EP0350669B1 - Method for reducing the stickyness of cotton flock fibres contaminated with honey dew - Google Patents

Method for reducing the stickyness of cotton flock fibres contaminated with honey dew Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0350669B1
EP0350669B1 EP89111231A EP89111231A EP0350669B1 EP 0350669 B1 EP0350669 B1 EP 0350669B1 EP 89111231 A EP89111231 A EP 89111231A EP 89111231 A EP89111231 A EP 89111231A EP 0350669 B1 EP0350669 B1 EP 0350669B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
furnace
bale
cotton
honeydew
field
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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EP89111231A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP0350669A1 (en
Inventor
Fritz Knabenhans
Othmar Bachmann
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Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
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Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
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Publication of EP0350669A1 publication Critical patent/EP0350669A1/en
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    • DTEXTILES; PAPER
    • D01NATURAL OR MAN-MADE THREADS OR FIBRES; SPINNING
    • D01GPRELIMINARY TREATMENT OF FIBRES, e.g. FOR SPINNING
    • D01G99/00Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B6/00Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
    • H05B6/64Heating using microwaves
    • H05B6/78Arrangements for continuous movement of material
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H05ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05BELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B2206/00Aspects relating to heating by electric, magnetic, or electromagnetic fields covered by group H05B6/00
    • H05B2206/04Heating using microwaves
    • H05B2206/046Microwave drying of wood, ink, food, ceramic, sintering of ceramic, clothes, hair

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method according to the preamble of the first independent method claim and a device according to the preamble of the first independent device claim.
  • EP-A-196 449 which shows the closest prior art, has already proposed a method of the type mentioned at the outset, with the aim of bringing the existing honeydew into a non-sticky and brittle state by briefly adding heat however, to cause discoloration of the cotton flakes so that the fragile sugar deposits can be crushed and removed in the subsequent processing.
  • a number of devices for carrying out this method have also been proposed in the aforementioned European patent application. The one device aims at that Heat up flakes of fiber before opening the bale, ie right at the beginning of the yarn production process.
  • Other devices are intended for the treatment of slivers between the card and the draw frame or during stretching.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide an uncomplicated process or an uncomplicated device in which the cotton bale, or at least large fractions thereof, is decoupled in time from the actual yarn production process, at least hours or preferably days or weeks beforehand , are pretreated in such a way that the interruptions in the production process caused by honeydew contamination are largely avoided, without the cotton fibers being subjected to mechanical damage and without the subsequent processing having to take place at very low atmospheric humidity.
  • the invention provides for the cotton flakes present in bale form to be heated in this oven by means of the high-frequency field mentioned and for the escaping vapors to be extracted by means of an air flow generated through the oven.
  • the parts producing the field are preferably attached to the side of the bale and likewise preferably the escaping vapors rise upwards and are extracted there.
  • microwave heating A special feature of microwave heating is that these microwaves seem to work selectively on the honeydew impurities so that they reach a temperature which is slightly higher than the temperature of the cotton itself. This ensures that the moisture from the honeydew impurity is driven out very quickly and that the desired change in state or structure of the honeydew contamination occurs, and without the cotton flakes themselves having to be heated to a temperature at which a fire risk would arise.
  • the treatment times and the amount of energy required can be reduced, which makes the process economical or the investment price.
  • a special embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the gases or air used for cooling the or each field generator are blown into the oven containing the bales after they have flowed through and flow through them to further dry the bale and / or to achieve the removal of the escaping vapors.
  • the air currents used for cooling are used for a double purpose, the heat carried away by the microwaves not being lost, but instead being used to extract the moisture.
  • the duration of the treatment can easily be selected in the range from 10 to 90 minutes, depending on the moisture of the bales, it being advantageous to increase the output in the range from 0.02 to 0.08 kW per kg bale weight use.
  • a bale With medium output and medium humidity, a bale can be treated in less than 30 minutes, so that a single oven would be able to handle the entire daily production of a medium-sized cotton mill.
  • the treatment is preferably continued until the residual moisture in the cotton is in the range of 4 to 1% H2O.
  • a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the power of the field generator during the pretreatment corresponds to a predetermined course or the measured course of the moisture reduction is reduced by a control or regulation. This process leads to a gentle treatment of the cotton, to a saving of energy, above all because the cotton can evaporate during the period of reduced energy supply and also reduces the risk of local overheating of the cotton.
  • a particularly preferred device for carrying out the method is characterized in that the bale is heated in the oven mentioned, in which the field generators are arranged on opposite sides of the bale, and in that means are provided to generate an air flow through the oven.
  • Fig. 1 shows a section in a vertical plane through a microwave oven 11, which is specially designed to treat individual cotton bales 12 according to the invention.
  • the oven itself has a bottom 13, left and right side walls 14 and 15, one designed as a chimney top 16, which is tapered upwards and merges into a pipe socket 17, a rear wall 18, which is shown for the sake of illustration only with a dashed line in Fig. 1, and a door, which is not shown, but which on one of the side walls 14 or 15 is articulated so that the bale can be introduced into the interior of the oven 11.
  • the rear wall 18 can also be designed as a door so that the bales can be inserted through the front and removed from the rear.
  • the oven is square or rectangular in shape, its dimensions are adapted to those of a conventional bale, but can be chosen somewhat smaller if, as is possible in principle, only a fraction of a bale, for example half treated at once should be.
  • the bale with its layers is essentially horizontal on a platform 19 designed as a microwave-permeable grid, so that the underside 21 of the bale is somewhat higher than the bottom 13 of the oven.
  • the platform 19 stands on individual legs 22, between which openings are provided, which are not shown in the drawing.
  • the interior of the oven 11 should be larger than the space occupied by the bale 12 and / or have a guide so that the bale does not get stuck in the oven when it is made larger by the heat treatment.
  • the middle part of the bottom 13 is designed as a coarse mesh sieve or perforated plate 23 which is not permeable to microwaves, so that air 24 coming from below can flow through this sieve or through this plate and through the openings between the legs 22.
  • the upper plate of the platform is also constructed as a sieve or perforated plate, so that this air has access to the bale or vapors escaping from the bale through the bale Can exit through the platform.
  • microwave generators 25 are arranged to the side of the oven, only four such microwave generators being visible in the drawing, namely two on the left and two on the right, these microwave generators being arranged one above the other in two different horizontal planes.
  • further microwave generators can be arranged in planes behind or in front of the plane of the drawing of Fig. 1, e.g. so that a total of 12 such microwave units 25 are provided.
  • the radiation output 26 of each microwave generator projects through a respective waveguide into one of the side walls 14, 15 of the oven and is directed towards the interior of the oven. In this way, approximately funnel-shaped diverging beam lobes 27 arise from the respective microwave units 25, the arrangement being such that the highest possible energy density occurs in the bale.
  • wave agitators 28 are mounted on the side walls of the furnace, each wave agitator essentially consisting of a circular metallic rotor which is mounted on an axis of rotation 29 and is driven to slow rotary movements, for example 10 revolutions per minute.
  • the purpose of these wave stirrers is to first reflect the radiation passing through the bale, so that each beam passes through the bale several times before it is completely absorbed. By reflecting the microwaves, which takes place on every metallic surface, there is a certain homogenization of the energy density in the bale.
  • Driving the shaft stirrer 28 serves to further equalize the Energy density inside the bale.
  • the individual microwave generators 25 have to be cooled during operation, for which purpose air is pumped through these microwave units.
  • this air is blown into manifolds 30 after cooling the aggregates, these manifolds leading to an air chamber below the sieve bottom 23 of the furnace.
  • the heated air enters the oven and ensures further heating of the bale and removal of the vapors escaping from the bale due to the heat treatment, which first rise up to the pipe socket 17 and are then sucked away by a fan (not shown) will.
  • the microwave generators preferably each have a maximum output of approx. 1.2 kW, which means that with a total of 12 units, a cotton bale with approx. 220 kg and originally 6% water content is dried out in approx. 14 minutes to a residual moisture of 4% H20 can. Should even drier cotton be sought, e.g. 1% residual moisture, the treatment time is extended to about 35 minutes.
  • fire monitoring devices at individual points in the furnace itself, i.e. So-called fire detectors installed, which detect a possible fire and immediately stop the energy supply to the microwave generator.
  • the signals from these fire detectors can also be used to blow an extinguishing gas into the furnace so that a fire is extinguished immediately. It is particularly advantageous in the case of microwave heating that the energy supply can be stopped immediately and the oven is immediately cool after the microwave generators have been switched off, so that the risk of a fire spreading from further heat absorbed is minimal.
  • FIG. 2 A further possibility of pretreating entire bales or fractions thereof according to the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 2.
  • the furnace 31 is similar in shape to the furnace 11 in FIG. 1.
  • two rectangular capacitor plates 32 and 33 are provided within this oven, namely the plate 32 is arranged parallel to the left side wall 14 of the oven and the plate 33 is arranged parallel to the right side wall 15 of the oven.
  • a high-quality dielectric is used between the plates and the assigned sides of the furnace.
  • the bale 12 stands on a platform 35 designed as a lattice and an air flow is generated from below to remove the vapors generated during the treatment.
  • This air flow can be generated by a blower, which is connected to the pipe socket 36 via a line is connected.
  • a high-frequency alternating electric field arises between the capacitor plates 32 and 33, which leads to a heating of the bale 12, which represents a lossy dielectric.
  • the greatest heat absorption occurs in the area of high water content, for example in honeydew.
  • the high-frequency field is generated by a high-frequency generator 36, which feeds the working circuit consisting of the inductor 37 and the capacitor formed by the plates 32 and 33 and the bale with electrical energy.
  • the frequency of the supply and therefore of the alternating electrical field must be kept within narrow limits, in view of the legal regulations existing in a number of countries regarding the limitation of the interference radiation of industrial high-frequency systems.
  • the industrial frequency 27.12 MHz ⁇ 0.6% or in rare cases 13.56 MHz ⁇ 0.05% is chosen as the working frequency.
  • an additional capacitor 38 is connected in parallel with the load circuit and is adjusted by a controller 39 via a motor 40 and a gear 41 so that the oscillation frequency of the load circuit always remains constant.
  • the controller 39 receives the anode current of the high-frequency generator or a value corresponding to it as the actual value and compares this value with a predetermined target value. If deviations occur, a signal is applied to the motor 40, which adjusts the capacitor 38 via the transmission 41 until the setpoint value of the anode current is reached again.
  • the bale is warmed up by the high frequency E field between the capacitor plates 32 and 33, expelling the moisture from the honeydew and bringing it into the desired condition.
  • the interior of the oven should be larger than the bale or have a suitable guide. Furthermore, it is also advantageous to pass the waste heat from the high-frequency generator through the furnace in the form of a heated air stream.
  • bale to be treated is held together with other bands, these must be removed before the bale is inserted into the oven and replaced with suitable plastic bands.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Textile Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
  • Jellies, Jams, And Syrups (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
  • Drying Of Solid Materials (AREA)
  • Spinning Or Twisting Of Yarns (AREA)
  • Artificial Filaments (AREA)

