Aerated drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of food processing and discloses a gas circulation air-drying fermentation device, including a fermentation chamber; a main unit for temperature control and dehumidification is provided on either side of the fermentation chamber, and the main unit is provided with an air intake for air intake and an air supply for air supply; a return air pipe and an air inlet pipe are installed on the top surface of the fermentation chamber, extending horizontally away from the main unit, and the ends of the return air pipe and the air inlet pipe away from the main unit are both closed; the return air pipe is connected to the air intake and has multiple return air inlets; the air inlet pipe is connected to the air supply and has multiple air inlets, which are arranged along the axis of the air inlet pipe; a fresh air pipe is provided at the end of the return air pipe away from the main unit, and the fresh air pipe is connected to the return air pipe, and a first control valve is provided in the fresh air pipe; this effectively solves the problem in the prior art of directly injecting fresh air through the air inlet of the fermentation chamber, which easily leads to sudden changes in local environmental parameters and uneven gas mixing in the fermentation chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of food processing, and specifically relates to a drying and fermentation device with gas circulation. Background Technology

[0002] During the air-drying fermentation of meat products such as sausages, as microbial metabolic activity continues, oxygen in the fermentation chamber is gradually consumed, and waste gases such as carbon dioxide accumulate, leading to an imbalance in gas composition and affecting fermentation efficiency and product quality. Traditional air-drying fermentation devices typically use a design with fresh air inlets directly opened on the side wall of the fermentation chamber. When insufficient oxygen or excessively high carbon dioxide concentration is detected, untreated fresh air is directly injected into the fermentation chamber through these inlets. This simple and crude gas replacement method has significant drawbacks: First, the high-speed injection of fresh air creates strong airflow disturbances near the inlet, causing sudden changes in local temperature and humidity, disrupting the stable environment required for microbial fermentation. Second, the untreated fresh air is difficult to mix thoroughly with the existing gases in the fermentation chamber, resulting in uneven distribution of gas composition within the space. More importantly, this direct injection method cannot regulate the temperature and humidity of the fresh air, potentially introducing air with excessively high humidity or unsuitable temperatures, which not only affects fermentation efficiency but may also lead to condensation or excessive drying on the product surface. These problems severely restrict the consistency of quality and process stability of air-dried fermented products, especially in the production of high-quality fermented meat products that are sensitive to the environment. Therefore, the existing technology of directly injecting fresh air through the upper air vent of the fermentation chamber is prone to causing sudden changes in local environmental parameters and uneven gas mixing in the fermentation chamber. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a gas-circulating air-drying fermentation device, which solves the problem that the existing method of directly injecting fresh air through the upper air vent of the fermentation chamber can easily lead to sudden changes in local environmental parameters and uneven gas mixing within the fermentation chamber.

[0004] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0005] A gas-circulating air-drying fermentation apparatus includes a fermentation chamber;

[0006] A main unit for temperature control and dehumidification is installed on either side of the fermentation chamber. The main unit is equipped with an air intake for air intake and an air supply for air delivery.

[0007] The fermentation chamber has a return air duct and an inlet air duct that extend horizontally away from the main unit on the top side. The ends of the return air duct and the inlet air duct that are away from the main unit are both closed.

[0008] The return air duct is connected to the air intake, and the return air duct is equipped with multiple return air inlets.

[0009] The air inlet duct is connected to the air supply port, and the air inlet duct is equipped with multiple air inlets, which are arranged along the axis of the air inlet duct.

[0010] A fresh air duct is installed at the end of the return air duct that is furthest from the main unit. The fresh air duct is connected to the return air duct, and a first control valve is installed inside the fresh air duct.

[0011] At least one exhaust port is provided on the wall of the fermentation chamber, and a second control valve is provided in the exhaust port.

[0012] One-way valves are installed on all return air vents to restrict the gas from flowing unidirectionally from the fermentation chamber to the return air duct.

[0013] The cross-section of the air inlet duct gradually decreases from the end closer to the main unit to the end farther away from the main unit.

[0014] Multiple main units, return air ducts, and air inlet ducts are all provided;

[0015] The number of return air ducts is equal to that of the main unit and they correspond one-to-one. One end of each return air duct is connected to the air intake of the corresponding main unit.

[0016] A connecting pipe is provided between the air supply port and the air inlet pipe. The air supply ports of each main unit are connected to a common connecting pipe, and each air inlet pipe is connected to the connecting pipe near the main unit.

[0017] The return air duct and the inlet air duct are arranged alternately.

[0018] Multiple air inlets arranged along the axis of the air inlet duct form a row, and each air inlet duct has at least one row of air inlets, with multiple air inlets in each row distributed at equal intervals.

