EP3749113A1

EP3749113A1 - Continuous-flow treatment system for solid food and animal feed and other bulk materials, having a heat treatment device for thermal continuous-flow treatment

Info

Publication number: EP3749113A1
Application number: EP19706901.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tatiana GUZUN; Carlos Alberto Ramos DIOGO
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-02-07
Filing date: 2019-02-07
Publication date: 2020-12-16
Also published as: WO2019154912A1; US20200367535A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a continuous-flow treatment system having a heat treatment device (100) for the thermal continuous-flow treatment of solid food and animal feed and other bulk materials, comprising: a tubular drum (10) having a motor-driven shaft (12) and a drum casing (11) connected to same via spoke elements, wherein the drum (10) is open at the end sides thereof; a screw conveyor (16) attached to the inner side of the drum casing (11); a housing (30) which can be closed on all sides, in which the drum (10) is rotatably mounted, and which has at least a respective supply opening and discharge opening (34), wherein of the components forming the drum (10), at least the drum casing (11) is completely surrounded by the housing (30); at least one temperature sensor arranged in the drum (10); and a heating device (50) having a hot air generator and an air distributer (51) with at least one wide-slot nozzle (52) extending up to the drum casing (11).

Description

Continuous treatment plant for solid food and feed and other bulk materials, with a heat treatment device for thermal through-flow treatment

The invention relates to a continuous treatment plant for thermal continuous treatment of solid food and feed and other bulk materials with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

Food and feed such. As crops, fruits, spices, herbs, cereals and fiber, seeds or nuts must often be subjected to a heat treatment, with different objectives may be given. One objective may be pasteurization to sterilize germ-laden food and feed and other bulk materials. For example, black pepper is highly contaminated with germs. Another objective may be to carry out, on the one hand, drying with minimal loss of technical-functional properties and, on the other hand, roasting or toasting in order to search for new colors, tastes and / or textures, such as roasting coffee or cocoa.

The heat treatment is often carried out in batches in closed containers. Although the process can be well controlled and other influences such as the application of a vacuum to the process vessel or the introduction of inert gas can be exercised. However, the capacity is limited in batch operation and therefore often uneconomical.

DE 3344214A1 describes a device and a method for the continuous thermal treatment of linseed. All process steps, ie heat treatment and subsequent cooling take place in different sections within the same drum. The drum stands firm while a screw conveyor rotates inside the drum. Thus, there is a risk that germ-laden product components are carried off into the cooling stage if the heating phase was not sufficiently long and the temperature was not sufficiently high. The throughput speed can not be optimized for either the heat treatment phase or the cooling phase as the same screw conveyor passes through both stages. If product defects occur, the entire contents of the drum must be discarded and a thorough disinfection of the entire system must be carried out.

The DE 20 2008 01 1 577 U1 shows a heat treatment apparatus for the thermal treatment of solid foods, with a tubular roasting drum, which is rotatably mounted in a housing which is closable on all sides and from which the drum shell is completely enclosed. However, the heat treatment apparatus is designed for a batch treatment and does not allow a continuous treatment. The object of the invention is therefore to be able to carry out an intensive heat treatment and to be able to better control and monitor it.

This object is achieved by a heat treatment device having the features of claim 1.

The heating of the product as well as the maintenance of the heat treatment temperature takes place during the passage of the product through the drum. Due to the diameter of the drum and the height of the webs of the internally mounted screw conveyor, the height of the pile can be influenced. An advantage of the heat treatment device according to the invention is that the solid connection of the webs of the screw conveyor with the drum shell, these are heated with and thus the contact area with the product is significantly enlarged. The tempering of the product in the invention thus takes place primarily by the contact of the product with the heated drum, although optionally in addition steam or other gases such as hot air or ozone can be blown into the drum in order to increase the efficiency of the targeted treatment To ensure thorough sterilization and / or to influence the moisture, color, etc. of the product during the heat treatment phase, especially if additionally steam or other gases such as hot air or ozone are blown into the drum, is in addition to the housing a special, adapted to any type of gas suction provided.

