Low temperature spray drying apparatus for heat sensitive solutions

Abstract

The utility model discloses a low temperature spray drying device for heat sensitivity stock solution belongs to drying equipment technical field, the utility model discloses a drying tower, stock solution atomization subassembly, hot -blast subassembly, cyclone material receiving subassembly and discharge cooling subassembly, and the discharge cooling subassembly includes cooling jacket, multiple sets of cold air subassembly and a plurality of cold air temperature controller, and the cooling jacket is fixed with a plurality of annular partition to divide its inner chamber into a plurality of cold air chambers, multiple sets of cold air subassembly with a plurality of cold air chambers one to one corresponds, and the air outlet end of every set of cold air subassembly all intercommunication corresponding cold air inlet, and a plurality of cold air temperature controller are installed between the cold air subassembly and the cold air inlet correspondingly to adjust the temperature of corresponding cold air chamber, make a plurality of cold air chambers form gradually lower temperature distribution along the height direction of cooling jacket, promote the uniform drop of tower temperature, ensure that material is in stable, suitable low temperature environment in the drying process, guarantee drying effect and product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of drying equipment technology, and more specifically to a low-temperature spray drying device for heat-sensitive raw materials. Background Technology

[0002] Spray drying technology dehydrates materials by exposing them to hot air. However, some heat-sensitive materials, such as probiotics, require strict temperature control during drying. The outlet temperature is typically maintained between 40-50°C. Temperatures above this range result in a significant decrease in probiotic survival rate after more than 5 minutes of continuous exposure, while temperatures that are too low lead to excessively high moisture content in the resulting powder, causing agglomeration and hindering subsequent storage. Therefore, a secondary drying process using a fluidized bed is necessary, increasing costs.

[0003] To reduce the risk of heat damage, the existing patent solution CN201374977Y proposes a multi-stage vacuum drying scheme. By gradually increasing the vacuum level, the material is dried at 30-35℃. Although the evaporation temperature is reduced by the vacuum unit, achieving a high survival rate of probiotics, the thin air in the vacuum environment weakens heat conduction and convection, resulting in a slower evaporation rate of moisture in the material, a longer drying time, and reduced production efficiency. Furthermore, the multi-stage vacuum pump set and sealing structure significantly increase the complexity of the equipment and maintenance costs. Frequent vacuum breaking operations are required during the material feeding and discharging process, which seriously restricts continuous industrial production.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a low-temperature spray drying device for heat-sensitive materials that is low in cost, highly efficient, and guarantees drying quality is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a low-temperature spray drying device for heat-sensitive stock solutions to at least partially solve the problems of high temperature causing a significant decrease in activity and improper moisture content control affecting stability and shelf life in the drying process of probiotics during the existing spray drying technology. At the same time, it overcomes the disadvantages of vacuum drying, such as weak industrialization capacity, high production cost and long drying time.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions, comprising:

[0008] A drying tower, comprising an upper tower body and a lower tower body with interconnected internal cavities, wherein the upper tower body has a wet material inlet and a hot air inlet at its upper part; and the lower tower body has a dry material outlet at its lower part.

[0009] A raw liquid atomization assembly is installed at the wet material inlet and its spray end extends into the inner cavity of the upper tower body;

[0010] A hot air assembly, wherein the air outlet of the hot air assembly is connected to the hot air inlet;

[0011] A cyclone material collection assembly, wherein the feed end of the cyclone material collection assembly is connected to the dry material outlet;

[0012] The discharge cooling assembly includes a cooling jacket, multiple sets of cold air components, and multiple cold air temperature controllers. The cooling jacket is fixed to the outer wall of the lower tower body above the dry material outlet. Multiple annular baffles are fixed at intervals along the height of the jacket's inner cavity to divide it into multiple cold air chambers. Each cold air chamber has a cold air inlet on one side and a cold air outlet on the opposite side. The multiple sets of cold air components correspond one-to-one with the multiple cold air chambers, and the outlet of each set of cold air components is connected to the corresponding cold air inlet. Multiple cold air temperature controllers correspond one-to-one with the multiple sets of cold air components and are installed between the cold air components and the cold air inlets to adjust the temperature of the corresponding cold air chambers, creating a temperature distribution that gradually decreases along the height of the cooling jacket.

