JP2007312676A - Solid fermentation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a solid fermentation apparatus that has the fast-response, the reliability, and the durability in the moisture control of the materials to be fermented. <P>SOLUTION: The solid fermentation apparatus is equipped with the fermentation vessel 10 for fermenting solid material to be fermented 12, the load cell 30 that can measure the weight of the fermentation vessel 10 including the material to be fermented 12, the water-feeding pipe 24 for feeding moisture to the material to be fermented in the fermentation vessel 10, and the controller 34 for controlling the amount of moist fed from the feeding pipe 24 so that the change of the weight with passage of time of the calculated material to be fermented may coincide to the previously set goal line on the basis of the change of the weight with the passage of the time measured by the load cell 30. The controller 34 adjusts the moisture to be fed from the water-feeding pipe 24 based on the weight of the fermentation vessel measured by the load cell as the agitator 22 is stopped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a solid fermentation apparatus, and more particularly to a solid fermentation apparatus provided with a moisture replenishing means.

  A solid fermentation apparatus biodegrades an organic solid raw material, which is a fermented product, contained in a fermentation chamber or a fermentation vessel (hereinafter referred to as a fermentation vessel on behalf of both) by the fermentation action of the fermentation bacteria, and has high added value. It is widely used as a device for transforming into useful solid materials. Patent Document 1 describes a koji processing machine as this type of solid fermentation apparatus.

  In solid-state fermentation equipment, temperature control and moisture management of the fermented product are important, and maintaining the temperature and humidity environment suitable for fermentation and aging of the fermented product at each stage of fermentation is necessary for the processing efficiency and final fermented product. It is a decisive factor for improving quality. For this reason, the normal solid fermentation apparatus is equipped with a heating means and a moisture replenishing means for maintaining the temperature and moisture of the fermented product appropriately. Patent Document 1 also discloses a configuration including a heating unit that maintains the temperature of the koji, which is a fermented product, at 30 to 40 ° C., and a water unit that maintains the moisture content at 40 to 70%.

  In general, an aerobic fermentation is performed in a solid fermentation apparatus, and therefore, a fermentation vessel is often used that is open to the outside so that external air (oxygen) can be easily taken in. Therefore, when the fermented product is heated by heating means to improve the processing efficiency and the temperature of the fermented product is kept at a temperature sufficiently higher than room temperature, the water contained in the fermented product evaporates and dissipates outside. To do. For this reason, the fermented material is placed in an environment that is easily dried.

Conventionally, two methods are mainly performed as a method of managing the water content of the fermented product in such an easy-to-dry environment to an appropriate value. In the first method, the operator periodically samples the fermented material stored in the fermentation vessel and analyzes the water content. Based on the analysis result, the amount of water supplied to the fermentation vessel is calculated, and the operating conditions of the water supply means are adjusted manually. A 2nd method installs the moisture sensor which can detect the moisture content of a to-be-fermented substance directly in a fermentation container. Based on the detection result of the moisture sensor, the amount of moisture to be replenished to the fermentation vessel is calculated, and the operating condition of the moisture replenishing means is automatically controlled.
JP-A-2002-361218

However, the first method relating to moisture management places a heavy burden on the operator. In addition, since sampling and analysis take time, there is a drawback that the responsiveness in device management is lacking. Further, the second method has a drawback that it is difficult to install a moisture sensor having reliability and durability. Patent Document 1 discloses an electrode-type moisture sensor, but the detection accuracy is not sufficient. In addition, the moisture sensor only detects the moisture content of a small part of the fermented material present at the installation point. For this reason, in order to grasp | ascertain the average moisture content of the to-be-fermented substance of the whole quantity accommodated in the fermentation container, many moisture sensors may have to be arrange | positioned, and a technical and economical burden is large. Furthermore, the fermented material accommodated in the fermentation vessel is often kept in a stirring state at all times, and there is no moisture sensor that can withstand such severe conditions for a long time.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solid state fermentation apparatus that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art and has quick response, reliability, and durability for moisture management of the fermented product.