Essential to the invention is therefore the heating of the product by contact heat and the way in which the drum is heated. This is heated according to the invention solely by hot air, which is blown to the outside of the drum shell. However, the air is not simply blown into the space between the outside of the drum and the housing wall, but is fanned out linearly by means of a slot die, which is directed very specifically onto a line on the drum. This line runs exactly where the product fill begins in the bottom area of the drum, or just before. That is to say, the drum wall section which has just been preheated at a certain hot air temperature moves immediately below the product fill due to the rotation. Thus, the actual temperature acting on the product is already known very precisely by the preselection of the hot air temperature. In any case, heat losses are reduced in the closed housing, but in any case they hardly occur between the heating line and the beginning of the product fill.

In order to improve the regulation of the drum temperature even further, at least one temperature sensor provided in the drum shell can be provided, which is arranged in particular at the outlet end of the drum, because the product conveyed up to this end has reached the temperature of the drum at the end and the drum temperature thus is highest there. Over a On the one hand, control of the hot air temperature ensures that the tempering of the product is sufficiently high and sufficiently long. On the other hand, it allows significant energy savings because there is no need for permanent overheating, just to make sure that product quality is guaranteed. If it is determined by measurement that the temperature of the drum is sufficiently high, the hot air temperature and / or quantity is controlled down. The advantage of using hot air for drum heating is that not only the temperature, but also the air velocity are easily controlled, so that the heat input is easy to control. In contrast to heating by steam, the heater can also be used for temporary cooling of the drum and it is possible to set a drum temperature of less than 100 ° C without condensate.

Particularly advantageous is a development of the heat treatment device according to the invention by at least five other temperature sensors, which are distributed over the length of the drum in the drum and extending from the shaft into the space between the shaft and drum shell. About the at least three, especially five temperature sensors, a temperature profile over the length of the drum can be recorded, from which it can be deduced whether the selected treatment temperature is reached and kept sufficiently long.

For this purpose, it is advantageous to carry out the sensor support arms so long that the temperature sensors dip into the product fill. For this purpose, an angle encoder on the shaft is additionally required. On the one hand, the known angular position of the temperature sensors makes it possible to detect precisely when they dip into the product fill so that the measured value then recorded corresponds to the product temperature in the middle of the fill. In addition, by linking the temperature measurement with the angular position, the air temperature within the drum can be measured. This also largely corresponds to the surface temperature of the product fill. By comparing the two measured values, it is possible to deduce the complete heating of the product fill.

Advantageous is the addition of the heat treatment device with a conditioning device, which makes it possible by a very effective and fast cooling and humidity adjustment in advance to perform an intensive heat treatment and to be able to treat the product as it passes without caching.

The drum shell is cooled, so that cooling of the product is already effected by the fact that this is promoted by the screw conveyor on the inside of the drum shell through the drum and in constant contact with the cooled drum shell. About in In the region of the outlet opening arranged lines, a supply and return to the hollow-executed drive shaft is provided at the end of turn rotatable connections are provided to make a connection to an external pump circuit.

Another essential feature of the additional conditioning device is that the opening of the drum at a front side is free of drive elements. So there are no rotating elements that support the drum shell. This makes it possible for at least one stationary fluid line, which comprises a plurality of outlet elements, to extend from the front side into the interior of the drum shell. The line thus protrudes unhindered through the end face of the drum into the drum shell. In particular cold air can be introduced via this line, which additionally cools the product resting on the cooled drum shell. A further conditioning can be carried out via the degree of humidity of the supplied air. If steam was used in the previous heat treatment, moisture can be reduced again by supplying dry air. Accumulating condensate can be drained from the drum, e.g. by a slight inclination of the drum and is then drained from the housing bottom. It is also possible to re-humidify by means of humidified air or by spraying water through the fluid line.

In order to allow the open inlet opening, the drum shell in the region of the end face is preferably not rotatably mounted via a shaft, but directly with its outer periphery mounted on roller bearings in the housing.

