A woodsmoke tea fumigation device

Abstract

This utility model discloses a fumigation device for Litsea cubeba tea, belonging to the technical field of tea processing equipment. It includes a box with a sealed door and a multi-layered shelf inside the box, as well as an aroma generating device, an airflow circulation device, and a control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the aroma generating device and the airflow circulation device. The aroma generating device includes a gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle. The air inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle is connected to an air source through a first pipe, and the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle is connected to a liquid supply mechanism through a second pipe. The airflow circulation device includes a circulating fan located outside the box. The circulating fan is configured to drive the gas flow inside the box, causing the droplets sprayed from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle to form an airflow passing through the shelf. This effectively solves the problems of tea and aroma components being easily destroyed by high temperatures, uneven fumigation, and low aroma utilization rate in traditional hot steam fumigation processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of tea processing equipment, specifically a fumigation device for Litsea cubeba tea. Background Technology

[0002] In tea processing, aroma-enhancing techniques are widely used to impart unique flavors and aromas to tea, thereby improving its quality and market competitiveness. Traditional aroma-enhancing techniques mainly include two methods: static fermentation and hot steam fumigation. Static fermentation involves layering tea leaves with aromatic compounds such as Litsea cubeba fruit or crude extracts, relying on the natural diffusion of aroma molecules to allow the tea leaves to absorb the aroma. This technique is simple and easy to implement, but it suffers from low aroma utilization and uneven absorption, especially with natural aroma sources like Litsea cubeba, where aroma components are sensitive to temperature and have high viscosity. Hot steam fumigation uses an external heat source to heat water or directly heat the Litsea cubeba material to generate high-temperature steam, thereby delivering the aroma to the tea leaves. This method can improve the utilization rate of aroma, but it still has shortcomings, mainly that the tea leaves often absorb the aroma unevenly during the fumigation process, resulting in uneven aroma distribution.

[0003] In recent years, atomization technology has achieved good results in humidification, aromatherapy, and other fields. However, directly applying these technologies to tea fumigation is not ideal. For example, ultrasonic atomization technology performs well when processing low-viscosity liquids, but when dealing with high-viscosity liquids such as Litsea cubeba essential oil, it exhibits problems such as low atomization efficiency, easy clogging, and unstable atomization volume. In addition, the generated droplet particle size distribution is wide and difficult to control. If Litsea cubeba essential oil is directly placed in the fumigation chamber and relies on natural diffusion, the key problem of fumigation uniformity cannot be solved.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a fumigation device for Litsea cubeba tea that can improve fumigation efficiency, ensure uniform aroma adsorption, and retain the active flavor components of tea leaves and Litsea cubeba to the greatest extent, in order to solve the problems existing in the related technologies and promote the quality improvement and industrialization of Litsea cubeba tea and similar flavored teas. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the aforementioned technical difficulties and provide a Litsea cubeba tea fumigation device that has high fumigation efficiency, uniform aroma adsorption, and can retain the flavor and active ingredients of tea and Litsea cubeba to the maximum extent.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: a Litsea cubeba tea fumigation device, comprising a box with a sealed door and a multi-layer shelf inside the box, and further comprising an aroma generating device, an airflow circulation device, and a control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the aroma generating device and the airflow circulation device. The aroma generating device includes a gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle, which is disposed on the top or upper side wall of the box. The air inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle is connected to an air source through a first pipeline, and the liquid inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle is connected to a liquid supply mechanism through a second pipeline. The airflow circulation device includes a circulating fan disposed outside the box, which is configured to drive the gas flow inside the box, so that the droplets sprayed from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle form an airflow that passes through the shelf.

[0007] Furthermore, the airflow circulation device also includes an airflow guiding structure disposed within the housing, the airflow guiding structure being configured to cause droplets ejected from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle to form a uniform airflow that passes vertically through the multi-layered shelf from top to bottom.