[0019] All air inlets are placed vertically downwards.

[0020] The cross-section of the air inlet gradually decreases from top to bottom.

[0021] The main unit is a temperature-controlled dehumidifier cabinet.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0023] 1. This application achieves closed-loop circulation of gas in the fermentation chamber through the coordinated design of the air inlet duct, return duct, and main unit, effectively maintaining a stable fermentation environment.

[0024] Meanwhile, when it is necessary to inject new gas to maintain the gas composition in the fermentation chamber, this application achieves orderly replacement and recycling of old and new gas by connecting the fresh air duct and the return air duct and coordinating the setting of the first control valve and the second control valve. The injected new gas enters the return air duct away from the main unit and is drawn into the main unit for temperature control and dehumidification through the air inlet and the return air duct. With the setting of the air inlet and the air outlet, the treated gas is evenly introduced into all parts of the fermentation chamber. This solves the problem of sudden changes in local environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity caused by directly injecting fresh air into the fermentation chamber in the traditional method. It effectively improves the stability and uniformity of gas replacement in the fermentation chamber. At the same time, after the new gas is treated by the main unit for temperature control and dehumidification, the introduction of external impurities is effectively reduced.

[0025] 2. By designing the cross-section of the air inlet pipe to gradually decrease from the end near the main unit to the end far from the main unit, automatic adjustment of airflow speed and pressure compensation are achieved, effectively solving the problem of insufficient air pressure at the far end of traditional equal-section pipes, improving the uniformity of airflow output at each air inlet along the pipe axis, thereby making the gas distribution in the fermentation chamber more balanced. Attached Figure Description

[0026] 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, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of the overall structure of this utility model from different perspectives;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the air inlet pipe of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0030] 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 skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0031] This combination Figures 1 to 3This invention describes an embodiment of a gas-circulating air-drying fermentation apparatus. Specifically, the gas-circulating air-drying fermentation apparatus is constructed as a split structure, comprising a fermentation chamber 100, a main unit 200, an air intake 201, an air supply 202, a return air duct 300, an air inlet duct 400, a return air inlet 301, a fresh air duct 500, a first control valve 501, and an exhaust duct. Through the coordinated arrangement of the air inlet duct 400, the return air duct 300, and the main unit 200, a closed-loop circulation of gas within the fermentation chamber 100 is achieved, effectively maintaining a stable fermentation environment. This application connects the fresh air duct 500 and the return air duct 300 and coordinates the first control valve 501 and the second control valve 501. The valve design enables the orderly replacement and recycling of new and old gases. Through the suction of the air inlet 201 and the return air pipe 300, the injected new gas enters the main unit 200 for temperature control and dehumidification. In conjunction with the air inlet pipe 400 and the air inlet 401, the treated gas is evenly distributed throughout the fermentation chamber 100. This solves the problem of sudden changes in local environmental parameters such as temperature and humidity caused by directly injecting fresh air into the fermentation chamber 100 in the traditional method. It effectively improves the stability and uniformity of gas replacement in the fermentation chamber 100. At the same time, after the new gas has been treated by the temperature control and dehumidification of the main unit 200, the introduction of external impurities is effectively reduced.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 A gas-circulating air-drying fermentation device includes a fermentation chamber 100;

[0033] A main unit 200 for temperature control and dehumidification is provided on any side of the fermentation chamber 100. The main unit 200 is equipped with an air intake 201 for air intake and an air supply 202 for air supply.

[0034] A return air duct 300 and an inlet air duct 400 are installed on the inner top surface of the fermentation chamber 100, extending horizontally along the side of the main unit 200 away from the main unit 200. The ends of the return air duct 300 and the inlet air duct 400 away from the main unit 200 are both closed.

[0035] The return air duct 300 is connected to the air intake 201, and the return air duct 300 is provided with multiple return air inlets 301;

[0036] The air inlet duct 400 is connected to the air supply port 202. The air inlet duct 400 is provided with multiple air inlets 401, which are arranged along the axis of the air inlet duct 400.

[0037] A fresh air duct 500 is provided at the end of the return air duct 300 away from the main unit 200. The fresh air duct 500 is connected to the return air duct 300. A first control valve 501 is provided inside the fresh air duct 500.

