Boiling and drying apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a boiling and drying apparatus that can thoroughly boil any type of raw material to be processed, prevent quality deterioration due to oxidation of active ingredients contained in the raw material, and efficiently produce high-quality degreased and dried products with simple equipment and processes. [Solution] The apparatus comprises a main tank 11 for boiling or drying the raw material to be processed, and a degreasing section 40 for degreasing the boiled material. The main tank 11 is divided into an upper boiling section 11a and a lower drying section 11b. In the boiling section 11a, the raw material to be processed is boiled by the rotation of a rotating winding blade 30A. In the degreasing section 40, the boiled material from the boiling section 11a is pressurized and separated into degreased solid material and a broth containing oil and fat. In the drying section 11b, the solid material from the degreasing section 40 is selectively dried by the rotation of rotating winding blades 30B and 30C by the addition of the separated liquid from which oil and fat has been removed from the broth, and the material is dried to obtain a degreased and dried product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a boiling dryer for producing a degreased and dried product from a raw material to be treated mainly composed of organic substances.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a treatment of organic waste containing fats and oils, such as residues of seafood, animals and plants (including food waste), for example, it is known to use it as a raw material for fish meal. Fish meal is rich in nutrients such as protein, and has been used as a raw material for feed and fertilizer since ancient times, and recently, its effective use as food and pharmaceuticals has also been studied.

[0003] Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1, the applicant of the present application has already proposed a system for efficiently producing a degreased and dried product such as high-quality fish meal in a short time with a simple process without requiring large-scale equipment. This system uses a dryer called a cyclone dryer independently developed by the applicant of the present application, and takes advantage of the characteristic of a heat efficiency of around 90% without using carrier air, and utilizes the phenomenon of instantaneously boiling all raw materials in 10 to 15 minutes.

[0004] In this system, organic waste is boiled in a single dryer for a relatively short time of about 15 minutes. The boiled material is in a state where the cell tissue is destroyed and the moisture and lipids inside the cells are likely to flow out. This boiled material is sent to a press in the next degreasing process to squeeze out the moisture and oil in the boiled material. By returning the solid material dehydrated (for about 15 minutes) to the dryer and drying it (for about 30 minutes), it was possible to simply produce a degreased and dried product.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The organic waste processed by this system, as mentioned above, is diverse, including fish alone, ranging from small to medium-sized and large fish. In particular, large fish have thick skeletons, making it impossible to boil them sufficiently with the short boiling time of about 15 minutes mentioned earlier. Generally, boiling large fish requires a boiling time of about 30 minutes. In other words, depending on the type of material being processed, a longer boiling time was required.

[0007] Furthermore, despite the increasing importance of DHA and EPA, which are fish oils contained within fish, production has been declining in recent years due to the decrease in catches in coastal waters. Generally, fish oil is prone to oxidation, and it is especially susceptible to oxidation when processed at high temperatures. Therefore, when boiling with the dryer in this system, it was also necessary to prevent quality deterioration due to oxidation of the fish oil.

[0008] This invention was made in view of the problems of the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a boiling and drying apparatus that can thoroughly boil any type of raw material to be processed, prevent quality deterioration due to oxidation of active ingredients contained in the raw material to be processed, and moreover, produce high-quality degreased and dried products efficiently with simpler equipment and processes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, one aspect of the present invention is: A boiling and drying apparatus for producing degreased and dried products from raw materials mainly composed of organic matter, It comprises a main tank having a vertical cylindrical shape for boiling or drying the raw materials to be processed, and a degreasing section for degreasing the boiled raw materials outside the main tank. The main tank is divided into a boiling section located in the upper part of the main tank and a drying section located in the lower part of the main tank, the inner wall of the main tank serves as a heat transfer surface to be heated, and the main tank is equipped with multiple upper and lower rotating winding vanes mounted on a rotating shaft along a substantially vertical centerline within the main tank. The aforementioned rotating shaft is divided coaxially into upper and lower sections, comprising an upper rotating shaft equipped with the rotating winding blades located in the boiling section, and a lower rotating shaft equipped with the rotating winding blades located in the drying section, and the upper rotating shaft and the lower rotating shaft can be rotated independently. The boiling section first winds up the raw material to be processed by the rotation of the rotating winding blades around the upper rotating shaft, and presses it against the heat transfer surface by centrifugal force to boil it. The degreasing section pressurizes the boiled material transferred from the boiling section to the outside of the main tank, separating it into degreased solids and a broth containing oil and fat. The drying unit is characterized by selectively adding a separated liquid obtained by removing oil and grease from the boiling liquid to the solid material transferred from the degreasing unit into the main tank, and then drying it by pressing it against the heat transfer surface with centrifugal force while winding it up with the rotation of the rotating winding blades around the lower rotating shaft, thereby producing a degreased and dried product. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the boiling and drying apparatus of the present invention, steaming and drying processes can be performed simultaneously under separate conditions in a single main tank. Furthermore, it is possible to thoroughly boil any type of raw material to be processed. In addition, it is possible to prevent quality deterioration due to oxidation of active ingredients such as oils and fats contained in the raw material to be processed. Moreover, high-quality degreased and dried products can be produced efficiently with even simpler equipment and processes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view showing the overall configuration of the boiling and drying apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the drying process of the raw material to be processed using the dryer according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic front view showing the oil separator of the boiling and drying apparatus according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, a representative embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The boiling and drying apparatus 1 according to this embodiment produces defatted and dried products from raw materials to be processed, which mainly consist of organic matter. Here, the raw materials to be processed include all organic materials containing water and oils, such as fish and shellfish, animal and plant residues (including food waste). The following explanation will use the case where large fish residues are used as the raw materials to be processed to produce fish meal, which is a defatted and dried product, as an example.