The open end face at the inlet opening also allows to direct the product specifically into the initial region of the screw conveyor and fan it, in order to achieve the widest possible spread on the drum shell from the beginning and thus to improve the cooling. Preferably, the task of the product therefore takes place via a feed pipe, which leads through the housing wall and merges into a chute inside, which widens towards the end.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings. The figures show in detail:

1 shows the essential sections of a heat treatment device in a schematic side view;

2 parts of a drum of a heat treatment device in a schematic perspective view;

3 shows a part of the drum in the region of its input side;

Fig. 4 is a polygonal drum;

5 shows further details of the drum according to FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 6 shows the catchment area of the drum mounted in a housing; FIG. FIG. 7 shows the mounting of the drum on the discharge side; FIG.

8 shows a detail of a shaft just behind the intake worm;

9 shows the heat treatment device in with a heating device;

10 shows an air distributor with slot dies;

Fig. 1 1, the heat treatment device in from the front side;

Fig. 12 the heater in perspective;

Fig. 13, the interior of the electric heater.

Fig. 14 shows a transfer device;

FIG. 15 shows a conditioning device from the outside; FIG.

16 shows a conditioning drum of the conditioning device from the outlet side;

17 shows the conditioning drum from the inlet side;

Fig. 18 shows the cooling device of the conditioning drum at the outlet side and

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the entire heater together with the

Heat treatment apparatus.

FIG. 1 shows a complete plant with a heat treatment device 100, a transfer device 200 and a conditioning device 300. A free-flowing bulk material is introduced into the heat treatment device 100 via a feed device, which is not described in more detail below, and is heat-treated therein during its passage. Via the transfer device 200, it passes into the conditioning device 300, where it is cooled and possibly moistened. If a malfunction occurs during the heat treatment, the product can be discharged via the outlet opening, which can be opened and closed by means of adjusting elements.

FIG. 2 shows parts of a drum 10 of the heat treatment device 100 in a schematic perspective view. A drum shell 1 1 is connected via a plurality of radially aligned spokes 13 with a shaft 12. The drum 10 has an open input port 14 and an open discharge port 15; the conveying direction between them is indicated by the block arrow. At the input opening 14, a feed screw 17 is formed on the shaft 12.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the drum 10 in the region of its input opening 14. The auger 17 on the shaft 12 extends into the surrounded by the drum shell 1 1 axial region of the shaft 12. The drum shell 1 1 in turn has on its inside a För - derschnecke 16. The outer diameter of the auger 17 and the inner diameter the screw conveyor 16 are coordinated so that there is a greater radial clearance.

The drum may be cylindrical. In particular, however, a drum 10 'which is polygonal in cross-section is provided, as shown by the example of a drum 10' with an octahedral drum shell 1 T and a corresponding conveyor screw 16 'in FIG. 4 adapted to the drum shell 1 T is shown. The design of the type of polygonal drum is defined by product size or shape. For red peppers or chili, a decagonal shape is advantageous; in Kurkuma or vanilla sticks, an octagonal shape has been proven. These specific geometric shapes are particularly helpful for gentle mixing.

Figure 5 shows further details of the drum 10. The drum shell 1 1 has a plurality of openings which are closed with flaps 1 1 .1, 1 1 .2, 1 1.3, so that by opening the flaps 1 1.1, 1 1.2, 1 1.3 the Inside of the drum 1 1 is accessible to nen to clean the interior of the drum 10 nen can nen. For stability reasons, the flaps 1 1.1, 1 1.2, 1 1 .3 are not linearly lined up along the shaft 12, but are arranged at an axial distance from each other and at different angular positions on the drum shell 1 1. On the one hand, a freely accessible cross-section is formed at the opening, but on the other hand, during operation, the conveyor screw 16 arranged on the inner wall of the drum shell 11 is not interrupted, on the inside of each flap screw segments 16.3 are arranged. With closing the flaps 1 1.1, 1 1.2, 1 1 .3 thus again creates a continuous auger 16th