Abstract

A method or apparatus for reducing the stickiness of honeydew-contaminated cotton fibre by heating said fibre is characterised in that the cotton fibre, while still in bale form (12), is heated in a high-frequency electric or electromagnetic field (27) until the honeydew has been brought to an elevated temperature and the water present in the honeydew has been substantially evaporated, preferably until the cotton fibre has reached a temperature within the range of the boiling point of water. <IMAGE>

Description

Die vorliegende Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren gemäss Oberbegriff des ersten unabhängigen Verfahrensanspruches sowie eine Vorrichtung gemäss Oberbegriff des ersten unabhängigen Vorrichtungsanspruches.The present invention relates to a method according to the preamble of the first independent method claim and a device according to the preamble of the first independent device claim.

Es ist bekannt, daß Baumwollflocken aus manchen Provenienzen mehr oder weniger mit Zucker enthaltenden Ausscheidungen von Insekten befallen sind. Diese Zucker enthaltenden Ausscheidungen werden allgemein als Honigtau bezeichnet. Es sind eine ganze Reihe von Vorschlägen gemacht worden, wie man durch Aufwärmung von Baumwollflockenproben den Honigtau zum Karamelisieren bringen kann mit dem Ziel, aus der eintretenden Änderung der Farbe der Baumwollflocken den Grad der Verunreinigung mit Honigtau zu bestimmen. Dies ist nämlich sehr wichtig, weil bei starkem Befall die Baumwollflocken klebrig werden, und dazu neigen, auf verschiedenen Teilen der Garnherstellungsanlage klebenzubleiben bzw. an Walzen oder anderen drehbaren Organen Wickel zu bilden, was sehr unerwünscht ist, da es zu häufigen Unterbrechungen des Garnherstellungsvorgangs und zu einem minderwertigen Garn führt.It is known that cotton flakes from some provenances are more or less infested with sugar-containing excretions from insects. These excretions containing sugar are commonly referred to as honeydew. A whole series of proposals have been made on how to make honeydew caramelize by warming up cotton flake samples with the aim of determining the degree of contamination with honeydew from the change in the color of the cotton flakes. This is very important because the cotton flakes become sticky in the event of heavy infestation and tend to stick to different parts of the yarn production system or to form rolls on rollers or other rotatable organs, which is very undesirable since there are frequent interruptions in the yarn production process and leads to an inferior yarn.

