A tobacco leaf curing apparatus

Abstract

The utility model discloses a tobacco leaf baking device, including the baking chamber, be provided with the interior space division heating area and baking area with the vertical baffle in the baking chamber, the heating area bottom is provided with the bottom fan, and the air outlet of bottom fan is provided with the air baffle, and the multiple heat exchangers are vertically provided on the air baffle top, be provided with a plurality of fins on the heat exchanger, be provided with the heat conduction plate above the heat exchanger, and the heat conduction plate is multiple and interval setting in the heating area top, still be provided with the side fan above the heating area, and the air outlet of side fan is towards the gap of heat conduction plate, the vertical baffle is from top to bottom provided with first hot air port, second hot air port and bottom circulating air port, and the gap of first hot air port is opposite with heat conduction plate and is provided with the air supply pipe in the communication of first hot air port upper, and the air supply pipe sets up in the baking area top and is provided with the exhaust port in the air supply pipe upper away from first hot air port one end, the utility model discloses improve the thermal efficiency and the uniformity of baking chamber heat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of tobacco processing technology, specifically to a tobacco curing device. Background Technology

[0002] Tobacco curing involves placing freshly harvested tobacco leaves in a specialized curing barn and precisely controlling temperature, humidity, and ventilation to complete the physiological and biochemical transformation from "green" to "yellow" and from "soft" to "dry," bringing the tobacco leaves to industrially usable raw tobacco standards. Curing directly determines the appearance quality (color, oil content, identity, damage, etc.), chemical quality (sugar, nitrogen, potassium, and other components and aroma precursors), physical quality (combustibility, hygroscopicity, elasticity, filling properties, etc.), and sensory evaluation quality of the tobacco leaves. It is a crucial step from "green leaves" to "golden leaves." During the tobacco curing process, steam is generally used as a heat source to create a hot airflow. For example, utility model publication CN217900340 U describes a tobacco drying device using steam heating. This device includes a drying chamber and a heating chamber, separated by a partition wall. The side wall of the heating chamber has louvers and an air inlet. The upper part of the partition wall has an upper hot air passage, and the lower part has a lower hot air passage and a dehumidification passage. The drying chamber and the heating chamber are connected via the upper and lower hot air passages. The dehumidification passage passes through the heating chamber and connects to the louvers. The heating chamber has a steam radiator and a circulating fan, with the circulating fan located above the steam radiator. The steam radiator is externally connected to a steam generator. However, the device has the following drawbacks during use:

[0003] The airflow enters the drying chamber before it fully contacts the steam radiator 2, resulting in insufficient utilization of heat energy and low thermal efficiency. Secondly, after the hot airflow enters the drying chamber, the hot airflow inside the drying chamber is more concentrated, while the hot airflow near the outside of the drying chamber is attenuated, resulting in uneven heat distribution inside the drying chamber.

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects, this utility model is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a tobacco curing apparatus that aims to improve thermal efficiency and heat uniformity within the drying chamber, thereby overcoming the problems described in the background art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A tobacco curing apparatus includes a curing chamber, in which a vertical partition divides the internal space into a heating zone and a curing zone. A bottom fan is installed at the bottom of the heating zone, and an air guide hood is installed at the air outlet of the bottom fan. Multiple heat exchangers are vertically installed above the air guide hood, and multiple fins are installed on the heat exchangers. Multiple heat conduction plates are installed above the heat exchangers and are spaced apart at the top of the heating zone. A side fan is also installed above the heating zone, and the air outlet of the side fan faces the gap of the heat conduction plates.

[0008] The vertical partition is provided with a first hot air inlet, a second hot air inlet, and a bottom circulation air inlet from top to bottom. The gap between the first hot air inlet and the heat-conducting plate is opposite, and an air supply pipe is provided on the first hot air inlet. The air supply pipe is located at the top of the baking area, and an exhaust port is provided at the end of the air supply pipe away from the first hot air inlet. A heat-conducting cover is also provided on the vertical partition. The heat-conducting cover and the vertical partition form a hollow cavity, and air holes are arranged in an array below the heat-conducting cover. The heat-conducting cover is located on the side facing the baking area and covers the second hot air inlet.

[0009] Furthermore, the heat exchanger has a serpentine tube structure. The upper end of the heat exchanger is connected to a steam inlet pipe, one end of which passes through the side wall of the baking chamber and connects to the steam distribution chamber. The lower end of the heat exchanger is connected to a condensate drain pipe, one end of which passes through the side wall of the baking chamber and connects to the condensate collection box.

[0010] Furthermore, a smoke rack is provided in the baking area, and a sealed door is provided on one side of the baking area.

[0011] Furthermore, at least two temperature and humidity sensors are provided in the baking area, located on the front and rear sides of the baking area, and a display screen is provided on the outer side of the baking area. The temperature and humidity sensors are electrically connected to the display screen.

