JP2022120786A - Seafood drying system and method for producing dried seafood - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a seafood drying system that can easily and quickly produce dried seafood comparable in quality to sun-dried ones while suppressing the occurrence of bacteria.SOLUTION: A seafood drying system 1 has a drying chamber 2, a heater 4 that heats air in the drying chamber 2, a cooler 5 including a cooling chamber 5a that accommodates the air in the drying chamber 2 to cool it, a blowing fan 6 that circulates the air in the drying chamber 2, a first airway 3 that takes in the air from a circulation port 2a of the drying chamber 2 and sends the air, via the blowing fan 6 and the heater 4, back to a discharge port 2b of the drying chamber 2, a second airway 8 that takes in the air from an intake port for cooling 2c of the drying chamber 2 and sends the air through a valve 7, via the cooler 5, to the first airway 3 located upstream of the blowing fan 6, a controller 9 for controlling the operation of the heater 4, the cooler 5, the blowing fan 6, and the valve 7, and a temperature and humidity measuring instrument 2d that is connected to the controller 9 and measures temperature in the drying chamber 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a seafood drying system and a method for producing dried seafood, which can easily produce dried seafood of the same quality as sun-dried while suppressing the generation of bacteria.

As a method for producing dried foods such as seafood and fruits, "sun-dried" is known, in which foods are laid out outdoors to dry and mature, and has been widely used for producing dried foods.
Dried fish made by such sun-drying can be stored for a long time in the same way as dried fish dried using a dryer. It is also known to have a unique taste that is not found in dried fish obtained from dryers. Therefore, dried fish produced by sun-drying has a higher commercial value than dried fish dried by a dryer, and is generally traded at a high price.

When dried fish is produced by such sun-drying, the temperature, humidity, and wind strength during drying greatly depend on the quality of the dried fish. For this reason, when the temperature, humidity, etc. vary greatly depending on the season, as in Japan, it is necessary for producers to first determine the season in which dried fish of desired quality can be obtained.
As for the best season for sun-drying, it depends on the type of food, but it is often avoided in summer, when quality deterioration such as discoloration and rot due to high temperature and humidity is likely to occur. Sun-drying is often done in winter when the temperature and humidity are low and quality deterioration is less likely to occur.

However, even though winter is the best season for sun-drying, as described above, sun-drying is done by natural drying, so the temperature, humidity, etc. to which food is exposed constantly change depending on the weather. The time required for manufacturing also varies. Therefore, sun-drying is a production method that makes it difficult to stably produce dried fish of constant quality. In addition, sun-drying involves exposing food to the sun outdoors, so the food is turned over at regular intervals in order to evenly dry the front and back of the food, and to prevent the adhesion of foreign substances, germs, and pests such as flies. In addition, it was necessary to carry the food indoors so that it would not get wet in rainy weather, and it was a manufacturing method that required a great deal of labor during the manufacturing process.
As described above, sun-drying is not always suitable for stable production, but in recent years, the demand for high-quality dried fish produced by sun-drying has been increasing. For this reason, manufacturers of dried fish are calling for the establishment of a technology that can easily produce dried fish of the same quality as sun-dried regardless of the season or weather.
Under such circumstances, the inventions described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 have recently been disclosed as techniques for solving the above-mentioned problems with respect to sun-drying.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an invention related to a drying method under the name of "Method for aging and drying food", which makes it possible to produce food having a matured taste like sun-dried without spending a long time.
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a heat drying step in which at least hot air (35 ° C. to 45 ° C.) is applied to the food to be dried, and a cold air below normal temperature ( -5° C. to 15° C.) and a cold air drying step are repeated several times.
According to the above-configured invention, the operation of increasing the drying speed of the material to be dried by applying hot air in the heat drying step, and the operation of increasing the maturity of the material to be dried by contacting the material with cold air in the cold air drying step. By combining the above, it is possible to efficiently dry the food in a short time while increasing the maturity of the food to be dried. In addition, it is said that when fruit is dried as the material to be dried, the sweetness is increased compared to natural drying, and when the meat of fish and livestock is used, the umami is enhanced.

In addition, Patent Document 2 is titled "Dried Persimmon Drying Apparatus and Method for Producing Anpo Persimmon Using the Same", which is an inexpensive anpo persimmon that can be easily assembled and disassembled and can be stored compactly when disassembled. An invention relating to a persimmon manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof is disclosed.
The invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 will be described using the reference numerals shown in FIG. 1 of the document as they are. A drying chamber RD for drying persimmons and an air circulation unit 20 for circulating the air in the drying chamber RD. and heat exhaust means for returning the cooling air with reduced humidity by removing moisture contained in the circulating air discharged from the drying chamber RD to the circulating air and discharging the generated heat to the outside of the drying chamber RD. a cooling and dehumidifying device 30 having a , an electric heater 40 for heating the inside of the drying chamber RD, a surface inflow and outflow device MS for making the inflow and outflow of air on both sides of the drying chamber RD a surface inflow and outflow, and the temperature and humidity of the drying chamber RD are detected. The apparatus is provided with a control means 60 for controlling the operation of the cooling and dehumidifying device 30 and the electric heater 40 to control the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber RD.

Then, using the above-described device, the exhaust heat/warm air switching device 50 and the cooling/dehumidifying device 30 are both driven to adjust the inside of the drying chamber RD to a temperature range of 34° C. or less, and the moisture content of the persimmon reaches a predetermined value. After the pre-drying step in which drying is performed until the temperature reaches 200°C, the operation of the exhaust heat hot air switching device 50 is stopped, and the inside of the drying chamber RD is dried by using the cooling/dehumidifying device 30 and the electric heater 40. Anpo persimmons are produced by a method in which the persimmons are slowly dried until the moisture content reaches a predetermined value by drying for 3 to 4 days while adjusting the temperature within the range of ° C to 27 ° C. do.
According to the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is possible to easily assemble and disassemble, and it is also possible to provide an inexpensive persimmon manufacturing apparatus that can be stored compactly after disassembly. Become. By producing anpo-gaki using such a production apparatus, it is possible to omit the manual kneading process, which is conventionally required to achieve a balance between the drying rate of the surface and the drying rate of the inside. I think it will be possible.

JP-A-2003-225077 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-105003

In the case of the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is thought that by drying food in a drying chamber by combining warm air drying and cold air drying, it is possible to easily produce dried fish with a high maturity like sun-drying. However, in the case of this invention, since the surface of the food is constantly exposed to air, the surface hardens due to drying, and the volume shrinkage of the surface layer due to drying causes the surface to crack and easily cause poor appearance. there were. In addition, if the material to be dried is a thick food, it becomes more difficult for moisture inside to migrate to the surface due to the hardening of the surface described above. There is also a problem that the degree of maturity tends to be non-uniform.