[0013] <Overview of Boiling Drying Apparatus 1> As shown in Figure 1, the boiling and drying apparatus 1 according to this embodiment basically comprises a main tank 11 of a dryer 10 for boiling or drying the raw material to be processed, and a press 40 which is a degreasing unit for degreasing the boiled raw material outside the main tank 11. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and detailed explanations of already well-known matters may be omitted as appropriate.

[0014] <About dryer 10> As shown in Figure 1, the dryer 10 comprises a main tank 11 having a vertical cylindrical shape into which the raw material to be processed is fed, and multiple upper and lower rotating winding blades 30 mounted on a rotating shaft 20 that extends along a substantially vertical centerline within the main tank 11. An example of each component of the dryer 10 will be described in order below, but the dryer 10 is not limited to the configuration described below, as long as it can heat and boil or dry the raw material to be processed.

[0015] <Main tank 11> As shown in FIG. 1, the main body tank 11 is formed of a metal material in a vertical cylindrical shape, and its interior is closed by a peripheral wall portion 12 forming the outer periphery, a bottom surface portion 14 closing the lower side, and an upper surface portion 15 closing the upper side. The main body tank 11 is installed on the floor in a posture where the center line is vertical by a plurality of leg portions 11d provided below the bottom surface portion 14. The main body tank 11 is divided into a boiling portion 11a on the upper side inside the main body tank 11 and a drying portion 11b on the lower side inside the main body tank 11. Inside the main body tank 11, the boiling portion 11a and the drying portion 11b are partitioned by a partition wall 11c.

[0016] The partition wall 11c is formed in a disc shape orthogonal to the center line of the main body tank 11, and is provided at a height position that divides the boiling portion 11a and the drying portion 11b. The sizes of the boiling portion 11a and the drying portion 11b are set such that, for example, the volume (height) of the boiling portion 11a is about half that of the drying portion 11b, and it is preferable to make the drying portion 11b larger. The partition wall 11c forms the bottom surface of the boiling portion 11a. Incidentally, the main body tank 11 is vertically divided with the partition wall 11c in between, with the peripheral wall portion 12 and a jacket 13 described later, and is detachably combined with the partition wall 11c in between. Thereby, it becomes possible to assemble parts into the main body tank 11 and perform maintenance and inspection.

[0017] The inner wall of the main body tank 11 (peripheral wall portion 12) serves as a heat transfer surface 12a that transfers heat from the heating means to the inside in both the boiling portion 11a and the drying portion 11b. Here, the heating means includes, for example, a jacket 13 formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the main body tank 11 (peripheral wall portion 12), and a boiler (not shown) that is connected so as to communicate with this jacket 13 and sends, for example, steam as a heat medium into the jacket 13.

[0018] The jacket 13 is formed to surround the outer side of the peripheral wall portion 12 from the lower end to the upper end, and its interior is hollow. The jacket 13 that surrounds the boiling section 11a is provided with an air inlet 16a for feeding steam, which is a heat medium, into the interior, and a drain outlet 17a for discharging the water condensed from the steam, which is a heat medium, to the outside. The air inlet 16a is formed in a tubular shape on the upper end side of the jacket 13 that surrounds the boiling section 11a so that a pipe can be connected. The drain outlet 17a is formed in a tubular shape with a pipe-connectable structure on the lower end side of the jacket 13 that surrounds the boiling section 11a.

[0019] The jacket 13 that surrounds the drying section 11b is also provided with an air inlet 16b for guiding steam into the interior and a drain outlet 17b for discharging the condensed water to the outside. The air inlet 16b is formed in a tubular shape on the upper end side of the jacket 13 that surrounds the drying section 11b so that a pipe can be connected. The drain outlet 17b is formed in a tubular shape with a pipe-connectable structure on the lower end side of the jacket 13 that surrounds the drying section 11b. Incidentally, the air inlets 16a and 16b may be configured to introduce the waste steam discharged from the boiling section 11a and the drying section 11b, which will be described later, respectively.