[0013] The beneficial effects that this invention can achieve are: by gradually reducing the temperature distribution inside the cooling jacket, the temperature inside the tower drops uniformly, ensuring that the material is in a stable and suitable low-temperature environment during the drying process, thus guaranteeing the drying effect and product quality.

[0014] Preferably, the raw liquid atomization component includes a raw liquid supply component and an atomizer. The atomizer is installed at the wet material inlet, and its feed end is connected to the discharge end of the raw liquid supply component, while the spray end extends into the inner cavity of the upper tower body.

[0015] Preferably, the raw material supply assembly includes a mixing cylinder, a liquid outlet pipe, a liquid outlet valve, and a delivery pump. The mixing cylinder has a liquid outlet on its lower side wall. The liquid inlet of the liquid outlet pipe is connected to the liquid outlet, and the feed inlet of the atomizer is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid outlet pipe. The liquid outlet valve and the delivery pump are both installed on the liquid outlet pipe.

[0016] Preferably, each group of cooling air components includes a cooling fan and a cooling air duct, the cooling fan is connected to the corresponding cooling air inlet through the cooling air duct, and the cooling air thermostat is installed on the corresponding cooling air duct.

[0017] Preferably, the cold air temperature controller includes a cold air heater and a cold air temperature sensor, and the cold air heater and the cold air temperature sensor are sequentially installed on the cold air duct along the cold air delivery direction.

[0018] Preferably, the cold air assembly further includes a cold air exhaust fan, the air inlet of which is connected to a plurality of cold air outlets.

[0019] Preferably, the hot air assembly includes a hot air blower, a hot air duct, and a hot air thermostat. The air outlet of the hot air blower is connected to the hot air inlet through the hot air duct, and the hot air thermostat is installed on the hot air duct.

[0020] Preferably, the hot air temperature controller includes a hot air heater and a hot air temperature sensor, which are mounted on the hot air duct along the hot air delivery direction.

[0021] Preferably, a drying tube is also provided, wherein the feed end of the drying tube is connected to the dry material outlet, the discharge end is connected to the feed end of the cyclone collecting assembly, and its length is not less than 0 meters.

[0022] Preferably, the cyclone collection assembly includes a cyclone separator, a collection bottle, and a hot air blower. The inlet at the top of the cyclone separator is connected to the outlet of the drying tube, the collection bottle is connected to the outlet at the bottom of the cyclone separator, and the hot air blower is connected to the exhaust port at the top of the cyclone separator.

[0023] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, this utility model discloses a low-temperature spray drying device for heat-sensitive raw materials. A cooling jacket is set at the bottom of the drying tower, and the cooling jacket is divided into multiple cold air chambers by annular baffles. This allows cold air of different temperatures to be introduced into the cold air chambers, so that a temperature gradient distribution with decreasing temperature can be formed in the drying tower, promoting a uniform temperature drop in the tower and ensuring that the material is in a stable and suitable low-temperature environment during the drying process, thus ensuring the drying effect and product quality. By setting up a drying pipe, the material discharged from the drying tower and the hot air can be dried again in the drying pipe before being separated and collected, ensuring that the moisture content of the product is reduced to the required level, thereby improving product quality and stability. Attached Figure Description

[0024] 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 embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This invention provides a schematic diagram of a low-temperature spray drying device for heat-sensitive raw materials.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the discharge cooling component of this utility model.

[0027] In the picture:

[0028] 1. Drying tower; 11. Upper tower body; 111. Observation window; 12. Lower tower body; 2. Raw liquid atomization assembly; 21. Atomizer; 22. Mixing cylinder; 23. Liquid outlet pipe; 24. Liquid outlet valve; 25. Conveying pump; 26. Discharge valve; 3. Hot air assembly; 31. Hot air blower; 32. Hot air duct; 33. Hot air heater; 34. Hot air temperature sensor; 4. Cyclone collection assembly; 41. Cyclone separator; 42. Collection bottle; 43. Hot air induced draft fan; 5. Discharge cooling assembly; 51. Cooling jacket; 511. Annular baffle; 52. Cold air blower; 53. Cold air duct; 54. Cold air heater; 55. Cold air temperature sensor; 56. Cold air induced draft fan; 57. Cold air filter; 58. Cold air nozzle; 6. Drying pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0029] 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.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0031] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] Please see Figures 1-2This utility model discloses a low-temperature spray drying device for heat-sensitive raw materials, including: a drying tower 1, a raw material atomization component 2, a hot air component 3, a cyclone material collection component 4, a discharge cooling component 5, and a controller.