In der EP-A-196 449, die den am nächsten kommenden Stand der Technik zeigt, ist bereits ein Verfahren der eingangs genannten Art vorgeschlagen worden mit dem Ziel, den vorhandenen Honigtau durch kurzfristige Wärmezufuhr in einen nicht klebrigen und brüchigen Zustand zu bringen, ohne jedoch eine Verfärbung der Baumwollflocken zu verursachen, so daß bei der nachfolgenden Bearbeitung die brüchigen Zuckerabscheidungen zerquetscht und entfernt werden können. Es sind in der genannten europäischen Patentanmeldung auch eine Reihe von Vorrichtungen zur Durchführung dieses Verfahrens vorgeschlagen worden. Dabei zielt die eine Vorrichtung darauf hin, die Faserflocken bereits vor dem Öffnen der Ballen aufzuheizen, d.h. direkt am Anfang des Garnherstellungsverfahrens. Andere Vorrichtungen dagegen sind für die Behandlung von Faserbändern zwischen Karde und Strecke bzw. während des Streckens gedacht.EP-A-196 449, which shows the closest prior art, has already proposed a method of the type mentioned at the outset, with the aim of bringing the existing honeydew into a non-sticky and brittle state by briefly adding heat however, to cause discoloration of the cotton flakes so that the fragile sugar deposits can be crushed and removed in the subsequent processing. A number of devices for carrying out this method have also been proposed in the aforementioned European patent application. The one device aims at that Heat up flakes of fiber before opening the bale, ie right at the beginning of the yarn production process. Other devices, on the other hand, are intended for the treatment of slivers between the card and the draw frame or during stretching.

Bei Spinnereien, in denen stark mit Honigtau kontaminierte Baumwolle gesponnen wird, versucht man die Feuchtigkeit der Umgebungsluft sehr niedrig zu halten, was erfahrungsgemäß zu einer Herabsetzung der Häufigkeit der Unterbrechungen des Garnherstellungsverfahrens führt. Die sehr niedrige Luftfeuchtigkeit ist aber an sich unerwünscht, da die Baumwollfasern während der Garnherstellung mechanische Schäden erleiden, so daß die Garnqualität nicht optimal ist (obwohl qualitätsmäßig die besten Baumwollsorten aus Provinzen stammen, wo Honigtauverunreinigung am stärksten vorkommt). Auch treten bei sehr trockner Luft Probleme mit elektrostatischen Ladungen auf, die z.B. zu unerwünschten Ansammlungen von Flugfasern führen. Bei sehr niedriger Luftfeuchtigkeit wird auch das Klima innerhalb der Spinnerei vom Personal als unangenehm empfunden.In spinning mills in which cotton heavily contaminated with honeydew is spun, attempts are made to keep the moisture in the ambient air very low, which has been shown to reduce the frequency of interruptions in the yarn production process. However, the very low air humidity is undesirable in itself, since the cotton fibers suffer mechanical damage during the yarn production, so that the yarn quality is not optimal (although the quality of the best cotton comes from provinces where honeydew contamination occurs most). Problems with electrostatic charges also occur in very dry air, e.g. lead to undesirable accumulation of fly fibers. If the air humidity is very low, the climate within the spinning mill is also perceived as unpleasant by the staff.

Diese Schwierigkeiten haben dazu geführt, daß manche Garnhersteller die Baumwollflocken erst waschen, um die Honigtauablagerungen zu entfernen. Das Waschen ist jedoch nicht nur aufwendig, es führt auch zu einer Herabsetzung der Garnqualität.These difficulties have resulted in some yarn manufacturers first washing the cotton flakes to remove the honeydew deposits. However, washing is not only expensive, it also leads to a reduction in the yarn quality.

Da nur manche Baumwollsorten oder Lieferungen mit Honigtau kontaminiert sind, ist der Einbau von besonderen Durchlaufbehandlungsanlagen, z.B. entsprechend der EP-A-196 449 in manchen Fällen nicht erwünscht, zudem der Platz für einen nachträglichen Einbau häufig überhaupt nicht gegeben ist.Since only some types of cotton or deliveries are contaminated with honeydew, the installation of special continuous treatment plants, for example in accordance with EP-A-196 449, is not desirable in some cases, and the space for retrofitting is often not available at all.

Die Aufgabe der vorliegenden Erfindung ist es, ein unaufwendiges Verfahren bzw. eine unaufwendige Vorrichtung zu schaffen, bei dem bzw. bei der Baumwollballen, oder mindestens große Bruchteile davon, zeitlich entkoppelt von dem eigentlichen Garnherstellungsverfahren, und zwar mindestens Stunden oder vorzugsweise Tage oder Wochen zuvor, so vorbehandelt werden, daß die von der Honigtauverunreinigung bedingte Unterbrechungen des Herstellungsverfahrens weitgehend vermieden werden, und zwar ohne daß die Baumwollfasern mechanischem Schaden ausgesetzt werden und ohne daß die nachfolgende Verarbeitung bei sehr niedriger Luftfeuchtigkeit stattfinden muß.The object of the present invention is to provide an uncomplicated process or an uncomplicated device in which the cotton bale, or at least large fractions thereof, is decoupled in time from the actual yarn production process, at least hours or preferably days or weeks beforehand , are pretreated in such a way that the interruptions in the production process caused by honeydew contamination are largely avoided, without the cotton fibers being subjected to mechanical damage and without the subsequent processing having to take place at very low atmospheric humidity.

Zur Lösung dieser Aufgabe sieht die Erfindung verfahrensmässig vor, dass die in Ballenform vorhandenen Baumwollflocken in diesem Ofen mittels des genannten hochfrequenten Feldes erwärmt werden und, dass die entweichenden Dämpfe mittels einer durch den Ofen hindurch erzeugten Luftströmung extrahiert werden.In order to achieve this object, the invention provides for the cotton flakes present in bale form to be heated in this oven by means of the high-frequency field mentioned and for the escaping vapors to be extracted by means of an air flow generated through the oven.