[0020] Also, as another example of the heating means for the heat transfer surface 12a, it may be configured to send hot air into the jacket 13 instead of steam. Also, as another heating means, it may be configured to heat the heat medium accommodated in the jacket 13 with an electric heater provided on the outer periphery of the jacket 13. Furthermore, the configuration of the heating means may be simplified so that the heat of the electric heater disposed on the outer periphery of the jacket 13 is directly transmitted to the heat transfer surface 12a. Thus, various heating means can be considered. [[ID=⑨]] [[ID=⑩]]

[0021] [[ID=⑪]] [[ID=⑫]]<Boiling section 11a>[[ID=⑬]] The boiling section 11a is located in the upper part of the main tank 11 and is the region where the raw material to be processed, introduced from the hopper 80, is rolled up by the rotation of the rotating winding blades 30A (described later) located in the boiling section 11a and pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a for boiling. Here, the raw material to be processed is rolled up by the rotation of the rotating winding blades 30A and boiled as it rises, pressed in a thin film form against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force and inertial force. A raw material inlet 18 for introducing the raw material to be processed is provided on the upper side of the peripheral wall 12 located in the boiling section 11a. The raw material inlet 18 is formed in a tubular shape and is configured to be able to supply the raw material to be processed stored in the hopper 80 by the rotational drive of the screw 81.

[0022] Below the peripheral wall portion 12 located in the boiling section 11a, there is a boiled material transfer port 61 for transferring the boiled material, which is the raw material to be processed, to the press 40 described later. On the upper surface portion 15 of the boiling section 11a, there is a steam outlet 71 for discharging waste steam generated by boiling the raw material to the outside. The steam outlet 71 is formed in a tubular shape and may be connected to the aforementioned air supply port 16a by connecting a pipe. Note that carrier air for boiling is not introduced into the boiling section 11a.

[0023] The starting end of the discharge conveyor 63 is connected to the boiled material transfer port 61. The discharge conveyor 63 transfers the boiled material, which has been boiled in the boiling section 11a, to the main tank 11 and then to the press 40, which will be described later. The discharge conveyor 63 is constructed by inserting a screw 64 into a tubular structure that connects the boiling section 11a to the press 40, so that it can be rotated. The starting end of the discharge conveyor 63 is located at a height below the raw material inlet 18 on the peripheral wall 12 where the boiling section 11a is located.

[0024] <Drying section 11b> The drying section 11b is located below the boiling section 11a within the main tank 11. It is the region where solid material transferred from the press 40 (described later) is rolled up by the rotation of the rotating winding blades 30B and 30C (described later) located in the drying section 11b and pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a for drying. Here, the solid material is rolled up by the rotation of the rotating winding blades 30B and 30C and dries as it rises, pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a in a thin film by centrifugal force and inertial force. A solid material inlet 62 is provided below the peripheral wall 12 located in the drying section 11b for introducing solid material from the press 40 into the interior.

[0025] Below the peripheral wall 12 located in the drying section 11b, opposite the solid material inlet 62, is a product outlet 19 for discharging the degreased product, which has been dried from the solid material, to the outside. The product outlet 19 is equipped with a shutter 19b that can be opened and closed, for example, by a solenoid 19a. Above the peripheral wall 12 located in the drying section 11b is a steam outlet 72 for discharging waste steam generated by the drying of the solid material to the outside. The steam outlet 72 is formed in a tubular shape and may be connected to the aforementioned air supply port 16b by connecting piping. Note that carrier air for drying, as in conventional dryers, is not introduced into the drying section 11b.

[0026] The end of the introduction conveyor 65 is connected to the solid material inlet 62. The introduction conveyor 65 transfers the solid material, which has been dewatered by separating the oil-containing broth from the boiled material in the press 40 (described later), and returns it to the drying section 11b in the main tank 11. The introduction conveyor 65 is constructed by inserting a screw 66 into a tubular structure that connects the press 40 to the drying section 11b, so that it can be rotated. The end of the introduction conveyor 65 is located below the peripheral wall 12 where the drying section 11b is located, on the opposite side of the product outlet 19.

[0027] <Rotation axis 20> As shown in Figure 1, a rotating shaft 20 is provided inside the main tank 11, extending along its vertical centerline. The rotating shaft 20 is pivotally supported, passing through the bottom surface 14, the top surface 15, and the center of the partition wall 11c of the main tank 11. The rotating shaft 20 is divided into an upper rotating shaft 20A located in the boiling section 11a and a lower rotating shaft 20B located in the drying section 11b. More precisely, the lower end of the upper rotating shaft 20A extends to the drying section 11b. Hereafter, the upper rotating shaft 20A and the lower rotating shaft 20B will be collectively referred to as the rotating shaft 20.

[0028] The upper rotating shaft 20A is rotatably supported at its upper end by an upper bearing 21 located on the upper surface 15 of the main body tank 11, and at its lower end by a rotatably supported shaft that penetrates the partition wall 11c. An upper drive motor 22 is connected to the upper end of the upper rotating shaft 20A, which protrudes above the upper bearing 21, via a gearbox 23 to transmit power. The upper rotating shaft 20A is rotated in one direction around its centerline by the upper drive motor 22.

[0029] The lower rotating shaft 20B is rotatably supported at its lower end by a lower bearing 24 located below the bottom surface 14 of the main body tank 11, and its upper end is connected to the lower end of the upper rotating shaft 20A in a manner that allows for independent rotational drive. A lower drive motor 25 is connected to the lower end of the lower rotating shaft 20B, which protrudes downward from the lower bearing 24, via a gearbox 26 to transmit power. The lower rotating shaft 20B is rotationally driven in one direction around its centerline by the lower drive motor 25, independently of the upper rotating shaft 20A. Note that the upper and lower ends of the upper rotating shaft 20A and the lower rotating shaft 20B, which face each other, may be configured to be supported separately from each other, rather than being connected in the manner described above.