On the other hand, with the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is certainly possible to stably produce anpo persimmons with simple equipment and without being affected by the weather. However, since the present invention is intended for Anpo persimmon, there is a problem that it is difficult to apply the same treatment as that for Anpo persimmon to other foods such as fish and shellfish. In addition, in the invention, warm air or circulating air is applied to the persimmons in the pre-drying process and the aging drying process, so that the surface of the food is hardened by drying, as in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 above. becomes easier. For this reason, the surface cracks as the volume shrinks, causing a poor appearance, and the hardening of the surface makes it difficult for the moisture inside to migrate to the surface, making it difficult to dry uniformly. Conceivable. In addition, the drying in Patent Document 2 is performed at a temperature within the range of 20°C to 50°C, which is known as the temperature at which fungi grow. For this reason, when producing dried fish using the invention, it is considered that there is also a problem that measures against proliferation of fungi must be separately taken.

The present invention has been made in response to the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to produce dried fish and shellfish that are not dried in the sun but have the same quality as those dried in the sun, while suppressing the growth of bacteria and reducing the cost by intermittent operation. To provide a system for drying fishes and shellfishes and a method for producing dried fishes and shellfishes capable of easily producing fishes and shellfishes.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention, a seafood drying system, comprises a drying chamber, a heating device for heating the air in the drying chamber, a cooling device for cooling the air in the drying chamber, and the air in the drying chamber. A blower fan that circulates air, an outside air intake valve that introduces outside air into the drying chamber, and air is introduced from the circulation port of the drying chamber, and the air is introduced through the outside air intake valve, the blower fan, and the heating device. and a second ventilation path that introduces air from the cooling air inlet of the drying chamber, passes through the cooling device, and delivers it to the first ventilation path upstream of the blower fan via a valve. a control device for controlling the operation of a path, a heating device, a cooling device, a blower fan, a valve, and an outside air intake valve; a temperature and humidity measuring instrument connected to the control device for measuring the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber; and the controller maintains the temperature in the drying chamber at a preset first target temperature within the temperature range of 30° C. to 50° C. until the first maintenance time elapses. After executing the heating process of controlling the output of the heating device and the blower fan while opening the outside air intake valve with the valve closed, the second target temperature preset within the temperature range of 0 ° C. to 20 ° C. is reached. The cooling process is characterized in that the output of the cooling device and the blower fan is controlled while the outside air intake valve is closed while the valve is opened so as to maintain the second maintenance time until the second maintenance time elapses. .

In the first invention having such a configuration, the blower fan exhausts the air in the drying chamber from the circulation port with the valve closed, and then passes this air through the first air passage to dry it again. It has the effect of circulating so as to flow into the drying chamber from the outlet of the chamber. In addition, by opening the valve of the blower fan, the air in the drying chamber is discharged from the cooling inlet as well as the circulation port, and this air is passed through the first and second air passages and again. It also has the effect of circulating so as to flow into the drying chamber from the outlet of the drying chamber. The heating device has the effect of heating the air circulating between the first air passage and the drying chamber to raise the temperature in the drying chamber. Also, the cooling device has the effect of cooling the air passing through the second air passage to lower the temperature in the drying chamber. Furthermore, by opening and closing the external air intake valve when heating the air in the drying chamber, the external air can be taken into the drying chamber as needed. The outside air taken in is uniformly mixed with the air circulating in the drying chamber and then replaced with the circulating air, so that the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber can be moderately adjusted. Although the degree of opening of the open/close air intake valve can be arbitrarily adjusted, it must be set to such an extent that the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber do not fluctuate.

Then, the control device raises the temperature in the drying chamber so that the temperature in the drying chamber measured by the temperature and humidity measuring instrument reaches the first target temperature, and then maintains the temperature at the first target temperature until the first maintenance time elapses. , the output of the heating device and the blower fan is controlled while the valve is closed and the outside air intake valve is opened (that is, the heating process is performed). As a result, the control device takes in dry outside air from the outside air intake valve and reduces the humidity in the drying chamber, while maintaining the seafood to be dried in the drying chamber at the first target temperature for the first maintenance time. It has the effect of making
Further, the control device lowers the temperature in the drying chamber measured by the temperature and humidity measuring instrument to a second target temperature at which the growth of bacteria is suppressed, and then reduces the temperature to the second target temperature for a second maintenance time. The outputs of the cooling device and the blower fan are controlled while the valve is opened and the outside air intake valve is closed (that is, the cooling process is performed) so that the output is maintained until the time elapses. As a result, the control device has the effect of maintaining the seafood in the drying chamber at the second target temperature until the second maintenance time elapses.
In the above heating process, the controller controls the heating device and the blower fan such that the output of one is fixed while the output of the other is increased or decreased, or the output of both is increased or decreased. Also, the control method of this control device is the same in the cooling step. As a result, while the heating process or the cooling process is being performed, the fish and shellfish can be exposed not only to strong warm air or cold air with a high wind velocity, but also to weak warm air or cold air. Note that the output includes zeros.
In addition, the control device may control the output of the cooling device and the blower fan while considering the dew point based on the humidity in the drying chamber during the cooling process.

The seafood drying system, which is the second invention, is the first invention described above, wherein the cooling step includes adding a heating device to the cooling device and the blower fan to control the output, and until the second maintenance time elapses. Meanwhile, the cooling device cools the air to a temperature lower than the second target temperature by a desired temperature difference, and the heating device heats the air by the temperature difference to return the temperature in the drying chamber to the second target temperature. It is characterized by being executed as follows.
According to the second invention, in addition to the same function as the first invention, the air is cooled to a temperature lower than the desired temperature difference in the cooling process so that moisture contained in the air is condensed. works. After that, the air is heated and returned to the second target temperature, thereby lowering the relative humidity even at the second target temperature and acting to promote the drying of the fish and shellfish to be dried.

Next, the seafood drying system, which is a third invention, is the first invention described above, wherein the control device sets the output of the cooling device and the blower fan to zero until the second maintenance time elapses. It is characterized by setting time.
With the third invention having such a configuration, in addition to the same effects as the first invention, the time during which the seafood in the drying chamber is not exposed to the cold air at the second target temperature in the cooling process. , can be provided until the second maintenance time elapses, and has the effect of suppressing excessive drying of the surface of the fish and shellfish.

A fourth invention is a seafood drying system according to the first to third inventions described above, wherein the control device repeats the heating step and the cooling step until a preset number of repetitions is reached. and
According to the fourth invention having such a configuration, in addition to the same effects as those of the above-described first to third inventions, the fish and shellfishes are processed while repeating the heating process and the cooling process.

