EP3771349B1 - Système d'expansion de tabac (tes) - Google Patents

Système d'expansion de tabac (tes) Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3771349B1
EP3771349B1 EP19404004.4A EP19404004A EP3771349B1 EP 3771349 B1 EP3771349 B1 EP 3771349B1 EP 19404004 A EP19404004 A EP 19404004A EP 3771349 B1 EP3771349 B1 EP 3771349B1
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EP
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Prior art keywords
steam
tobacco
stem
tube
tobacco stem
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EP19404004.4A
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP3771349A1 (fr
Inventor
Zozef MUZMUZ
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Muzer Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti
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Muzer Makina Sanayi Ve Ticaret Ltd Sti
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    • 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.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 4.235.249 A discloses a method and apparatus for producing expanded tobacco from whole tobacco stems.
  • Whole tobacco stems are converted to expanded tobacco particles by opening the cellular structure of the stems and moisturizing the stems by the simultaneous application of water and steam.
  • the stems at a first induced moisture content of from 20 to 40% are then subjected to an equilibration step where the moisture content of the stem is uniformly distributed within the stems.
  • the equilibrated stems are thereafter moisturized to a second induced moisture content by first an application of water and thereafter the simultaneous application of water and steam.
  • the stems are cut into a plurality of particles that are thereafter expanded and dried to a final moisture content of from 13 to 25%.
  • GB Pat. No. 2.155.302 A discloses a process for expanding tobacco leaves and apparatus therefor.
  • Tobacco stems are expanded in an expanding tube maintained at predetermined temperature by a water bath .
  • This tube is in connection with a delivery tube from a supply source via a connection tube, forming a tubular system which is wholly hermetically sealed from the outside atmosphere.
  • a high pressure gas is jelled from jetting nozzle disposed within the connection tube section and at once introduced into said expanding tube by passing through a passage (A) of venturi type, where by the cut tobacco stems are sucked from the source through the delivery tube and into said expanding tube by the suction power generated, as if they were injected thereinto accompanying the high pressure gas.
  • EP 0 484 899 A1 discloses a method and system for expanding tobacco. Steam or high-temperature gas containing steam is flown through a gas-flow drying pipe . Tobacco is fed from a feed port into the high-temperature gas flowing through the gas-flow drying pipe, and heated and expanded while it is flown together with the gas. Water vapor or water is injected into the high-temperature gas flow from injection nozzles at the positions downstream from the feed port to change the gas temperature. Thereby, the heat quantity given to the tobacco from the high-temperature gas is controlled to prevent the tobacco quality from degrading.
  • 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 (1) .
  • a group of steam nozzles (3) (flat or hollow cone type) are located in the vertical tube. When tobacco stem enters into the upright tube, steam jets (through steam nozzles (3) ) 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 (5) ) has the ultrasonic nozzles (4) and the tapered section venturi pipe.
  • Ultrasonic nozzles (4) 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.
  • a tobacco stem-steam separator (6) specifically, a centrifugal separator (6), 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).
  • stem fall freely reaches up to take-up point (9) where steam jets pathway (7-7') intersect with each other, then stem is mixed with steam or steam-water mixture that emerges from steam nozzles (3).
  • Four mutual steam nozzles (3) are positioned at an angle of 10° to 70° with respect to the pre-conditioning tube's (2) axis.
  • Venturi tube (5) is conical shaped metallic tube.
  • Another group of steam nozzles (3) (ultrasonic nozzles (4) ) create slightly vacuum at downside of the neck (10) so that tobacco steam mixture can penetrate high-velocity another steam jets pathway (12) that emerge from ultrasonic nozzles (4) .
  • another steam jets pathway (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 another steam jets pathway (12) set simply (up to 6 bar pre-pressure, approx.
  • 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 another steam jets pathway (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 noncondensed 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)

Claims (8)

  1. Méthode d'augmentation du volume spécifique des particules de tiges de tabac par la vapeur et un mélange de vapeur et d'eau, comprenant les étapes suivantes :
    - l'introduction de la tige de tabac dans le tube de pré-conditionnement (2) avant une zone d'accélération dans une première partie d'un appareil ;
    - l'alimentation de ladite tige de tabac dans un tube venturi (5) dans une deuxième partie de l'appareil, la section transversale dudit tube venturi (5) étant inférieure à celle de la première partie de conditionnement ;
    caractérisé dans ce domaine :
    - les deux parties de l'appareil sont dotées de jets de vapeur à débit massique réglable (7, 7', 12) ;
    - ladite tige de tabac est accélérée deux fois par les flux de jet, et
    - ledit appareil comprend deux tuyaux à section étroite (10) afin d'améliorer la qualité du traitement.
  2. Méthode de la revendication 1 dans laquelle les flux de jet peuvent être de la vapeur surchauffée ou saturée.
  3. Méthode de la revendication 1 dans laquelle les jets peuvent être mélangés à de l'eau chaude ou froide.
  4. Méthode de la revendication 1, dans laquelle la vitesse de ces flux de jet, au moins l'un d'entre eux, est égale ou supérieure à la vitesse du son.
  5. La méthode mentionnée dans la revendication 1 consiste en deux tuyaux coniques, reliés l'un à l'autre perpendiculairement.
  6. Méthode de la revendication 1, dans laquelle la pression de la vapeur est comprise entre 2 et 6 bars.
  7. Méthode selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle la vitesse des flux de jet contenant la tige de tabac est comprise entre 20 m/s et 200 m/s.
  8. Méthode de la revendication 1, dans laquelle le rapport du débit massique total de la vapeur à la tige de tabac est compris entre 0,1 et 0,5.
EP19404004.4A 2019-07-30 2019-07-30 Système d'expansion de tabac (tes) Active EP3771349B1 (fr)

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

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

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

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Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS53104797A (en) 1977-02-22 1978-09-12 Japan Tobacco Inc Preparation of expanded veins and stalks of tobacco leaves
US4235249A (en) * 1978-07-31 1980-11-25 Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. Method and apparatus for producing expanded tobacco from whole tobacco stems
DE3147846C2 (de) 1981-09-05 1984-07-19 B.A.T. Cigaretten-Fabriken Gmbh, 2000 Hamburg Verfahren zur Verbesserung der Füllfähigkeit von Tabakmaterial
US4407306A (en) 1981-12-17 1983-10-04 American Brands, Inc. Method for expanding tobacco with steam at high temperature and velocity
CH658367A5 (de) 1982-05-11 1986-11-14 Hauni Werke Koerber & Co Kg Verfahren und vorrichtung zum volumenvergroessern von tabak.
GB2155302B (en) * 1984-03-13 1988-04-20 Korea Ginseng & Tobacco Res Process for expanding tobacco leaves and apparatus therefor
JP3140039B2 (ja) * 1990-11-07 2001-03-05 日本たばこ産業株式会社 たばこ原料の気流乾燥方法およびその装置
DE19909318C2 (de) 1999-03-03 2001-06-28 Bat Cigarettenfab Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Expansion von Tabakmaterial

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