[0030] <Rotating winding vane 30> As shown in Figure 1, the rotating shaft 20 is equipped with multiple stages of rotating winding vanes 30, both above and below. Specifically, the upper rotating shaft 20A is equipped with one stage of rotating winding vanes 30A, and the lower rotating shaft 20B is equipped with two stages of rotating winding vanes 30B and 30C. Here, rotating winding vanes 30A are located in the boiling section 11a, and rotating winding vanes 30B and 30C are located in the drying section 11b.

[0031] The rotating hoisting blade 30A rotates in one direction together with the upper rotating shaft 20A, driven by the upper drive motor 22. On the other hand, the rotating hoisting blades 30B and 30C rotate in the same direction together with the lower rotating shaft 20B, driven by the lower drive motor 25. Here, the rotational drive of the rotating hoisting blade 30A (upper drive motor 22) and the rotating hoisting blades 30B and 30C (lower drive motor 25) are configured to be controllable separately.

[0032] When referring to the rotating winding blades 30A, 30B, and 30C collectively, they are referred to as "rotating winding blades 30." The number and arrangement of the rotating winding blades 30 in the boiling section 11a and the drying section 11b are not limited to those shown in Figure 1, and are design matters that can be appropriately determined according to the height and dimensions of the main tank 11. For example, two stages of rotating winding blades 30 may be arranged in the boiling section 11a, or three or more stages of rotating winding blades 30 may be arranged in the drying section 11b.

[0033] Each rotating hoisting vane 30 consists of a plurality of base vanes 31 arranged circumferentially around the rotation axis 20. In this embodiment, each rotating hoisting vane 30 is provided with, for example, three base vanes 31. In this embodiment, the base vanes 31 of rotating hoisting vane 30A are formed to be slightly shorter in length than those of the lower rotating hoisting vanes 30B and 30C. Thus, each rotating hoisting vane 30 may be configured differently by changing the number or length of the base vanes 31.

[0034] The base blades 31 are formed to be the same shape as each other, and are arranged, for example, with a phase difference of approximately 120 degrees. Each base blade 31 is supported so as to extend continuously from the tip of an arm 32, the base end of which is attached to the rotation axis 20. Here, the arm 32 may be considered as part of the structure of the base blades 31. Each base blade 31 extends in a circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis 20 in a plan view and has a flat surface 31a (see Figure 2) on which the raw material to be processed (or solid matter) can be placed from the starting end connected to the tip of the arm 32 and moved to the end, while being wound up.

[0035] The flat surface 31a of the base blade 31 is formed to extend diagonally upward from the starting end to the ending end in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R (see Figure 1). That is, the base blade 31 is configured to place the raw material (or solid) to be processed on the flat surface 31a and wind it up, while pressing it in a thin film form against the heat transfer surface 12a of the main tank 11 by centrifugal force P (see Figure 2) and inertial force. Here, the flat surface 31a extends to a constant width over a length within a 360-degree circumferential range in a plan view, and the outer edge of the flat surface 31a is formed in an arc shape that follows the cylindrical shape of the heat transfer surface 12a. A clearance U is provided between the outer edge of the flat surface 31a and the heat transfer surface 12a to allow the rotation of the base blade 31.

[0036] <About the compression press 40> As shown in Figure 1, the press 40, which forms the degreasing section, comprises a horizontal, substantially cylindrical outer cylinder 41 into which the boiled material is introduced, and a screw blade 43 mounted on a rotating shaft 42 along a substantially horizontal centerline within the outer cylinder 41 and rotated by a drive motor 44. An example of the configuration of the press 40 will be described below, but the degreasing section can be any configuration that can pressurize the boiled material transferred from the boiling section 11a of the main tank 11 and separate it into degreased solid material and a broth containing oil and fat, and is not limited to the example described below.

[0037] The press 40 in this embodiment is generally called a screw press, and a screen 41a through which liquid can pass is formed on the lower outer circumference of the outer cylinder 41, and the gap between the outer cylinder 41 and the screw blades 43 gradually decreases in the direction of conveying. Here, the outer cylinder 41 is, for example, cylindrical, but the rotating shaft 42 is hollow and its outer diameter gradually increases from the base to the tip. The screen 41a is, for example, made up of numerous small holes. Boiled material is supplied to the press 40 from the boiling section 11a by the rotation of the screw 64 of the outlet conveyor 63.

[0038] With this type of press 40, the rotation of the screw blades 43 causes the boiled material in the outer cylinder 41 to be degreased by the pressing and shearing forces, and the resulting solid material is discharged through the discharge pipe 45. Subsequently, the solid material is transported again to the drying section 11b of the main tank 11 by the introduction conveyor 65. Meanwhile, the broth separated from the boiled material is pushed out of the machine through the screen 41a and then discharged to the outside via the discharge pipe 46, and sent to, for example, an oil separator 50.