In Fig. 6 the catchment area of the mounted in a housing 30 drum 10 is shown. The housing 30, which at the same time forms the process space by receiving the product to be sterilized, completely surrounds the drum 10 during operation, wherein only the lower housing parts are shown in FIG. The drum 10 is mounted with its shaft 12 in a shaft bearing 32.1. The shaft bearing 32.1 is located in a bearing box 32, which is separated from the process space, in order to prevent lubricant residues or abrasion from the shaft bearing 32.1 from entering the process space. Between the housing 30 and the bearing box 32, the shaft 12 is interrupted by a coupling 12.1 to compensate for misalignment can. In addition, the shaft between the coupling 12.1 and the shaft bearing 32.1 is sealed at its circumference, so that there can be no run in the process chamber steam, which is injected only via the nozzles in the high-temperature treatment drum escape. The feed of the material takes place via an inlet pipe 33, which extends through the housing 30 into the interior and ends just above the auger 17. Below the auger 17 on the shaft 12, a semi-cylindrical collecting tray 31 is formed. The collecting tray 31 and the intake screw 17 together have the effect that the product supplied axially in the direction of Drum 10 is moved with its screw conveyor 16. The product falls from the drip tray 31 directly into the input area of the drum 10 at the input port 14.

The shaft 12 is hollow inside. The cavity serves on the one hand for the passage of sensor cables and on the other hand for the introduction of steam into the drum 10. In order to optimize certain treatment processes or to optimize the moisture content of the product, steam can be introduced into the hollow shaft 12 via a steam inlet line 19 opening inside the storage box 32 be fed.

FIG. 7 shows the mounting of the drum 10 on the discharge side 15. The shaft 12 is mounted on two shaft bearings 36.1, 36.2 in a further storage box 36, which is separated from the housing 30 as a process space as well as on the input side. From the housing here side walls 30.1, 30.2, a bottom 30.3 with a discharge opening 34, an end wall 30.4 with a passage of the shaft 12 to the storage box 36 and a hinged lid 37 are shown.

Figure 8 shows a detail of the shaft 12 just behind the auger 17. In the form of a hollow tube shaft 12 cable protection tubes are arranged, in which sensor cables are guided. Radial sensor carrier arms 12.3 are arranged on the shaft 12 at a plurality of axial positions, at the end of which a respective temperature sensor 41.1, 41.2 is arranged. The sensor support arms 12.3 extend into the radial gap between intake worm 17 and feed screw 16 in order to be able to measure the temperature as close as possible to the product conveyed between the aisles of the screw conveyor 16. Since the drum 10 does not rotate rapidly, the product is not thrown over the entire inner circumference of the drum 10, but lies down in the drum 10 and is axially conveyed there.

However, since the sensor support arms 12.3 are arranged rigidly on the shaft 12 and the drum shell 1 1 is also connected to the shaft 12 via the spokes 13 (FIG. 1), a particular effect results in the temperature measurement: A control device is not only supplied the measured values of the temperature sensors 41.1, 41 .2, but also the angular position of the shaft 12. As long as the sensor support arms 12.3 are at an angular position between 8 and 3 o'clock, there is no contact with the product located in the drum 11 and the temperature sensors 41.1, 41.2 are also not in the immediate vicinity above the bulk material. Thus they detect the radiant heat of the heated drum shell 1 1 between about 8 o'clock and 3 o'clock, while they dip directly into the bulk material in the angular range between 3 o'clock and 8 o'clock and measure its temperature by direct contact. By storing the temperature readings either together with the current angular position during the measurement or by carrying out the measurement only at certain angular positions, only the drum temperature of the externally heated drum 11 and / or the temperature of the drum 1 treated therein can be used with the same temperature sensors Bulk solids are measured. There If at least five temperature sensors 41.1, 41.2 are distributed axially over the length of the drum shell 11, a temperature profile of the product in the drum 100 can be read at any time. The measured drum temperature is recorded and controlled. For control, another sensor is provided at the end of the drum. The control directly relates the drum temperature to a heater, so that power for heating is needed only when needed. The electric heating allows a rapid reaction of the heater to the heat demand in the drum. In addition, it may be determined whether the heating of the product in the drum 10 is fast enough and whether the temperature required for successful heat treatment of the specific product is achieved and maintained.