Obwohl allgemein bekannt ist, daß Baumwollfasern sehr schnell die Umgebungsfeuchtigkeit annehmen, ist überraschenderweise festgestellt worden, daß nach der erfindungsgemäßen Vorbehandlung der Baumwollballen die Klebrigkeit der Honigtauverunreinigung wesentlich herabgesetzt wird. Weiterhin ist überraschenderweise festgestellt worden, daß die so behandelten Verunreinigungen nur langsam wieder Feuchtigkeit aus der Luft oder von den Fasern, an denen sie kleben, annehmen, so daß es ohne weiteres möglich ist, die Ballen bereits mehr als eine Woche vor deren Verwendung zur Garnherstellung vorzubehandeln, ohne daß die Gefahr einer erhöhten Klebrigkeit bei der Garnherstellung vorliegt. Dieses Verhalten schreibt man einer durch die Temperaturbehandlung hervorgerufenen Zustandsänderung der Honigtauverunreinigung zu.Although it is generally known that cotton fibers very quickly take on the ambient moisture, it has surprisingly been found that after the pretreatment of the cotton bales according to the invention, the stickiness of the honeydew contamination is significantly reduced. Furthermore, it has surprisingly been found that the contaminants treated in this way only slowly take on moisture again from the air or from the fibers to which they adhere, so that it is readily possible for the bales to be used more than a week before they are used for yarn production pretreatment without the risk of increased stickiness in the yarn production is present. This behavior is attributed to a change in the state of the honeydew contamination caused by the temperature treatment.

Diese Eigenschaftssänderung kommt insbesondere dann vor, wenn die Baumwollflocken eine entsprechende Erwärmung erfahren.This change in properties occurs particularly when the cotton flakes are heated accordingly.

Vorzugsweise sind die das Feld erzeugenden Teile seitlich des Ballens angebracht und ebenfalls vorzugsweise steigen die entweichenden Dämpfe nach oben und werden dort extrahiert.The parts producing the field are preferably attached to the side of the bale and likewise preferably the escaping vapors rise upwards and are extracted there.

Eine Besonderheit der Erwärmung mittels Mikrowellen liegt aber auch darin, daß diese Mikrowellen selektiv auf die Honigtauverunreinigungen zu arbeiten scheinen, so daß diese eine Temperatur erreichen, die etwas höher liegt als die Temperatur der Baumwolle selbst. Hierdurch wird sichergestellt, daß die Feuchtigkeit aus der Honigtauverunreinigung sehr schnell herausgetrieben wird und daß die erwünschte Zustands- bzw. Strukturänderung der Honigtauverunreinigung eintritt, und zwar ohne daß die Baumwollflocken selbst zu einer Temperatur erhitzt werden müssen, bei der eine Brandgefahr entstehen würde. Durch die selektive Einwirkung auf die Honigtauverunreinigungen lassen sich auch die Behandlungszeiten und die erforderliche Energiemenge herabsetzen, was der Wirtschaftlichkeit des Verfahrens bzw. dem Anlagepreis zugute kommt.A special feature of microwave heating is that these microwaves seem to work selectively on the honeydew impurities so that they reach a temperature which is slightly higher than the temperature of the cotton itself. This ensures that the moisture from the honeydew impurity is driven out very quickly and that the desired change in state or structure of the honeydew contamination occurs, and without the cotton flakes themselves having to be heated to a temperature at which a fire risk would arise. By selectively acting on the honeydew impurities, the treatment times and the amount of energy required can be reduced, which makes the process economical or the investment price.

Eine besondere Ausführung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zeichnet sich dadurch aus, daß die zur Kühlung des bzw. jedes Feldgenerators angewandten Gase bzw. Luft nach Durchströmung des bzw. jedes Feldgenerators in den den Ballen enthaltenden Ofen eingeblasen werden und diesen durchströmen, um eine zusätzliche Trocknung des Ballens und/oder den Abtransport der entweichenden Dämpfe zu erreichen. Hierdurch werden die zur Kühlung angewandten Luftströmungen zu einem doppelten Zweck ausgenützt, wobei die von den Mikrowellen abtransportierte Wärme nicht verlorengeht, sondern der Entziehung der Feuchtigkeit zugute kommt.A special embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the gases or air used for cooling the or each field generator are blown into the oven containing the bales after they have flowed through and flow through them to further dry the bale and / or to achieve the removal of the escaping vapors. As a result, the air currents used for cooling are used for a double purpose, the heat carried away by the microwaves not being lost, but instead being used to extract the moisture.

Erfindungsgemäß ist festgestellt worden, daß die Behandlungsdauer ohne weiteres im Bereich von 10 bis 90 Min. gewählt werden kann, je nach Feuchtigkeit der Ballen, wobei es vorteilhaft ist, eine Leistung im Bereich von 0,02 bis 0,08 kW pro kg Ballengewicht zu verwenden. Bei mittleren Leistungen und mittlerer Feuchtigkeit kann somit ein Ballen in weniger als 30 Min. behandelt werden, so daß ein einziger Ofen in der Lage wäre, die gesamte Tagesproduktion einer mittleren Baumwollspinnerei zu bewältigen. Bei einer derartigen Behandlungsdauer steht auch ausreichende Zeit zur Verfügung, um sicherzustellen, daß die erzeugten Dämpfe aus dem Ballen heraustreten. Die Behandlung wird vorzugsweise so lange fortgeführt, bis die Restfeuchtigkeit in der Baumwolle im Schnitt im Bereich von 4 bis 1% H₂O liegt.According to the invention, it has been found that the duration of the treatment can easily be selected in the range from 10 to 90 minutes, depending on the moisture of the bales, it being advantageous to increase the output in the range from 0.02 to 0.08 kW per kg bale weight use. With medium output and medium humidity, a bale can be treated in less than 30 minutes, so that a single oven would be able to handle the entire daily production of a medium-sized cotton mill. With such a duration of treatment, there is also sufficient time to ensure that the vapors generated emerge from the bale. The treatment is preferably continued until the residual moisture in the cotton is in the range of 4 to 1% H₂O.

Eine besondere bevorzugte Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zeichnet sich dadurch aus, daß die Leistung des Feldgenerators im Laufe der Vorbehandlung entsprechend einem vorgegebenen Verlauf bzw. dem gemessenen Verlauf der Feuchtigkeitsreduktion durch eine Steuerung bzw. eine Regelung reduziert wird. Dieses Verfahren führt zu einer schonenden Behandlung der Baumwolle, zu einer Einsparung an Energie, vor allem, weil die Baumwolle in der Zeit der erniedrigten Energiezufuhr ausdampfen kann und reduziert auch die Gefahr von lokaler Überhitzung der Baumwolle.A particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the power of the field generator during the pretreatment corresponds to a predetermined course or the measured course of the moisture reduction is reduced by a control or regulation. This process leads to a gentle treatment of the cotton, to a saving of energy, above all because the cotton can evaporate during the period of reduced energy supply and also reduces the risk of local overheating of the cotton.

