Corn degerming, crushing and pulping device

Abstract

This utility model discloses a corn degerming, crushing, and pulping device, comprising, in sequence, a feeding port, a primary bucket elevator, a cleaning screen, a destoner, a secondary bucket elevator, a wetting auger, a modulator, a corn temporary storage bin, a corn discharge auger, a degerming machine, a tertiary bucket elevator, and a grading screen; the outlet of the grading screen for larger particles is connected back to the degerming machine, the outlet for coarse powder is connected to a separator, and the outlet for fine powder is connected to a quaternary bucket elevator; the separator has a germ output pipe, an outlet containing germ and endosperm that is connected back to the degerming machine, and a starch and protein mixed outlet that is connected to the quaternary bucket elevator; the gas phase outlet of the separator is connected to a fiber output pipe via a fiber separation dust collector; the outlet of the quaternary bucket elevator is connected to a hammer mill. This device extracts corn germ in advance and uses it to produce food-grade germ oil, increasing the added value of by-products; at the same time, it eliminates the problem of separation and washing difficulties caused by germ mixed with citric acid residue, thereby improving the yield of the subsequent product citric acid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a corn crushing device, and more particularly to a corn degerming, crushing and pulping device, belonging to the technical field of citric acid production equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Citric acid, an essential organic acid indispensable in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries, directly impacts the quality of industry development through the advancement of its production process. Currently, the traditional process of producing citric acid from corn in China, using whole corn crushing and fermentation followed by calcium salt purification, is widely employed. However, this process faces numerous unresolved issues in practical applications.

[0003] In citric acid production, corn is a commonly used fermentation raw material. However, the process of directly crushing and liquefying corn has significant drawbacks: Firstly, the oil and germ components in corn affect the fermentation efficiency of citric acid. The oil reacts with some of the amylose during enzymatic liquefaction, causing some starch to age, resulting in incomplete liquefaction, reduced starch utilization, and decreased fermentation efficiency (acidity and conversion rate). Simultaneously, the high fat content in the citric acid residue makes separation and washing difficult, forcing the germ to be mixed in and sold as animal feed, greatly reducing its utilization value. Secondly, a large amount of ash impurities in corn enters the syrup, interfering with subsequent separation processes; furthermore, the hard particles contained in this ash can easily puncture the ceramic membrane core, leading to membrane failure.

[0004] Chinese patent CN102876738B discloses "A method for producing citric acid using high-intensity fermentation technology," which uses corn as raw material and produces citric acid by crushing, slurrying, adding enzymes, and spraying liquefaction. The drawback of this technology is that it does not use degermed corn flour to produce citric acid, thus affecting the enzymatic liquefaction effect, leading to reduced starch utilization, negatively impacting citric acid fermentation, and consequently reducing citric acid yield and fermentation efficiency.

[0005] With the development of bioengineering and its downstream technologies, concentrated feed and high-sugar fermentation are becoming the development trend of citric acid fermentation processes. After degerming, corn raw materials are crushed and liquefied to produce fermented concentrates, which can improve the recovery rate of subsequent products and lay a good foundation for high-sugar fermentation of concentrated feeds. After degerming, the corn germ can be used for oil extraction, increasing the utilization value of corn. The residue after oil extraction, containing some starch, can also be crushed together with the degermed corn for subsequent fermentation, maximizing the utilization of corn.

[0006] In conclusion, traditional whole corn crushing and fermentation methods can no longer meet the current industry requirements for high efficiency, energy saving, environmental protection, and high raw material utilization. Therefore, degerming corn to remove the adverse effects of germ oil on subsequent processes and improve the efficiency of citric acid fermentation has important practical significance and application value. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this section is to outline some aspects of embodiments of the present invention and to briefly describe some preferred embodiments. Simplifications or omissions may be made in this section, as well as in the abstract and title of this application, and such simplifications or omissions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0008] In view of the problems existing in the above and / or prior art, this utility model is proposed.

