A caramel color concentration device

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of caramel color production technology, and in particular to a caramel color concentration device. The caramel color concentration device includes: a concentration tank, a sealed tank, a rotating shaft, a stirring rod, a waste heat pipe, a cover plate, a heating ring, a partition plate, an exhaust pipe, a pipe connector, a recovery pipe, a motor, a scraper, a feed inlet, and a discharge outlet. The rotating shaft is installed inside the concentration tank, connected to the stirring rod, which has a scraper and its bottom part is in contact with the bottom of the tank. The concentration tank is covered by a sealed tank, with a heating ring and a waste heat pipe between them. A partition plate is located on the heating ring. The concentration tank is connected to the exhaust pipe, the feed inlet, and the discharge outlet. The exhaust pipe is connected to the waste heat pipe via the pipe connector, and the sealed tank is connected to the recovery pipe. The cover plate consists of a threaded collar and a rotating plate, which are rotatably connected. The caramel color concentration device provided by this utility model has the advantages of energy saving through waste heat recovery, reduced raw material residue, convenient cover plate disassembly and assembly while protecting components, and synergistic improvement in product quality through stirring and heating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of caramel color production technology, and in particular to a caramel color concentration device. Background Technology

[0002] Caramel color concentration equipment is a specialized machine used to concentrate liquid caramel color raw materials. Its core function is to remove excess water from the caramel color raw materials, thereby increasing the concentration, purity, and solids content of the caramel color, thus meeting the specific requirements of the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries for caramel color products in terms of color, flavor, and stability. This equipment achieves efficient concentration of caramel color raw materials through the synergistic action of heating and stirring, making it one of the key pieces of equipment in the caramel color production and processing process.

[0003] However, existing caramel color concentration equipment still has many shortcomings in practical applications, limiting its production efficiency and effectiveness: First, waste heat is not effectively utilized. Existing equipment generates a large amount of hot steam during the heating and concentration process, which is usually directly discharged into the environment. This not only wastes a significant amount of heat energy and increases energy costs in the production process, but also may have a certain impact on the surrounding working environment. Second, the problem of caramel color residue after concentration is prominent. Most caramel color concentration equipment on the market typically uses a tilting method to remove the concentrated caramel color after concentration. However, due to the strong viscosity of caramel color, this method often results in a large amount of caramel color residue remaining on the inner wall and bottom of the concentration tank. This not only wastes raw materials, but the residual caramel color is also difficult to clean, and long-term accumulation may affect the concentration quality of subsequent batches of caramel color.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new caramel color concentration device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a caramel color concentration device.

[0006] The caramel color concentration device provided by this utility model includes: a concentration tank, a rotating shaft installed inside the concentration tank, and multiple sets of stirring rods rotatably connected at equal intervals to the side wall of the rotating shaft, the stirring rods being used to stir the caramel color inside the concentration tank; a sealing tank is fitted inside the concentration tank, the bottom of the sealing tank being fixedly connected to the concentration tank; a waste heat pipe is provided between the sealing tank and the concentration tank, the waste heat pipe being used to utilize the heat carried away by steam during the concentration process; a cover plate is provided on the top of the sealing tank, the cover plate being used to cover the space between the sealing tank and the concentration tank.

[0007] Preferably, a heating ring is provided at the bottom between the sealed container and the concentration container, the inner wall of the heating ring is a heating surface, and the inner wall of the heating ring is in contact with the outer wall of the concentration container.

[0008] Preferably, a partition is provided above the heating ring, the partition is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the sealed barrel, and the waste heat pipe is placed above the partition.

[0009] Preferably, an exhaust pipe is fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank, and a pipe connector is connected to the end of the exhaust pipe. One end of the pipe connector is connected to the waste heat pipe. The pipe connector is used for quick connection and disconnection between the top of the waste heat pipe and the exhaust port.

[0010] Preferably, a recovery pipe is fixedly connected to the side wall of the sealed container, and the recovery pipe is connected to the waste heat pipe through a pipe connector.

[0011] Preferably, the cover plate consists of a threaded collar and a rotating plate, with the top of the rotating plate rotatably connected to the top of the threaded collar. The rotating plate has a through opening through which the top of the waste heat pipe passes.

[0012] Preferably, the outer wall at the top of the sealing barrel is provided with internal threads, and the sealing barrel is threadedly connected to the threaded collar.