  In order to achieve the above object, the solid fermentation apparatus according to the present invention measures the weight of the fermentation vessel in a state in which the fermented vessel that ferments the solid fermented product accommodated therein and the fermented product is contained. Calculation based on a possible load cell, a water replenishment means capable of replenishing the fermented material contained in the fermentation vessel, and a time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermentation vessel measured by the load cell or the weight of the fermentation vessel And a control means for controlling the amount of water replenished from the water replenishing means so that the time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermented product matches a preset target line.

Moreover, the solid fermentation apparatus according to the present invention includes a stirring means for stirring the fermented product contained in the fermentation vessel, and the control means uses the load cell with the operation of the stirring means stopped. Based on the measured weight of the fermentation vessel, the amount of water supplied from the water supply means is controlled.
It should be noted that the term fermentation vessel in the present invention can be interpreted as widely as possible, and includes a fermenter and a fermentation chamber having a structure capable of measuring the weight independently of the ground and the building.

  According to the present invention, the water content of the fermented product is indirectly managed based on the weight of the fermentation vessel measured by the load cell. Measurement using a load cell is quick and has excellent durability because it is a static sensing means. Moreover, since the control means based on the measured value which made the whole quantity of the fermented material accommodated in the fermentation vessel the object of sensing is adopted, compared with the thing by sampling and sensing of the conventional local fermented material, High reliability. Therefore, it is possible to realize a solid fermentation apparatus that has quick response, reliability, and durability for moisture management of the fermented product.

  Moreover, when the fermentation container is equipped with the stirring means, the amount of water to be replenished is controlled based on the load cell measurement value in a state where the operation of the stirring means is stopped. For this reason, in the measurement by the load cell, since it is not adversely affected by the vibration due to the operation of the stirring means, the accuracy of the load cell measurement value is increased, and as a result, highly reliable moisture management can be realized.

  FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing an embodiment of a solid fermentation apparatus according to the present invention. The fermentation container 10 is a cylindrical container having an upper part opened and a lower part serving as a hopper, and a solid fermented product 12 is accommodated therein. The lower end of the hopper is equipped with a discharge valve 14 for discharging the solid fermented product that has been fermented. A jacket 16 is formed on the outer surface of the fermentation vessel 10, a flexible cold / hot water supply pipe 18 is connected to the lower part of the jacket 16, and a flexible cold / hot water discharge pipe 20 is connected to the upper part.

  At the center of the fermentation vessel 10, a stirrer 22 is provided, and the fermentation vessel 10 is provided with a water supply pipe 24 serving as a moisture replenishing means. A flow rate adjustment valve 26 is attached to the water supply pipe 24, and the replenishment water with the amount of water adjusted by the flow rate adjustment valve 26 is replenished from the water supply pipe 24 to the fermented material 12 accommodated in the fermentation vessel 10. .

  A plurality of brackets 28 are attached to the outer periphery of the upper portion of the fermentation vessel 10, and the fermentation vessel 10 is supported by a load receiving portion 32 such as a foundation or a building via a load cell 30 arranged at the lower end of each bracket 28. The measurement value of the load cell 30 is transmitted to the controller 34, and the controller 34 outputs a signal to the flow rate control valve 26 based on the transmitted measurement value from the load cell 30, and the water content of makeup water to be replenished from the water supply pipe 24. Control the amount.

  In the solid fermentation apparatus having the above-described configuration, an organic solid raw material whose water content has been adjusted to a predetermined value in advance is introduced into the fermentation vessel 10 as a fermented product 12 and subjected to a fermentation process by a fermentation bacterium over a predetermined number of days. The fermentation bacteria necessary for the fermentation are supplied by mixing in the fermented product 12 to be charged in advance or by introducing a medium containing the fermented bacteria into the fermentation vessel 10 in parallel with the input of the fermented product 12. Cold / hot water is allowed to flow through the jacket 16 as necessary to indirectly heat the fermented material 12. Moreover, the agitator 22 is operated to stir the fermented product 12 so that the fermentation process proceeds uniformly. The stirrer 22 is normally intermittently operated for energy saving.