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the problems existing in the prior art and provide a corn degerming, crushing and slurry preparation device. By pre-extracting corn germ and using it to produce food-grade germ oil, the low-value utilization of germ as feed is avoided, and the added value of by-products is increased. At the same time, the problem of separation and washing difficulties caused by germ mixed with citric acid residue is eliminated, thereby improving the citric acid yield.

[0010] To solve the above technical problems, this utility model provides a corn degerming, crushing, and pulping device, including a feeding port 101. The outlet of the feeding port 101 is connected to the inlet of a cleaning screen 103 via a primary bucket elevator 102. The material outlet of the cleaning screen 103 is connected to the inlet of a destoner 104. The material outlet of the destoner 104 is connected to the material inlet of a hydrating auger 110 via a secondary bucket elevator 109. The outlet of the hydrating auger 110 is connected to the inlet of a corn storage bin 112 via a modulator 111. The bottom outlet of the corn storage bin 112 is connected to the inlet of a degerming machine 115 via a corn discharge auger 114. The outlet of the degerming machine 115 is connected to the inlet of a grading screen 117 via a tertiary bucket elevator 116. The larger particle outlet of the grading screen 117 is connected to the inlet of the degerminator 115, the coarse powder outlet of the grading screen 117 is connected to the inlet of the embryo selector 118, the fine powder outlet of the grading screen 117 is connected to the lower inlet of the four-stage bucket elevator 121, and the upper outlet of the four-stage bucket elevator 121 is connected to the inlet of the hammer mill 122. The germ outlet of the embryo selector 118 is connected to the germ output pipe G03; the germ-containing endosperm outlet of the embryo selector 118 is connected to the inlet of the degerminator 115; and the starch and protein mixed outlet of the embryo selector 118 is also connected to the lower inlet of the four-stage bucket elevator 121. The gas phase outlet of the embryo sorter 118 is connected to the inlet of the fiber separator dust collector 119, and the bottom fiber outlet of the fiber separator dust collector 119 is connected to the fiber output pipe G02.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom of the hammer mill 122 is provided with a collection hopper 125, and the bottom of the collection hopper 125 is provided with a screw conveyor 126. The outlet of the screw conveyor 126 is connected to the inlet of the corn flour temporary storage bin 127. The outlet of the corn flour temporary storage bin 127 is connected to the inlet of the corn flour auger 129 through a vibrating unloader 128. The outlet of the corn flour auger 129 is connected to the inlet of the metering auger 130. The outlet of the metering auger 130 is connected to the feed port of the ribbon mixer 133. The outlet of the sugar water tank 131 is connected to the inlet of the sugar water pump 132. The outlet of the sugar water pump 132 is connected to the slurry inlet of the ribbon mixer 133 through the electromagnetic flow meter FT-133 and the second regulating valve FC-133. The output port of the ribbon mixer 133 is connected to the corn flour slurry output pipe G01.

[0012] Furthermore, the clean water pipe is connected to the inlet of the lubrication auger 110 via the flow meter FT-110 and the first regulating valve FC-110.

[0013] Compared to the prior art, the advantages or beneficial effects of the embodiments of this application include at least the following: 1. The citric acid production process has been optimized by extracting the germ before corn crushing. The extracted germ is then used to produce food-grade germ oil, increasing the added value of the by-product. The germ is completely separated from starch, protein, and fiber using a degerming device, ensuring that the germ contains no starch and thus improving the citric acid yield. 2. After degerming, only 1.4 tons of corn are needed to produce 1 ton of anhydrous citric acid; compared to 1.7 tons for the non-degerming process. Degerming reduces raw material consumption by approximately 20% compared to the non-degerming process when producing lemons. 3. This device can reduce the ash content in corn, ensuring the stable operation of subsequent membrane filtration processes. It also employs a dry extraction method to extract corn germ, increasing the added value of by-products. After degerming, 8%-10% of corn germ can be extracted for the production of corn germ oil, generating an additional economic benefit of approximately 80 yuan per ton of corn. However, the germ from undegermed corn, mixed with fermentation residue, cannot be sold separately. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. The drawings are provided for reference and illustration only and are not intended to limit this utility model. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the corn degerming, crushing, and pulping device of this utility model; In the diagram: Feed inlet 101; Primary bucket elevator 102; Cleaning screen 103; Destoner 104; Pulse dust collector 105; Exhaust fan 106; Pulse dust collector 107; Exhaust fan 108; Secondary bucket elevator 109; Wetting auger 110; Flow meter FT-110; First regulating valve FC-110; Modulator 111; Corn temporary storage bin 112; Vibrating unloader 113; Corn discharge auger 114; Degerminator 115; Tertiary bucket elevator 116; Grading screen 117; Germ separator 118; Fiber... Dust collector 119; Exhaust fan 120; Four-stage bucket elevator 121; Hammer mill 122; Pulse dust collector 123; Exhaust fan 124; Collection hopper 125; Screw conveyor 126; Corn flour temporary storage silo 127; Vibrating unloader 128; Corn flour auger 129; Variable frequency motor EV-129; Metering auger 130; Weighing sensor WT-130; Sugar water tank 131; Sugar water pump 132; Ribbon mixer 133; Electromagnetic flow meter FT-133; Second regulating valve FC-133; Corn flour output tube G01; fiber output tube G02; germ output tube G03; hot light sugar solution tube G04. Detailed Implementation