[0013] Preferably, a motor is fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank, and the output end of the motor is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft; a scraper is fixedly connected to the end of the stirring rod away from the rotating shaft, the scraper is in contact with the side wall of the concentration tank, and the bottommost stirring rod among the multiple sets of stirring rods is in contact with the inner wall of the bottom of the concentration tank.

[0014] Compared with related technologies, the caramel color concentration equipment provided by this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] I. Achieve waste heat recovery and utilization to reduce production energy costs.

[0016] This invention features a waste heat pipe installed between the sealed tank and the concentration tank, connected to an exhaust pipe at the top of the concentration tank via a pipe connector. This allows the heated steam generated during concentration to be drawn into the waste heat pipe. The steam in the waste heat pipe releases heat to assist in heating the outer wall of the concentration tank, avoiding the energy waste caused by direct steam discharge in traditional equipment. This design effectively improves energy utilization, reduces energy consumption of the heating ring, and consequently lowers the company's production and operating costs, meeting the requirements of energy-saving and environmentally friendly production.

[0017] II. Reduce caramel color residue and improve raw material utilization.

[0018] To address the issue of excessive caramel residue during material discharge in existing equipment, this invention features a scraper fixedly connected to the end of the stirring rod furthest from the rotating shaft, which adheres to the side wall of the concentration tank. Simultaneously, the bottom stirring rod among multiple sets of stirring rods is aligned with the inner bottom wall of the concentration tank. During the discharge phase, the motor drives the rotating shaft, stirring rods, and scraper to operate synchronously. The scraper removes caramel residue adhering to the side wall of the concentration tank in real time, while the bottom stirring rod pushes the raw material at the bottom of the tank towards the discharge port. This structural design significantly reduces caramel residue on the inner wall and bottom of the concentration tank, preventing material waste and significantly improving material utilization, thus ensuring improved economic efficiency for enterprises.

[0019] III. The cover plate has a reasonable structural design, which facilitates installation, disassembly, and component protection.

[0020] The cover plate of this utility model consists of a threaded collar and a rotating plate. The rotating plate is rotatably connected to the threaded collar, and the rotating plate has an opening for the waste heat pipe to pass through. During installation, the waste heat pipe is first passed through the opening of the rotating plate, and then the threaded collar is tightened by engaging the internal thread at the top of the sealing barrel. To disassemble, the cover plate can be removed by rotating the threaded collar in the opposite direction. Because the rotating plate and the threaded collar can rotate relative to each other, the rotating plate will not rotate synchronously when the threaded collar is rotated, effectively preventing damage to the waste heat pipe due to pulling and protecting the waste heat pipe. At the same time, the threaded connection makes the installation and disassembly of the cover plate simple, facilitating later inspection and maintenance of the waste heat pipe and other components inside the sealing barrel. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the caramel color concentration device provided by this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the sealed barrel shown;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the threaded collar.

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the concentration tank.

[0025] The following are the labels in the diagram: 1. Concentration tank; 2. Rotating shaft; 3. Stirring rod; 4. Sealed tank; 5. Waste heat pipe; 6. Cover plate; 7. Heating ring; 8. Partition plate; 9. Exhaust pipe; 10. Pipe connector; 11. Recovery pipe; 12. Threaded collar; 13. Rotating plate; 14. Internal thread; 15. Motor; 16. Scraper. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model.

[0027] The specific implementation of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0028] Please see Figures 1 to 4 A caramel color concentration device includes: a concentration tank 1, a rotating shaft 2 installed inside the concentration tank 1, and multiple sets of stirring rods 3 rotatably connected at equal intervals to the side wall of the rotating shaft 2, the stirring rods 3 being used to stir the caramel color inside the concentration tank 1; a sealing tank 4 fitted onto the concentration tank 1, the bottom of the sealing tank 4 being fixedly connected to the concentration tank 1; a waste heat pipe 5 being provided between the sealing tank 4 and the concentration tank 1, the waste heat pipe 5 being used to utilize the heat carried away by steam during the concentration process; and a cover plate 6 being provided on the top of the sealing tank 4, the cover plate 6 being used to cover... The space between the sealing tank 4 and the concentration tank 1 is blocked; a heating ring 7 is provided at the bottom between the sealing tank 4 and the concentration tank 1, the inner wall of the heating ring 7 is a heating surface, and the inner wall of the heating ring 7 is in contact with the outer wall of the concentration tank 1; a motor 15 is fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank 1, and the output end of the motor 15 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 2; a scraper 16 is fixedly connected to the end of the stirring rod 3 away from the rotating shaft 2, the scraper 16 is in contact with the side wall of the concentration tank 1, and the bottommost stirring rod 3 among the multiple sets of stirring rods is in contact with the inner wall of the bottom of the concentration tank 1.