[0039] <About the oil separator 50> In Figure 3, the oil separator 50 is capable of separating oil from the boiled liquid containing oil discharged from the press 40. Specifically, the oil separator 50 could be a centrifugal separator that separates water and oil, which have different specific gravities, by centrifugal force. However, the oil separator 50 is not limited to a general centrifugal separator; the important thing is that it can separate oil from the extracted boiled liquid. Therefore, the oil separator could also be configured such that the boiled liquid is stored in a tank, and the oil that floats to the top is manually or automatically scooped out.

[0040] The oil separator 50 removes the oil and grease from the broth, and the separated liquid is sent downstream of the introduction conveyor 65 via the introduction pipe 51. Mixed with the degreased solid material, it is then reintroduced to the drying section 11b. As a result, the broth returned to the dryer 10 along with the solid material returned to the main tank 11 does not contain any oil or grease. If a large amount of oil and grease remains in the solid material being dried in the main tank 11, the solid material will not dry into a powder even when heated, so it is necessary to separate the oil and grease as much as possible.

[0041] The oil separated from the broth by the oil separator 50 is recovered via the transfer pipe 52, refined, and then used, for example, as food, as an additive in compound feed, or as fuel. In particular, in the case of fish oil, as components such as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an unsaturated fatty acid, have attracted attention, it is also being used in health foods and pharmaceuticals. Electric pumps 53 and 54 are provided in the inlet pipe 51 and transfer pipe 52, respectively, to adjust the transfer volume.

[0042] <Operation of boiling and drying apparatus 1> Next, the operation of the boiling and drying apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be explained in Figure 1. First, in the dryer 10, the raw material to be processed supplied to the hopper 80 is appropriately introduced into the boiling section 11a in the main tank 11 from the raw material inlet 18. In the boiling section 11a, the heat transfer surface 12a is heated by steam supplied to the surrounding jacket 13. Then, the upper drive motor 22 is driven to rotate the upper rotating shaft 20A in one direction (direction R in Figure 1).

[0043] In the boiling section 11a, the raw material to be processed is scraped up by the arm 32 on the partition wall 11c separating it from the drying section 11b, as the rotating winding blades 30A rotate around the upper rotating shaft 20A, and scooped up to the starting end of each base blade 31. From the starting end of the base blade 31, the raw material to be processed is wound up and rises toward the end of the base blade 31 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction R of the rotating winding blades 30A. At this time, as shown in Figure 2, the raw material to be processed on the flat surface 31a of the base blade 31 is pressed in a thin film form against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force P and inertial force and boiled.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the raw material to be treated, pressed in a thin film form onto the heat transfer surface 12a, has a heated surface that contacts the heat transfer surface 12a, as well as an evaporation surface that contacts the air inside the boiling section 11a. The raw material to be treated that is in contact with the heat transfer surface 12a will have some moisture evaporated in place due to the heat from the heat transfer surface 12a. Next, the raw material to be treated, whose moisture content has decreased due to the evaporation of moisture during contact with the heat transfer surface 12a, moves to the evaporation surface to replace the raw material to be treated with a higher moisture content. The raw material to be treated that has moved to the evaporation surface will have further moisture evaporation due to exposure to air.

[0045] As the raw material to be processed moves from the heat transfer surface 12a to the evaporation surface, the winding action of the base blades 31 causes the later-winding raw material to continuously push the earlier-winding raw material, causing it to rise along the heat transfer surface 12a. In other words, the raw material to be processed moves from the heat transfer surface 12a to the evaporation surface, winding up along the heat transfer surface 12a and rising while being efficiently boiled. The raw material to be processed undergoes a boiling phenomenon and becomes completely cooked, its cellular structure is destroyed, and the boiling liquid containing internal moisture, such as oils and fats, flows out.

[0046] In processing the raw materials in the boiling section 11a, the temperature of the heat transfer surface 12a is set to, for example, around 120 degrees Celsius, which is lower than the temperature of the drying section 11b described later, and the material is boiled slowly for a relatively long time, such as 60 minutes. This makes it possible to boil the raw materials thoroughly until all the broth is extracted, even if the raw materials have thick skeletons, such as large fish. In addition, oxidation of the oils and fats contained in the raw materials due to high temperatures is prevented, and the deterioration of the quality of the oils and fats contained in the broth is also prevented.

[0047] The specific heating temperature and boiling time in the boiling section 11a can be arbitrarily controlled by a control unit (not shown) equipped in the boiling and drying apparatus 1, i.e., a computer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, I / O, etc., depending on the type of raw material to be processed. Furthermore, the rotation speed of the rotating winding blade 30A (upper rotating shaft 20A) located in the boiling section 11a can also be freely increased or decreased by controlling the drive of the upper drive motor 22, depending on the type of raw material to be processed.

[0048] Next, the boiled material processed in the boiling section 11a is discharged outside the main tank 11 by the rotation of a screw 64 on an outlet conveyor 63 connected to the boiling section 11a, and then transported to the press 40. Furthermore, as mentioned above, carrier air is not introduced into the boiling section 11a, so the moisture from the raw material to be processed becomes pure waste steam, and no large amount of odorous waste gas is generated by carrier air. Therefore, in the boiling section 11a, only the waste steam needs to be cooled by a condenser (cooler), etc., and a small amount of condensed water needs to be discharged from the drain port 17a.