In order to measure temperatures influenced not only by heat conduction but also by convection in the drum 10, two further sensors with a shorter length are preferably integrated on the support arm 12. Their position is determined in relation to the heat distribution in different drum sizes or models.

The heat treatment device 100 with parts of a heating device 50 is shown in FIG. 9. Due to a breakout in the housing 30, a part of the drum shell 1 1 with the concealed, inside conveying screw 16 is visible. On the housing 30, the storage boxes 32, 36 can be seen on the right and left. The conveying direction is in Figure 9 from left to right. At the inlet opening 33, the product is supplied and then passes within the drum 10 to the far right. The housing 30 is open at the top and is closed by a plurality of maintenance flaps 37. The heater 50 provides hot air which is distributed via a hot air manifold 51 to a plurality of slot dies 52. The slot dies 52 extend axially along the housing and cover much of the length of the drum in the housing 30. Air can be sucked out of the housing 30 via an outlet opening 38.

FIG. 19 shows the heat treatment device 100 with the entire heating device 50, which is arranged with its hot air generator 53, the hot air distributor 51 and the slot dies 52 in front of the housing 30 of the heat treatment device. From the outlet opening 38 from a suction 59.1 leads to a cyclone 59. The out of the housing interior, which is the treatment room of the heat treatment device 100, extracted air is there cleaned of dust and condensate and passed through a further air line 59.2 to the hot air generator 53 , This creates a closed circuit in which preheated air is heated again and put back into the process so that significant energy savings can be achieved. The housing of the hot air generator 53 also has housing openings which are motorized to open and close via flaps. If fresh air is to be drawn in from the environment, in particular to lower the temperature in the process or to cool the heat treatment device 100 down quickly for maintenance and cleaning, the housing openings are opened. A motor-driven slide can also be provided on the housing rear side of the hot-air generator 53, which moves downwards and at the same time is pushed with the release of the slot-shaped openings in front of the inlet of the air line 59.2 in order to shut off this air path.

In the illustration in Figure 10, the air distributor 51 is shown with the slot dies 52 without housing, which extend directly to the outside of the drum shell 1 1. That is, the slot dies 52 do not end at the housing, not shown here, but extend to housing openings or even through housing openings through into the interior of the housing.

Figure 1 1 shows a view of the heat treatment apparatus 100 from the front side, wherein the housing 30 is cut. Inside the housing, the drum rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow. In the chambers, which are formed on the drum shell 1 1 between the webs of the screw conveyor 16, the product is continuously conveyed axially. Due to the direction of rotation, the position of the bed of the product 1 in operation is not symmetrical with respect to a vertical center axis, but the bulk cone is pulled by the wall friction in the direction of rotation upwards. The mouth of the slot dies 52 now targets precisely that angular zone on the outside of the rotating drum M O which is at the edge of the bulk of a product 1. The drum shell is therefore heated there exactly - or shortly before - where the first contact of a sector of the drum shell 11 with the product 1 is inside the drum 10.

If you look so - as in Fig. 1 1 - from the discharge opening 15 on the T drum 10, the slot die 52 is arranged at a drum rotation in a clockwise direction at a position between 2 and 4 clock, while in a counterclockwise rotation would be arranged on a position between 8 and 10 o'clock.

The over the slot die 52 heated from the outside sector of the drum shell 1 1 thus moves directly after the heating below the overlying product bed away, so that the heat can be selectively delivered to the product. The temperature control of the product 1 is therefore very accurately possible, precisely because there is no direct heating by entrained air, but only indirect heating by conduction through contact with the drum shell 1 1 and the webs of attached screw conveyor 16 and by heat radiation of Drum mantle 1 1.