[0029] It should be noted that: the top of the concentration tank 1 is fixedly connected to the inlet, and the bottom of the concentration tank 1 is fixedly connected to the outlet. When discharge is required, the stirring rod 3 cooperates with the scraper 16. The scraper 16 scrapes off the caramel color adhering to the side wall of the concentration tank 1, and the stirring rod 3 pushes the caramel color towards the outlet during the rotation process.

[0030] Please see Figures 1 to 3 A partition 8 is provided above the heating ring 7, and the partition 8 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the sealed barrel 4. The waste heat pipe 5 is placed above the partition 8. An exhaust pipe 9 is fixedly connected to the top of the concentration barrel 1. The end of the exhaust pipe 9 is connected to a pipe connector 10, and one end of the pipe connector is connected to the waste heat pipe 5. The pipe connector 10 is used for quick connection and disconnection between the top of the waste heat pipe 5 and the exhaust port. A recovery pipe 11 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the sealed barrel 4. The recovery pipe 11 is connected to the waste heat pipe 5 through the pipe connector. The cover plate 6 is composed of a threaded collar 12 and a rotating plate 13. The rotating plate 13 is rotatably connected to the top of the threaded collar 12. The rotating plate 13 has a through opening, and the top of the waste heat pipe 5 passes through the opening. An internal thread 14 is provided on the outer wall of the top of the sealed barrel 4, and the sealed barrel 4 is threadedly connected to the threaded collar 12.

[0031] It should be noted that when installing the cover plate 6, first pass the waste heat pipe 5 through the opening of the rotating plate 13, then place the cover plate 6 on the sealing barrel 4, and finally rotate the threaded collar 12 to tighten it; here the threaded collar 12 and the rotating plate 13 are rotatably connected to avoid the rotating plate 13 rotating synchronously when rotating the collar, which would cause damage to the waste heat pipe 5; the exhaust pipe 9 uses a flexible hose, and the pipe connection joint is a mature device that is already available on the market.

[0032] The working principle of the caramel color concentration device provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0033] I. Feeding Stage

[0034] The operator injects the liquid caramel coloring material to be concentrated into the concentration tank 1 through the feed port fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank 1. After the amount of material injected reaches the process requirements, the feeding is stopped and the feed port is sealed.

[0035] II. Heating and Concentration Stage

[0036] The heating ring 7, located at the bottom between the sealed container 4 and the concentration container 1, is activated. Utilizing the structural feature that the inner wall (heating surface) of the heating ring 7 is in contact with the outer wall of the concentration container 1, heat is evenly transferred to the caramel-colored raw material inside the concentration container 1, thereby heating the raw material.

[0037] Simultaneously, the motor 15 fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank 1 is started. The output end of the motor 15 drives the rotating shaft 2 installed inside the concentration tank 1 to rotate. Multiple sets of stirring rods 3, which are equidistantly connected to the side wall of the rotating shaft 2, rotate synchronously with the rotating shaft 2 to fully stir the heated caramel coloring raw material, so that the raw material is heated evenly, accelerates the evaporation of water, and achieves the concentration effect.

[0038] During the stirring process, the scraper 16 fixedly connected to the end of the stirring rod 3 away from the rotating shaft 2 is in contact with the side wall of the concentration tank 1, which can scrape off the caramel-colored raw material attached to the side wall of the concentration tank 1 in real time, thus avoiding local overheating and carbonization of the raw material; at the same time, the bottommost stirring rod 3 of the multiple sets of stirring rods 3 is in contact with the bottom inner wall of the concentration tank 1, which can stir the raw material at the bottom of the concentration tank 1 and prevent the raw material from settling.

[0039] III. Waste Heat Recovery Stage

[0040] The heated steam generated during the concentration process is discharged through the exhaust pipe 9 fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank 1, and is introduced into the waste heat pipe 5 set between the sealed tank 4 and the concentration tank 1 through the pipe connector 10 connected to the end of the exhaust pipe 9.

[0041] The heat-containing steam in the waste heat pipe 5 releases heat to assist in heating the outer wall of the concentration tank 1, realizing the secondary utilization of waste heat and reducing the energy consumption of the heating ring 7; the steam or condensate after the heat release is completed is discharged through the recovery pipe 11 (connected to the waste heat pipe 5 through a pipe connector) fixedly connected to the side wall of the sealed tank 4 and then processed.