In addition, the fish and shellfish drying system of the fifth invention is the fish and shellfish drying system according to any one of the first to fourth inventions described above. and a second perforated plate, the compartments being a first compartment formed between the inner wall of the drying chamber and the first perforated plate and a second compartment formed between the inner wall of the drying chamber and the second perforated plate 2 compartments and a third compartment formed between the first perforated plate and the second perforated plate for storing fish and shellfish, and the discharge port communicates with the first compartment. The circulation port and the cooling air inlet are provided on the inner wall of the drying chamber so as to communicate with the second compartment, and the aperture ratio of the first perforated plate is equal to that of the second perforated plate is characterized by being greater than the ratio

With the fifth invention having such a configuration, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to fourth inventions described above, air enters the first compartment in the drying chamber from the discharge port, It has the effect of substantially uniformly pushing out the air in the first compartment from the holes of the first perforated plate toward the third compartment. Then, the air pushed out from the first compartment to the third compartment passes through the second perforated plate while applying pressure to the second perforated plate, which has a smaller aperture ratio than the first perforated plate. It can be extruded substantially uniformly to the two compartment sides.
Then, the air that has entered the second compartment is discharged from the drying chamber to the first or second air passage through the circulation port or the cooling intake port. In addition, the air entering the third compartment passes through the first perforated plate and the second perforated plate, so that the air flows horizontally through the third compartment without causing a large difference in flow velocity in the vertical direction. It has the effect of flowing into

Furthermore, a method for producing dried fish and shellfish, which is a sixth invention, is a method for producing dried fish and shellfish by arranging and drying fish and shellfish in a drying chamber, wherein the temperature in the drying chamber is within the temperature range of 30°C to 50°C. A heating step of controlling heating and air blowing so that the first target temperature preset in is maintained until the first maintenance time elapses, and the outside air is introduced and the air in the drying chamber is discharged while circulating. Then, the temperature in the drying chamber is maintained at a second target temperature set in advance within the temperature range of 0° C. to 20° C. until the second maintenance time elapses, and the introduction of outside air and the discharge of air are performed. After the air is extracted from the drying chamber and cooled to a temperature lower than the second target temperature by a desired temperature difference, the air is heated to the second target temperature for drying. and a cooling step of controlling cooling, heating, and air blowing so as to return and circulate indoors.
According to the sixth invention having such a configuration, the air is cooled to a temperature as low as the desired temperature difference in the cooling step, so that moisture contained in the air is condensed outside the drying chamber. After that, the air is heated to the second target temperature and returned to the drying chamber, thereby lowering the relative humidity even at the second target temperature and promoting the drying of the fish and shellfish to be dried. works.

According to the first invention as described above, it is possible to heat or cool the air circulating while passing through the drying chamber under the control of the control device, so that the temperature in the drying chamber can be changed.
Further, by executing the heating process and the cooling process described above by the control device, the temperature in the drying chamber can be maintained at the preset first target temperature and second target temperature until a predetermined time elapses. become. Among the processes executed by such a control device, the heating process corresponds to the process of drying the fish and shellfish in the sun during the day, and the cooling process corresponds to the process of exposing them to cold air and cold wind at night to dry them in the sun. Therefore, it is similar to the processing of seafood that is dried in the sun. That is, the fish and shellfish drying system of the first invention can automatically perform a process similar to drying in the sun on the fish and shellfish.

In addition, in addition to the fact that the seafood is processed in a drying room isolated from the outside air, the temperature of the seafood is maintained in the range of 0 ° C. to 20 ° C. in which bacteria hardly grow in the cooling process. Since the fish and shellfish are not exposed to the outside air compared to drying in the sun, the adhesion of bacteria and dust to the fish and shellfish can be suppressed, and the growth of bacteria can be suppressed.
Furthermore, as described above, the control performed by the control device in the heating process and the cooling process can be performed by varying the output power of the heating device, the cooling device, and the blower fan. For this reason, for example, when processing delicate seafood (such as fish roe) whose surface is prone to cracking due to changes in the surface layer or rapid volumetric shrinkage due to drying, the control device blows the seafood with weak warm air or It is also possible to suppress cracks by controlling the blowing of cold air.

In addition, when excessive drying accelerates the hardening of the surface of seafood, the motility of the molecules that make up the surface is reduced, or the network structure of the molecules is densified. is expected to become difficult to pass. If it becomes difficult for the water inside the fish to move to the surface, the water content will not be constant between the surface layer and the inside, and as a result, there is a possibility that the degree of ripening will change depending on the location. This is equivalent to making it difficult to manufacture high-quality products. In the first invention, by suppressing excessive drying that has such an effect, it is considered that there is also an effect of drying fish and shellfish so that the water content of fish and shellfish is constant regardless of location.

In addition, in the second invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention, for seafood, which is a material to be dried whose surface is prone to cracking due to deterioration of the surface layer or rapid volumetric shrinkage due to drying, It is possible to dry even during the rapid cooling process, and by constantly drying together with the heating process, it is possible to gently dry the material to be dried while suppressing the overall load caused by drying. At the same time, it has the effect of being able to shorten the overall drying time.

Next, according to the third invention, in addition to the effect of the first invention, the fish and shellfish can be gently dried because there is a time during the cooling process in which cold air is not applied to the fish and shellfish. As a result, deterioration and volumetric shrinkage of the surface layer during the cooling process can be further suppressed, and the drying process of delicate fish and shellfish, which tends to crack on the surface, becomes easier.
In addition, by gently drying the fish and shellfish during the cooling process, hardening of the surface of the fish and shellfish is suppressed, and migration of internal moisture to the surface is not greatly hindered. Therefore, the fish and shellfish are dried without trapping moisture inside, and the difference in moisture content between the surface layer and the inside of the dried fish is less likely to occur. As a result, the method of ripening becomes uniform regardless of the part, making it easier to prepare dried fish and shellfish with a uniform degree of maturity.

Further, according to the above-described fourth invention, in addition to the effects of the first to third inventions, the heating process corresponding to the process of heating the seafood during the daytime and the exposure to the cold air and cold wind at night to heat the seafood. The cooling process corresponding to the process of cooling the seed can be repeated. That is, it becomes possible to automatically dry fish and shellfish that need to be dried in the sun for a long period of time under the same conditions as those for drying in the sun. As a result, it is possible to automatically produce dried fish of the same quality as sun-dried fish regardless of the type of fish and shellfish and the weather. Furthermore, since the fish and shellfish are processed in the drying room, there is no need to move them indoors in the event of bad weather as in the past, which leads to a reduction in costs such as management costs and personnel costs at the time of production.

Furthermore, according to the fifth invention described above, in addition to the effect of any one of the first to fourth inventions, the flow velocity of the air entering the third compartment in the vertical direction in the third compartment is substantially It is allowed to flow horizontally so as to be uniform. For this reason, when seafood is placed on a plurality of shelves arranged in the vertical direction at predetermined intervals in the third compartment, the air flow is obstructed by the shelves and the seafood. It becomes difficult to be As a result, the hot air or cold air passes through the third compartment almost uniformly regardless of the location, so that the occurrence of temperature unevenness in the drying chamber is suppressed, and accordingly the occurrence of uneven drying of fish and shellfish. Suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent bacteria from multiplying in fish and shellfish that are poorly dried, and it is possible to increase the profit rate by reducing the defect rate.

Then, according to the sixth invention, as in the second invention, even an object to be dried that is vulnerable to rapid drying can be dried even during the cooling step for rapid cooling, and the heating step and the In addition, by constantly drying, it is possible to gently dry the material to be dried while suppressing the overall load due to drying, and at the same time, it has the effect of being able to shorten the overall drying time. .