[0015] In the following description of this utility model, the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not mean that the device must have a specific orientation.

[0016] To make the technical means, creative features, achieved objectives and effects of this utility model easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described below with reference to specific illustrations. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0017] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0018] like Figure 1As shown, in the corn degerming, crushing, and slurry preparation device of this utility model, the outlet of the feeding port 101 is connected to the lower inlet of the primary bucket elevator 102, the upper outlet of the primary bucket elevator 102 is connected to the inlet of the cleaning screen 103, the material outlet of the cleaning screen 103 is connected to the inlet of the destoner 104, the material outlet of the destoner 104 is connected to the lower inlet of the secondary bucket elevator 109, the upper outlet of the secondary bucket elevator 109 is connected to the material inlet of the water-lubricating auger 110, and the clean water pipe is connected to the flow meter FT-110 and the first regulating valve FC-1. 10 is connected to the inlet of the hydrating auger 110, the outlet of the hydrating auger 110 is connected to the inlet of the modulator 111, the outlet of the modulator 111 is connected to the inlet of the corn storage bin 112, the bottom outlet of the corn storage bin 112 is connected to the inlet of the corn discharge auger 114 through the vibrating unloader 113, the outlet of the corn discharge auger 114 is connected to the inlet of the degerminator 115, the outlet of the degerminator 115 is connected to the lower inlet of the three-stage bucket elevator 116, and the upper outlet of the three-stage bucket elevator 116 is connected to the inlet of the grading screen 117.

[0019] The larger particle outlet of the grading screen 117 is connected to the inlet of the degerminator 115, the coarse powder outlet of the grading screen 117 is connected to the inlet of the embryo selector 118, and the fine powder outlet of the grading screen 117 is connected to the lower inlet of the four-stage bucket elevator 121.

[0020] The germ outlet of the embryo selector 118 is connected to the germ output pipe G03; the germ-containing endosperm outlet of the embryo selector 118 is connected to the inlet of the degerminator 115; and the starch and protein mixed outlet of the embryo selector 118 is connected to the lower inlet of the four-stage bucket elevator 121.

[0021] The gas phase outlet of the embryo separator 118 is connected to the inlet of the fiber separator dust collector 119. The exhaust port of the fiber separator dust collector 119 is vented to the atmosphere through the induced draft fan 120. The bottom fiber outlet of the fiber separator dust collector 119 is connected to the fiber output pipe G02.

[0022] The upper outlet of the four-stage bucket elevator 121 is connected to the inlet of the hammer mill 122. The bottom of the hammer mill 122 is equipped with a collection hopper 125, and the bottom of the collection hopper 125 is equipped with a screw conveyor 126. The outlet of the screw conveyor 126 is connected to the inlet of the corn flour temporary storage bin 127. The outlet of the corn flour temporary storage bin 127 is connected to the inlet of the corn flour auger 129 through a vibrating unloader 128. The outlet of the corn flour auger 129 is connected to the inlet of the metering auger 130. The outlet of the metering auger 130 is connected to the feed port of the ribbon mixer 133.

