Vacuum drying apparatus based on water cooling device
Vacuum drying equipment that condenses water vapor using a water-cooling device solves the problems of high energy consumption, complex equipment, and high cost in existing technologies, achieving low-energy, high-efficiency, and safe material drying results.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG TONKING NEW ENERGY GRP
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-16
AI Technical Summary
Existing hot air drying equipment is prone to damaging heat-sensitive materials due to high temperatures, resulting in uneven drying and high energy consumption. Vacuum freeze drying equipment is costly, has a long cycle, and is complex to operate. Existing vacuum condensation systems are also energy-intensive and complex.
The system uses a water-cooling device to condense water vapor, combined with a vacuum device and a heating device, to perform low-energy drying in a vacuum environment. The water vapor in the water vapor trap is condensed into liquid by the water-cooling device, and energy consumption is reduced through a mechanical circulation system, which simplifies the equipment structure.
It achieves efficient drying with low energy consumption and low maintenance costs, retains the active ingredients of materials, has high equipment stability, is safe and environmentally friendly, and reduces equipment failure rate and maintenance costs.
Smart Images
Figure CN224365205U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of vacuum drying technology, and specifically designs a vacuum drying device based on a water-cooling device. Background Technology
[0002] Hot air drying and vacuum freeze drying are common processes in food processing. Hot air drying is a drying method that involves blowing hot air into a drying chamber to increase airflow. Vacuum freeze drying, on the other hand, involves freezing food, pharmaceuticals, and other materials below their eutectic point temperature, causing the moisture within to turn into solid ice crystals. Then, in a vacuum environment, the material is continuously heated, causing the ice crystals to sublimate directly into water vapor. The water vapor is then condensed and collected using a water trap, thus achieving the goal of drying the material.
[0003] However, hot air drying equipment suffers from drawbacks such as high temperatures easily damaging heat-sensitive materials, uneven drying, low efficiency, high energy consumption, and easy oxidation of materials. Vacuum freeze drying equipment, on the other hand, suffers from high equipment and energy costs, long production cycles, a narrow range of applicable materials, and complex operation. Existing vacuum condensation drying technology (such as CN202210597641.4) incorporates a condensation system, but its refrigerant circulation (compressor, expansion valve, condenser) also suffers from high energy consumption and system complexity. Based on this, this invention proposes a vacuum drying device and method based on a water-cooling device. Compared to other methods, it achieves a better balance between temperature control, efficiency, energy consumption, and cost, while better preserving heat-sensitive active ingredients and easily oxidized beneficial components in the material, thus combining functionality and economy. Utility Model Content
[0004] This invention proposes a vacuum drying device based on a water-cooling device. In a vacuum environment, water vapor is condensed by the water-cooling device to achieve efficient and low-energy drying, which is both functional and economical.
[0005] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows:
[0006] A vacuum drying device based on a water-cooling unit includes a drying chamber, a water vapor trap, a water-cooling unit, a vacuum unit, a heating unit, and a control system. The drying chamber has a space for placing products to be dried, and the heating unit is used to heat the drying chamber. The water vapor trap is connected to the drying chamber and forms a sealed space after the chamber door is closed.
[0007] The water cooling device is used to cool the water vapor in the water vapor trap, causing it to condense into liquid water;
[0008] The heating device is used to heat the drying chamber;
[0009] The vacuum device is used to evacuate the sealed space formed by the drying chamber and the water vapor trap.
[0010] The control system is used to control the heating device, vacuum device, and water cooling device.
[0011] Preferably, the water cooling device includes a circulating water pump, an air cooler, and a water storage tank. The water storage tank is connected to a water vapor trap via a pipe, the water vapor trap is connected to the air cooler via a pipe, the air cooler is connected to the water storage tank via a pipe, and the circulating water pump is installed on the pipe between the air cooler and the water storage tank.
[0012] Preferably, the water vapor collector is equipped with a coil, the inlet of which is connected to a water storage tank, the outlet of which is connected to an air cooler, and a drain pipe is installed at the bottom of the water vapor collector.
[0013] Preferably, the coil includes three spiral cold water channels, which are arranged coaxially.
[0014] Preferably, the drying chamber is equipped with a heating plate, the heating plate is equipped with a hot water channel, the heating device includes a hot water tank and a circulation pump, the hot water tank is connected to the inlet of the hot water channel through a pipe, the outlet of the hot water channel is connected to the circulation pump through a pipe, the circulation pump is connected to the hot water tank through a pipe, and a steam heater is installed in the hot water tank, the steam heater is connected to an external steam source through a pipe.
