceed continuously and efficiently, while also facilitating equipment piping connections and maintenance, thus improving the operability and overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of the present utility model using the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A fruit juice concentration apparatus, characterized by, The juice concentration device comprises a gas feeding mechanism, a reaction mechanism and a recovery mechanism; the gas feeding mechanism is used for feeding gas from the reaction mechanism, and the recovery mechanism is used for extracting water hydrate from the reaction mechanism; The gas feeding mechanism comprises a carbon dioxide gas cylinder and a nitrogen gas cylinder, and the carbon dioxide gas cylinder and the nitrogen gas cylinder are connected to one end of a gas feeding pipe; The reaction mechanism comprises a reaction kettle and a stirrer arranged in the reaction kettle; the reaction kettle is provided with a gas inlet, and the other end of the gas feeding pipe is connected to the gas inlet; The recovery mechanism comprises a water pump, a gas-liquid separator and a recovery bin; one end of the water pump is connected to the reaction kettle through a pipeline, the other end of the water pump is connected to the gas-liquid separator, and the recovery bin is used for recovering the separated substances of the gas-liquid separator.

2. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein The bottom of the reaction kettle is provided with a collecting port, and the collecting port is communicated with a collecting device through a closing switch; the collecting device comprises a collecting tank, and a cylindrical filter screen is arranged between the collecting tank and the collecting port.

3. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein The juice concentration device comprises a crushing mechanism, and the crushing mechanism comprises a crusher, a juicing bin and a sedimentation tank; The crusher is arranged in the juicing bin, the juicing bin is connected to the sedimentation tank through a pipeline, and the sedimentation tank is connected to the reaction kettle through a water pump.

4. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the sedimentation tank is provided with a heat exchange assembly.

5. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein The reaction kettle is further provided with a heat preservation structure for heat preservation.

6. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The heat preservation structure comprises a heat preservation layer covering the outer periphery of the reaction kettle and a water bath interlayer arranged around the lateral side of the reaction kettle.

7. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein The recovery bin comprises a recovery gas cylinder and a waste liquid collecting bin, and the recovery gas cylinder and the waste liquid collecting bin are respectively connected to the exhaust port and the liquid outlet of the gas-liquid separator through pipelines.

8. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein The reaction mechanism further comprises a temperature and pressure monitor and a back pressure device arranged in the reaction kettle, and the temperature and pressure monitor and the back pressure device are respectively used for detecting the temperature and pressure index of the reaction kettle.

9. The fruit juice concentration apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein The reaction kettle is provided with a discharge port, the water pump is arranged in the discharge port, and the gas inlet and the discharge port are respectively arranged at the upper end of the reaction kettle.

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