BG1346U1 - A device for extracting plant raw materials with the help of liquefied gas - Google Patents

Abstract

This useful model will find an application in the processing of plant raw materials from agriculture and from food industry for the obtaining of herb extracts, of spices, of flowers and of other raw materials containing etherial and essential oil compounds. The useful model is a device positioned on a mobile or immobile transport stand. It consists of two cylindrical vertical extractors (2 and 3). The extractors are thermally isolated, along the body there are applied electric heaters and in their upper parts (14 and 15) they have caps with a collar joining. In order that the air and the vapors of the solvent are let out they are connected with a compressor (16) through tube connections and stop valves (17 and 18). The pressure side of the compressor is put in touch through stop valves (19 and 30) with the atmosphere and, respectively, with a horizontal condenser (7) with an oil dispenser (20). The extractors are connected through stop valves (8 and 9) in their lower parts with a circulation pump (28) and a tube connection with a vertical first degree vapourizer (4) which is of an uninterrupted function, as well as a central circulation tube. In the extractors, through heating andvaporization, in the tube space the main part of the solvent is being separated from the extract. In its lower side it is connected through a stop valve (21) with a tube vaporizer second degree (5) which is of periodic functioning and is being heated by an electric heater (22). In the lower side of a second degree vaporizer a valve is installed for drawing out the end product, namely, the extract. The two vaporizers are connected in their upper sides through tubes with the horizontal condenser (7) positioned on a higher level with respect to the two extractors. In its intertube space the vapors of the solvent condense by cooling. In the lower part of the condenser the two extractors are connected through tubes and stop valves (31 and 33) and through the stop valve (10) the condenser is con

Description

(54) LIQUID GAS EXTRACTION PLANT TECHNICAL FIELD

The utility model relates to a device for the extraction of vegetable raw materials with liquefied gas, which can be mounted on vehicles and will find application in the processing of vegetable raw materials from agriculture and the food industry, to obtain extracts from herbs, spices, flowers and other raw materials containing essential and oily compounds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A device is known for extracting plant materials by liquefied gases above the critical point - supercritical extraction, which is a set of elements and connections connected in the following sequence: extractors with periodic action, pump for thickening the liquid solvent, heat exchanger for heating the solvent above the critical point point, throttle valve for reducing the pressure of the diluted solution after the extractor, separators for separating the solvent and a condenser for liquefying its vapor / 4 /.

Characteristic of the known device is the presence of a complex energy-intensive pressure pump for compressing the liquid solvent, the need to throttle the diluted extract in order to concentrate it, thereby losing valuable volatile components of the extract, the presence of heavy, expensive equipment due to the high working hours .

A device for extracting plant materials by liquefied gases below the critical point is known - subcritical extraction, which is a set of elements and connections connected in the following sequence: extractors, throttle valve, separators for solvent separation, compressor for condensing its vapor and condenser for their liquefaction / 1, 2, 3 /.

Characteristic of this device is that a non-isobaric solvent cycle is used, which again results in throttling of the diluted extract and loss of its components. It thickens the solvent vapor, which requires either a highly efficient oil separation system or an oil-free compressor to prevent the oil from entering the final product. All this leads to an increase in the price of the essential oils produced.

The objective of the proposed utility model is to provide a device for extraction of plant raw materials in a subcritical liquefied gas environment at low temperature and pressure, which allows to obtain high quality aromatic and medicinal plant extracts at low energy costs with a unified energy carrier and the possibility of mobile assembly allowing the processing of the raw material to take place at the place of its cultivation and production.

The technical nature of the utility model

A utility model is a device positioned on a mobile self-propelled or stationary vehicle. It consists of two cylindrical vertical extractors.

The extractors are thermally insulated and are provided with electric heaters on the housing and have a flanged cover at the top. For removal of air and solvent vapors from them are connected to a compressor with pipe connections and shut-off valves.

The discharge side of the compressor is connected by means of shut-off valves, respectively, to the atmosphere or through an oil separator with a horizontal condenser.

The extractors are connected at the bottom by shut-off valves with a circulating pump and a pipeline with a vertical evaporator first ethereal, which has a continuous operation and a central circulation pipe. At its bottom, it is connected via a stopcock to a second stage tube evaporator, which has a periodic action, heated by an electric heater.

At the bottom of the second stage evaporator a faucet is installed to extract the final product - the extract. The two evaporators in their upper parts are connected via a pipeline to the horizontal condenser located at a higher level than the two extractors.