[0023] The hot sugar solution pipe G04 is connected to the inlet of the sugar solution tank 131, the outlet of the sugar solution tank 131 is connected to the inlet of the sugar solution pump 132, the outlet of the sugar solution pump 132 is connected to the slurry inlet of the ribbon mixer 133 through the electromagnetic flow meter FT-133 and the second regulating valve FC-133, and the output port of the ribbon mixer 133 is connected to the corn flour slurry output pipe G01.

[0024] Corn is fed through the feeding port 101. Considering dust levels, a pulse dust collector 107 and a matching induced draft fan 108 are added to the feeding port. The corn is then conveyed to a cleaning screen 103 via a primary bucket elevator 102, where most impurities are removed. The corn, after impurity removal, passes through a destoner 104 for further impurity removal, specifically removing any embedded stones. Simultaneously, the destoner is further cleaned by a pulse dust collector 105 and an induced draft fan 106, reducing the ash content of the corn.

[0025] After being destoned, the corn is lifted by a two-stage bucket elevator 109 into a water-lubricating auger 110. Since the initial moisture content of the corn is typically 12-13%, the kernels are quite hard, making the germ prone to breakage during the degerming process due to excessive mechanical force, hindering separation from the endosperm. To ensure efficient germ detachment during subsequent degerming, a certain amount of water is sprayed above the corn, with the water flow rate controlled by a flow meter FT-110 and a first regulating valve FC-110. After watering, the corn enters a modulator 111 to allow moisture to penetrate through the corn seed coat into the kernel. To ensure a more even distribution of moisture among the germ, endosperm, and seed coat, the modulated corn is temporarily stored in a corn storage bin 112 for 20-60 minutes, bringing the moisture content to 14-16%. This ensures the hardness and resilience of the germ, making it easier to detach completely during degerming.

[0026] After being temporarily stored, the corn is discharged through a vibrating unloader 113 and a corn discharge auger 114. The frequency of the auger is adjusted by a variable frequency motor, which further regulates the flow rate to the degerming machine 115. Inside the degerming machine 115, the corn undergoes intense collisions under mechanical force, causing the endosperm to separate from the seed coat. Simultaneously, the endosperm is broken into smaller particles, while the germ, due to its good toughness, remains relatively intact. The degerming machine 115 separates the germ from the fiber, starch, and protein. The resulting corn flour is then lifted to a high position by a three-stage bucket elevator 116 and sieved through a grading screen 117, separating it into larger particles, coarse flour, and fine flour.

[0027] Larger particles that haven't had their germ completely removed are returned to the degerminator 115 for further degerming. The sieved fine powder, free of germ and fiber, is then sent to the subsequent grinding and liquefaction unit. The coarse powder is further separated from the germ by the separator 118, which separates the germ from the fiber and starch, yielding four products: germ, fiber, germ-containing endosperm, and a mixture of starch and protein. The separated germ is discharged through the germ output pipe G03 and can be sold as a product from which germ oil can be extracted.

[0028] Meanwhile, the embryo sorting machine is equipped with a fiber separator dust collector 119 and an induced draft fan 120. The fibers come out from the light phase air duct and are discharged from the bottom outlet of the fiber separator dust collector 119, and are output through the fiber output pipe G02 for grinding into feed. The germ and endosperm continue to return to the degerminator 115, while the starch and protein are mixed with the fine powder screened by the grading screen 117 for grinding and then enter the grinding liquefaction device.