1 is a system configuration diagram of a seafood drying system according to first and second embodiments of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an outline of control executed in the seafood drying system according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 3 is a flowchart of a heating process in FIG. 2; 3 is a flowchart of a cooling process in FIG. 2; 1 is a graph showing the time dependence of the temperature and weight ratio of seafood when drying seafood, (a) for a commonly used drying system, and (b) for the first implementation. This is the case with the fish and shellfish drying system according to the form. FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a cooling process performed in the seafood drying system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the time dependence of the temperature and weight ratio of fish and shellfish when drying fish and shellfish by the fish and shellfish drying system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

The configuration, action, and effects of the seafood drying system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[1; Basic configuration of the seafood drying system according to the first embodiment]
[1-1; Structure of basic configuration]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a seafood drying system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the outline arrow in the figure indicates the direction of air flow, and the description of the door is omitted in order to facilitate understanding of the inside of the drying chamber.
The configuration of the seafood drying system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is given as an example, and the user may arbitrarily add or omit the configuration as long as it is within the range where the above-described actions and effects occur. , it is also possible to change the arrangement of the configuration. For example, in order to precisely control the drying state of seafood, humidifiers are installed in the drying chamber, and these are connected to the control device to adjust the humidity to the desired value, or the control device can may be used to control the seafood drying system 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the seafood drying system 1 includes a drying chamber 2, a heating device 4 that heats the air in the drying chamber 2, and a cooling chamber 5a that accommodates and cools the air in the drying chamber 2. A cooling device 5, a blower fan 6 for circulating the air in the drying chamber 2, and the air is introduced from the circulation port 2a of the drying chamber 2, and is again discharged through the drying chamber 2 via the blower fan 6 and the heating device 4. 2b, and the first ventilation path 3 that introduces air from the cooling inlet 2c of the drying chamber 2 and is positioned upstream of the blower fan 6 via the cooling device 5. and a second vent passage 8 that delivers through a valve 7 to the. Furthermore, the seafood drying system 1 includes a controller 9 for controlling the operation of the heating device 4, the cooling device 5, the blower fan 6, and the valve 7, and connected to this controller 9, the temperature in the drying chamber 2 is provided with a temperature and humidity measuring instrument 2d for measuring .
In addition, in the seafood drying system 1, a box 3a is installed on the first air passage 3 between the circulation port 2a and the blower fan 6, as shown in FIG. This box 3a has an outside air intake port 3b for taking in outside air and adjusting the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber 2 as needed, and is used when taking in outside air from this outside air intake port 3b. An external air intake valve 3c that can be opened and closed by control is installed adjacently. A damper may be used instead of the outside air intake valve 3c.
In addition, assuming the case where it is necessary to quickly ventilate the seafood drying system 1, there is an exhaust port 2e and a An exhaust valve (not shown) is also provided. By opening the exhaust valve and the external air intake valve 3c, replacement of air in the drying chamber 2 becomes easier, and adjustment of the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber 2 becomes easier. The exhaust valve may be a check valve that prevents outside air from entering the drying chamber 2 and is not controlled by the control device 9 .

Although not described in the specification of the present application, after the air is introduced from the cooling inlet 2c of the drying chamber 2, it can be sent out to the drying chamber 2 again only through the cooling device 5 and another blower fan. In addition, the second air passage 8 here may be directly connected only to the drying chamber 2 . Even by providing the second air passage 8 that is not connected to the first air passage 3, the same actions and effects as the seafood drying system 1 can be exhibited.

In addition, although the details will be described later, the control device 9 counts the number of repetitions for repeatedly performing the work so that the seafood can be heated or cooled for a preset maintenance time. and an input section 9b for inputting the temperature in the heating or cooling process and the number of repetitions of the work to the control device 9 . It is assumed that the counter 9a can count the number of times a plurality of tasks are performed at the same time.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of drying seafood in a state in which the temperature and humidity of the air are known, the humidifier described above is installed upstream of the temperature and humidity measuring instrument in the second section B or the first section A, which will be described later. should be installed.

[1-2; Overview of control in basic configuration]
Next, in the seafood drying system 1 configured as described above, control in the heating process and the cooling process performed by the control device 9 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an outline of control executed by the control device in the seafood drying system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The dashed lines indicate the range of contents executed in each of the heating process and the cooling process. In addition, the first and second target temperatures, the first and second maintenance times (details will be described later, but the times are set by the number of repetitions M and N), and the number of repetitions L, the fish and shellfish drying system It is assumed that the input section 9b is input to the control device 9 in advance before the drying process is started by 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the drying process is started, the control device 9 in the seafood drying system 1 first sets the count value K of the counter 9a to 1 (step S1), and then the temperature and humidity measuring device 2d. A heating process and a cooling process surrounded by a broken line are performed in order while cooperating.
In the heating process, the controller 9 first heats the inside of the drying chamber 2 to a first target temperature T _H set within the range of 30° C. to 50° C. (step S2). After the temperature in the drying chamber 2 reaches the first target temperature T _H in step S2, the control device 9 controls the inside of the drying chamber 2 to maintain the first target temperature T _H for the first time. The fish and shellfish are dried while maintaining up to the temperature (step S3). When this step S3 is completed, the heating process is completed, and then the cooling process is started.
In the subsequent cooling process, the controller 9 lowers the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 to the second target temperature _TL set within the range of 0° C. to 20° C. (step S4). After the temperature in the drying chamber 2 reaches the second target temperature _TL in step S4, the controller 9 keeps the fish and shellfish at the second target temperature _TL until the second maintenance time elapses. is dried (step S5), and if this step S5 is executed, the drying process is terminated.

If it is desired to continue drying the fish and shellfish, a desired number of repetitions L is inputted in advance from the input section 9b of the control device 9, so that when step S5 is completed, the control device 9, as shown in FIG. The count value K of the counter 9a is incremented by 1 (step S6). At this time, if the count value K of the counter 9a has not reached the set number of repetitions L, the controller 9 returns to step S2 so that the drying process is executed until the count value K reaches the number of repetitions L. (step S7). On the other hand, when the count value K of the counter 9a reaches the repetition number L, the control device 9 terminates the drying process (step S7).
Here, if the heating process and the cooling process need not be repeated, 1 may be input as the number of repetitions L. FIG. Further, if the repeated processing itself is unnecessary when producing dried fish, the seafood drying system 1 may have the control device 9 without the counter 9a. In this case, it goes without saying that steps S1, S6, and S7 in FIG. 2 are omitted.

[1-3; Details of control in basic configuration]
Next, details of control performed by the control device 9 in the heating process (steps S2 and S3) and the cooling process (steps S4 and S5) will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 to 5 in addition to FIG. 2 already described to explain the contents of the heating process and the cooling process by the seafood drying system 1 according to the first embodiment. It is synonymous with describing the embodiment by regarding the process by as a method for producing dried fish and shellfish.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the details of the control of the heating process and the first maintaining process executed by the controller in the heating process of the seafood drying system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The dashed lines indicate the ranges of the contents of control executed in each of the temperature raising step (step S2) and the first maintaining step (step S3).
On the other hand, FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the contents of the control of the temperature lowering step and the second maintaining step executed by the control device in the cooling step of the seafood drying system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The dashed line indicates the range of the contents of the control executed in each of the temperature lowering step (step S4) and the second maintaining step (step S5).