Due to the slot dies 52 an uncontrolled heating of the entire interior of the housing is avoided due to the invention and it is deliberately only that small angle zone on the drum shell 1 1 is heated, which is just before contact with the product. For the heating according to the invention is not made selectively, but over a essential part of the axial length of the drum shell 1 1, see. Fig. 9, 10, namely over more than half the length of the T mantel drum especially over more than three-fourths of the length.

In Figure 12, the heater 50 is shown in perspective. By means of a blower 57, sucked-in air is blown through a filter 56 in a housing 56. The air stream 55 is passed via a nozzle 55 into a hot air electric generator 53, which forms a channel with a rectangular cross section. This in turn opens on the outside of the housing 54 and passes into the hot air manifold 51, via which the heated air is passed to the slot dies 52.

The interior of the electric hot-air generator 53 becomes clear from FIG. 13, where both the housing 54 and the heater 53 itself are shown open. The hot air generator 53 consists of a plurality of plate-shaped, ceramic heating elements 58, which comprise heating coils and therefore can be flowed through. By using electrical heating elements 58, a fast-reacting regulation of the hot air temperature in dependence on the product and / or air temperature measured inside the drum is possible.

The next treatment stage is for cooling and moisture conditioning the product previously heat treated in the heat treatment apparatus 100.

However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the product is not transferred directly to a conditioning device. Preferably, a transfer device 200 is shown, which is shown in FIG. This comprises a tubular housing 201, which is arranged in operation in a substantially horizontal position. In the interior 203 rotates a screw conveyor 202, which is provided with adjustable conveying elements 204. At the top of an inlet nozzle 21 1 is introduced into the housing 201. The inlet funnel can be cleaned via a scraper 21 1 .1 with drive 21 1 .2. Blockages in the inlet nozzle 21 1 can be so easily resolved. Two outlet openings 212, 213 are provided on the underside of the housing 201, of which the outlet opening 213 arranged closer to the inlet connection 21 1 can be closed by a drive 214 and a flap 215. The conveying direction predetermined by the direction of rotation and formation of the screw conveyor 202 extends from the inlet connection 21 1 to the outlet opening 212, to which the conditioning device connects.

As long as the interior 203 of the housing 201 is filled with the product, the product itself prevents, via the transfer device 200, a gas exchange between the heat treatment device 100, which directly adjoins the inlet connection 21 1, and the environment and / or the can take place at the outlet opening 212 subsequent conditioning device. In particular, no unfiltered outside air can penetrate into the heat treatment device 100. In production operation, the parameters such as temperature profile and dwell time present in the heat treatment device 100 are continuously measured and compared with the setpoint values. In the event of deviations in the process, which may significantly affect the product quality or even the correct decontamination of the product can not be ensured, discharge of the potentially contaminated product via the outlet opening 213 is made. For this purpose, the flap 215 is simply opened. As long as this is open, all of the feed pipe 21 1 retracted product is discharged through the outlet opening 213. In the following section of the housing 201, ie between the outlet opening 213 and the outlet opening 212, the screw conveyor meanwhile runs empty. By varying the rotational speed of the screw conveyor 202, a jam of the product is generated in the housing 201, so that in turn the exchange of air between the open outlet opening 213 and the inlet nozzle

21 1 is avoided.

Only when the target conditions have been restored in the previous process, the flap 215 is closed again, so that the product on the sealed outlet opening 213 across the outlet opening 212 is promoted.

FIG. 15 shows a conditioning device 300 in a perspective view from the outside. It comprises a housing 301 which is closable to the environment on all sides. Through the top, an inlet pipe 321 extends into the interior. The inlet pipe 321 is directly connected to the outlet opening

212 of the transfer device 200 (see FIG. 14), so that there is a transition isolated from the environment. The interior is easily accessible via maintenance flaps 302. An air line 323 also leads into the interior of the housing 301. The non-visible outlet is located in the bottom area on the right side of the housing 301 in Figure 15 on the right side of the housing is also followed by a storage box 303, in which a drive motor are added can. A shaft 312 of a conditioning drum mounted inside the housing extends outwardly through the bearing box 303. It is hollow on the inside, so that via a connecting piece 313 and a rotary coupling, a respective supply line and a return line can be connected for a coolant circuit. A sight glass 324 allows the view of the product inside. Via a valve 325 condensed liquids can be drained. At the top of a T-piece 330 is attached, which is closed by a driven flap and allows a targeted discharge of the exhaust air from the housing 301. Via a flexible connection 331, the T-piece 330 is connected to a siphon 332, so that condensate precipitated from the exhaust air can be discharged, but without sucking in air.