[0029] The sieved starch and protein are conveyed to the hammer mill 122 through a four-stage bucket elevator 121 for crushing. The fineness of the crushing is 30 mesh, and the sieve passing rate reaches 99%. At the same time, a pulse dust collector 123 and an induced draft fan 124 are equipped with a dust removal system. The crushed corn flour falls into the collection hopper 125 and is conveyed to the corn flour temporary storage bin 127 for buffering and temporary storage by a screw conveyor 126. Then, it is unloaded by a vibrating unloader 128 and conveyed by a corn flour auger 129 to a metering auger 130 for weighing and metering. Then, it is conveyed to the ribbon mixer 133, where water is added by a light sugar water pump 132 to mix and adjust the slurry. The corn flour auger 129 is equipped with a variable frequency motor EV-129, which is interlocked with the weighing sensor WT-130 of the metering auger 130, and also interlocked with the electromagnetic flowmeter FT-133 that controls the flow of the diluted sugar water and the second regulating valve FC-133, to ensure that the discharge concentration of the ribbon mixer 133 is controlled at 28~30%, and is output through the corn flour slurry output pipe G01.

[0030] Through the above process, a large amount of ash adhering to the bran enters the feed process along with the fiber. After being crushed, it is used as feed, which significantly reduces the ash content in the corn flour and provides a guarantee for the stable operation of the ceramic membrane. At the same time, the early extraction of the germ increases the added value of the product and also creates favorable conditions for the effective separation of citric acid residue.

[0031] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, showing and describing the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present utility model. It is not intended to limit the scope of patent protection of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. In addition to the above embodiments, the present utility model may have other implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present utility model. Various changes and improvements to the present utility model are also possible. All technical solutions formed by equivalent substitutions or equivalent transformations fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present utility model. The scope of protection claimed by the present utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Technical features not described in the present utility model can be implemented by or using existing technology, and will not be elaborated here.

Claims

1. A corn degerming and crushing and slurrying device, comprising a feeding port (101), characterized in that: The outlet of the feeding port (101) is connected to the inlet of the cleaning screen (103) through the first-stage bucket elevator (102). The material outlet of the cleaning screen (103) is connected to the inlet of the destoner (104). The material outlet of the destoner (104) is connected to the material inlet of the hydrating auger (110) through the second-stage bucket elevator (109). The discharge port of the hydrating auger (110) is connected to the inlet of the corn storage bin (112) through the modulator (111). The bottom outlet of the corn storage bin (112) is connected to the inlet of the degerminator (115) through the corn discharge auger (114). The discharge port of the degerminator (115) is connected to the inlet of the grading screen (117) through the third-stage bucket elevator (116). The larger particle outlet of the grading screen (117) is connected to the inlet of the degerminator (115), the coarse powder outlet of the grading screen (117) is connected to the inlet of the embryo selector (118), the fine powder outlet of the grading screen (117) is connected to the lower inlet of the four-stage bucket elevator (121), and the upper outlet of the four-stage bucket elevator (121) is connected to the inlet of the hammer mill (122). The germ outlet of the embryo selector (118) is connected to the germ output pipe (G03); the germ-containing endosperm outlet of the embryo selector (118) is connected to the inlet of the embryo remover (115); and the starch and protein mixed outlet of the embryo selector (118) is also connected to the lower inlet of the four-stage bucket elevator (121). The gas phase outlet of the embryo selector (118) is connected to the inlet of the fiber separator dust collector (119), and the bottom fiber outlet of the fiber separator dust collector (119) is connected to the fiber output pipe (G02).

2. The corn degerming and pulverizing and slurrying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the hammer mill (122) is provided with a hopper (125), and the bottom of the hopper (125) is provided with a screw conveyor (126). The outlet of the screw conveyor (126) is connected to the inlet of the corn flour storage bin (127). The outlet of the corn flour storage bin (127) is connected to the inlet of the corn flour auger (129) through a vibrating unloader (128). The outlet of the corn flour auger (129) is connected to the inlet of the metering auger (130). The outlet of the metering auger (130) is connected to the feed port of the ribbon mixer (133). The outlet of the sugar water tank (131) is connected to the inlet of the sugar water pump (132). The outlet of the sugar water pump (132) is connected to the slurry inlet of the ribbon mixer (133) through the electromagnetic flow meter (FT-133) and the second regulating valve (FC-133). The output port of the ribbon mixer (133) is connected to the corn flour slurry output pipe (G01).

3. The corn degerming and pulverizing and slurrying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The clean water pipe is connected to the inlet of the lubrication auger (110) via a flow meter (FT-110) and a first regulating valve (FC-110).

Images