[0008] Furthermore, the airflow guiding structure includes a pressure equalization chamber disposed at the top of the housing and a flow equalization plate communicating with the pressure equalization chamber. The flow equalization plate has multiple flow equalization holes. The bottom of the housing is provided with an air bucket for collecting airflow. The air bucket is connected to the air inlet of the circulating fan through a return pipe.

[0009] Furthermore, the liquid supply mechanism includes a fragrance liquid storage tank and a precision pump. The inlet end of the precision pump is connected to the fragrance liquid storage tank through a pipeline, and the outlet end of the precision pump is connected to a gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle through a pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, the fragrance storage tank is equipped with a magnetic stirrer and a temperature control mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, the gas source is an air compressor that provides compressed air or a gas cylinder that provides inert gas.

[0012] Furthermore, the enclosure is also equipped with an online cleaning system, which includes a spray ball disposed inside the enclosure and a cleaning fluid interface communicating with the spray ball.

[0013] The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation device provided by this utility model has the following beneficial effects: This invention utilizes gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization technology to efficiently atomize high-viscosity Litsea cubeba fragrance liquid at room temperature. Combined with a top-down vertical uniform flow circulation system and a pulsed control program, it ultimately achieves efficient, deep, and uniform adsorption of Litsea cubeba aroma onto tea leaves under low-temperature conditions. This effectively solves industry pain points such as the easy destruction of tea and aroma components by high temperatures, uneven smoking, and low aroma utilization rate in traditional hot steam fumigation processes. It significantly improves the consistency and stability of product flavor quality while greatly reducing production costs. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment of this utility model.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow guiding structure of the Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid supply mechanism of the Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment of this utility model.

[0017] In the diagram, 1. Sealed door; 2. Box body; 3. Shelf; 4. Control unit; 5. Gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle; 6. Gas source; 7. Liquid supply mechanism; 8. Circulating fan; 9. Pressure equalization chamber; 10. Flow equalization plate; 11. Flow equalization hole; 12. Air bucket; 13. Return pipe; 14. Fragrance liquid storage tank; 15. Precision pump; 16. Magnetic stirrer; 17. Temperature control mechanism; 18. First pipeline; 19. Second pipeline. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to specific embodiments. The described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Example 1 like Figure 1-3The present invention provides a fumigation device for Litsea cubeba tea, comprising a box 2 with a sealed door 1 and a multi-layer shelf 3 inside the box 2, as well as an aroma generating device, an airflow circulation device, and a control unit 4. The present invention includes regulating valves (not shown in the figure) on corresponding components of the aroma generating device and the airflow circulation device. The control unit 4 is electrically connected to the aroma generating device and the airflow circulation device. The control unit 4 uses a PLC controller and has a preset program including a fumigation stage (circulating fan 8 and atomizing nozzle working for 2 minutes), a static permeation stage (all components stop working for 3 minutes), repeated 10 times, with a total process time of 50 minutes. This allows the tea leaves to absorb aroma molecules from the surface during the static stage, further improving the adsorption depth and efficiency of the tea leaves and enhancing its synergy with the airflow and atomization system in the time dimension. The box 2 is made of 304 stainless steel with a volume of 1m³, and contains 5 layers of stainless steel mesh shelves 3 with a layer spacing of 20cm, each layer capable of holding 5kg of dry tea.