[0049] In the press 40, the boiled material in the outer cylinder 41 is degreased by the rotational drive of the screw blades 43 through the combination of pressing and shearing forces, separating it into degreased solids and a broth containing oil and fat. The degreased solids are then discharged through the discharge pipe 45. Subsequently, the solids are transported again to the drying section 11b of the main tank 11 by the rotation of the screw 66 on the introduction conveyor 65. Meanwhile, the broth separated from the boiled material is pushed out of the machine through the screen 41a of the outer cylinder 41, then discharged to the outside via the discharge pipe 46 and sent to, for example, an oil separator 50.

[0050] In the oil separator 50 shown in Figure 3, oil and fat are separated from the boiling liquid discharged from the press 40, for example, by centrifugal force. As a simpler alternative to the oil separator 50, the liquid may be stored in a tank, and the oil and fat that floats to the surface may be manually or automatically scooped out. The separated liquid, from which the oil and fat have been removed by the oil separator 50, is sent to the introduction conveyor 65 via the introduction pipe 51, and is introduced back into the main tank 11 in a mixed state with the degreased solid material. Note that the separated liquid does not necessarily have to be sent to the drying section 11b.

[0051] The partially dried raw materials and the broth from which the oils and fats have been removed, which have been returned to the main tank 11, continue to undergo drying in the dryer 10 and dewatering in the press 40 or oil separation in the oil separator 50 in a continuous cycle. After that, the screw 64 on the discharge conveyor 63 is reversed or stopped, and the discharge of solids from the main tank 11 is also stopped, thus ending the process of separating the solids from the broth containing oils and fats.

[0052] The solid material transferred to the drying section 11b, along with the separation liquid selectively added as needed, is first wound up and raised on the bottom surface 14 by the rotating winding blades 30C located below the lower rotating shaft 20B, similar to the process described above in the boiling section 11a. The solid material on the flat surface 31a of the base blades 31 is then pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a in a thin film by centrifugal force P and inertial force, and dried. In particular, in the drying section 11b, because there are two stages of rotating winding blades 30, the solid material can be continuously dried and raised sequentially from the lower rotating winding blades 30C to the upper rotating winding blades 30B, achieving extremely high drying efficiency by taking advantage of the vertical design.

[0053] In processing solids in the drying section 11b, the temperature of the heat transfer surface 12a is set higher than that of the boiling section 11a, and the drying is performed in a shorter time than the processing time in the boiling section 11a. The specific heating temperature and drying time in the drying section 11b can also be arbitrarily controlled by the control unit described above, depending on the type of solid (original raw material to be processed). Furthermore, the rotation speed of the two-stage rotating winding vanes 30B and 30C arranged in the drying section 11b can also be freely increased or decreased by controlling the drive of the lower drive motor 25.

[0054] In the drying section 11b, if the drying time is set to 45 minutes, for example, and the degreasing time in the preceding press 40 is set to 15 minutes, the total processing time becomes 60 minutes, which can be matched with the boiling time in the boiling section 11a mentioned above. In other words, a boiling time of about 1 hour can be allocated between the 15-minute degreasing time and the 45-minute drying time, making it possible to perform boiling or degreasing and drying simultaneously within a limited 1-hour timeframe.

[0055] Therefore, the control unit described above allows the processing time of the raw material to be processed by the boiling section 11a to be set within the range of the total processing time of the boiled material processed by the pressing machine 40 in the boiling section 11a and the subsequent processing time in the drying section 11b. This makes it possible to set the overall processing time of the boiling and drying apparatus 1 to the shortest possible time. Furthermore, since carrier air is not introduced in the drying section 11b, the moisture generated by drying becomes pure waste steam, and no large amount of odorous waste gas is generated by carrier air.

[0056] Subsequently, the defatted and dried product, thoroughly dried in the drying section 11b, is discharged as appropriate from the product outlet 19. This boiling and drying apparatus 1, by dividing the main tank 11 into a boiling section 11a and a drying section 11b, allows for the production of high-quality fish oil (EPA, DHA, etc.) and low-fat, high-quality defatted and dried product from large, medium, and small fish. The defatted and dried product is then stored in a product hopper and shipped, where it is effectively utilized, for example, as a raw material for animal feed or fertilizer, or as food or pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the oil separated from the boiling liquid by the oil separator 50 is transported and recovered via the transfer pipe 52, then refined and used, for example, as food, an additive for compound feed, or fuel.

[0057] <Construction and Effects of the Invention> Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention derived from the embodiments described above will be described below.