  During the fermentation process, the temperature of the fermentation object 12 is maintained at a temperature sufficiently higher than the normal temperature by the indirect heating with the hot water and the fermentation heat. For this reason, the water | moisture content contained in the to-be-fermented material 12 evaporates and dissipates outside, and the to-be-fermented material 12 is placed in the environment which is easy to dry. Therefore, it is necessary to replenish the fermented product 12 with the water to be fermented from the water supply pipe 24 serving as a water replenishment means, and to maintain the water content of the fermented product 12 appropriately. In the present embodiment, the replenishment water from the water supply pipe 24 is automatically controlled by the controller 34.

  That is, the controller 34 takes in the measured value of the load cell 30 at a frequency of once every 10 minutes, for example, and calculates the weight of the fermentation target 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the measured value of the load cell 30 includes the weight of accessories such as the jacket 16, the stirrer 22, the water supply pipe 24, and the hot water filled in the jacket 16 (or room temperature). Water) and the weight of the fermented product 12 accommodated in the fermentation vessel 10 are added together, and this added value is transmitted from the load cell 30 to the controller 34 as the weight of the fermentation vessel 10. Among the above weights, the weight of the fermentation vessel main body, accessories, and warm water (or normal temperature water) is a fixed weight, and this fixed weight is stored in the controller 34 in advance. Therefore, the controller 34 can calculate the weight of the fermented substance 12 by subtracting the fixed weight from the measured value of the load cell 30 transmitted as the weight of the fermentation vessel 10.

  When the weight of the fermented material 12 calculated by the controller 34 is less than the set value, it is determined that the water content of the fermented material 12 is insufficient, and the flow control valve 26 of the water supply pipe 24 is used to compensate for the insufficient water content. To control the amount of makeup water supplied from the water supply pipe 24. Therefore, the daily change in the moisture content of the fermented matter 12 from the time when the fermented product 12 is first charged until the fermentation treatment is completed is set as a target line, and this is stored in the controller 34 in advance. Let me. And if the amount of water replenished from the water supply pipe 24 is controlled so that the time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermented material 12 calculated in the controller 34 coincides with a preset target line, the controller 34 has excellent responsiveness and high reliability. The water management of the fermented material 12 can be realized.

  FIG. 3 (1) is a graph illustrating a daily change target line of the moisture content of the fermented material 12. At an initial point a, an organic solid raw material having a low water content is charged into the fermentation vessel 10 as the fermentation product 12. In order to make this to-be-fermented product 12 into the comparatively high moisture content suitable for fermentation, the amount of make-up water controlled by the controller 34 is replenished from the water supply pipe 24, and the to-be-fermented product 12 is shown as b point. Increase the weight of Thereafter, the process in which the weight of the fermented product 12 is kept constant until the point c at which the main fermentation is completed is continued. Since the aging period starts after the point c, the weight of the fermented product 12 is gradually reduced to the point d, and the treatment with the weight of the fermented product 12 kept constant from the point d to the point e at the end of the treatment is continued. In the controller 34, the amount of water replenished from the water supply pipe 24 so that the time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermented matter 12 calculated every 10 minutes matches the preset target line in the whole period from the points a to e. Will be controlled.

  FIG. 3 (2) is a graph in which the fixed weight is added to the daily change target line of the moisture content of the fermented material 12, and the vertical axis indicates the weight of the fermentation vessel 10. In the controller 34, the weight management target line of the fermentation vessel 10 shown in FIG. 3 (2) can be easily obtained by adding the fixed weight to the daily change target line of the moisture content of the fermented substance 12 stored in advance. Can be calculated. Therefore, if the controller 34 controls the amount of water to be replenished from the water supply pipe 24 so that the time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermentation vessel 10 measured by the load cell 30 coincides with this management target line, the weight of the fermented matter 12 is controlled. Is controlled in accordance with the daily change target line of the fermented product 12 shown in FIG. According to such a method, the trouble of subtracting the fixed weight from the measured value of the load cell 30 for each control and calculating the weight of the fermented product 12 can be omitted.