[0020] The aroma generating device includes a gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5, which is an external mixing type dual-fluid nozzle with a nozzle orifice diameter of 0.5 mm. The gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 is located on the top or upper side wall of the housing 2. The air inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 is connected to an air source 6 through a first pipeline 18. The air source 6 is an air compressor that provides compressed air or a gas cylinder that provides inert gas. In this application, the air source 6 is an oil-free air compressor with a rated pressure of 0.8 MPa and a flow rate of 50 L / min, which provides compressed air. The liquid inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 is connected to a liquid supply mechanism 7 through a second pipeline 19. The liquid supply mechanism 7 includes a 10 L aroma liquid storage tank 14 and a precision pump 15. The flow rate ranges from 0.1 to 10 mL / min. The inlet of the precision pump 15 is connected to the fragrance liquid storage tank 14 via a pipeline, and the outlet of the precision pump 15 is connected to the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 via a pipeline. The fragrance liquid storage tank 14 is equipped with a magnetic stirrer 16 and a constant temperature mechanism 17, with a temperature control range of 5-40℃. Before production and processing, the fragrance liquid is injected into the fragrance liquid storage tank 14. The fragrance liquid in this application is a mixture of litsea cubeba essential oil and food-grade propylene glycol in a 1:3 ratio. During operation, the magnetic stirrer 16 and the constant temperature mechanism 17 are used to ensure that the high-viscosity litsea cubeba fragrance liquid is always uniformly mixed and at a constant optimal atomization temperature, providing a preliminary guarantee for the stable operation of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5.

[0021] The airflow circulation device includes a circulating fan 8 disposed outside the housing 2. The circulating fan 8 in this application is a low-noise centrifugal fan with an airflow of 300 m³ / h. The circulating fan 8 is configured to drive the gas flow within the housing 2, causing the droplets ejected from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 to form an airflow passing through the shelf 3. The airflow circulation device also includes an airflow guiding structure disposed within the housing 2. The airflow guiding structure is configured to cause the droplets ejected from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 to form a uniform airflow that passes vertically downwards through the multi-layer shelf 3. The airflow guiding structure includes a pressure equalization chamber 9 disposed at the top of the housing 2 and a flow equalization plate 10 communicating with the pressure equalization chamber 9. The flow equalization plate 10 has multiple flow equalization holes 11. Through the unique design of the pressure equalization chamber 9 and the flow equalization plate 10, this invention transforms the concentrated airflow provided by the circulating fan 8 into a laminar or quasi-laminar airflow with uniform pressure and flow velocity across the entire cross-section of the housing 2. This uniform airflow agitates the mist droplets, forming a consistent airflow curtain. Driven by both the airflow and their own gravity, the droplets move in the same direction, overcoming the resistance of the tea leaves and achieving maximum penetration. This ensures that every layer of tea leaves, from the top to the bottom, receives aroma mist droplets of uniform concentration and flow. The bottom of the housing 2 is equipped with an air hopper 12 for collecting airflow. This air hopper 12 is connected to the air inlet of the circulating fan 8 via a return pipe 13, forming a vertically downward, closed-loop airflow path. This path draws in and circulates the gas within the housing, recovering unabsorbed aroma and improving utilization. Furthermore, it prevents uneven concentration caused by disordered vortices within the housing.

[0022] Control Group 1 Based on the above embodiments, this control group uses an ordinary electric steam generator combined with a simple fumigation chamber. The Litsea cubeba fragrance liquid is dripped into the water tank of the steam generator in proportion, generating high-temperature steam of about 98°C, which is then introduced into chamber 2 to fumigate the tea for 20 minutes.

[0023] Control Group 2 Based on the above embodiments, the difference between this control group and Embodiment 1 is that an ultrasonic atomizing plate of equal power is used to replace the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5, the circulating fan 8 is turned off, the ultrasonic atomizing plate is installed at the bottom of the box 2, and fumigation is carried out by natural diffusion of mist for 50 minutes.

[0024] Control Group 3 Based on the above embodiments, this control group uses the complete gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization system of the present invention. The difference between this system and Embodiment 1 is that the circulating fan 8 and the airflow guiding structure are removed, and the fumigation time is 50 minutes, relying solely on the natural diffusion of droplets.

[0025] Control group four Based on the above embodiments, this control group uses a complete gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization system, but the circulating fan 8 is moved to the side wall of the box 2 to directly blow horizontal turbulence inward, the flow equalization plate 10 is removed, and the circulating fan 8 and the aroma generating device work simultaneously for 50 minutes.