[0015] Preferably, the vacuum device includes a rotary vane vacuum pump, a Roots pump, and a pneumatic butterfly valve. The vacuum pump, Roots pump, and pneumatic butterfly valve are connected through a vacuum pipeline. The air inlet of the vacuum pipeline is connected to a water vapor trap, and the air outlet of the vacuum pipeline is connected to the atmosphere.
[0016] Preferably, the drying chamber includes a chamber body and a chamber door, the chamber door being used to open and close the chamber body, and the chamber door being provided with an observation window.
[0017] Preferably, the control system includes a PLC and a touch screen, the PLC being electrically connected to the touch screen, and the PLC being electrically connected to the heating device, the vacuum device, and the water cooling device respectively.
[0018] Preferably, the drying chamber is equipped with a temperature sensor and a vacuum sensor, which are electrically connected to the PLC.
[0019] Preferably, the water cooling device, vacuum device, and heating device are each equipped with a pneumatic control valve, each pneumatic control valve is electrically connected to the control system, and the pneumatic control valve is connected to an external air source.
[0020] Compared with related technologies, this utility model has the following advantages:
[0021] 1. Low energy consumption: The air cooler uses a fan to dissipate heat during the cooling process of water vapor. Compared with the refrigeration cycle driven by a compressor, the energy consumption is greatly reduced, achieving low-energy drying.
[0022] 2. Simple structure and low equipment failure rate: The water-cooling device adopts a pure mechanical circulation design with a water storage tank, circulating water pump, air cooler and water vapor collector. There are no complicated refrigerant pipelines and compressor components, so the operation is stable and reliable and the equipment failure rate is low.
[0023] 3. Low maintenance cost: Water-cooled components can be directly disassembled and cleaned, while refrigeration systems require professional personnel to regularly replenish refrigerant and handle refrigerant leaks, significantly reducing maintenance costs.
[0024] 4. Safe and environmentally friendly: Compared with refrigerants that may be toxic or have the risk of combustion and explosion, water is non-toxic, has no risk of explosion, and is environmentally friendly. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is the front view of this utility model;
[0026] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 3 This is a rear view of the water vapor trap after the outer shell of this utility model has been removed;
[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.
[0029] Drying chamber 1, chamber door 11, chamber body 12, observation window 13, heating plate 14, water vapor trap 2, coil 21, drain valve 22, water cooling device 3, circulating water pump 31, air cooler 32, water storage tank 33, manual ball valve 34, vacuum device 4, vacuum breaking pipe 41, vacuum breaking valve 42, heating device 5, hot water tank 51, circulating pump 52, steam heater 53. Detailed Implementation
[0030] First, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely used to explain the technical principles of the embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments as needed to adapt to specific application scenarios.
[0031] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0032] Example 1
[0033] like Figure 1-4The diagram shows a vacuum drying device based on a water-cooling system, comprising a drying chamber 1, a water vapor trap 2, a water-cooling device 3, a vacuum device 4, a heating device 5, and a control system. The drying chamber 1 has a space for placing products to be dried. The heating device 5 is used to heat the drying chamber 1. The water vapor trap 2 is located below the drying chamber 1 and is connected to the drying chamber 1, forming a sealed space after the chamber door 11 of the drying chamber 1 is closed. The water-cooling device 3 is used to cool the water vapor in the water vapor trap 2, causing it to condense into liquid water. The heating device 5 is used to heat the drying chamber 1. The vacuum device 4 is used to evacuate the sealed space formed by the drying chamber 1 and the water vapor trap 2. The control system is used to control the heating device 5, the vacuum device 4, and the water-cooling device 3.
[0034] The drying chamber 1 includes a chamber body 12 and a chamber door 11. The chamber body 12 is a cylindrical shell made of 304 stainless steel. Both ends of the chamber body 12 are closed by two elliptical end caps. The rear end cap is fixed; the front end cap, i.e., the chamber door 11, is supported on a track by rollers and can move parallel to the track. The chamber door 11 opens in a swing-opening manner. In another embodiment, the chamber door 11 can also be a rotary-opening type. The chamber door 11 has two observation windows 13, allowing observation of the condition inside the chamber body 12 during the drying process. A heating plate 14 is installed inside the drying chamber 1, and a hot water channel is provided within the heating plate 14.
[0035] The water vapor trap 2 is located below the drying chamber 1. The water vapor trap 2 is a trapezoidal component made of 304 stainless steel. A coil 21 is installed inside the housing of the water vapor trap 2. The coil 21 is connected to the water cooling device 3, and a drain valve 22 is provided at the bottom. The coil 21 includes three spiral cooling water channels, which are arranged coaxially.