In the heating process, as shown in FIG. 3, when step S2 is started, the control device 9 first sets the count value I of the counter 9a to 1 (step S21), and then the control device 9 opens the external air intake valve 3c. is opened to close the valve 7 (step S22). Then, the control device 9 increases the output of the blower fan 6, turns on the output of the heating device 4 (step S23), and raises the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 to the first target temperature _TH . I will let you. After that, the control device 9 determines whether the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 has reached a preset "lower limit" lower than the first target temperature _TH (step S24). The first maintenance step (step S3) is performed, and if the temperature has not reached the temperature, the temperature is controlled so as to continue to be raised.
The "lower limit", which is arbitrarily set at a temperature lower than the first target temperature _TH , prevents the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 from _overshooting the first target temperature TH when the temperature rises. It is a value set for the purpose, and can be arbitrarily determined by the user according to the specifications of the heating device 4 and the blower fan 6 and the temperature rising rate.

Then, when it is confirmed that the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 has reached the “lower limit” of the first target temperature _TH (step S24), the controller 9 raises the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 to the Step S3, which is the first maintenance step, is started so as to maintain the target temperature _TH of 1.0. In this step S3, the controller 9 first weakens the output of the blower fan 6 and adjusts the output of the heating device 4 (step S31) so that the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 is maintained at the first target temperature _TH . to control. Next, the controller 9 increments the count value I of the counter 9a by 1 (step S32). Then, the control device 9 executes step S32 at a predetermined cycle until the count value I reaches the number of repetitions N (step S33). It should be noted that the number of repetitions N is set so that the product of this number of repetitions and the cycle corresponds to the first sustain time. Therefore, in step S3, the seafood stored in the drying chamber 2 is maintained at the first target temperature _TH until the first maintenance time elapses.
When the controller 9 determines in step S33 that the count value I has reached the number of repetitions N, the controller 9 turns off the output of the heating device 4 to end the heating process (step S34). (Steps S4 and S5).

In the cooling process, as shown in FIG. 4, when step S4 is started, the controller 9 first sets the count value J of the counter 9a to 1 (step S41), closes the external air intake valve 3c, and closes the valve 7 is opened (step S42). Then, the controller 9 increases the output of the blower fan 6, turns on the output of the cooling device 5 (step S43), and lowers the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 to the second target temperature _TL . After that, the controller 9 determines whether the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 has reached an arbitrarily set "upper limit" higher than the second target temperature _TL (step S44). If so, the process proceeds to the second maintaining step (step S5).
The "upper limit", which is arbitrarily set at a temperature higher than the second target temperature T _L , is the same as the first target temperature T _H described above. This value is set to prevent a large overshoot from the second target temperature _TL , and can be arbitrarily determined by the user according to the specifications of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 and the cooling speed.

Here, in step S43, if the output of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 is too strong (rapid cooling), dew condensation may occur depending on the humidity in the drying chamber 2, and the surface of the seafood may become wet. is assumed. In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to determine the optimum first target temperature T _H , second target temperature T _L and temperature drop rate in advance.
Specifically, when the relative humidity assumed at the first target temperature T _H is lowered to the second target temperature T _L , the relative humidity does not reach 100%. It is necessary to set so that the target temperature _TL of is not the dew point temperature. If the first target temperature _TH and the relative humidity at that time can be assumed in advance, the first target temperature _TH and the second target temperature _TL can be set in advance in the control device 9 as a data set. Therefore, in that case, the heating process is controlled so as to achieve the first target temperature _TH , and the cooling process is controlled so as to achieve the second target temperature _TL .
However, if the assumed relative humidity for the first target temperature _TH is unknown in advance, the temperature data measured by the temperature/humidity measuring instrument 2d during the first maintenance time at the first target temperature _TH and humidity data, the temperature at which the relative humidity becomes 100%, ie, the dew point temperature, is calculated in the control device 9, and the second target temperature _TL , which is equal to or higher than the dew point temperature, can be set.

In that case, wet air diagram data is stored in the control device 9, and the dew point temperature can be calculated using the temperature data and humidity data collected from the temperature/humidity measuring device 2d. Then, the first target temperature _T is set on the safe side to some extent and controlled in the heating process so as to achieve that temperature. _L is set and controlled between 0°C and 20°C. When the dew point temperature is between 0° C. and 20° C., this temperature setting is automatically set by the controller 9 as that value or as a value with a desired likelihood. good too.
In addition, in the method for controlling the seafood drying system according to the second embodiment, which will be described later, it is described that the condensed water from the cooling device 5 is discharged from the drain. It is also conceivable that the condensed water accompanying rapid cooling may be treated by the cooling device 5 . However, in the case of rapid cooling, it may be difficult to collect all the condensed water with the cooling device 5, and there is a possibility that condensation may occur on the surface of the material to be dried. It is considered necessary to set a set of the first target temperature _TH and the second target temperature _TL in advance and to calculate the dew point temperature.
Also, if the cooling rate is fast, there is a possibility of overshooting, and there is also a possibility of condensation at that time. may be determined by considering the expected dew point temperature based on the humidity in the environment. This makes it possible to reliably prevent dew condensation from occurring.

Furthermore, in step S42, the outside air intake valve 3c is closed and the valve 7 is opened. The degree of opening may be lowered. This makes it possible to stop or reduce the inflow of air from the drying chamber 2 into the first air passage 3 without passing through the cooling device 5 and to cool the air more rapidly.
Similarly, the exhaust port 2e may also be provided with an exhaust port valve (not shown) to close or reduce the degree of opening. Since the external air intake valve 3c is already closed, it is thought that the external air will not flow in even if the exhaust port 2e is open. Since it cannot be said that outside air having a higher temperature or humidity than the air in the drying chamber 2 flows from 2e, an outlet valve may be provided to prevent the cooled air from being discharged.

Next, when it is confirmed that the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 has reached the “upper limit” of the second target temperature _TL (step S44), the controller 9 raises the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 to the second Step S5, which is the second maintenance step, is started so as to maintain the target temperature _TL of . In this step S5, the controller 9 weakens the output of the blower fan 6 and adjusts the output of the cooling device 5 (step S51) so that the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 is maintained at the second target temperature _TL . to control. Next, the controller 9 increments the count value J of the counter 9a by 1 (step S52).

Then, the control device 9 executes step S52 at a predetermined cycle until the count value J reaches the number of repetitions M (step S53). The number of repetitions M is set so that the product of the repetition number N and the cycle of repeating step S52 corresponds to the second sustain time. Therefore, in step S5, the seafood stored in the drying chamber 2 is maintained at the second target temperature _TL until the second maintenance time elapses.
Then, when the controller 9 determines that the count value J has reached the number of repetitions M in step S53, it turns off the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 to end the cooling process (step S54). When the heating process and the cooling process are repeated, as shown in FIG. 2, the process proceeds to step S6 after step S54.

How the temperature and weight ratio of the dried fish and shellfish change over time in the fish and shellfish drying system 1 in which the above control is performed will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the time dependence of the temperature and weight ratio of seafood when drying seafood, FIG. This is the case with the seafood drying system according to the present embodiment.
It should be noted that the weight ratio in the figure indicates the ratio of the weight of the fish and shellfish in the drying process when the weight of the fish and shellfish before drying is 100, expressed as a percentage. Also, the drying temperature indicates the first target temperature T _H set in the heating step, and the product temperature indicates the temperature of the dried seafood. Furthermore, the gray zone in FIG. 5 indicates the region of 20° C. to 50° C., which is the temperature at which bacteria grow.

