Tobacco Moisture Conditioning via Outlet Temperature Cascade Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing moisture conditioning methods for tobacco material require complex control of steam amounts and continuous measurement of water content, making it difficult to efficiently increase the water content and impart flexibility to the tobacco material.
Innovation Solution
A moisture conditioning method that focuses on controlling the steam supply based on the outlet material temperature, using feedback control and various control areas (cubic, linear, and fixed value) to adjust the steam flow rate and maintain the outlet material temperature at a target value, thereby stabilizing and increasing the water content of the tobacco material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If water content measurement and control is implemented at inlet and outlet of moisture conditioning machine, then water content of conditioned leaf tobacco can be controlled to target value, but control process becomes complex requiring multiple measurements and calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the water content control function from the complex multi-parameter control system and replaces it with a simplified temperature-based control approach. By measuring only outlet temperature and using predetermined relationships between temperature and water content, the system eliminates the need for multiple water content measurements and complex control calculations, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from water content (which requires complex measurement and control) to temperature (which is easier to measure and control). By establishing predetermined relationships between outlet temperature and water content, the system can indirectly control water content through temperature control, simplifying the overall control process while maintaining precision.
2Reliability
If steam amount is controlled based on multiple parameters including water content measurements, then moisture conditioning can be achieved, but control system becomes more complex than necessary for simply imparting flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential function of moisture conditioning (imparting flexibility) from the complex multi-parameter steam control system. By focusing solely on outlet temperature as the control parameter and using predetermined temperature-water content relationships, the system simplifies steam control while maintaining reliability for achieving the primary goal of imparting flexibility to leaf tobacco.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the natural relationship between temperature and water content in the moisture conditioning process. By measuring outlet temperature and automatically adjusting steam supply based on predetermined relationships, the system achieves self-regulating moisture conditioning without requiring complex external control mechanisms, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method simplifies the control process by adjusting the steam flow rate based on temperature deviations, allowing for easy and effective increase in water content and ensuring the tobacco material reaches the desired flexibility and moisture levels.
Implementation Method 1
the amount of steam supply is controlled so as to maintain the outlet material temperature at a target temperature
Implementation Method 2
attention is directed to the outlet-side temperature of conditioned tobacco material, or outlet material temperature, and the amount of steam supply is controlled so as to maintain the outlet material temperature at a target temperature
Data Source
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AI summary
A moisture conditioning method is provided in which tobacco material and steam are supplied to the interior of a rotor to condition the moisture of the tobacco material while the tobacco material passes through the rotor. In the conditioning method, a deviation between the temperature of the tobacco material at the outlet of the rotor and a target temperature is obtained, and cascade control is performed on the supply flow rate of the steam supplied to the rotor so as to eliminate the deviation. The cascade control includes a main control process having a plurality of control areas for controlling the supply flow rate based on a reference flow rate in the individual control areas, and a sub-control process executed in parallel with the main control process for changing the reference flow rate in accordance with an average value of the deviations within a fixed period.