[0026] Based on the above embodiments and control groups, the applicant took the same batch of pan-fried green tea leaves and subjected them to fumigation treatment according to the above embodiment one and each control group, for a total of 5 groups. Each group carried 1 kg of dry tea per layer, for a total of 5 kg. After fumigation, samples were taken from the top, middle and bottom of each layer and mixed. The following indicators were tested: aroma intensity, the peak area (×10) of the characteristic aroma component citral was determined by headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). 6 Aroma uniformity was assessed by calculating the relative standard deviation (RSD%) of the citral peak area among the five tea samples. A smaller RSD% indicates better uniformity. Sensory quality was assessed by a blind tasting panel of five professionals according to national standards (out of 100), focusing on aroma characteristics (presence of cooked or dull flavors) and liquor color. The aroma utilization rate was estimated as (weight of added aroma liquid - amount of aroma liquid recovered from the inner wall of the equipment and the reflux liquid) / weight of added aroma liquid × 100%. The test results are shown below. Example 1 shows the peak area of ​​citral (×10). 6 ): 35.6; Interlayer RSD% (uniformity): 7.2%; Sensory score: 93; Aroma utilization: >78%; Evaluation of liquor color and aroma: The liquor color is clear and bright, and the aroma is fresh, high-pitched, transparent and uniform.

[0027] The test result of control group 1 was the peak area of ​​citral (×10). 6 ): 8.5; Interlayer RSD% (uniformity): 25.4%; Sensory score: 68; Aroma utilization rate: difficult to calculate precisely; Evaluation of liquor color and aroma: The liquor color is deep yellow and slightly cloudy, and the aroma is dull and has a cooked taste.

[0028] The detection results of control group 2 were: citral peak area (×10) 6 ): 5.2; Interlayer RSD% (uniformity): 61.8%; Sensory score: 72; Aroma utilization rate: ~18%; Evaluation of liquor color and aroma: The aroma is extremely faint, and there is a great difference between the upper and lower layers.

[0029] The control group's three test results showed that the peak area of ​​citral (×10) 6 ): 15.3; Interlayer RSD% (uniformity): 38.5%; Sensory score: 78; Aroma utilization rate: ~35%; Evaluation of liquor color and aroma: The aroma is acceptable but uneven, with the lower layer being significantly heavier than the upper layer.

[0030] The detection results for control group four were: citral peak area (×10) 6): 20.1; Interlayer RSD% (uniformity): 22.7%; Sensory score: 80; Aroma utilization rate: ~50%; Evaluation of liquor color and aroma: The aroma is acceptable, but there are obvious traces of wind path and the uniformity is not good.

[0031] In summary, compared to control group three, under the same conditions lacking effective airflow organization, the aroma intensity of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization group was nearly three times that of the ultrasonic atomization group. This indicates that ultrasonic atomization relies on the high-frequency vibration of piezoelectric oscillators, and its efficiency decreases sharply with increasing liquid viscosity, making it ineffective in processing highly viscous Litsea cubeba fragrance liquid. Its atomization efficiency is low, with an aroma utilization rate of less than 20%. In contrast, the efficiency of gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization stems from the shear force of the high-speed airflow, which is far greater than the cohesive force of the high-viscosity liquid, effectively processing highly viscous Litsea cubeba fragrance liquid and improving atomization efficiency. The gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization method of this application is based on its unique working principle and a high degree of matching with the physical properties of Litsea cubeba fragrance liquid. High-speed compressed gas is ejected from the annular gap of the nozzle, forming a negative pressure zone at the nozzle outlet, thereby drawing in the fragrance liquid and shearing and breaking it into extremely fine droplets. This process is a purely physical, cold process, relying entirely on the kinetic energy of the airflow, with no thermal effect, thus fundamentally avoiding the damage of high temperatures to the heat-sensitive aroma components of Litsea cubeba. This application can precisely control the droplet size by adjusting the gas-liquid ratio, so that the droplets are not prone to premature settling and have sufficient inertia to ensure effective collision and adsorption with the tea surface.