[0036] The water-cooling device 3 comprises a circulating water pump 31, an air cooler 32, a water storage tank 33, and a manual ball valve 34. It is connected to the coil 21 of the water vapor trap 2 via a pipeline, using cold water as the medium to cool the trap coil 21, causing the water vapor evaporated in the drying chamber 1 to condense into liquid water on the surface of the coil 21. Compared with existing technologies, the solution described in this embodiment has a simple structure, low energy consumption and maintenance costs, and is safe and environmentally friendly.
[0037] Vacuum device 4 includes a rotary vane vacuum pump, a Roots pump, and a pneumatic butterfly valve. The vacuum pump, Roots pump, and pneumatic butterfly valve are connected by a vacuum pipeline. The inlet of the vacuum pipeline is connected to the water vapor trap 2, and the outlet of the vacuum pipeline is connected to the atmosphere. A pneumatic shut-off valve and a vacuum breaking pipeline 41 are installed on the pipeline between the inlet of the vacuum pipeline and the water vapor trap 2. The vacuum breaking pipeline 41 is connected to the atmosphere and is equipped with a vacuum breaking valve 42.
[0038] The function of vacuum device 4 is to extract non-condensable gases generated during the sublimation of gases and materials in the freeze-drying chamber, achieving a relatively stable vacuum state. Vacuum device 4 consists of two subsystems: a pre-evacuation system and a maintenance system. The pre-evacuation system is composed of a rotary vane vacuum pump, which can accelerate the evacuation rate; the maintenance system is composed of a rotary vane vacuum pump and a Roots pump, used to maintain the vacuum required during the drying process.
[0039] The heating device 5 includes a hot water tank 51 and a circulation pump 52. The hot water tank 51 is connected to the inlet of the hot water channel via a pipe. The circulation pump 52 is installed on the pipe between the hot water tank 51 and the inlet of the hot water channel. A cooling device is installed between the hot water tank 51 and the circulation pump 52 to control the temperature of the hot water entering the hot water channel. The outlet of the hot water channel is connected to the hot water tank 51 via a pipe. A steam heater 53 is installed inside the hot water tank 51, and the steam heater 53 is connected to an external steam source via a pipe. A pneumatic valve is installed on the pipe between the hot water tank 51 and the hot water channel.
[0040] The heating device 5 supplies heat to the heating plate 14 via hot water, using deionized water as the working fluid, which reduces scaling inside the heating device 5 and ensures its performance is not compromised over long-term use. The heating temperature can be precisely adjusted through the control system according to the characteristics of different materials and drying process requirements, achieving uniform heating of the materials.
[0041] The control system includes a PLC and a touch screen. The PLC is electrically connected to the touch screen and to the heating device 5, vacuum device 4, and water cooling device 3, respectively. Temperature and vacuum sensors are installed inside the drying chamber 1, and both are electrically connected to the PLC. Pneumatic control valves on the water cooling device 3, vacuum device 4, and heating device 5 are electrically connected to the control system and are connected to an external air source.
[0042] The control system also includes a control module and other corresponding components. The PLC is responsible for the logic control of the entire equipment. The touch screen can control the heating device 5, vacuum device 4, water cooling device 3, and electromagnetic control valves, etc. It can display parameters such as temperature and vacuum degree in the drying chamber 1 in real time, and can set and adjust process parameters such as heating temperature and vacuum degree to realize the automated control of the equipment.
[0043] A drying method for a vacuum drying device based on a water-cooling unit
[0044] 1. Preparation stage
[0045] Material pretreatment: Based on the characteristics of the material and the drying requirements, the material is pretreated appropriately, such as by washing, slicing, and crushing, so that the material has a suitable shape and particle size, so that it can be heated and dried evenly in the drying chamber 1.
[0046] Equipment Inspection and Debugging: Check that all components of the equipment are intact, that the silicone sealing rings are complete, and that the vacuum device 4, heating device 5, water cooling device 3, and control system are functioning properly. Turn on the control system and set process parameters such as heating temperature and vacuum level. The heating temperature can be set according to the heat sensitivity of the material and drying requirements, while the vacuum level setting is determined based on the drying characteristics of the material and process requirements.
[0047] 2. Drying stage
[0048] Material loading: Place the pre-treated material evenly on the tray, and then place the tray on the heating plate 14 in the drying chamber 1. Note that the loading amount of material should not be too much, so as not to affect the drying effect and air circulation.
