EP3771349A1 - Système d'expansion de tabac (tes) - Google Patents

Système d'expansion de tabac (tes) Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3771349A1
EP3771349A1 EP19404004.4A EP19404004A EP3771349A1 EP 3771349 A1 EP3771349 A1 EP 3771349A1 EP 19404004 A EP19404004 A EP 19404004A EP 3771349 A1 EP3771349 A1 EP 3771349A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tobacco
steam
stem
tobacco stem
tube
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP19404004.4A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP3771349B1 (fr
Inventor
Zozef MUZMUZ
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Muzer Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti
Original Assignee
Muzer Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti
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Application filed by Muzer Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti filed Critical Muzer Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti
Priority to EP19404004.4A priority Critical patent/EP3771349B1/fr
Publication of EP3771349A1 publication Critical patent/EP3771349A1/fr
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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B5/00—Stripping tobacco; Treatment of stems or ribs
    • A24B5/16—Other treatment of stems or ribs, e.g. bending, chopping, incising
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24B—MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF
    • A24B3/00—Preparing tobacco in the factory
    • A24B3/18—Other treatment of leaves, e.g. puffing, crimpling, cleaning
    • A24B3/182—Puffing

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for increasing specific volume (also known as puffing) and moisture content of shredded tobacco material which improve the performance of the dryer.
  • the apparatus causes to enhance filling capacity of tobacco or tobacco-related materials and serve to improve the performance of the existing dryer in the process.
  • Tobacco-related materials refer to the tobacco stem.
  • Tobacco "stem' as used herein includes stems and veins, which are already separated from tobacco leaf laminae of tobacco leaves.
  • Filling capacity is defined as the efficiency of tobacco materials/blend to produce a standard firm cigarette rod. Higher filling capacity leads to use of less tobacco material (weight basis) for a cigarette rod. Expansion ratio and filling capacity are directly proportional.
  • stem There are two main reasons to obtain expanded stem in simple terms; taste and economic concerns. Due to biochemical structure, stem leaves an inconvenient taste when smoking a cigarette. To get out their unpleasant taste and odor, stem must be expanded. Approximately, depending on tobacco types, 30% of its weight of tobacco leaf is a stem. This ratio is too big to be a waste. Hence, utilizing stem in a cigarette making process becomes economically necessary.
  • a decrease in filling power starts with curing. Dramatic reduction in moisture content of tobacco material causes water-loss shrinkage. This shrinkage has a negative influence on the volume of tobacco (so filling capacity). Cutting, shredding or flattening (for stem) treatments also decrease filling capacity furthermore. Consequently, tobacco materials, especially stem, specific volume has to increase due to all above mentioned reasons.
  • Physical techniques are based on a phase change of impregnant. They include solid to gaseous change in phase, liquid to gaseous change in phase and dissolving in gaseous change in phase.
  • Chemical methods are based on generating gas by thermal decomposition or exothermic reaction. They include solid to gaseous thermal decomposition, liquid to gaseous thermal decomposition, liquid to gaseous exothermic reaction.
  • Impregnation of tobacco with substances that extract from tobacco after expansion operation by creating pressure and/or temperature difference underlies physical methods.
  • the impregnant may be solid, liquid or gas but generally gaseous impregnates are used.
  • the most common impregnates which are utilized in this technique are steam, air, water, organic volatile liquids.
  • the main underlying logic is to generate and/or expand a gas in the cell of tobacco materials. With liquid impregnant, gas is generated by phase change. In this technique, altered temperature and pressure process parameters are applied.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4.523.598 discloses a method for expanding and drying of tobacco material. Tobacco material is sucked by free jet and accelerated with steam flow. The lower pressure prevailing in the core of the released jet or of the nozzle causes expansion of the tobacco material simultaneously with heat exchange and mass transfer.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 6.397.851 proposes cost-effectiveness in producing smoking articles. According to the invention, material continuously passes through a zone of elevated pressure, followed by a zone reduced pressure before ending up in a zone atmospheric pressure. It is claimed that increases in the filling capacity has not been achievable up until now.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4.513.758 proposes simple and inexpensive method of expanding of the tobacco particle.
  • the method includes the steps of introducing moist tobacco particles into a preliminary chamber and then second chamber, which is next to each other. Tobacco is transported from the first portion to second portion via a high-speed stream of gaseous fluid.