[0032] Compared to Example 1, Control Group 3, with the addition of an atomization source and the vertical airflow circulation system provided in this application, showed an order-of-magnitude improvement in aroma uniformity and utilization rate. The gas-liquid dual-fluid atomization and the top-down vertical airflow in this application are mutually dependent and mutually reinforcing synergistic. The atomization system produces droplets of suitable size, providing a material basis for uniform airflow distribution, while the airflow system efficiently and uniformly delivers the droplets to every corner of the tea leaves, improving atomization utilization efficiency. Compared to the Example 1, Control Group 4, even with forced airflow, showed that the uniformity of the simple horizontal turbulence was far inferior to that of the vertical airflow circulation system in this application.

[0033] Example 2 Based on the above embodiments, in order to improve the cleaning efficiency of the housing 2, the housing 2 is also equipped with an online cleaning system. The online cleaning system includes a spray ball installed inside the housing 2 and a cleaning liquid interface connected to the spray ball, thereby ensuring the hygiene of the equipment when processing teas of different flavors and preventing cross-contamination of flavors.

[0034] The working principle of this application is as follows: The pre-treated dry tea leaves are evenly spread on each layer of the rack 3, and the sealing door 1 is closed; the equipment is started via the control unit 4. The prepared Litsea cubeba fragrance liquid is stably delivered to the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle 5 through the liquid supply mechanism 7, while compressed air (or nitrogen) is supplied through the air source 6. The nozzle atomizes the fragrance liquid into micron-sized dry mist. The circulating fan 8 is started, driving the mist droplets into the pressure equalization chamber 9. After being evenly distributed by the flow equalization plate 10, a uniform airflow is formed, which slowly penetrates the tea leaves. Most of the airflow after penetration is returned to the circulation through the air bucket 12 and the return pipe 13. After the fumigation is completed, the online cleaning system can be started to clean the inside of the equipment.

[0035] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

[0036] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A fumigation device for Litsea cubeba tea, comprising a box (2) with a sealed door (1) and a multi-layer shelf (3) disposed within the box (2), characterized in that: It also includes an aroma generating device, an airflow circulation device, and a control unit (4). The control unit (4) is electrically connected to the aroma generating device and the airflow circulation device. The aroma generating device includes a gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5). The gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5) is located on the top or upper side wall of the housing (2). The air inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5) is connected to an air source (6) through a first pipe (18). The liquid inlet of the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5) is connected to a liquid supply mechanism (7) through a second pipe (19). The airflow circulation device includes a circulating fan (8) located outside the housing (2). The circulating fan (8) is configured to drive the gas flow inside the housing (2) so that the droplets sprayed from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5) form an airflow that passes through the shelf (3).

2. The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airflow circulation device also includes an airflow guiding structure disposed in the housing (2), which is configured to cause the droplets ejected from the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5) to form a uniform airflow that passes vertically from top to bottom through the multi-layer shelf (3).

3. The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The airflow guiding structure includes a pressure equalization chamber (9) set at the top of the box (2) and a flow equalization plate (10) connected to the pressure equalization chamber (9). The flow equalization plate (10) is provided with a plurality of flow equalization holes (11). The bottom of the box (2) is provided with an air bucket (12) for collecting airflow. The air bucket (12) is connected to the air inlet of the circulating fan (8) through a return pipe (13).

4. The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid supply mechanism (7) includes a fragrance liquid storage tank (14) and a precision pump (15). The inlet end of the precision pump (15) is connected to the fragrance liquid storage tank (14) through a pipeline, and the outlet end of the precision pump (15) is connected to the gas-liquid dual-fluid atomizing nozzle (5) through a pipeline.

5. The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fragrance storage tank (14) is equipped with a magnetic stirrer (16) and a constant temperature mechanism (17).

6. The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas source (6) is an air compressor that provides compressed air or a gas cylinder that provides inert gas.

7. The Litsea cubeba tea fumigation equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The housing (2) is also equipped with an online cleaning system, which includes a spray ball installed inside the housing (2) and a cleaning liquid interface connected to the spray ball.

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