Eine besonders bevorzugte Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass die Erwärmung des Ballens im genannten Ofen stattfindet, in dem die Felderzeuger auf entgegengesetzten Seiten des Ballens angeordnet sind, und dass Mittel vorgesehen sind, um eine Luftströmung durch den Ofen zu erzeugen.A particularly preferred device for carrying out the method is characterized in that the bale is heated in the oven mentioned, in which the field generators are arranged on opposite sides of the bale, and in that means are provided to generate an air flow through the oven.

Weiter bevorzugte Ausführungsformen der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung sind den Unteransprüchen zu entnehmen.Further preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention can be found in the subclaims.

Die Erfindung wird nachfolgend näher erläutert anhand von Ausführungsbeispielen unter Bezugnahme auf die Zeichnung, welche zeigt:

Fig. 1
einen schematischen Querschnitt durch eine erste Ausführungsform der Erfindung, bei dem ein Ballen mit Mikrowellen erwärmt wird, und
Fig. 2
einen Querschnitt durch eine alternative Ausführung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung, bei der Baumwollballen mittels Hochfrequenzenergie aufgewärmt werden kann.
The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing, which shows:
Fig. 1
a schematic cross section through a first embodiment of the invention, in which a bale is heated with microwaves, and
Fig. 2
a cross section through an alternative embodiment of a device according to the invention, in which cotton bales can be heated by means of radio frequency energy.

Die Fig. 1 zeigt einen Schnitt in einer senkrechten Ebene durch einen Mikrowellenofen 11, der besonders konzipiert ist, um einzele Baumwollballen 12 erfindungsgemäß zu behandeln. Der Ofen selbst hat einen Boden 13, linke und rechte Seitenwände 14 und 15, eine als Kamin ausgebildete Oberseite 16, welche nach oben verjüngt ist und in einen Rohrstutzen 17 übergeht, eine Rückwand 18, welche der Darstellung halber nur mit einer gestrichelten Linie in Fig. 1 gezeigt ist, sowie eine Tür, die nicht gezeigt ist, welche jedoch an eine der Seitenwände 14 oder 15 angelenkt ist, damit der Ballen in das Innere des Ofens 11 eingeführt werden kann. Ggf. kann auch die Rückwand 18 als Tür ausgebildet werden, so daß die Ballen durch die Vorderseite eingeführt und aus der Rückseite entnommen werden können. In Draufsicht bzw. in horizontalem Querschnitt ist der Ofen quadratischer oder rechteckiger Gestalt, seine Abmessungen sind denen eines herkömmlichen Ballens angepaßt, können jedoch etwas kleiner gewählt werden, wenn, was grundsätzlich möglich ist, nur ein Bruchteil eines Ballens, z.B. die Hälfte auf einmal behandelt werden sollte. Innerhalb des Ofens steht der Ballen mit seinen Lagen im wesentlichen waagerecht auf einem als mikrowellendurchlässiges Gitter ausgebildeten Podest 19, so daß die Unterseite 21 des Ballens etwas höher liegt als der Boden 13 des Ofens. Das Podest 19 steht auf einzelnen Beinen 22, zwischen denen Öffnungen vorgesehen sind, welche doch in der Zeichnung nicht ersichtlich sind. Der Innenraum des Ofens 11 sollte größer als der von dem Ballen 12 eingenommene Raum sein und/oder eine Führung aufweisen, damit der Ballen nicht im Ofen klemmt, wenn er durch die Wärmebehandlung größer wird.Fig. 1 shows a section in a vertical plane through a microwave oven 11, which is specially designed to treat individual cotton bales 12 according to the invention. The oven itself has a bottom 13, left and right side walls 14 and 15, one designed as a chimney top 16, which is tapered upwards and merges into a pipe socket 17, a rear wall 18, which is shown for the sake of illustration only with a dashed line in Fig. 1, and a door, which is not shown, but which on one of the side walls 14 or 15 is articulated so that the bale can be introduced into the interior of the oven 11. Possibly. the rear wall 18 can also be designed as a door so that the bales can be inserted through the front and removed from the rear. In plan view or in horizontal cross-section, the oven is square or rectangular in shape, its dimensions are adapted to those of a conventional bale, but can be chosen somewhat smaller if, as is possible in principle, only a fraction of a bale, for example half treated at once should be. Within the oven, the bale with its layers is essentially horizontal on a platform 19 designed as a microwave-permeable grid, so that the underside 21 of the bale is somewhat higher than the bottom 13 of the oven. The platform 19 stands on individual legs 22, between which openings are provided, which are not shown in the drawing. The interior of the oven 11 should be larger than the space occupied by the bale 12 and / or have a guide so that the bale does not get stuck in the oven when it is made larger by the heat treatment.

Der mittlere Teil des Bodens 13 ist als grobmaschiges Sieb oder gelochte, Mikrowellen nicht durchlässige Platte 23 ausgebildet, damit von unten kommende Luft 24 durch dieses Sieb bzw. durch diese Platte und durch die Öffnungen zwischen den Beinen 22 strömen kann. Auch die obere Platte des Podestes ist als Sieb oder gelochte Platte aufgebaut, damit diese Luft Zugang zu dem Ballen hat bzw. damit vom Ballen entweichende Dämpfe durch das Podest hindurch austreten können.The middle part of the bottom 13 is designed as a coarse mesh sieve or perforated plate 23 which is not permeable to microwaves, so that air 24 coming from below can flow through this sieve or through this plate and through the openings between the legs 22. The upper plate of the platform is also constructed as a sieve or perforated plate, so that this air has access to the bale or vapors escaping from the bale through the bale Can exit through the platform.