The bottom of the condenser is connected by tubes to both extractors and a horizontal cylindrical buffer vessel. Stop pipes are mounted on the connecting pipes

1346 W cranes. The buffer tank at its bottom is connected to the extractors by shut-off valves.

Equalizing steam connections and shut-off valves are mounted between the condenser, the buffer tank and the extractors.

Explanation of the annexed figures

Figure 1 is a mobile embodiment of the device;

figure 2 - power supply of the first mobile variant of the device;

Figure 3 - Power supply of the second stationary version of the device.

Exemplary embodiments of the utility model

A utility model is a device positioned on a mobile self-propelled or stationary vehicle. It consists of two cylindrical vertical extractors 2 and 3.

The extractors are thermally insulated and are provided with electrical heaters on the housing and have a flanged connection cover at the top 14 and 15. For air removal and solvent vapors, they are connected to a compressor 16 with pipe connections and shut-off valves 17 and 18. The discharge side of the compressor is connected by means of shut-off valves 19 and 30 respectively to the atmosphere or through an oil separator 20 to a horizontal condenser 7. The extractors are connected at their bottom by shut-off valves 8 and 9 to a circulation pump 28 and a pipeline with a vert ical continuous evaporator 4, which has a continuous operation and a central circulation pipe. The main part of the solvent is separated from the extract by heating and vaporization in the tube space. In its lower part it is connected through a stopcock 21 with a tube evaporator of the second stage 5, which has a periodic action, heated by an electric heater 22. At the bottom of the second stage evaporator a crane 6 is mounted to draw the final product of the extract. The two evaporators in their upper parts are connected via pipelines to the horizontal condenser 7, located at a higher level than the two extractors. The solvent vapor condenses in its interstitial space by cooling. At the bottom of the condenser there are tubular connections to the two extractors through shut-off valves 31 and 33 and through a stopcock 10 it connects to a horizontal cylindrical buffer vessel 11. The buffer vessel at its bottom is connected to the extractors by shut-off valves 31 and 33. Between the condenser, the buffer tank and the extractors are fitted with leveling steam pipes and shut-off valves 12 and 13 thereof (Figure 1).

A heat pump system with a separate circuit of the circulating refrigerant is used to supply the heat required for heating in the evaporator and for cooling in the condenser. The system consists of a refrigerant compressor 23 connected on the suction side to the condenser of the extraction circuit 7, which is the evaporator for the heat pump circuit. The discharge side of the compressor is connected through the shut-off valve 24 to the interfacial space of the evaporator of the extraction system 4, which is a condenser for the heat pump circuit. The heat pump circuit is then housed in series with a connected receiver 34, a dehydrator filter 25, a regenerative heat exchanger 26 and a thermostatic valve 35. The discharge side of the compressor is connected through a shut-off valve 27 and an air condenser 29. The supply of the necessary energy to operate the device may comes in two variants.

In the first mobile embodiment (Figure 2), the energy source is an internal combustion engine 36 whose shaft drives the open-type refrigeration compressor 21 through the belt drives, the compressor serving the extraction circuit 33 also open-type and an alternator 37 for receiving electric current. The entire device described, including the energy source, shall be mounted on a self-propelled or non-self-propelled vehicle 1.

In the second stationary embodiment (Figure 3), the refrigeration compressor 23, the compressor serving the extraction circuit 33, and all other electrical consumers are powered by the electrical network. The entire unit described, including the power supply unit, is mounted in a fixed room.

The whole described device on the extraction and heat pump circuit operates at overpressure of the medium in them - solvent and refrigerant.

1346 Ul

Vegetable raw materials can be extracted under field conditions at the place of harvest. The extraction of fresh raw material is carried out in contact with liquefied gases at a certain temperature and pressure in the absence of high temperature effects, contact with water, air and light and the absence of residual solvent in the final product.

Liquid gases as solvents may be used for food grade carbon dioxide, tetrafluoroethane, nitrogen dioxide and other suitable properties. They are a non-polar molecule and therefore extract pleasantly smelling and healing components from plant materials.

The proposed device can be used for the subsequent extraction of the spent material with polar solvents such as water, ethyl alcohol, their solutions and others for complete exhaustion with respect to the extractable substances.

The operation of the device is as follows.