[0012] Furthermore, a ventilation window is provided at the bottom of the side wall of the baking chamber, and the ventilation window corresponds to the bottom air circulation vent.

[0013] Furthermore, both the heat-conducting plate and the heat-conducting cover are made of aluminum alloy.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0015] This invention features multiple heat exchangers arranged vertically in the heating zone, with fins on each heat exchanger to increase the contact area between the airflow and the heat exchangers. Furthermore, a heat-conducting shroud is installed on the vertical partition. Hot airflow enters the heat-conducting shroud and comes into contact with it, allowing the shroud to reheat the airflow. This ensures sufficient contact between the airflow and the heat source, improving thermal efficiency. Additionally, a side fan and heat-conducting plates are installed in the heating zone, spaced apart. An air supply duct is located at the first hot air inlet of the vertical partition, with an exhaust vent at its end. The hot airflow generated in the heating zone is blown into the air supply duct by the side fan and discharged into the baking zone from the exhaust vent, ensuring that even the outer edges of the baking zone receive hot airflow, thus improving the heat uniformity within the baking zone. During this process, the heat-conducting plates continuously heat the airflow, further reheating it. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of section AA.

[0018] In the diagram, 1-baking chamber, 2-steam distribution chamber, 3-steam inlet pipe, 4-condensate collection box, 5-condensate drain pipe, 6-bottom fan, 7-air guide hood, 8-ventilation window, 9-heat exchanger, 10-fins, 11-side fan, 12-heat conduction plate, 13-vertical partition, 131a-bottom circulating air outlet, 13b-second hot air outlet, 13c-first hot air outlet, 14-heat conduction hood, 14a-air vent, 15-air supply pipe, 15a-exhaust outlet, 16-temperature and humidity sensor, 17-smoke rack, 18-sealed door, 19-display screen. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0020] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] refer to Figure 1-2 As shown, this utility model provides a tobacco curing device, including a curing chamber 1. A vertical partition 13 divides the internal space of the curing chamber 1 into a heating zone and a curing zone. A bottom fan 6 is installed at the bottom of the heating zone, with 2-3 fans in total. To guide the airflow of the bottom fan 6, a guide hood 7 is installed at the air outlet of the bottom fan 6. The guide hood 7 is funnel-shaped with its flared portion at the top, thus guiding the airflow upwards. Multiple heat exchangers 9 are vertically installed above the guide hood 7. Multiple fins 10 are provided on the heat exchanger 9, which increases the heat transfer efficiency of the airflow passing through the heat exchanger 9. A heat-conducting plate 12 is provided above the heat exchanger 9. Multiple heat-conducting plates 12 are spaced apart on the top of the heating zone. A side fan 11 is also provided above the heating zone. The air outlet of the side fan 11 faces the gap of the heat-conducting plate 12, so that when the hot airflow flows into the gap of the heat-conducting plate 12, the heat-conducting plate 12 can be continuously heated, thereby reheating the airflow and improving the heat transfer efficiency. Preferably, the heat-conducting plate 12 and the heat-conducting cover 14 are both made of aluminum alloy.

[0023] The vertical partition 13 is provided with a first hot air inlet 13c, a second hot air inlet 13b, and a bottom circulation air inlet 13a from top to bottom. The gap between the first hot air inlet 13c and the heat-conducting plate 12 is opposite, and an air supply pipe 15 is connected to the first hot air inlet 13c. The air supply pipe 15 is located at the top of the baking zone, and an exhaust port 15a is provided at the end of the air supply pipe 15 away from the first hot air inlet 13c. This allows some of the hot air to be transported to the outer baking zone, improving the uniformity of the hot air flow in the baking zone. The vertical partition 13 is also provided with a heat-conducting cover 14, which can be connected to the heat-conducting cover 14 by screws. Vertical partitions 13 are connected, and a hollow cavity is formed between the heat-conducting cover 14 and the vertical partitions 13. Preferably, the thickness of the hollow cavity is 5cm. Air holes 14a are arranged in an array below the heat-conducting cover 14. The heat-conducting cover 14 is located on the side facing the baking area and covers the second hot air inlet 13b. The second hot air inlet 13b is located above the heat exchanger 9. The hot air flow heated by the heat exchanger 9 enters the hollow cavity of the heat-conducting cover 14 from the second hot air inlet 13b. As the hot air flow enters, the heat-conducting cover 14 is continuously heated, which further heats the hot air flow.

[0024] The heat exchanger 9 has a serpentine tube structure. The upper end of the heat exchanger 9 is connected to a steam inlet pipe 3. One end of the steam inlet pipe 3 passes through the side wall of the baking chamber 1 and is connected to the steam distribution chamber 2. The steam distribution chamber 2 can be connected to the steam generator or the steam port of the boiler through a pipe. Steam is input into each heat exchanger 9 through the steam distribution chamber 2. In addition, in order to discharge the condensate in the heat exchanger 9, the lower end of the heat exchanger 9 is connected to a condensate discharge pipe 5. One end of the condensate discharge pipe 5 passes through the side wall of the baking chamber 1 and is connected to the condensate collection box 4.