[0033] The drying tower 1 includes a cylindrical upper tower body and a conical lower tower body with interconnected internal cavities. A wet material inlet is located at the center of the top of the upper tower body for injecting heat-sensitive raw material liquid, and a hot air inlet is located on the upper side wall for introducing drying hot air. A dry material outlet is located at the bottom of the lower tower body for discharging hot air and the dried material carried in the hot air, and a discharge port is located at the bottom for discharging waste. A raw material atomizing assembly 2 is installed at the wet material inlet, with its spray end extending into the upper tower body cavity, to atomize the input heat-sensitive raw material liquid into tiny molecule droplets, accelerating dehydration. The outlet of the hot air assembly 3 is connected to the hot air inlet to introduce hot air into the drying tower 1 to heat the atomized small molecule droplets, promoting moisture evaporation and drying. The feed end of the cyclone collection assembly 4 is connected to the dry material outlet to collect the dried material.

[0034] The discharge cooling assembly 5 includes a cooling jacket 51, multiple sets of cold air assemblies, and multiple cold air temperature controllers. The cooling jacket 51 is fixed to the outer wall of the lower tower body above the corresponding dry material outlet. Multiple annular baffles 511 are fixed at intervals along its height in its inner cavity to divide its inner cavity into multiple cold air chambers. Each cold air chamber has a cold air inlet on one side and a cold air outlet on the opposite side. The multiple sets of cold air assemblies correspond one-to-one with the multiple cold air chambers, and the air outlet of each set of cold air assemblies is connected to the corresponding cold air inlet. The multiple cold air temperature controllers correspond one-to-one with the multiple sets of cold air assemblies and are installed between the cold air assemblies and the cold air inlets to adjust the temperature of the corresponding cold air chambers. This makes the multiple cold air chambers form a temperature distribution that gradually decreases along the height of the cooling jacket 51. As a result, after the material is dried under the high-temperature hot air in the upper tower body, it is gradually cooled by the cold air when it falls into the lower tower body. The temperature gradually decreases, forming low-temperature dry air and dried material that enter the cyclone collection assembly 4 for collection. The temperature of the cooling jacket 51 gradually decreases, which helps to ensure that the temperature of the upper part of the lower tower body is close to the temperature inside the upper tower body, and the temperature of the lower part is close to the discharge temperature. This can prevent the temperature inside the upper tower body from being greatly disturbed by the cooling air inside the cooling jacket 51, thus affecting the drying efficiency, and can also reduce it to the required discharge temperature.

[0035] The controller is electrically connected to the raw liquid atomization component 2, the hot air component 3, the cyclone collection component 4, the cold air component, and the cold air temperature controller.

[0036] An observation window 111 is provided on the side wall of the upper tower body 11 for observing the drying conditions inside the tower.

[0037] Specifically, the raw material atomization component 2 includes a raw material supply component and an atomizer 21. The atomizer 21 is installed at the wet material inlet, and its feed end is connected to the discharge end of the raw material supply component, while its spray end extends into the inner cavity of the upper tower. The atomizer 21 is a centrifugal atomizer 21, which atomizes the liquid into tiny particles through high-speed rotation, significantly increasing the contact area between the material and the hot air, allowing the moisture to evaporate rapidly in the hot air.

[0038] Furthermore, the raw material supply assembly includes a mixing cylinder 22, a liquid outlet pipe 23, a liquid outlet valve 24, and a delivery pump 25. A stirring mechanism is installed inside the mixing cylinder 22 for mixing various materials evenly and preventing materials from settling to the bottom. A liquid outlet is opened on its lower side wall, and a liquid drain is opened at the bottom. A discharge valve 26 is installed at the liquid drain to discharge the remaining raw material. The liquid inlet end of the liquid outlet pipe 23 is connected to the liquid outlet, and the feed end of the atomizer 21 is connected to the liquid outlet end of the liquid outlet pipe 23. The liquid outlet valve 24 and the delivery pump 25 are both installed on the liquid outlet pipe 23 to control the material supply speed.