[0049] Vacuuming: Close the door 11 of the drying chamber 1, start the vacuum device 4, and use the vacuum pump to extract the air from the drying chamber 1 and the water vapor trap 2, so that the drying chamber 1 gradually reaches the set vacuum level (about 0.01 MPa). During the vacuuming process, carefully observe the changes in the vacuum level to ensure that the vacuum device 4 is working properly.
[0050] Heating and Condensation: Once the set vacuum level is reached in the drying chamber 1, the heating device 5 and water cooling device 3 are activated. The heating plate 14 begins to heat the material, and the moisture in the material gradually evaporates to form water vapor. The water vapor moves towards the water vapor collector 2 under vacuum, and upon encountering the coil 21 cooled by the water cooling device 3, it condenses into liquid water and adheres to the surface of the coil 21, collecting at the bottom of the collector. This "water vapor condensation and water collection" mode significantly reduces energy consumption (including sublimation energy consumption and ice melting energy consumption) compared to the "water vapor sublimation and ice collection" mode of vacuum freeze-drying equipment, saving related costs and time, shortening the production cycle, and improving production efficiency. During the heating and condensation process, the temperature, vacuum level, and other parameters inside the drying chamber 1 are monitored in real time by the control system, and the parameters are adjusted according to the actual situation to ensure the stability and efficiency of the drying process.
[0051] 3. Conclusion
[0052] Stop heating and circulation: When the material reaches the set degree of dryness, turn off the heating device 5 and the water cooling device 3 to stop heating the material and condensing water vapor.
[0053] Vacuum breaking and unloading: Open the vacuum breaking valve 42 to fill the drying chamber 1 with air, allowing the pressure inside the drying chamber 1 to gradually return to normal pressure. After the pressure is balanced, open the sealing door of the drying chamber 1, remove the tray and material, and complete the drying process.
[0054] Equipment cleaning and maintenance: Clean the equipment, remove residual materials in drying chamber 1 and condensate in water vapor collector 2, check for damage or abnormalities in each component, and perform timely maintenance and upkeep to prepare for the next drying operation.
[0055] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A vacuum drying device based on a water-cooling unit, characterized in that, Includes a drying chamber, a moisture trap, a water cooling system, a vacuum system, a heating system, and a control system. The drying chamber is provided with a space for placing products to be dried, and the heating device is used to heat the drying chamber; the water vapor trap is connected to the drying chamber, forming a sealed space after the chamber door is closed. The water cooling device is used to cool the water vapor in the water vapor trap, causing it to condense into liquid water; The heating device is used to heat the drying chamber; The vacuum device is used to evacuate the sealed space formed by the drying chamber and the water vapor trap. The control system is used to control the heating device, vacuum device, and water cooling device.
2. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water cooling device includes a circulating water pump, an air cooler, and a water storage tank. The water storage tank is connected to a water vapor trap via a pipe. The water vapor trap is connected to the air cooler via a pipe. The air cooler is connected to the water storage tank via a pipe. The circulating water pump is installed on the pipe between the air cooler and the water storage tank.
3. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The water vapor collector is equipped with a coil, the inlet of which is connected to a water storage tank, and the outlet of which is connected to an air cooler. A drain pipe is installed at the bottom of the water vapor collector.
4. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The coil includes three spiral cold water channels, which are arranged coaxially.
5. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drying chamber is equipped with a heating plate, and the heating plate is equipped with a hot water channel. The heating device includes a hot water tank and a circulation pump. The hot water tank is connected to the inlet of the hot water channel through a pipe, and the outlet of the hot water channel is connected to the circulation pump through a pipe. The circulation pump is connected to the hot water tank through a pipe. A steam heater is installed in the hot water tank, and the steam heater is connected to an external steam source through a pipe.
6. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum device includes a rotary vane vacuum pump, a Roots pump, and a pneumatic butterfly valve. The vacuum pump, Roots pump, and pneumatic butterfly valve are connected through a vacuum pipeline. The air inlet of the vacuum pipeline is connected to a water vapor trap, and the air outlet of the vacuum pipeline is connected to the atmosphere.
7. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drying chamber includes a chamber body and a chamber door. The chamber door is used to open and close the chamber body and is equipped with an observation window.
8. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control system includes a PLC and a touch screen. The PLC is electrically connected to the touch screen and is also electrically connected to the heating device, the vacuum device, and the water cooling device.
9. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The drying chamber is equipped with a temperature sensor and a vacuum sensor, which are electrically connected to the PLC.
10. The vacuum drying equipment based on a water-cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water cooling device, vacuum device, and heating device are each equipped with a pneumatic control valve. Each pneumatic control valve is electrically connected to the control system and is connected to an external air source.