5(a) and 5(b), the weight ratio of fish and shellfish and the time dependence of the drying temperature are the same. However, in FIG. 5(a), the product temperature is always within the gray zone, whereas in FIG. 5(b), the product temperature during the cooling process is not within the above gray zone and is lower than 20°C. maintained at temperature. That is, in the case of the seafood drying system 1 shown in FIG. 5(b), unlike the general drying system shown in FIG. It is gently dried at a temperature within the range of 0° C. to 20° C. at which it is difficult for sintering to occur.

[1-4; Actions and effects of the seafood drying system according to the first embodiment]
In the seafood drying system 1 as described above, by operating the blower fan 6 with the external air intake valve 3c open and the valve 7 closed, the moist air in the drying chamber 2 is removed from the circulation port 2a. After being exhausted from the drying chamber 2, it circulates through the first air passage 3 while being gently replaced with the outside air entering from the outside air intake port 3b, and flows into the drying chamber 2 again from the discharge port 2b of the drying chamber 2. It has the effect of Further, by operating the blower fan 6 with the external air intake valve 3c closed and the valve 7 open, the air in the drying chamber 2 is discharged from the cooling intake port 2c together with the circulation port 2a. It also has the function of passing through the second air passage 8 together with the first air passage 3 and flowing into the drying chamber 2 from the discharge port 2b of the drying chamber 2 again. The heating device 4 has the effect of heating the air circulating between the inside of the first air passage 3 and the drying chamber 2 to raise the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 . In addition, the cooling device 5 has the effect of cooling the air passing through the second air passage 8 to lower the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 .

Further, the control device 9 keeps the outside air intake valve 3c open until the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 measured by the temperature/humidity measuring instrument 2d reaches the first target temperature _TH for the first maintenance time. 7 is closed to perform the heating process of controlling the outputs of the heating device 4 and the blower fan 6 . Execution of this heating step has the effect of maintaining the fish and shellfish in the drying chamber 2 at the first target temperature T _H until the first maintenance time elapses.
Further, the control device 9 maintains the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 measured by the temperature/humidity measuring device 2d at the second target temperature _TL at which the growth of bacteria is suppressed until the second maintenance time elapses. , the cooling process is performed in which the output of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 is controlled by opening the valve 7 while closing the outside air intake valve 3c. That is, the seafood in the drying chamber 2 has the effect of being maintained at the second target temperature _TL until the second maintenance time elapses.

In addition, the control performed by the control device 9 in the heating process and the cooling process is controlled while adjusting the outputs of the heating device 4, the cooling device 5, and the blower fan 6 so as to increase or decrease. As a result, while the heating process or the cooling process is being performed, it is possible to apply not only strong warm air or cold air but also weak warm air or cold air to the fish and shellfish.
In the cooling process, the control device 9 collects the temperature and humidity data in the drying chamber 2 in real time by the temperature and humidity measuring instrument 2d, and as described above, the dew point temperature calculated based on this temperature and humidity is taken into consideration. Alternatively, the outputs of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 may be controlled. With such a configuration, the fish and shellfish drying system 1 can reduce the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 at an appropriate cooling rate so that dew condensation does not occur in the drying chamber 2. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 9 operates and controls the counter 9a, so that the seafood drying system 1 can repeatedly perform the heating process and the cooling process.

The fish and shellfish drying system 1 having the above effects is considered to have the following effects. That is, the seafood drying system 1 can change the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 by heating or cooling the air circulating while passing through the drying chamber 2 with the blower fan 6 under the control of the control device 9. . In addition, the seafood drying system 1 can set the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 to the preset first target temperature _TH or the second target temperature by executing the heating process and the cooling process described above by the control device 9. _TL can be maintained until a predetermined time (first maintenance time or second maintenance time) elapses. Such processing executed by the control device 9 is the same as drying processing in the sun. That is, the heating process corresponds to the process of drying the fish and shellfish in the sun during the daytime, and the cooling process corresponds to the process of exposing the fish and shellfish to cold air and cold wind at night to dry them in the sun. In this manner, the seafood drying system 1 can automatically and easily process seafood in the drying chamber 2 in the same manner as drying in the sun.

In addition, the drying process of the seafood is performed in the drying chamber 2 isolated from the outside air, and the temperature of the seafood is maintained within the range of 0 ° C. to 20 ° C. where bacteria hardly grow in the cooling process. As compared with ordinary sun-drying, the seafood is not exposed to the outside air, the adhesion of various bacteria and dust from the outside is suppressed, and the growth of bacteria is also suppressed. In other words, a hygienic manufacturing environment can be constructed and production management becomes easier, which is thought to contribute to a reduction in the defect rate.

Furthermore, the control performed by the control device 9 in the heating process and the cooling process is performed while adjusting the outputs of the heating device 4, the cooling device 5, and the blower fan 6 as described above. For this reason, it is considered that there is also an effect that dew condensation in the drying chamber 2 is less likely to occur. In addition, when targeting delicate seafood (such as fish roe) that is prone to surface cracks due to surface layer deterioration or sudden volume shrinkage due to drying, it is necessary to control the temperature during the heating or cooling process. The device 9 controls the fishes and shellfishes so that weak hot air or cold air is applied to the fishes and shellfishes, so that the fishes and shellfishes can be dried without causing cracks or the like. This will lead to a reduction in the defective rate of products.

In addition, excessive drying will not accelerate the hardening of the surface of the fish and shellfish. Moisture does not become difficult to pass through the layer. For this reason, it is not difficult for the moisture inside the seafood to migrate to the surface, making it easy to maintain a constant moisture content between the surface layer and the center, and the production of high-quality products that do not vary in maturity depending on the location. becomes possible.

Furthermore, as described above, in the cooling process, the controller 9 may control the outputs of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 while considering the dew point temperature calculated based on the humidity measured by the temperature and humidity measuring instrument 2d. In this case, dew condensation in the drying chamber 2 can be made more difficult to occur. With such control, for example, in step S43 described above, dew condensation does not occur and the surface of the seafood becomes wet. As a result, it is considered possible to prevent the extension of the drying treatment time and the deterioration of the quality due to the additional drying.

In addition, according to the seafood drying system 1, as described above, the heating process corresponding to the process of heating the seafood by the sun during the day and the process of exposing the seafood to cold air and cold wind at night when drying in the sun to cool it. corresponding cooling steps can be repeated. That is, it is possible to automatically dry fish and shellfish (for example, thick-fleshed fish) that need to be sun-dried for a long period of time under the same conditions as those for sun-drying. As a result, even for fish and shellfish that need to be dried in the sun for a long period of time, it is possible to automatically produce dried fish of the same quality as those dried in the sun regardless of the weather. In addition, since there is no need to move the equipment indoors in case of bad weather, it is possible to reduce costs such as management costs and personnel costs at the time of manufacturing.