[0039] Specifically, each cooling air assembly includes a cooler 52, a cooling air duct 53, and cooling air nozzles 58. Multiple cooling air nozzles 58 are correspondingly installed at multiple cooling air inlets. The cooler 52 is connected to the corresponding cooling air nozzle 58 via the cooling air duct 53, and a cooling air thermostat is installed on the corresponding cooling air duct 53. The ambient temperature air blown out by the cooler 52 is adjusted to a suitable temperature by the cooling air thermostat and then delivered to the corresponding cooling air chamber via the cooling air nozzles 58. Figure 2 In this embodiment, a total of one air cooler 52 is provided, and three air ducts 53 are provided and connected to three air cavities respectively, so as to deliver the cold air generated by the air cooler 52 to the corresponding air cavities. In some other embodiments, multiple air coolers 52 can be used to supply cooling air to multiple air cavities respectively, and each air cooler 52 can operate independently without interfering with each other.

[0040] Specifically, the air inlet of the evaporative air cooler 52 is equipped with an air filter to remove impurities from the air entering the evaporative air cooler 52.

[0041] Specifically, the cold air temperature controller includes a cold air heater 54 and a cold air temperature sensor 55, which are sequentially installed on the cold air duct 53 along the cold air conveying direction. The cooling air output from the cold air blower 52 is heated to the set temperature by the cold air heater 54 and then delivered into the cold air chamber, so as to form a temperature distribution with a decreasing gradient within the cooling jacket 51. This allows the material temperature to gradually decrease after entering the lower tower, enabling more precise control of the material's cooling temperature and ensuring that the discharge temperature meets the standard, thereby improving the drying efficiency and drying quality of the material.

[0042] Furthermore, the cooling air assembly also includes a cooling air blower 56, the air inlet of which is connected to multiple cooling air outlets to guide cooling air and enhance the cooling effect.

[0043] Specifically, the hot air assembly 3 includes a hot air blower 31, a hot air duct 32, and a hot air thermostat. The air outlet of the hot air blower 31 is connected to the hot air inlet through the hot air duct 32. The hot air thermostat is installed on the hot air duct 32 to provide hot air at a higher temperature to accelerate the drying of materials.

[0044] Furthermore, a hot air filter is installed between the hot air blower 31 and the hot air pipe 32 to filter out impurities carried in the hot air, avoid contaminating the materials inside the tower, and ensure the drying quality of the materials.

[0045] Furthermore, the hot air thermostat includes a hot air heater 33 and a hot air temperature sensor 34, which are installed on the hot air duct 32 along the hot air delivery direction for controlling and regulating the hot air temperature.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, a drying pipe 6 is also provided. The feed end of the drying pipe 6 is connected to the dry material outlet, and the discharge end is connected to the feed port at the top of the cyclone separator 41. Its length is not less than 20 meters, which extends the material conveying distance, increases the contact time between the bacterial powder and the drying air, and realizes secondary drying.

[0047] Specifically, the cyclone collection assembly 4 includes a cyclone separator 41, a collection bottle 42, and a hot air blower 43. The inlet at the top of the cyclone separator 41 is connected to the outlet of the drying pipe 6, the collection bottle 42 is connected to the outlet at the bottom of the cyclone separator 41, and the hot air blower 43 is connected to the exhaust port at the top of the cyclone separator 41. The hot air blower 43 guides hot air into the cyclone separator 41, where the dry material carried in the hot air is separated and collected in the collection bottle 42.

[0048] It should be noted that in this embodiment, all electronic components are controlled by a controller.

[0049] Working principle:

[0050] In operation, the mixed raw liquid is first placed into the mixing cylinder 22. Then, the hot air assembly 3 is activated to supply hot air to the drying tower 1 for preheating. Simultaneously, the hot air induced draft fan 43 is activated to generate airflow within the drying tower 1, rapidly preheating it to a suitable drying temperature. Next, the discharge valve is opened, and the raw liquid in the mixing cylinder 22 is fed into the centrifugal atomizer 21 via the delivery pump 25 for atomization. The atomized raw liquid comes into full contact with the hot air in the upper tower, causing the moisture to evaporate rapidly and dry the liquid. Simultaneously, the cold air fan 52 is activated, and the power of the cold air heater 54 is controlled by the cold air temperature sensor 55 to achieve a specific temperature in the cold air chamber, thus achieving cooling. The material, after constant-rate drying in the upper tower, enters the lower tower and gradually cools to a suitable discharge temperature. After secondary drying in the drying tube 6, it is conveyed to the cyclone separator 41 for separation, obtaining the final product, which is then stored in the collection bottle 42.