[0058] First, the present invention relates to a boiling and drying apparatus 1 for producing a degreased and dried product from a raw material to be treated, which mainly consists of organic matter. The apparatus comprises a main tank 11 having a vertical cylindrical shape for boiling or drying the raw materials to be processed, and a degreasing section 40 for degreasing the boiled raw materials outside the main tank 11. The main tank 11 is divided into a boiling section 11a located on the upper side of the main tank 11 and a drying section 11b located on the lower side of the main tank 11, the inner wall of the main tank 11 forms a heat transfer surface 12a that is heated, and the main tank 11 is equipped with multiple upper and lower rotating winding vanes mounted on a rotating shaft 20 that runs along a substantially vertical centerline within the main tank 11. The rotating shaft 20 is divided coaxially into upper and lower sections, consisting of an upper rotating shaft 20A equipped with the rotating winding blades 30A located in the boiling section 11a, and a lower rotating shaft 20B equipped with the rotating winding blades 30B and 30C located in the drying section 11b. The upper rotating shaft 20A and the lower rotating shaft 20B can each be driven to rotate independently. The boiling section 11a boils the raw material to be processed by winding it up with the rotation of the rotating winding blades 30A around the upper rotating shaft 20A and pressing it against the heat transfer surface 12a. The degreasing section 40 pressurizes the boiled material transferred from the boiling section 11a to the outside of the main tank 11, separating it into degreased solids and a broth containing oil and fat. The drying section 11b is characterized by selectively adding a separated liquid obtained by removing oil and grease from the boiling liquid to the solid material transferred from the degreasing section 40 into the main tank 11, and then winding it up by the rotation of the rotating winding blades 30B and 30C around the lower rotating shaft 20B, pressing it against the heat transfer surface 12a to dry it and produce a degreased and dried product.

[0059] With this boiling and drying apparatus 1, the steaming and drying processes can be carried out simultaneously under separate conditions in a single main tank 11. Furthermore, it is possible to thoroughly boil any type of raw material being processed. It is also possible to prevent quality deterioration due to oxidation of active ingredients such as oils and fats contained in the raw material being processed. Moreover, it is possible to efficiently produce high-quality degreased and dried products with even simpler equipment and processes.

[0060] Furthermore, the process of removing oil and fat from the broth separated by the degreasing unit 40 can be carried out in a separate process from the treatment by the degreasing unit 40. Also, "selectively adding" the separated liquid from which oil and fat have been removed to the drying unit 11b means that it may be returned to the drying unit 11b, or it may not be returned. In the case where it is not returned, the broth can be used as is, or the oil and fat can be removed as needed before use.

[0061] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the processing time of the raw material to be processed by the boiling section 11a can be set within the range of the total time, which is the sum of the processing time of the boiled material previously processed by the boiling section 11a by the degreasing section 40 and the subsequent processing time by the drying section 11b.

[0062] This makes it possible to boil or degrease the raw material to be processed and then dry it simultaneously within a limited time frame. Therefore, the overall processing time of the boiling and drying apparatus 1 can be set to the shortest possible time.

[0063] Furthermore, in the present invention, a raw material inlet 18 for introducing the raw material to be processed into the boiling section 11a is provided on the outer circumference of the boiling section 11a. The drying section 11b is characterized in that a product outlet 19 for discharging the degreased and dried product to the outside is provided on its outer circumference.

[0064] This configuration ensures that the raw material to be processed is reliably introduced into the boiling section 11a. Furthermore, the defatted and dried product finally obtained in the drying section 11b can be easily discharged to the outside. The raw material inlet 18 and the product outlet 19 are configured to be selectively opened and closed.

[0065] Furthermore, in this invention, an outlet conveyor 63 is connected to the outer circumference of the boiling section 11a to guide the boiled material out of the main tank 11 and transfer it to the degreasing section 40. The drying section 11b is characterized in that an introduction conveyor 65 is connected to its outer circumference to transfer solid material from the degreasing section 40 and return it to the main tank 11. This configuration allows for the smooth transfer of boiled material from the boiling section 11a to the degreasing section 40. Furthermore, it allows for the smooth transfer of solid material from the degreasing section 40 to the drying section 11b.

[0066] Furthermore, in the present invention, the degreasing section 40 comprises an outer cylinder 41 having a horizontal cylindrical shape into which the boiled material transferred from the boiling section 11a is introduced, and a screw blade 43 provided on a rotating shaft 42 that extends along a substantially horizontal centerline within the outer cylinder. A screen 41a through which liquid can pass is formed on the outer circumference of the outer cylinder 41, and the gap between the screen 41a and the screw blades 43 gradually decreases in the direction of transport. The rotational drive of the screw blades 43 dehydrates the boiled material inside the outer cylinder 41, and the degreased solid material is discharged from the downstream side of the outer cylinder 41, while the separated broth containing oil and fat is discharged from the screen 41a.

[0067] With this degreasing section 40, the oils and fats contained in the boiled food are in a liquid state, and the rotation of the screw blades 43 inside the outer cylinder 41 allows for the reliable and efficient separation of the oil-containing broth from the boiled food. The gap between the outer cylinder 41 and the screw blades 43 can be adjusted by, for example, widening the outer cylinder 41 to gradually increase the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 42, or conversely, keeping the rotating shaft 42 the same diameter while gradually reducing the outer cylinder 41.