[0042] IV. Discharge Stage

[0043] Once the caramel color raw material is concentrated to meet the process requirements, open the discharge port fixedly connected to the bottom of the concentration tank 1, while keeping the motor 15 running. The rotating shaft 2 drives the stirring rod 3 to continue rotating. During the rotation, the stirring rod 3 pushes the concentrated caramel color towards the discharge port. During this process, the scraper 16 continuously scrapes off the caramel color adhering to the side wall of the concentration tank 1, ensuring that the raw material is discharged through the discharge port as much as possible to reduce residue.

[0044] V. Cover Plate 6 Installation and Removal Stage

[0045] When installing the cover plate 6, first pass the top end of the waste heat pipe 5 through the through opening in the rotating plate 13 of the cover plate 6, then place the cover plate 6 on top of the sealing barrel 4, aligning the threaded collar 12 of the cover plate 6 with the internal thread 14 on the outer wall of the top of the sealing barrel 4; then rotate the threaded collar 12 to connect it to the sealing barrel 4 and tighten it, completing the installation of the cover plate 6. Since the threaded collar 12 and the rotating plate 13 are rotatably connected, the rotating plate 13 will not rotate synchronously when the threaded collar 12 is rotated, which can effectively prevent the waste heat pipe 5 from being pulled and damaged due to the rotation of the rotating plate 13.

[0046] When disassembling the cover plate 6, first rotate the threaded collar 12 in the opposite direction to disengage it from the sealing tank 4, and then move the rotating plate 13 upward to remove the cover plate 6, which facilitates the inspection and maintenance of components such as the waste heat pipe 5 between the sealing tank 4 and the concentration tank 1.

[0047] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and does not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of this utility model specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A caramel color concentration device, characterized in that, include: A concentration tank (1) is provided. Inside the concentration tank (1) is a rotating shaft (2). Multiple stirring rods (3) are equidistantly connected to the side wall of the rotating shaft (2). The stirring rods (3) are used to stir the caramel color inside the concentration tank (1). A sealing tank (4) is fitted inside the concentration tank (1). The bottom of the sealing tank (4) is fixedly connected to the concentration tank (1). A waste heat pipe (5) is provided between the sealing tank (4) and the concentration tank (1). The waste heat pipe (5) is used to utilize the heat carried away by the steam during the concentration process. A cover plate (6) is provided on the top of the sealing tank (4). The cover plate (6) is used to cover the space between the sealing tank (4) and the concentration tank (1).

2. The caramel color concentration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heating ring (7) is provided at the bottom between the sealed container (4) and the concentration container (1). The inner wall of the heating ring (7) is the heating surface, and the inner wall of the heating ring (7) is in contact with the outer wall of the concentration container (1).

3. The caramel color concentration device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A partition (8) is provided above the heating ring (7), and the partition (8) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the sealed barrel (4). The waste heat pipe (5) is placed above the partition (8).

4. The caramel color concentration device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The top of the concentration tank (1) is fixedly connected to an exhaust pipe (9), and the end of the exhaust pipe (9) is connected to a pipe connector (10). One end of the pipe connector is connected to the waste heat pipe (5). The pipe connector (10) is used for quick connection and disconnection between the top of the waste heat pipe (5) and the exhaust port.

5. The caramel color concentration device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A recovery pipe (11) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the sealed barrel (4), and the recovery pipe (11) is connected to the waste heat pipe (5) through a pipe connector.

6. The caramel color concentration apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cover plate (6) is composed of a threaded collar (12) and a rotating plate (13). The rotating plate (13) is rotatably connected to the top of the threaded collar (12). The rotating plate (13) has a through opening, through which the top of the waste heat pipe (5) passes.

7. The caramel color concentration apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer wall of the top of the sealing barrel (4) is provided with an internal thread (14), and the sealing barrel (4) is threadedly connected to the threaded collar (12).

8. The caramel color concentration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A motor (15) is fixedly connected to the top of the concentration tank (1), and the output end of the motor (15) is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (2); a scraper (16) is fixedly connected to the end of the stirring rod (3) away from the rotating shaft (2), the scraper (16) is in contact with the side wall of the concentration tank (1), and the bottommost stirring rod (3) among the multiple sets of stirring rods (3) is in contact with the inner wall of the bottom of the concentration tank (1).

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