[0025] The baking zone is equipped with a smoke rack 17, and a sealed door 18 is provided on one side of the baking zone. The sealed door 18 can be connected by a sliding or hinged mechanism. At least two temperature and humidity sensors 16 are provided in the baking zone, located on the front and back sides of the baking zone (i.e., on the side closer to the vertical partition 13 and the side farther from the vertical partition 13). A display screen 19 is provided on the outside of the baking chamber 1, and the temperature and humidity sensors 16 are electrically connected to the display screen 19 to detect the temperature and humidity inside and outside the baking zone.

[0026] The bottom of the side wall of the baking chamber 1 is provided with a ventilation window 8, which corresponds to the bottom air circulation vent 13a, so as to exhaust moisture.

[0027] In operation, the tobacco leaves are hung on the tobacco rack 17, the bottom fan 6 and the side fan 11 are turned on, and steam is supplied to the steam distribution chamber 2. The steam enters the heat exchanger 9 through the steam inlet pipe 3. The airflow generated by the bottom fan 6 flows upward through the heat exchanger 9 to form a hot airflow. Part of the hot airflow flows through the second hot air inlet 13b into the heat-conducting cover 14 and is discharged from the air hole 14a into the inner side of the baking zone. Another part of the airflow is blown into the air supply pipe 15 by the side fan 11 and enters the outer side of the baking zone through the exhaust port 15a. This ensures that hot airflow passes through both the inner and outer sides of the baking zone, improving the uniformity of heating. On the other hand, during this process, the hot airflow continuously contacts the heat-conducting cover 14 and the heat-conducting plate 12, allowing the heat-conducting energy to transfer heat to the hot airflow again, thus improving the heat transfer efficiency.

[0028] Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to several illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that those skilled in the art can devise many other modifications and implementations that fall within the scope and spirit of the principles disclosed herein. More specifically, various modifications and improvements can be made to the components or layout of the subject matter arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, drawings, and claims. Besides modifications and improvements to the components or layout, other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A tobacco curing apparatus, comprising a curing chamber (1), wherein a vertical partition (13) is provided in the curing chamber (1) to divide the internal space into a heating zone and a curing zone, characterized in that: A bottom fan (6) is provided at the bottom of the heating zone. A guide hood (7) is provided at the air outlet of the bottom fan (6). Multiple heat exchangers (9) are vertically arranged above the guide hood (7). Multiple fins (10) are provided on the heat exchangers (9). A heat-conducting plate (12) is provided above the heat exchangers (9). Multiple heat-conducting plates (12) are spaced apart at the top of the heating zone. A side fan (11) is also provided above the heating zone. The air outlet of the side fan (11) faces the gap of the heat-conducting plate (12). The vertical partition (13) is provided with a first hot air inlet (13c), a second hot air inlet (13b) and a bottom circulation air inlet (13a) from top to bottom. The gap between the first hot air inlet (13c) and the heat-conducting plate (12) is opposite, and an air supply pipe (15) is provided on the first hot air inlet (13c). The air supply pipe (15) is located at the top of the baking area, and an exhaust port (15a) is provided at the end of the air supply pipe (15) away from the first hot air inlet (13c). A heat-conducting cover (14) is also provided on the vertical partition (13). The heat-conducting cover (14) and the vertical partition (13) form a hollow chamber, and air holes (14a) are arranged in an array below the heat-conducting cover (14). The heat-conducting cover (14) is located on the side facing the baking area and covers the second hot air inlet (13b).

2. The tobacco curing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (9) has a serpentine tube structure. The upper end of the heat exchanger (9) is connected to a steam inlet pipe (3). One end of the steam inlet pipe (3) passes through the side wall of the baking chamber (1) and is connected to the steam distribution chamber (2). The lower end of the heat exchanger (9) is connected to a condensate drain pipe (5). One end of the condensate drain pipe (5) passes through the side wall of the baking chamber (1) and is connected to the condensate collection box (4).

3. The tobacco curing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baking area is equipped with a smoke rack (17) and a sealed door (18) is provided on one side of the baking area.

4. The tobacco curing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two temperature and humidity sensors (16) are provided in the baking zone. The temperature and humidity sensors (16) are located on the front and back sides of the baking zone. A display screen (19) is provided on the outside of the baking chamber (1). The temperature and humidity sensors (16) are electrically connected to the display screen (19).

5. The tobacco curing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baking chamber (1) has a ventilation window (8) at the bottom of its side wall, and the ventilation window (8) corresponds to the bottom air circulation vent (13a).

6. The tobacco curing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the heat-conducting plate (12) and the heat-conducting cover (14) are made of aluminum alloy.

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