[2; Detailed structure of the seafood drying system according to the first embodiment]
[2-1; Concerning control in the second maintenance step (step S5)]
In the seafood drying system 1, the control device 9 may set the output of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 to zero until the second maintenance time elapses.
In such a case, in the second maintaining step (step S5), the fish and shellfish in the drying chamber 2 are always maintained at the second target temperature _TL without being exposed to cold air, and the inside of the fish and shellfish is Since the drying of the surface exceeds the speed of diffusion of moisture to the surface, the surface of the fish and shellfish is prevented from drying excessively.
In order to realize such control, the heat insulating property of the drying chamber 2 may be enhanced, or the control device 9 may appropriately control the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 .
For example, a material with low heat conductivity such as a vacuum insulation material, inorganic fiber such as glass wool or rock wool, or plastic foam such as rigid urethane foam or polystyrene foam is arranged around the drying chamber 2 as a heat insulating material to enhance heat insulation. By suppressing the inflow of heat into the drying chamber 2, it is considered that the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 is less likely to rise, and the fish and shellfish are more likely to be maintained at the second target temperature _TL . Further, when the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 deviates from the second target temperature _TL due to the inflow of heat after the outputs of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 are set to zero, the control device 9 controls the cooling device 5 and the output of the blower fan 6 may be controlled to increase again. In this case, it is desirable to set the output of the blower fan 6 lower than the output in step S4 to suppress drying of the surface exceeding the diffusion rate of water inside the fish and shellfish to the surface, as described above. When the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 again reaches the second target temperature _TL by this control, the control device 9 controls the outputs of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 to be zero again. . As a result, although it is intermittent, the time during which the fish and shellfish are exposed to the cold wind is shortened, and the surface of the fish and shellfish is prevented from being excessively dried.

On the other hand, during the second maintenance step (step S5), the control device 9 may control the output of the blower fan 6 so that the output of the cooling device 5 is zero and a breeze is generated. By gently circulating the air by generating a breeze, the surface of the fish and shellfish can be gently dried while utilizing the cold air remaining in the fish and shellfish drying system 1. - 特許庁That is, it becomes possible to realize a drying process close to that in the case where the outputs of the cooling device 5 and the blower fan 6 are set to zero.
Furthermore, between the heating step and the cooling step, a step of opening the outside air intake port 3b and the exhaust port 2e to replace the air in the drying chamber 2 with the outside air may be added (see FIG. 1). By removing even a small amount of heat applied to the seafood drying system 1 during the heating process through such a process, the cooling efficiency in the cooling process is improved, and the second maintenance process (step S5) It is thought that it is possible to suppress the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 from gradually rising during the period.

With the above effects, the fish and shellfish drying system 1 can gently dry the fish and shellfish in the cooling process. As a result, deterioration and volumetric shrinkage of the surface layer of the fish and shellfish in the cooling process are further suppressed. In addition, as described above, it is possible to more easily perform the drying treatment of delicate fish eggs, etc., which are susceptible to cracking on the surface.
In addition, during the cooling process, the moisture present inside the seafood easily migrates to the surface, so the moisture content is uniform regardless of the location, such as the surface layer or the center, and the degree of maturity is uniform regardless of location. Makes it easier to make dried seafood.

[2-2; About the direction of the wind in the drying chamber]
As shown in FIG. 1, in the drying chamber 2 of the seafood drying system 1, a first perforated plate 2f and a second perforated plate 2f and a second perforated plate are vertically installed in parallel to divide the interior of the drying chamber 2 into three compartments. 2g, the three compartments are a first compartment A formed between the inner wall 2h of the drying chamber 2 and the first perforated plate 2f, and between the inner wall 2h of the drying chamber 2 and the second perforated plate 2g. It may consist of a second compartment B formed and a third compartment C formed between the first perforated plate 2f and the second perforated plate 2g. Here, although not shown, the aperture ratio of the first perforated plate 2f is larger than the aperture ratio of the second perforated plate 2g. In addition, in the third section C, a plurality of shelf boards 2i are arranged in the vertical direction so that seafood can be stored. In addition, although a plurality of shelf boards 2i are installed in FIG. 1, only some of the shelf boards 2i are given reference numerals for complication.
In addition, a discharge port 2b connected to the first ventilation path 3 is provided on the inner wall 2h of the drying chamber 2 so as to communicate with the first compartment A, and the circulation port 2a and the second A cooling air inlet 2c connected to the air passage 8 is provided in the inner wall 2h of the drying chamber 2 so as to communicate with the second section B. As shown in FIG.

With the seafood drying system 1 having such a configuration, the air entering from the discharge port 2b enters the first compartment A in the drying chamber 2, so that the air in the first compartment A becomes the first porosity. It has an effect of being uniformly pushed out from the hole of the plate 2f toward the third section C side. Then, the air pushed out from the first section A passes through the second perforated plate 2g while applying pressure to the second perforated plate 2g, which has a smaller aperture ratio than the first perforated plate 2f. It has the effect of being extruded substantially uniformly to the section B side of No. 2.
The air that has entered the second compartment B side is discharged from the drying chamber 2 to the first ventilation path 3 or the second ventilation path 8 through the circulation port 2a or the cooling intake port 2c. . In addition, the air entering the third section C passes through the first perforated plate 2f and the second perforated plate 2g so that it flows horizontally in the third section C (becomes a horizontal blow). Become.

With the fish and shellfish drying system 1 having the above action, as shown in FIG. Even if a plurality of shelves 2i on which fishes and shellfishes are placed are arranged in the vertical direction, the airflow is less likely to be blocked by the shelves 2i and the fishes and shellfishes (not shown). As a result, hot air or cold air passes through the third section C regardless of the location, which suppresses the occurrence of temperature unevenness, prevents the occurrence of uneven drying of fish and shellfish, and prevents unexpected bacterial growth. It is possible to prevent it. In addition, it is possible to increase the profit rate by reducing the defect rate of the manufactured dried fish.

[3; Seafood drying system according to the second embodiment]
The configuration, action, and effects of the seafood drying system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 and 7 in addition to already explained FIGS. To explain the contents of the cooling process that differs from the above is the same as to explain the embodiment of the process by the seafood drying system 1' as a dried seafood manufacturing method.
A seafood drying system 1' according to the second embodiment is the same as the seafood drying system according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. Further, although the heating process by the control device 9 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and the control method up to step S4 in the cooling process shown in FIG. Control method is different.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the cooling process executed in the seafood drying system according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a graph which shows the time dependence of the temperature and weight ratio of seafood when drying seafood.
In the cooling process of the seafood drying system according to the second embodiment, in step _S44 shown in FIG. If it has reached the "upper limit", the process proceeds to step S5' in FIG. The concept of "upper limit" is the same as in the first embodiment.
In step S5', the control device 9 controls the temperature T in the drying chamber 2 to be maintained at the second target temperature _TL .