  • the Second portion's area is smaller than that of the first portion.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4.407.306 presents a method for treating cut tobacco to expand. Tobacco is inserted into venturi section and, during its rapid transport by the stream in the venturi section and the subsequent section, is expanded. Speed of tobacco travels from its entrance into the conduit until its discharge is such that the tobacco never reaches the speed of the fluid.
  • U.S Pat. No. 4.211.243 discloses a process for expanded tobacco stems, which comprises heating under a pressurized atmosphere in the presence of superheated steam tobacco stems. After the process, stems have an excellent smoking taste and a low apparent density.
  • the aim of the present apparatus is to expand (increasing filling capacity) tobacco stem more effectively.
  • Method covers the reoriented steam jet flows and the moist tobacco stem introduced into it. Any volatile fluid or solid have not been used. Even better, the process accomplishes only by steam and/or water mixture.
  • the method involves the treatment of the tobacco stem with steam jet streams homogeneously. Material passes through the vertical and horizontal tubes is evenly heated and moistened. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises two narrow passes in order to create pressure difference and to improve the steam application quality. Homogeneous impregnation of steam or/and water mixture into the stem is the key factor to improve process and method quality.
  • the stem is accelerated twice through the steam jets. Acceleration causes to velocity difference between tobacco and steam/water mixture. Increasing the relative velocity between the steam medium and tobacco, enhances the expansion effect. Further, the method can deliver water (preferably finely atomized warm or cold) with steam.
  • phase change occurs (liquid to gas)
  • fluids' specific volume extremely increase.
  • the specific volume of the gaseous increase while the pressure reduces.
  • fluid molecules exert pressure (or simply force) to cell membrane and cause expansion permanently.
  • Venturi shaped tube allows to transport the high speed steam and tobacco along with from vacuum pressure to atmospheric pressure.
  • Tobacco stem (having moisture at least equals or exceeds 35 percent and at the room temperature) enters to the apparatus from the vertical tube via drop-through airlock.
  • a group of steam nozzles (flat or hollow cone type) are located in the vertical tube. When tobacco stem enters into the upright tube, steam jets (through steam nozzles) hit the tobacco. Steam is impregnated in stems and increases its moisture and temperature upon impact.
  • This part of the apparatus/method is named as "pre-conditioning part.” Furthermore, the conditioned tobacco stem particles are accelerated towards to horizontal tube by the help of the steam nozzles. Horizontal tube (also named as venturi tube) has the ultrasonic nozzles and the tapered section venturi pipe.
  • Ultrasonic nozzles located at the horizontal tube create vacuum. So, due to that vacuum, steam tobacco mixture that exists in pre-conditioning part is sucked into the horizontal tube.
  • the Tobacco stem is transferred to discharge section, after the treatment of tobacco stem with steam in vertical and horizontal tube.
  • a tobacco stem-steam separator specifically, a centrifugal separator, separates steam and tobacco from each other.
  • the separated tobacco is fed into dryer inlet and the waste steam is thrown out into scrubber.
  • Fig. 1 shows a cross section view of the front side of the device according to the apparatus
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus of the present invention for expanding tobacco material.
  • the shredded tobacco stem, T from after cutter is fed into pre-conditioning tube 2, by an airlock 1 which is workable under high temperature, and differential pressure.
  • Pre-conditioning tube 2 is conical shaped metallic tube and includes steam nozzles 3. At the preconditioning part 2, stem fall freely reaches up to take-up point 9 where steam jets 7-7' intersect with each other, then stem is mixed with steam or steam-water mixture that emerges from nozzles 3.
  • Four mutual nozzles 3 are positioned at an angle of 10° to 70° with respect to the pre-conditioning tube's 2 axis. Stem heat and moist and accelerate towards to venturi tube 5, by steam jets 7-7'.
  • Venturi tube 5 is conical shaped metallic tube.
  • Another group of steam nozzles 4 (ultrasonic nozzles) create slightly vacuum at downside of the neck so that tobacco steam mixture can penetrate high-velocity steam jets 12 that emerge from nozzles 4.
  • steam jets 12 reach to 800 m/s velocity and while the velocity of tobacco-containing jets is approximately 150 m/s in the venturi tube 5.
  • the mass flow rate of steam jets 12 set simply (up to 6 bar pre-pressure, approx. 150°C pre-temperature) relative to desired thrust force.
  • Operational ratio is in the range of 0 to 0.3 kg steam flow per kg tobacco. Additional heat and mass transfer is occurred in venturi tube 5 by steam jets 12, so the stem gets homogeneously warmer and moistened pretty well. Since the tapered cross-section of the venturi tube 5, pressure is dropped throughout the tube. While stem passes lower pressure zone (vacuum zone), heated moisture in the stem cannot be as a liquid phase, so moisture evaporates to gaseous phase. Furthermore, in the vacuum zone, the specific volume of non-condensed vapor in stem will increase. As a result of increasing volume, tobacco cell membrane harms permanently, and expansion happens. Further expansion occurs in the dryer that is located after the apparatus.
  • Exit diffuser 11 is a conical shaped metallic tube. As mixture travels along in exit diffuser 11, its velocity is reduced thereby and the stem is not damaged. In the end, the tobacco stem and the steam are separated each other by separator 6.