Seitlich des Ofens sind einzelne Mikrowellengeneratoren 25 angeordnet, wobei bei der Zeichnung nur vier solche Mikrowellenerzeuger ersichtlich sind und zwar zwei auf der linken Seite und zwei auf der rechten Seite, wobei diese Mikrowellenerzeuger in zwei verschiedenen Horizontalebenen übereinander angeordnet sind. Obwohl dies in der Zeichnung nicht gezeigt ist, können weitere Mikrowellenerzeuger in Ebenen hinter oder vor der Ebene der Zeichnung der Fig. 1 angeordnet werden, z.B. so, daß insgesamt 12 solche Mikrowellenaggregate 25 vorgesehen sind. Der Strahlenausgang 26 jedes Mikrowellenerzeugers ragt durch einen jeweiligen Hohlleiter in eine der Seitenwände 14, 15 des Ofens und ist auf das Innere des Ofens gerichtet. Auf diese Weise entstehen im Betrieb etwa trichterförmig divergierende Strahlenkeulen 27 von den jeweiligen Mikrowellenaggregaten 25, wobei die Anordnung so getroffen wird, daß eine möglichst hohe Energiedichte im Ballen eintritt.Individual microwave generators 25 are arranged to the side of the oven, only four such microwave generators being visible in the drawing, namely two on the left and two on the right, these microwave generators being arranged one above the other in two different horizontal planes. Although not shown in the drawing, further microwave generators can be arranged in planes behind or in front of the plane of the drawing of Fig. 1, e.g. so that a total of 12 such microwave units 25 are provided. The radiation output 26 of each microwave generator projects through a respective waveguide into one of the side walls 14, 15 of the oven and is directed towards the interior of the oven. In this way, approximately funnel-shaped diverging beam lobes 27 arise from the respective microwave units 25, the arrangement being such that the highest possible energy density occurs in the bale.

An den Seitenwänden des Ofens sind eine Vielzahl von sogenannten Wellenrührern 28 (Wavers) montiert, wobei jeder Wellenrührer im wesentlichen aus einem kreisförmigen metallischen Rotor besteht, die auf einer Drehachse 29 montiert ist und zu langsamen Drehbewegungen, z.B. 10 Umdrehungen pro Minute angetrieben wird. Zweck dieser Wellenrührer ist es, zunächst die durch den Ballen hindurchtretenden Strahlungen zu reflektieren, so daß jeder Strahl den Ballen mehrfach durchdringt bevor er vollständig absorbiert ist. Durch das Reflektieren der Mikrowellen, was an jeder metallischen Oberfläche stattfindet, erfolgt eine gewisse Vergleichmäßigung der Energiedichte im Ballen. Das Antreiben der Wellenrührer 28 dient einer weiteren Vergleichmäßigung der Energiedichte im Inneren des Ballens.A large number of so-called wave agitators 28 (Wavers) are mounted on the side walls of the furnace, each wave agitator essentially consisting of a circular metallic rotor which is mounted on an axis of rotation 29 and is driven to slow rotary movements, for example 10 revolutions per minute. The purpose of these wave stirrers is to first reflect the radiation passing through the bale, so that each beam passes through the bale several times before it is completely absorbed. By reflecting the microwaves, which takes place on every metallic surface, there is a certain homogenization of the energy density in the bale. Driving the shaft stirrer 28 serves to further equalize the Energy density inside the bale.

Die einzelnen Mikrowellenerzeuger 25 müssen im Betrieb gekühlt werden, wozu Luft durch diese Mikrowellenaggregate gepumpt wird. Diese Luft wird im vorliegenden Beispiel nach Kühlung der Aggregate in Sammelleitungen 30 geblasen, wobei diese Sammelleitungen zu einer Luftkammer unterhalb des Siebbodens 23 des Ofens führen. Auf diese Weise gelangt die erwärmte Luft in den Ofen hinein und sorgt für eine weitere Aufwärmung des Ballens und einen Abtransport der durch die Wärmebehandlung vom Ballen entweichenden Dämpfe, die zunächst nach oben zu dem Rohrstutzen 17 aufsteigen und dann von einem Ventilator (nicht gezeigt) weggesaugt werden.The individual microwave generators 25 have to be cooled during operation, for which purpose air is pumped through these microwave units. In the present example, this air is blown into manifolds 30 after cooling the aggregates, these manifolds leading to an air chamber below the sieve bottom 23 of the furnace. In this way, the heated air enters the oven and ensures further heating of the bale and removal of the vapors escaping from the bale due to the heat treatment, which first rise up to the pipe socket 17 and are then sucked away by a fan (not shown) will.

Die Mikrowellenerzeuger besitzen vorzugsweise je eine maximale Ausgangsleistung von ca. 1,2 kW, was bedeutet, daß bei insgesamt 12 Aggregaten ein Baumwollballen mit etwa 220 kg und ursprünglich 6% Wasserinhalt in etwa 14 Min. bis zu einer Restfeuchtigkeit von 4% H₂0 ausgetrocknet werden kann. Sollte noch trocknere Baumwolle angestrebt werden, z.B. 1% an Restfeuchtigkeit, so verlängert sich die Behandlungsdauer auf etwa 35 Min.The microwave generators preferably each have a maximum output of approx. 1.2 kW, which means that with a total of 12 units, a cotton bale with approx. 220 kg and originally 6% water content is dried out in approx. 14 minutes to a residual moisture of 4% H₂0 can. Should even drier cotton be sought, e.g. 1% residual moisture, the treatment time is extended to about 35 minutes.

Wichtig ist eigentlich nicht die Restfeuchtigkeit in der Baumwolle selbst, sondern daß die Feuchtigkeit der Honigtauablagerungen, welche anfangs weitaus höher liegen kann als die mittlere Feuchtigkeit im Ballen selbst reduziert wird, was besonders günstig mit Mikrowellen zu erreichen ist, da die Mikrowellenenergie bevorzugt durch das im Honigtau enthaltene Wasser absorbiert wird. Man kann daher sagen, daß das Trocknen der Baumwolle bis zu einer Restfeuchtigkeit von 2 bis 4% ausreicht, um das überschüssige Wasser aus dem Honigtau zu vertreiben und, wie angenommen, eine Zustands- bzw. Strukturänderung dieses zu verursachen, so daß die Neigung dieser Ablagerungen, wieder Wasser aufzunehmen, herabgesetzt wird.What is actually not important is the residual moisture in the cotton itself, but that the moisture in the honeydew deposits, which may initially be much higher than the average moisture in the bale itself, is reduced, which can be achieved particularly cheaply with microwaves, since the microwave energy is preferred by the Honeydew contained water is absorbed. It can therefore be said that drying the cotton to a residual moisture of 2 to 4% is sufficient to drive off the excess water from the honeydew and, as assumed, a State or structure change cause this, so that the tendency of these deposits to absorb water again is reduced.