The raw material to be extracted is loaded into one of the two extractors 2 or

3. After sealing it with a flange cover, the air is withdrawn from it with the taps 17 and 19 open by means of the compressor 16. After sufficient vacuum is opened, a tap 12 is opened and the extractor is filled with solvent vapors until the operating pressure is reached. By opening taps 8 and 9, a portion of the solvent is transferred from the inoperative to the inoperative extractor. The remaining amount of solvent in the extractor is supplemented by buffer vessel 11 with the tap 10 open. During the extraction, a dilute solution (mistletoe) is continuously withdrawn from the bottom of the extractor and fed to a first stage evaporator via pump 24.

4. The solution concentrated therein through the tap 21 is periodically discharged to the second stage 5 evaporator, where the solvent is finally separated from the extract. The latter is periodically discharged into a container for temporary storage through a faucet 6. The pure solvent vapors obtained in the two evaporators are fed to a condenser 7 where they are liquefied. The condensate formed - a pure liquid solvent through the tap 31 or 33 is returned back to the top of the working extractor. Upon completion of the extraction process, the flow of pure solvent is stopped by tap 19 or transferred to the other extractor prepared for operation during the extraction of the other as described above. The residual raw material remaining in the vapor phase is heated by an electric heater to evaporate the residual solvent contained therein at an open faucet 12. After reaching a certain temperature at open faucets 12 and 31, the extractor is evacuated to regenerate the solvent vapor 16 through a compressor. The condensed vapor after the compressor is purified in a high efficiency oil separator 20 and fed to the condenser 7. After the maximum vacuum is reached, the extractor is decanted to discharge the waste. tinue a raw material and filling with fresh one. The cycle is repeated again in the order described.

The following heat pump circuit is used to bring heat into the first stage evaporator 4 and remove it from the condenser 7. The condenser of the extraction circuit 7 is also a heat pump evaporator, with the refrigerant boiling in a tubular coil mounted therein. The vapors generated here through a regenerative heat exchanger 26 are sucked in by a compressor 23, where they are compressed and sent to the evaporator 4 of the extraction circuit, which is also a heat pump capacitor. The refrigerant vapor condenses here, giving off heat to the boiling mist. The liquid refrigerant formed through the receiver 33, the filter dehydrator 25 and the regenerative heat exchanger 26 is throttled into a thermostatic valve 35 and fed into the cooling coil of the condenser 7. Here the liquid refrigerant boils as it takes away the heat to dissolve the vapor of the solvent 1).

The whole device described can be designed and operated automatically in two variants: fixed or mobile, which is mounted on a self-propelled or non-self-propelled vehicle for field operation at the place of extraction or primary processing of the raw material.

Claims (3)

1. A device for the extraction of vegetable raw materials with liquefied gas containing two 1346 Ul extractors (2 and 3) connected to a compressor (16), which in turn is connected to a condenser (7), characterized in that the compressor (16) is connected by an oil separator (20) and shut-off valves (19 and 30), respectively with the atmosphere and with a condenser (7), the extractors (2 and 3) at their bottom are connected to a circulation pump (28), which is connected to pipes by a first stage evaporator (4), the lower part of which is connected to a second stage evaporator (5) to which a valve (6) is mounted at the bottom for the finished extract, with the two evaporators (4 and 5) at the top connected to the condenser (7), which is connected to the lower part by the two extractors (2 and 3) and the upper part by a horizontal cylindrical buffer vessel (11), which in turn is connected to the extractors (2 and 3) located below it. ). Extraction plant for liquefied petroleum gas according to claim 1, characterized in that the extractors (2 and 3) are thermally insulated and equipped with electric heaters on the housing, have a cover with a flange connection at their upper part (14 and 15), and the condenser (7) is horizontal in type and is located at a level higher than the two extractors (2 and 3), the first stage evaporator (4) being vertical with continuous action and the central circulation pipe and on the evaporator the second degree (5), which is a tube type with periodic action, an electric heater (22) is installed. Extraction plant for liquefied petroleum gas according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that respective shut-off valves (17 and 18) are installed between the extractors (2 and 3) and the compressor (16) and between the lower part on each of the extractors (2 and 3) and the circulation pump (28), respective shut-off valves (8 and 9) are mounted, and the connection between the first stage evaporator (4) and the second stage evaporator (5) is via a pipe on which is mounted shut-off valve (21) on the pipe connection between the condenser (7) and each of the extractors (2 and 3) are adjacent shut-off valves (31 and 33), and to the bottom of the horizontal buffer vessel (11) a shut-off valve (10) is mounted, connected by a pipe connection to the shut-off valves (31 and 33), each of the extractors (2 and 3) ) is connected by a corresponding balancing pipe connection, to which a corresponding shut-off valve (12 and 13) is mounted, to the capacitor (7).