Specifically, in step S<b>51 ′, the control device 9 weakens the output of the blower fan 6 and adjusts the output of the heating device 4 installed downstream of the cooling device 5 in addition to the output of the cooling device 5 . In the second embodiment, while the output of the cooling device 5 is controlled so that the temperature is ΔT° C. lower than the second target temperature _TL , the temperature of the heating device 4 on the downstream side is increased by ΔT° C. Adjust the output so that Therefore, when it is supplied to the drying chamber 2, it is controlled so as to reach the second target temperature _TL . In this manner, the temperature T inside the drying chamber 2 is controlled to be maintained at the second target temperature _TL .
.DELTA.T.degree. C. is a temperature difference that can be determined arbitrarily and as desired according to the type of fish, and is, for example, about 2 to 3.degree.
By providing ΔT ° C. in this way, the cooling device 5 lowers the temperature to a lower temperature than circulating the air in the drying chamber 2 at the second target temperature _TL . Consequently, it is possible to dry the air by dehumidification.
Therefore, it is possible to dry even in a low temperature state that is out of the temperature zone where bacteria grow after rapid cooling, and by combining with the drying in the heating process, it is possible to shorten the drying time as a whole. It is possible to dry slowly while reducing the load on certain seafood.
In addition, it is preferable to provide a drain so that condensed water generated in the cooling device 5 can be collected and discharged. In addition, for control by the control device 9, outlet temperature data is transmitted from the cooling device 5 to the control device 9 via the input section 9b.

Next, the controller 9 increments the count value J of the counter 9a by 1 (step S52').
Then, the control device 9 executes step S52' at a predetermined cycle until the count value J reaches the number of repetitions M (step S53'). Since the number of repetitions M is the same as in the first embodiment, the fish and shellfish stored in the drying chamber 2 are kept in the second holding time until the second holding time has passed in step S5'. 2 target temperature _TL .
Then, when the control device 9 determines that the count value J has reached the number of repetitions M in step S53′, it turns off the cooling device 5, the heating device 4, and the blower fan 6 to end the cooling process (step S54'). When the heating process and the cooling process are repeatedly performed, as shown in FIG. 2 in the description of the first embodiment, after step S54', the process proceeds to step S6.
In the control in step S51 of the seafood drying system 1 according to the first embodiment, the air in the drying chamber 2 is circulated at the second target temperature TL without providing ΔT° _C , and dew condensation does not occur. However, in the second embodiment, by controlling step S5' of the cooling process in this way, ΔT ° C. is provided and the temperature is lowered by the cooling device 5 to cause condensation and drain drainage. It is possible to dehumidify and dry the air by heating to the second target temperature _TL by the heating device 4 while the air is being heated.
Therefore, it is possible to dry even in a low temperature state, it is possible to shorten the drying time as a whole together with the drying in the heating process, and it is also possible to reduce the drying cost together with the intermittent operation. . Moreover, it is possible to gently dry fish and shellfish, which are the objects to be dried, by avoiding sudden drying, and it is also possible to reduce damage to fish and shellfish.
The fish and shellfish drying system 1' according to the second embodiment and the fish and shellfish drying system 1 according to the first embodiment are the same, and the control method up to step S4 is the same. Also in the embodiment, in step S42, a circulation port valve may be provided in the circulation port 2a to close or lower the opening degree, or an exhaust port valve (not shown) may be provided in the exhaust port 2e. may be provided to lower the degree of closing or opening. These effects are also the same as those of the first embodiment.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention relates to a drying system capable of drying fish and shellfish with the same quality as drying in the sun, and can be used in the technical field of drying foods.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1'... Seafood drying system 2... Drying chamber 2a... Circulation port 2b... Discharge port 2c... Cooling intake port 2d... Temperature-humidity measuring instrument 2e... Exhaust port 2f... 1st perforated plate 2g... 2nd perforation Plate 2h... Inner wall 2i... Shelf board 3... First ventilation path 3a... Box body 3b... Outside air intake port 3c... Outside air intake valve 4... Heating device 5... Cooling device 5a... Cooling chamber 6... Blower fan 7... Valve 8 Second ventilation path 9 Control device 9a Counter 9b Input section A First section B Second section C Third section I, J, K Count value M, N, L Repeat Number of times T _H … First target temperature T … Temperature in the drying chamber _TL … Second target temperature

Claims (6)

A drying chamber, a heating device for heating the air in the drying chamber, a cooling device for cooling the air in the drying chamber, a blower fan for circulating the air in the drying chamber, and introducing outside air into the drying chamber. A first ventilation passage for introducing the air from an outside air intake valve and a circulation port of the drying chamber, and delivering the air to an outlet of the drying chamber via the outside air intake valve, the blower fan, and the heating device. and a second air passage for introducing the air from a cooling air inlet of the drying chamber and sending the air through the cooling device to the first air passage on the upstream side of the blower fan via a valve; A control device for controlling the operation of the heating device, the cooling device, the blower fan, the valve, and the outside air intake valve, and a temperature and humidity measurement device connected to the control device for measuring the temperature and humidity in the drying chamber. equipped with a vessel and
The controller controls that the temperature in the drying chamber is
The external air intake valve is closed so that the temperature is maintained at a first target temperature set in advance within a temperature range of 30° C. to 50° C. until the first maintenance time elapses. After performing a heating step of controlling the output of the heating device and the blower fan while opening,
A second target temperature set in advance within a temperature range of 0° C. to 20° C. is maintained until a second maintenance time elapses, and the outside air intake valve is opened while the valve is open. A fish and shellfish drying system characterized by executing a cooling process of controlling outputs of the cooling device and the blower fan while the system is closed. In the cooling step, the heating device is added to the cooling device and the blower fan to control the output, and until the second maintenance time elapses, the cooling device is heated to a temperature lower than the second target temperature in advance. cooling the air to a temperature lower by a desired temperature difference, and the heating device is performed to heat the air by the temperature difference to return the temperature in the drying chamber to the second target temperature. The seafood drying system according to claim 1. 2. The fish and shellfish drying system according to claim 1, wherein the control device provides a time during which the outputs of the cooling device and the blower fan are set to zero until the second maintenance time elapses. 4. The seafood drying system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device repeats the heating step and the cooling step until a preset number of repetitions is reached. A first perforated plate and a second perforated plate vertically installed in parallel to divide the drying chamber into three compartments;
The compartment is
a first compartment formed between the inner wall of the drying chamber and the first perforated plate;
a second compartment formed between the inner wall of the drying chamber and the second perforated plate;
a third compartment formed between the first perforated plate and the second perforated plate for storing seafood,
The discharge port is provided on the inner wall of the drying chamber so as to communicate with the first compartment,
The circulation port and the cooling intake port are provided on the inner wall of the drying chamber so as to communicate with the second compartment,
The seafood drying system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the aperture ratio of the first perforated plate is larger than the aperture ratio of the second perforated plate. A method for producing dried fish by arranging seafood in a drying chamber and drying it,
The temperature in the drying chamber is maintained at a preset first target temperature within a temperature range of 30° C. to 50° C. until a first maintenance time elapses, and outside air is introduced into the drying chamber. A heating step of controlling heating and air blowing so that the is circulated while being discharged;
The temperature in the drying chamber is maintained at a second target temperature preset within a temperature range of 0° C. to 20° C. until a second maintenance time elapses, and the outside air is introduced and the air is discharged. After the air has been extracted from the drying chamber and cooled to a temperature that is a desired predetermined temperature difference below the second target temperature, the air is cooled to the second target temperature. and a cooling step of controlling cooling, heating, and air blowing so that the dried fish is heated to a temperature and returned to the drying chamber and circulated.

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