Im Ofen selbst sind an einzelnen Stellen Feuerüberwachungseinrichtungen, d.h. sogenannte Brandmelder eingebaut, welche einen etwaigen entstehenden Brand feststellen und die Energieversorgung der Mikrowellenerzeuger sofort stoppen. Auch können ggf. die Signale dieser Brandmelder dazu verwendet werden, um ein Löschgas in den Ofen hineinzublasen, damit ein Brand sofort gelöscht wird. Besonders vorteilhaft bei der Mikrowellenerwärmung ist, daß die Energiezufuhr sofort gestoppt werden kann und der Ofen nach dem Abschalten der Mikrowellenerzeuger sofort kühl ist, so daß die Gefahr des Ausbreitens eines Brandherdes durch weitere aufgenommene Wärme minimal ist.There are fire monitoring devices at individual points in the furnace itself, i.e. So-called fire detectors installed, which detect a possible fire and immediately stop the energy supply to the microwave generator. The signals from these fire detectors can also be used to blow an extinguishing gas into the furnace so that a fire is extinguished immediately. It is particularly advantageous in the case of microwave heating that the energy supply can be stopped immediately and the oven is immediately cool after the microwave generators have been switched off, so that the risk of a fire spreading from further heat absorbed is minimal.

Eine weitere Möglichkeit, ganze Ballen oder Bruchteile davon erfindungsgemäß vorzubehandeln, ist in Fig. 2 schematisch dargestellt. Hier ist der Ofen 31 in seiner Gestalt dem Ofen 11 der Fig. 1 ähnlich. Statt mit Mikrowellenerzeugern zu arbeiten, sind innerhalb dieses Ofens zwei rechteckige Kondensatorplatten 32 und 33 vorgesehen und zwar ist die Platte 32 parallel zur linken Seitenwand 14 des Ofens und die Platte 33 parallel zur rechten Seitenwand 15 des Ofens angeordnet.A further possibility of pretreating entire bales or fractions thereof according to the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 2. Here, the furnace 31 is similar in shape to the furnace 11 in FIG. 1. Instead of working with microwave generators, two rectangular capacitor plates 32 and 33 are provided within this oven, namely the plate 32 is arranged parallel to the left side wall 14 of the oven and the plate 33 is arranged parallel to the right side wall 15 of the oven.

Zwischen den Platten und den zugeordneten Seiten des Ofens wird ein hochwertiges Dielektrikum eingesetzt. Auch bei diesem Beispiel steht der Ballen 12 auf einem als Gitter ausgebildeten Podest 35 und es wird eine Luftströmung von unten nach oben erzeugt, um die während der Behandlung entstehenden Dämpfe zu entfernen. Diese Luftströmung kann durch ein Gebläse erzeugt werden, das über eine Leitung am Rohrstutzen 36 angeschlossen wird. In diesem Beispiel entsteht zwischen den Kondensatorplatten 32 und 33 ein hochfrequentes elektrisches Wechselfeld, das zu einer Aufwärmung des ein verlustreiches Dielektrikum darstellenden Ballens 12 führt. Dabei tritt die größte Wärmeaufnahme in Bereich hohen Wassergehaltes auf, beispielsweise im Honigtau.A high-quality dielectric is used between the plates and the assigned sides of the furnace. In this example, too, the bale 12 stands on a platform 35 designed as a lattice and an air flow is generated from below to remove the vapors generated during the treatment. This air flow can be generated by a blower, which is connected to the pipe socket 36 via a line is connected. In this example, a high-frequency alternating electric field arises between the capacitor plates 32 and 33, which leads to a heating of the bale 12, which represents a lossy dielectric. The greatest heat absorption occurs in the area of high water content, for example in honeydew.

Das hochfrequente Feld wird von einem Hochfrequenzgenerator 36 erzeugt, welcher den Arbeitskreis, bestehend aus der Induktivität 37 und dem durch die Platten 32 und 33 und den Ballen gebildeten Kondensator mit elektrischer Energie speist. Die Frequenz der Speisung und daher des elektrischen Wechselfeldes muß innerhalb enger Grenzen gehalten werden, im Hinblick auf die in einer Reihe von Ländern bestehenden gesetzlichen Vorschriften über die Begrenzung der Störstrahlung von industriellen Hochfrequenzanlagen. Üblicherweise wählt man als Arbeitsfrequenz die Industriefrequenz von 27,12 MHz ± 0.6% oder in seltenen Fällen 13,56 MHz ± 0.05%.The high-frequency field is generated by a high-frequency generator 36, which feeds the working circuit consisting of the inductor 37 and the capacitor formed by the plates 32 and 33 and the bale with electrical energy. The frequency of the supply and therefore of the alternating electrical field must be kept within narrow limits, in view of the legal regulations existing in a number of countries regarding the limitation of the interference radiation of industrial high-frequency systems. Usually the industrial frequency of 27.12 MHz ± 0.6% or in rare cases 13.56 MHz ± 0.05% is chosen as the working frequency.

Da die Energieübertragung vom Hochfrequenzgenerator 36 auf den Arbeitskreis nur dann maximal sein kann, wenn der Widerstand des Arbeitskreises an den des Generators angepaßt ist und da der Widerstand des Arbeitskreises je nach Beschaffenheit und Feuchtigkeitsgehalt der jeweiligen Ballen 12 variiert, ist es erforderlich, eine Anpassung des Arbeitskreises an den Hochfrequenzgenerator während des Erwärmens vorzunehmen.Since the energy transfer from the high-frequency generator 36 to the working group can only be maximum if the resistance of the working group is matched to that of the generator and since the resistance of the working group varies depending on the nature and moisture content of the respective bale 12, it is necessary to adapt the Working group to make the high-frequency generator during heating.

Dies wird erfindungsgemäß dadurch erreicht, daß ein Zusatzkondensator 38 parallel zu dem Lastkreis geschaltet ist und von einem Regler 39 über einen Motor 40 und ein Getriebe 41 verstellt wird, damit die Schwingfrequenz des Lastkreises stets konstant bleibt.This is achieved according to the invention in that an additional capacitor 38 is connected in parallel with the load circuit and is adjusted by a controller 39 via a motor 40 and a gear 41 so that the oscillation frequency of the load circuit always remains constant.

Der Regler 39 erhält als Istwert den Anodenstrom des Hochfrequenzgenerators bzw. einen diesem entsprechenden Wert und vergleicht diesen Wert mit einem vorgegebenen Sollwert. Treten Abweichungen auf, so wird ein Signal an den Motor 40 angelegt, der über das Getriebe 41 den Kondensator 38 so lange verstellt, bis der Sollwert des Anodenstroms wieder erreicht wird.The controller 39 receives the anode current of the high-frequency generator or a value corresponding to it as the actual value and compares this value with a predetermined target value. If deviations occur, a signal is applied to the motor 40, which adjusts the capacitor 38 via the transmission 41 until the setpoint value of the anode current is reached again.