The conditioning drum 310 shown in perspective in FIG. 16 with a shaft 312 and a drum shell 31 1 forms the core of the conditioning device 300. The conditioning drum 310 is open on both end faces. In FIG. 16, the viewing direction is on Outlet opening 315 directed. On the opposite side there is an inlet opening 314. As with the drum 1 1 of the heat treatment apparatus 100 also, a screw conveyor 316 is formed on the inside of the drum shell 31 1. To be able to clean the interior easier while the conditioning drum 310 remains in the housing 301, the drum shell 31 1 has a plurality of maintenance flaps 31 1 .1 ... 31 1 .5, which can be opened. In order that the conveyor screw 316 does not need to be interrupted in the area of the maintenance flaps 31 1.1... 31 1.5, on the inside of the maintenance flaps 31 are 1 .1 ... 31 1 .5 screw segments

316.1 attached. Below the outlet opening 315, an outlet opening is provided in the bottom of the housing 301, from which the product is discharged, after it has passed through the entire treatment process through the heat treatment device 100, the transfer device 200 and the conditioning device 300.

On the side of the outlet opening 315, the drum shell 31 1 is attached to a spider 317, from which the shaft 312 extends to a bearing 341. The shaft 312 thus does not extend through the drum shell 31 1 in the conditioning device 300. On the side of the inlet opening, the drum shell 31 1 is reinforced at the ends by a bearing collar 319.

The meaning of the bearing collar 319 results from FIG. 17, where the inlet side of the conditioning drum 310 with the inlet opening 314 is depicted. The bearing collar 319 is guided on Rollenla- 342, which are mounted on the bottom of the housing. The conditioning drum 310 can thus be stored without a continuous shaft and consequently without spoke elements. This allows a stationary cold air duct 323 to be routed inside the conditioning drum 100 which has a plurality of nozzles 324 along its length. The product passed through the conditioning drum 310 with the screw conveyor 316 may be post-moistened over it.

The task of the product takes place via the feed pipe 321, which leads through the housing wall and merges into a chute 322 inside, which widened towards the end. Thus, the product enters the sphere of action of the screw conveyor 316.

An essential part of the conditioning device 300 is the cooling of the drum 31 1, whose operation is shown in FIG. The product conveyed by the conditioning drum 310 rests in a loose bed at the bottom of the conditioning drum 310 and is cooled by contact with the cooled surface of the drum shell 31 1 and the associated webs of the screw conveyor 316, the cooling effect being achieved by blowing dry, cooled air can additionally be increased. To cool the drum jacket 31 1, water or another refrigerant is added via a feed line connection

313.1 initiated on the connection piece 313. It passes through a line in the cavity of the shaft 312 to a hub 318 and from there into at least one coolant line 318.1, the first extends radially outward and then extends axially through the drum shell 31 1 therethrough. The drum shell 31 1 is double-walled. The coolant passes from the Kühlmittellei device 318.1 in the cavity and displaces the trapped there and heated by the indirect contact with the product coolant, which is then passed through the coolant line 318.2 from the cavity to the hub 318. From there, it flows through the hollow shaft 312 to a return line connection 313.1 on the connection piece 313.