[0051] The device in this embodiment enables efficient drying under low temperature and low humidity conditions, ensuring the preservation of activity and product quality stability of heat-sensitive materials such as probiotics during the drying process, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0052] In practical use, depending on the type of heat-sensitive stock solution, appropriate hot and cold air temperatures can be set to ensure drying effect and drying quality.

[0053] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0054] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions, characterized in that, include: A drying tower (1) includes an upper tower body and a lower tower body with interconnected internal cavities. The upper tower body has a wet material inlet and a hot air inlet at its upper part, and the lower tower body has a dry material outlet at its lower part. The raw liquid atomizing component (2) is installed at the wet material inlet and its spray end extends into the inner cavity of the upper tower body; Hot air assembly (3), the air outlet of the hot air assembly (3) is connected to the hot air inlet; Cyclone material collection assembly (4), the feed end of the cyclone material collection assembly (4) is connected to the dry material outlet; The discharge cooling assembly (5) includes a cooling jacket (51), multiple sets of cold air assemblies, and multiple cold air temperature controllers. The cooling jacket (51) is fixed to the outer wall of the lower tower body above the dry material outlet. Multiple annular baffles (511) are fixed at intervals along its height in its inner cavity to divide its inner cavity into multiple cold air chambers. Each cold air chamber has a cold air inlet on one side and a cold air outlet on the opposite side. The multiple sets of cold air assemblies correspond one-to-one with the multiple cold air chambers, and the air outlet of each set of cold air assemblies is connected to the corresponding cold air inlet. The multiple cold air temperature controllers correspond one-to-one with the multiple sets of cold air assemblies and are installed between the cold air assemblies and the cold air inlets to adjust the temperature of the corresponding cold air chambers, so that the multiple cold air chambers form a temperature distribution that gradually decreases along the height of the cooling jacket (51).

2. The low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The raw liquid atomization component (2) includes a raw liquid supply component and an atomizer (21). The atomizer (21) is installed at the wet material inlet, and its feed end is connected to the discharge end of the raw liquid supply component, and its spray end extends into the inner cavity of the upper tower body.

3. The low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 2, characterized in that, The raw liquid supply assembly includes a mixing cylinder (22), a liquid outlet pipe (23), a liquid outlet valve (24), and a delivery pump (25). The mixing cylinder (22) has a liquid outlet on its lower side wall. The liquid inlet of the liquid outlet pipe (23) is connected to the liquid outlet, and the feed inlet of the atomizer (21) is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid outlet pipe (23). The liquid outlet valve (24) and the delivery pump (25) are both installed on the liquid outlet pipe (23).

4. The low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the cooling air components includes a cooler (52) and a cooler duct (53). The cooler (52) is connected to the corresponding cooler inlet through the cooler duct (53), and the cooler thermostat is installed on the corresponding cooler duct (53).

5. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cold air temperature controller includes a cold air heater (54) and a cold air temperature sensor (55), which are installed sequentially on the cold air duct (53) along the cold air delivery direction.

6. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cold air assembly also includes a cold air blower (56), the air inlet of which is connected to a plurality of cold air outlets.

7. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hot air assembly (3) includes a hot air blower (31), a hot air duct (32) and a hot air thermostat. The air outlet of the hot air blower (31) is connected to the hot air inlet through the hot air duct (32), and the hot air thermostat is installed on the hot air duct (32).

8. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hot air temperature controller includes a hot air heater (33) and a hot air temperature sensor (34), which are mounted on the hot air pipe (32) along the hot air delivery direction.

9. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for heat-sensitive stock solutions according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, A drying pipe (6) is also provided, the feed end of which is connected to the dry material outlet, the discharge end of which is connected to the feed end of the cyclone material collection assembly (4), and its length is not less than 20 meters.

10. A low-temperature spray drying apparatus for a heat-sensitive stock solution according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cyclone collection assembly (4) includes a cyclone separator (41), a collection bottle (42), and a hot air blower (43). The inlet of the upper part of the cyclone separator (41) is connected to the outlet of the drying tube (6). The collection bottle (42) is connected to the outlet at the bottom of the cyclone separator (41). The hot air blower (43) is connected to the exhaust port at the upper part of the cyclone separator (41).

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