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  • Manufacture Of Tobacco Products (AREA)
EP19404004.4A 2019-07-30 2019-07-30 Système d'expansion de tabac (tes) Active EP3771349B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19404004.4A EP3771349B1 (fr) 2019-07-30 2019-07-30 Système d'expansion de tabac (tes)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19404004.4A EP3771349B1 (fr) 2019-07-30 2019-07-30 Système d'expansion de tabac (tes)

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3771349A1 true EP3771349A1 (fr) 2021-02-03
EP3771349B1 EP3771349B1 (fr) 2024-04-17

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EP19404004.4A Active EP3771349B1 (fr) 2019-07-30 2019-07-30 Système d'expansion de tabac (tes)

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EP (1) EP3771349B1 (fr)

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4211243A (en) 1977-02-22 1980-07-08 Kikkoman Shoyu Co., Ltd. Process for producing expanded tobacco stems
US4235249A (en) * 1978-07-31 1980-11-25 Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. Method and apparatus for producing expanded tobacco from whole tobacco stems
US4407306A (en) 1981-12-17 1983-10-04 American Brands, Inc. Method for expanding tobacco with steam at high temperature and velocity
US4513758A (en) 1982-05-11 1985-04-30 Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. Kg Method and apparatus for increasing the volume of tobacco
US4523598A (en) 1981-09-05 1985-06-18 B.A.T. Cigarettenfabriken Gmbh Process for improving the filling capacity of tobacco material
GB2155302A (en) * 1984-03-13 1985-09-25 Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Res Process for expanding tobacco leaves and apparatus therefor
EP0484899A1 (fr) * 1990-11-07 1992-05-13 Japan Tobacco Inc. Procédé et appareil pour l'expansion du tabac
US6397851B1 (en) 1999-03-03 2002-06-04 British American Tobacco (Germany) Gmbh Method for expanding tobacco

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4211243A (en) 1977-02-22 1980-07-08 Kikkoman Shoyu Co., Ltd. Process for producing expanded tobacco stems
US4235249A (en) * 1978-07-31 1980-11-25 Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. Method and apparatus for producing expanded tobacco from whole tobacco stems
US4523598A (en) 1981-09-05 1985-06-18 B.A.T. Cigarettenfabriken Gmbh Process for improving the filling capacity of tobacco material
US4407306A (en) 1981-12-17 1983-10-04 American Brands, Inc. Method for expanding tobacco with steam at high temperature and velocity
US4513758A (en) 1982-05-11 1985-04-30 Hauni-Werke Korber & Co. Kg Method and apparatus for increasing the volume of tobacco
GB2155302A (en) * 1984-03-13 1985-09-25 Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Res Process for expanding tobacco leaves and apparatus therefor
EP0484899A1 (fr) * 1990-11-07 1992-05-13 Japan Tobacco Inc. Procédé et appareil pour l'expansion du tabac
US6397851B1 (en) 1999-03-03 2002-06-04 British American Tobacco (Germany) Gmbh Method for expanding tobacco

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP3771349B1 (fr) 2024-04-17

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