Claims

claims:

A continuous processing plant for the continuous thermal treatment of solid food and feed and other bulk materials, comprising a heat treatment device (100) comprising at least:

a tubular drum (10) having a motor-driven shaft (12) and a drum shell (11) connected thereto via spoke elements (13), the drum (10) being open at its end faces;

a on the inside of the drum shell (1 1) mounted screw conveyor

(16); marked by:

a universally closable housing (30) in which the drum (10) is rotatably mounted, with at least one inlet opening and an outlet opening (34), wherein of the T drum (10) at least the drum shell (1 1) completely of the drum Enclosed housing (30);

at least one temperature sensor arranged in the drum (10); and a heating device (50) with a hot air generator and an air distributor (51) with at least one slot die (52) extending as far as the drum shell (1 1).

2. continuous-flow treatment plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing of the heat treatment device (100) at least two bearing bushings (12.1, 12.2) for the shaft (12) and that on the two sides of the housing, with a bearing bushing (12.1, 12.2) are provided, each a storage box (32) to the housing (30) connects, in each of which at least one shaft bearing (32.1, 36.1, 36.2) is arranged

3. Continuous treatment plant according to claim 2, characterized in that in the bearing box (32) rotating end of the shaft (12) with at least two slip rings (12.5) is provided, the contact surfaces with the temperature sensor (41.1, 41.2) are connected.

4. Continuous treatment plant according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized marked, that the width of all slot dies (52) is more than half the length of the Drom melmantels (11).

5. Continuous treatment plant according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized marked, that the slot die (52) there on the outside of the drum shell (1 1) is directed, where on the inside of the drum shell according to its direction of rotation in contact with the in the screw conveyor (16) guided product bed (1).

6. Continuous treatment plant according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized marked, that the shaft (12) in a catchment area below the inlet opening (33) in the housing (30) at least partially from a collecting tray (31) or a collecting tube to - Give, which (s) extends into the drum shell (1 1), and that in the draw-in area on the shaft (12) an intake screw (17) is formed.

7. Continuous treatment plant according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at a plurality of axial positions over the length of the drum shell (1 1) at least three radial sensor support arms (12.3) are arranged on the shaft (12), to de - Ren end in each case a temperature sensor (41.1, 41.2) is arranged.

8. Continuous treatment plant according to claim 7, characterized in that the sensor support arms (12.3) extend into the radial gap between the intake worm (17) and the conveyor worm (16).

9. Continuous treatment plant according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the hot air generator (53) in the heating device (50) via at least one electrical heating element (59) in the air duct and an upstream fan (56) is formed.

10. Continuous treatment plant according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an additional conditioning device (300) for continuous treatment after the heat treatment, at least comprising a housing (301) closable on all sides with at least one inlet opening (321) and an outlet opening, in which a tubular drum (310) is rotatably mounted, wherein the drum (310) is open at its two end faces and has a drum shell (31 1), on whose inner side a conveyor screw (316) is formed, characterized

in that the opening of the drum (310) is free of drive elements on an end face (314) and at least one stationary fluid line (323) comprising a plurality of outlet elements (324) from the end face (314) into the interior of the Drum shell (311) extends;

that the drum (310) is connected at the other end face (315) via spoke elements (317) with a shaft (312) which is rotatably mounted;

in that a coolant circuit is formed on the drum (310), wherein the drum shell (31 1) is designed to be hollow in its own right and / or several are located above the drum Having drum shell extending coolant lines (318.1) and wherein at least one supply and a return line (313.1, 313.2) through the shaft (312) and via the spoke elements (317) to the drum shell (311) are performed.

1 1. A continuous treatment plant according to claim 10, characterized in that the shaft (312) is mounted in a storage box (303) of the housing (301) of the conditioner device (300) in which the drum (310) is accommodated , is separated.

12. conditioning device (300) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the drum (310) at an inlet opening (314) via roller bearings (342) in the housing (301) is mounted and at a Auslauöffnung (315) via the spoke elements ( 317) is connected to the shaft (312).

13. Continuous treatment plant according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that a feed pipe (321) leads through the housing wall, which extends into the interior of the drum shell (311) in the starting region of the screw conveyor (316) at the inlet opening (31). 314).

14. Continuous treatment plant according to claim 13, characterized in that the inlet pipe (321) merges into a chute (322) which widens towards the end.