[0068] Furthermore, the present invention includes an oil separator 50 that receives the broth discharged from the degreasing section 40 and is capable of separating oil and fat from the broth. The invention is characterized in that an introduction pipe 51 is connected to the introduction conveyor 65 or to the outer circumference of the drying section 11b, for transferring and returning the separated liquid obtained by removing oil and grease from the boiling liquid using the oil separator 50.

[0069] With this configuration, oil and fat can be easily separated from the broth discharged from the degreasing section 40. Furthermore, the separated liquid, from which the oil and fat has been removed, can be reliably returned to the drying section 11b of the main tank 11 and dried. If the introduction pipe 51 for returning the separated liquid is connected in the middle of the introduction conveyor 65, the separated liquid and solid matter can be thoroughly mixed before being introduced into the drying section 11b, making it possible to incorporate the active ingredients in the separated liquid into the solid matter.

[0070] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. For example, the main tank 11 in this embodiment is generally cylindrical, but it may also be configured as an inverted frustoconical shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the top to the bottom of the main tank 11.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotary hoisting blades 30 are arranged in three stages vertically, but the specific number and arrangement of the rotary hoisting blades 30 are design matters to be appropriately determined according to the height and dimensions of the main tank 11. Moreover, the number and shape of the base blades 31 in the rotary hoisting blades 30 are not limited to those shown in the illustration. [Industrial applicability]

[0072] The boiling and drying apparatus of the present invention can handle various types of raw materials to be processed, and in particular, it can efficiently produce degreased and dried organic products even when the raw materials to be processed contain solids or semi-solids, or when the raw materials have high viscosity. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1...Boiling drying device 10...Dryer 11…Main tank 11a...boiling section 11b...Drying section 12...Peripheral wall part 12a... Heat transfer surface 13…Jacket 18...Raw material inlet 19…Product outlet 63... Derivation conveyor 65...Introduction conveyor 20…Rotation axis 20A... Upper rotating shaft 20B…Lower rotation axis 30... Rotating winding blades 40... Press (degreasing section) 50...Oil separator 80... Hopper

Claims

1. A boiling and drying apparatus for producing degreased and dried products from raw materials mainly composed of organic matter, It comprises a main tank having a vertical cylindrical shape for boiling or drying the raw materials to be processed, and a degreasing section for degreasing the boiled raw materials outside the main tank. The main tank is divided into a boiling section located in the upper part of the main tank and a drying section located in the lower part of the main tank, the inner wall of the main tank serves as a heat transfer surface to be heated, and the main tank is equipped with multiple upper and lower rotating winding vanes mounted on a rotating shaft along a substantially vertical centerline within the main tank. The aforementioned rotating shaft is divided coaxially into upper and lower sections, comprising an upper rotating shaft equipped with the rotating winding blades located in the boiling section, and a lower rotating shaft equipped with the rotating winding blades located in the drying section, and the upper rotating shaft and the lower rotating shaft can be rotated independently. The boiling section boils the raw material to be processed by winding it up with the rotation of the rotating winding blades around the upper rotating shaft and pressing it against the heat transfer surface. The degreasing section pressurizes the boiled material transferred from the boiling section to the outside of the main tank, separating it into degreased solids and a broth containing oil and fat. The boiling and drying apparatus is characterized in that the drying section selectively adds a separated liquid obtained by removing oil and grease from the boiling liquid to the solid material transferred from the degreasing section into the main tank, and then winds it up by the rotation of the rotating winding blades around the lower rotating shaft, presses it against the heat transfer surface, and dries it to obtain a degreased and dried product.

2. The boiling and drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing time of the raw material to be processed by the boiling section can be set within the range of the total time, which is the sum of the processing time of the boiled material processed by the boiling section beforehand by the degreasing section and the subsequent processing time by the drying section.

3. A raw material inlet is provided on the outer circumference of the boiling section for introducing the raw material to be processed into the interior. The boiling drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a product outlet for discharging the degreased and dried product to the outside is provided on the outer circumference of the drying section.

4. An outlet conveyor is connected to the outer circumference of the boiling section to guide the boiled material out of the main tank and transfer it to the degreasing section. The boiling drying apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that an introduction conveyor is connected to the outer circumference of the drying section to transfer solid material from the degreasing section and return it to the main tank.

5. The degreasing section comprises a horizontal cylindrical outer cylinder into which the boiled material transferred from the boiling section is introduced, and a screw blade provided on a rotating shaft that extends along a substantially horizontal centerline within the outer cylinder. A screen through which liquid can pass is formed on the outer circumference of the outer cylinder, and the gap between the screen and the screw blades gradually decreases in the direction of transport. The boiling and drying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the boiling material in the outer cylinder is dehydrated by the rotational drive of the screw blades and discharged as a defatted solid from the downstream side of the outer cylinder, and the boiling liquid containing the separated oils and fats is discharged from the screen.

6. The system includes an oil separator that receives the broth discharged from the degreasing section and is capable of separating oil and fat from the broth. The boiling and drying apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that an introduction pipe is connected to the middle of the introduction conveyor or to the outer circumference of the drying section for transferring and returning the separated liquid obtained by removing oil and grease from the boiling liquid using the oil separator.

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