[0038] At least one exhaust port is provided on the wall of the fermentation chamber 100, and a second control valve is provided in the exhaust port;

[0039] It should be noted that the main unit 200 is used for temperature control and dehumidification to generate dry, low-temperature gas;

[0040] The low-temperature gas generated by the main unit 200 is input into the air inlet duct 400 through the air supply port 202. The gas moves along the air inlet duct 400 from the end near the main unit 200 to the end away from the main unit 200, and is input into the fermentation chamber 100 through the air inlet 401. Under the negative pressure generated by the main unit 200, the hot and humid air in the fermentation chamber 100 is drawn into the return air duct 300 through the return air inlet 301. The return air duct 300 transports the collected hot and humid air to the air intake port 201 of the main unit 200, where it enters the main unit 200 for cooling and dehumidification, and is converted back into dry low-temperature gas that meets the process requirements. This gas is then input into the air inlet duct 400 through the air supply port 202 on the main unit 200, and finally flows back into the fermentation chamber 100. Through the coordinated arrangement of the air inlet duct 400, the return air duct 300, and the main unit 200, a closed-loop circulation of gas is achieved in the fermentation chamber 100, effectively maintaining a stable fermentation environment.

[0041] After fermentation for a period of time, it will consume the oxygen in the gas in the fermentation chamber and produce gases such as carbon dioxide, which will lead to an imbalance in gas composition and affect the activity of fermenting microorganisms.

[0042] When new gas needs to be injected, the first control valve 501 opens to connect the fresh air duct 500 and the return air duct 300, and at the same time opens the second control valve to connect the exhaust port of the fermentation chamber 100 to the outside.

[0043] Fresh air is injected into the return air duct 300 through the fresh air duct 500. The air flows into the main unit 200 through the return air duct 300. After being treated by the temperature control and dehumidification of the main unit 200, it is discharged into the fermentation chamber 100 through the air supply port 202, the air inlet duct 400, and the air inlet 401. At the same time, the original gas in the fermentation chamber 100 is continuously discharged from the fermentation chamber 100 through the exhaust port.

[0044] Traditional air-drying fermentation devices typically inject fresh gas directly into the fermentation chamber 100. This design has obvious drawbacks: fresh air is blown directly into the fermentation chamber 100 through the side wall opening, causing significant temperature and humidity fluctuations in the area near the injection point, which disrupts the stability of the fermentation environment. At the same time, due to the lack of pre-mixing treatment, the fresh air is difficult to mix evenly with the indoor gas, resulting in inconsistent gas composition in different areas of the fermentation chamber 100.

[0045] This application achieves orderly replacement and recycling of old and new gases by connecting the fresh air duct 500 and the return air duct 300 and coordinating the first control valve 501 and the second control valve. The injected new gas enters the return air duct 300 away from the main unit 200 and is drawn into the main unit 200 by the suction port 201 and the return air duct 300, where it undergoes temperature control and dehumidification. The combination of the air inlet duct 400 and the air inlet 401 ensures that the treated gas is evenly distributed throughout the fermentation chamber 100. This solves the problem of sudden changes in local temperature, humidity and other environmental parameters caused by directly injecting fresh air into the fermentation chamber 100 in the traditional method. It effectively improves the stability and uniformity of gas replacement in the fermentation chamber 100, and the introduction of external impurities is effectively reduced after the new gas has been treated by the temperature control and dehumidification of the main unit 200.

[0046] Preferably, both the first control valve 501 and the second control valve can be electric air valves.

[0047] It should be noted that the fermentation chamber 100 is equipped with at least one door.

[0048] One-way valves are installed on all return air inlets 301. The one-way valves are used to restrict the gas from flowing unidirectionally from the fermentation chamber 100 to the return air duct 300. By installing one-way valves on the return air inlets 301, the directional control of gas flow is achieved, ensuring that the hot and humid air in the fermentation chamber 100 can only flow into the return air duct 300 in one direction, effectively preventing fresh air from entering the fermentation chamber 100 directly through the return air inlets 301 without treatment.

[0049] The cross-section of the air inlet duct 400 gradually decreases from the end closer to the main unit 200 to the end farther away from the main unit 200. By designing the cross-section of the air inlet duct 400 to gradually decrease from the end closer to the main unit 200 to the end farther away from the main unit 200, automatic adjustment of airflow speed and pressure compensation are achieved. This gradual structure enables the airflow to maintain a stable dynamic pressure distribution during the delivery process, effectively solving the problem of insufficient air pressure at the far end of traditional equal-section ducts, and effectively improving the uniformity of airflow output at each air inlet 401 along the duct axis, thereby making the gas distribution in the fermentation chamber 100 more balanced.

[0050] Multiple main unit 200, return air duct 300 and air inlet duct 400 are each configured;

[0051] The number of return air ducts 300 and main units 200 are equal and correspond one-to-one. One end of each return air duct 300 is connected to the air intake 201 of the corresponding main unit 200.