Im Betrieb wird der Ballen durch das hochfrequente E-Feld zwischen den Kondensatorplatten 32 und 33 aufgewärmt, wodurch die Feuchtigkeit aus dem Honigtau vertrieben und dieser in den erwünschten Zustand gebracht wird.In operation, the bale is warmed up by the high frequency E field between the capacitor plates 32 and 33, expelling the moisture from the honeydew and bringing it into the desired condition.

Auch bei dieser Ausführungsform sollte der Ofen-Innenraum größer als der Ballen sein oder eine geeignete Führung aufweisen. Weiterhin ist es auch hier vorteilhaft die Abwärme des Hochfrequenzgenerators in Form eines beheizten Luftstromes durch den Ofen hindurchzuführen..In this embodiment too, the interior of the oven should be larger than the bale or have a suitable guide. Furthermore, it is also advantageous to pass the waste heat from the high-frequency generator through the furnace in the form of a heated air stream.

Sollte der zu behandelnde Ballen mit Mitallbändern zusammengehalten sein, so sind diese vor dem Einsetzen des Ballens in den Ofen zu entfernen und durch geeignete Kunststoffbänder zu ersetzten.If the bale to be treated is held together with other bands, these must be removed before the bale is inserted into the oven and replaced with suitable plastic bands.

Claims (16)

  1. A method for reducing the stickiness of fibres of cotton flocks rendered impure by honeydew, by application of high frequency by means of a high-frequency electric or electromagnetic field generated by a field generator for heating said flocks until the honeydew is brought to an increased temperature and the water contained in the honeydew impurities is substantially evaporated, preferably in such way that the cotton flocks reach a temperature in the range of the boiling temperature of water, characterized in that the cotton flocks in bale form are present in a furnace and are heated therein by means of the said high-frequency field and that the escaping vapours are extracted by means of an air stream produced through the furnace.
  2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the parts producing the field are attached laterally to the bale and that the escaping vapours rise upwardly and are extracted there.
  3. A method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the gases or the air used for cooling the field generator or every field generator are blown into the furnace containing the bales and flow through it after having passed through field generator or every field generator so as to achieve an additional drying of the bale and/or the discharge of the escaping vapours.
  4. A method as claimed in one of the claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the field penetrating the bale is reflected back and forth several times through the bale.
  5. A method as claimed in one of the previous claims, characterized in that the duration of treatment is within the range of 10 to 90 mins., preferably within the range of up to 30 mins., when using an output in the range of 0.02 to 0.08 kW per kg of cotton.
  6. A method as claimed in one of the previous claims, characterized in that the treatment is continued for so long until the residual humidity in the cotton lies on the average within the range of 4 to 1 % H₂O.
  7. A method as claimed in one of the previous claims, characterized in that the output of the field generator is reduced in the course of the preliminary treatment by a control unit in accordance with a predefined curve or the measured curve of the humidity reduction.
  8. An apparatus for carrying out the method in accordance with one of the previous claims, for reducing the stickiness of the fibres of cotton flocks rendered impure by honeydew by application of high frequency by means of a high-frequency electrical or electromagnetical field which is generated by a field generator and present in a furnace, characterized in that the heating of the bale occurs in the said furnace (11; 31) in which the field generator (25; 32; 33) is arranged on the opposite sides of the bale (12) and that means are provided so as to produce an air stream (24) through the furnace.
  9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the parts generating a high-frequency electrical field are the plates (32, 33) of a capacitor connectable to a high-frequency source (36).
  10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the parts generating a high-frequency electromagnetic field are microwave generators (25) which are arranged on at least one side of the bale and the devices (28) are provided so as to reflect microwave radiation back and forth through the bales (12) by multiple reflections.
  11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the said devices (28) are wave mixers which are provided on the sides of the furnace (14, 15) and are preferably drivable to a slow rotational movement.
  12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the microwave generators (25) are cooled with a gas stream, preferably an air stream, and that the gases heated by cooling the microwave generator (25) are blowable into the furnace (11).
  13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the blowing of the heated cooling gases into the furnace (11) is made through a floor (13) of the furnace arranged as a grid, screen or perforated plate (25).
  14. An apparatus as claimed in one of the previous claims 12 or 13, characterized in that a pipe conduit (17) is provided at the upper end of the furnace so as to remove the vapours escaping there.
  15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that a ventilator is provided for producing an air stream through the furnace (11).
  16. An apparatus as claimed in one of the previous claims 12 to 14, characterized in that a fire monitoring device is provided in the furnace which switches off the field generator(s) (25) when increased temperatures representing a danger of fire occur.
EP89111231A 1988-06-28 1989-06-20 Method for reducing the stickyness of cotton flock fibres contaminated with honey dew Expired - Lifetime EP0350669B1 (en)

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DE3821765 1988-06-28
DE3821765A DE3821765A1 (en) 1988-06-28 1988-06-28 METHOD FOR REDUCING THE STICKNESS OF THE FIBERS OF COTTON FLAKES IMMEDIATED WITH HONEY DEW

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EP0350669A1 EP0350669A1 (en) 1990-01-17
EP0350669B1 true EP0350669B1 (en) 1994-09-28

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EP0191713B1 (en) * 1985-01-10 1989-03-22 Australian Wool Corporation Conditioning baled material
IL74469A (en) * 1985-02-28 1988-04-29 Shenkar College Textile Tech Treatment of cotton
DE3538899A1 (en) * 1985-11-02 1987-05-07 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Installation for microwave treatment of an article
FR2595727B1 (en) * 1986-03-14 1988-07-15 Superba Sa INSTALLATION FOR THE CONTINUOUS TREATMENT OF AT LEAST ONE TEXTILE YARN
IT8721377A0 (en) * 1987-07-21 1987-07-21 Edoardo Polli PROCEDURE AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE FIBERS, IN PARTICULAR COTTON IN PRESSED BALES, FOR THE REMOVAL OR REDUCTION FROM SUCH FIBERS OF ANY ORGANIC RESIDUE OF INSECTS ADHERING TO THEM.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE58908431D1 (en) 1994-11-03
IL90320A0 (en) 1989-12-15
KR900000515A (en) 1990-01-30
RU1834926C (en) 1993-08-15
CN1039453A (en) 1990-02-07
US4999925A (en) 1991-03-19
ATE112332T1 (en) 1994-10-15
EP0350669A1 (en) 1990-01-17
US4999926A (en) 1991-03-19
JPH0247315A (en) 1990-02-16
DE3821765A1 (en) 1990-01-11
CN1019209B (en) 1992-11-25

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