  In addition, when the stirrer 22 is operating, vibration due to the operation propagates to the load cell 30 and the measurement error of the load cell 30 increases. Accordingly, the controller 34 sets the control timing for each time so that the control is executed based on the weight of the fermentation vessel measured by the load cell 30 with the operation of the stirrer 22 stopped. It is desirable to link to.

  When the fermentation process for one time is completed, the discharge valve 14 provided at the lower end of the fermentation vessel 10 is opened, and the entire amount of the solid fermentation product that has been fermented is discharged. And after closing the discharge | emission valve | bulb 14, the new fermented material 12 is thrown into the fermentation container 10 again, and the next fermentation process is repeated.

  As described above, according to the solid state fermentation apparatus of the present embodiment, the water content of the fermented product 12 is indirectly managed based on the weight of the fermentation vessel 10 measured by the load cell 30. The measurement by the load cell 30 is responsive and has excellent durability since it is a static sensing means. Moreover, since the control means based on the measured value which made the whole quantity of the fermented material 12 accommodated in the fermentation container 10 the object of sensing is employ | adopted, compared with the thing by the sampling and sensing of the conventional local fermented material And high reliability. Therefore, it is possible to realize a solid fermentation apparatus that has quick response, reliability, and durability for moisture management of the fermented material 12.

  Further, when the control is performed based on the load cell measurement value in a state where the operation of the stirrer 22 is stopped, the load cell measurement is not adversely affected by the vibration caused by the operation of the stirrer 22, so that the accuracy of the load cell measurement value is increased and thus reliable. High moisture management can be realized.

  In the said embodiment, although the solid fermentation apparatus of the structure which processes fermented material batchwise was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to a batch-type apparatus, The fermented material is continuously supplied from the supply port of one end. On the other hand, the present invention can also be applied to a continuous solid fermentation apparatus that continuously discharges a solid fermented product that has been fermented from a discharge port at the other end. Moreover, the said embodiment demonstrated the case where this fermentation and ageing | curing | ripening were performed continuously within the same fermentation container. However, this invention is not limited to this, When performing each process, such as this fermentation and an aging, with a separate fermentation container, the structure which applied this invention with respect to each fermentation container is included.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the vertical type shown in the above embodiment, and can be applied to a horizontal type apparatus. Moreover, this invention is applicable not only to the apparatus with a stirrer but the apparatus of a structure where a fermentation container rotates. Furthermore, the water replenishing means according to the present invention is not limited to the water supply pipe shown in the above embodiment, but may be a type that sprays moisture in a mist form or a type that blows out humidified air.

It is a sectional side view showing an embodiment of a solid fermentation device concerning the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the content of the load cell measured value. It is the graph which illustrated the daily change target line of the weight of a fermented material, or the weight of a fermentation container.

Explanation of symbols

  10 ......... Fermentation vessel, 12 ......... Food to be fermented, 14 ......... Discharge valve, 16 ......... Jacket, 18 ......... Cold / hot water supply pipe, 20 ......... Cool / hot water discharge pipe, 22 ......... Stirrer, 24 ......... Water supply pipe, 26 ......... Flow control valve, 28 ......... Bracket, 30 ......... Load cell, 32 ......... Load receiver, 34 ......... Controller.

Claims (2)

  Water in the fermentation vessel for fermenting the solid fermented product housed therein, the load cell capable of measuring the weight of the fermentation vessel in the state of containing the fermented product, and the fermented product contained in the fermentation vessel The water supply means capable of replenishing and the time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermentation vessel measured by the load cell or the time-dependent change value of the weight of the fermented material calculated based on the weight of the fermentation vessel A solid fermentation apparatus comprising control means for controlling the amount of water replenished from the water replenishing means so as to coincide with a line.   The fermentation vessel is provided with a stirring means for stirring the fermented product accommodated therein, and the control means is based on the weight of the fermentation vessel measured by the load cell in a state where the operation of the stirring means is stopped. The solid fermenter according to claim 1, wherein the amount of water supplied from the water supply means is controlled.

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