[0052] A connecting pipe 600 is provided between the air supply port 202 and the air inlet pipe 400. The air supply ports 202 of each main unit 200 are connected to a common connecting pipe, and the end of each air inlet pipe 400 near the main unit 200 is connected to the connecting pipe 600.

[0053] The return air duct 300 and the inlet air duct 400 are arranged alternately;

[0054] By coordinating multiple main units 200, return air ducts 300 and inlet air ducts 400, and with the return air ducts 300 and inlet air ducts 400 arranged alternately, not only is the occurrence of dead zones in the air circulation effectively reduced, but the uniformity and stability of the airflow distribution in the fermentation chamber 100 are further improved, and the efficiency of replacing old and new gases in the fermentation chamber 100 is also improved.

[0055] Preferably, each air inlet pipe 400 is equipped with an electric air valve at the connection point with the connecting pipe 600 to control the air volume; at the same time, each electric air valve can be selectively opened and closed alternately to achieve alternating air supply in the fermentation chamber 100.

[0056] Multiple air inlets 401 arranged along the axial direction of the air inlet duct 400 form a row, and each air inlet duct 400 has at least one row of air inlets 401, and the multiple air inlets 401 in each row are distributed at equal intervals; this further improves the uniformity and stability of airflow distribution in the fermentation chamber 100.

[0057] All air inlets 401 are placed vertically downwards; the vertically downward placement of the air inlets 401 causes the airflow to impact the surface of the fermentation material vertically, and forms a turbulent airflow in the fermentation chamber 100; the airflow turbulence generated by this design not only promotes full contact between the gas and the material, but also breaks the formation of a static air layer, effectively preventing the accumulation of differences in local environmental parameters.

[0058] The cross-section of the air inlet 401 gradually decreases from top to bottom; the gradient design helps to increase the speed of the airflow ejected from the air inlet 401 and enhance the turbulence effect of the airflow in the fermentation chamber 100.

[0059] The main unit 200 is a temperature-controlled dehumidifier cabinet; the temperature-controlled dehumidifier cabinet is an existing technology and is an environmental control device that integrates dehumidification and cooling functions.

[0060] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0061] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A gas-circulating air-drying fermentation apparatus, comprising a fermentation chamber (100), characterized in that: A main unit (200) for temperature control and dehumidification is provided on any side of the fermentation chamber (100). The main unit (200) is provided with an air intake (201) for air intake and an air supply (202) for air supply. A return air duct (300) and an inlet air duct (400) extending horizontally along the side away from the main unit (200) are installed on the inner top surface of the fermentation chamber (100). The ends of the return air duct (300) and the inlet air duct (400) away from the main unit (200) are both closed. The return air duct (300) is connected to the air intake (201), and the return air duct (300) is provided with multiple return air inlets (301); The air inlet duct (400) is connected to the air supply port (202). The air inlet duct (400) is provided with multiple air inlets (401), which are arranged along the axis of the air inlet duct (400). A fresh air duct (500) is provided at the end of the return air duct (300) away from the main unit (200). The fresh air duct (500) is connected to the return air duct (300). A first control valve (501) is provided inside the fresh air duct (500). At least one exhaust port is provided on the wall of the fermentation chamber (100), and a second control valve is provided in the exhaust port.

2. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 1, characterized in that, One-way valves are installed on the return air inlets (301). The one-way valves are used to restrict the gas from flowing unidirectionally from the fermentation chamber (100) to the return air duct (300).

3. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cross-section of the air inlet duct (400) gradually decreases from the end closer to the main unit (200) to the end farther away from the main unit (200).

4. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple units are configured for the main unit (200), return air duct (300), and air inlet duct (400); The number of return air ducts (300) is equal to that of the main unit (200) and they correspond one-to-one. One end of each return air duct (300) is connected to the air intake (201) of the corresponding main unit (200). A connecting pipe (600) is provided between the air supply port (202) and the air inlet pipe (400). The air supply ports (202) of each main unit (200) are connected to a common connecting pipe. The end of each air inlet pipe (400) near the main unit (200) is connected to the connecting pipe (600). The return air duct (300) and the inlet air duct (400) are arranged alternately.

5. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 4, characterized in that, Multiple air inlets (401) arranged along the axial direction of the air inlet duct (400) form a row, and the air inlets (401) on any air inlet duct (400) are at least one row, and the multiple air inlets (401) in each row are distributed at equal intervals.

6. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 5, characterized in that, The air inlets (401) are all placed vertically downwards.

7. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cross-section of the air inlet (401) gradually decreases from top to bottom.

8. The air-drying fermentation apparatus with gas circulation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main unit (200) is a temperature-controlled dehumidifier cabinet.

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