JP3785246B2 - Cereal washing method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for washing cereals such as rice, wheat and red beans with water.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the brewing industry and the like, various washing apparatuses using water for grains such as rice, wheat and red beans have been proposed. For example, (1) Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-20580 “Continuous rice washing device” is a rice washing machine that reciprocally swings a rice washing basket in a washing tank to wash rice. In addition to the same apparatus as described above, the apparatus stirs the rice by applying a gas flow or a liquid flow to the rice in the rice bran immersed in the rice washing tank.・ "Soaking method and apparatus" have been proposed for stirring water-carrying rice with a water stirrer. In addition, there are other commercially available devices that (4) swirl and agitate rice with water by means of a propeller-like agitating blade, but only a water separator with a shower ring is often used for the rice that carries water. .
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In sake brewing in particular, washed rice is an important task for removing rice bran, and if this is insufficient, there will be problems such as unnecessary stickiness in the rice and a miscellaneous taste in the sake of the product. Considering each of the above devices from the viewpoint of removing this rice bran, (1) Japanese Examined Sho 51-20580 cannot expect sufficient rice washing just by swinging the rice washing basket in spite of the large equipment. In Kaihei 6-170251, although the degree of washing was improved, there was still a problem that the apparatus was enlarged. (3) Although the apparatus of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-320023 is downsized, there is a possibility that the degree of washing is insufficient. (4) The above-mentioned commercially available apparatus is easy to enlarge as in (1), and the residence time is long. There was a problem that was long and not constant.
[0004]
As is apparent from the above, the increase in the size of the apparatus does not improve the degree of cleaning. Therefore, the main objective was to achieve good cleaning by efficiently stirring cereals in a mixed state with water, and we decided to continue to study these cleaning devices in a more compact and simple manner.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the washing of cereals by washing with water, the degree of washing is determined by how the cereals are stirred in water. Therefore, as a result of the study, what has been developed is an infinite number of continuous occurrences in the path by interposing an ejector-type bubble generation mechanism with a gas introduction part as part of the path for pumping cereals with water. The grain washing method is characterized by continuously stirring the cereals being transported with water by the fine bubbles formed, and growing and washing while gradually integrating the bubbles .
[0006]
The “route” in the present invention includes all of the cereals used for water transportation, for example, a transportation route for water transportation of cereals to a dipping tank, and a circulation configured separately from the transportation route. There are routes.
[0007]
Bubbles are generated by the bubble generation mechanism and move together with the cereals by water conveyance. A bubble generation device may be provided separately from the path as the bubble generation mechanism, but bubbles can be generated in the path even if a gas introduction unit is provided for the path. This introduction portion may be one that draws air outside the route into the route as it is, or a device that forcibly injects compressed air. As a method of drawing air outside the path into the path, there is a method using negative pressure using a venturi pipe, like an ejector. The drawn air contributes to the stirring of cereals and water as bubbles, and also serves as a nucleus to facilitate the generation of bubbles due to the cavitation effect.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning device for cleaning the cereal 1 as a pre-stage of water transportation of the cereal 1 to the immersion tank, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the ejector 3 (a venturi tube provided with a gas introduction part). FIG. In the cleaning apparatus of this example, the circulation path is configured so that the water 2 used for cleaning the cereal 1 can be recycled.
[0009]
As seen in FIG. 1, the cereal 1 is dropped from the hopper 4 onto the central cylinder 6 of the water storage tank 5 and sucked together with the water 2 by the pump 8 connected to the pipe 7. Water is being transported. In FIG. 1, the movement path of the cereal 1 is indicated by a thick arrow, and the movement path of the water (or sewage) 2 is indicated by a broken line arrow. The ejector 3 is connected to a position close to the discharge port of the pump 8, and bubbles 9 generated from the ejector 3 are transported in the pipe 7 together with the cereal 1, and stirred in a state where the cereal 1 is mixed with the water 2. And wash. The bubbles 9 grow while gradually integrating, and are poured into the water separator 10 together with the cereal 1 and the sewage 2 after washing.
[0010]
The water separator 10 is a hollow casing in which a water-permeable mesh belt 14 is sandwiched between a cereal path portion 15 and a water path portion 16, and the cereal 1 and sewage 2 that have been transported by water are initially cereal path portions 15. However, the mesh belt 14 allows only the sewage 2 to pass through the water path 16, thereby realizing separation of the cereal 1 and the sewage 2. Since the muddy water after washing adheres to the surface of the cereal, the cereal that slides on the mesh belt 14 is exposed to water from the shower nozzle 17. After the washing, the cereal 1 is sent to a separately configured water transport path (not shown), and the sewage 2 is returned to the water storage tank 5. Thus, in the cleaning apparatus of this example, the water 2 used for cleaning can be repeatedly used, and the operation cost as a cleaning apparatus that requires a large amount of water is reduced.
[0011]
The ejector 3 used in this example has a cross-sectional structure as seen in FIG. An air introduction path 12 communicating with the outside is provided for the narrowest portion 11 of the venturi pipe constituting the path, and air 13 (indicated by a white arrow in the figure) moves from the introduction path 12 in the pipe. It is drawn into the water 2 to go. The drawn air 13 becomes bubbles 9 and contributes to the stirring of the cereal 1. In addition, it is thought that the bubble by a cavitation effect also generate | occur | produces from the narrowest part of a venturi tube, and this bubble also contributes to stirring of cereals.
[0012]
【Example】
In order to confirm the effect of the present invention due to the presence of bubbles using the above-described cleaning apparatus, the air introduction path provided in the ejector was opened and closed, and the degree of washing of sake rice with and without bubbles was compared. As a comparison method, a method of measuring the turbidity of water when 100 g of each sake rice after washing was put in 500 g of separately prepared water and stirred was used. As a result, the turbidity of water from sake rice washed with an ejector was about 65% of the turbidity of water washed from sake rice without an ejector, and a good washing effect due to bubbles generated from the ejector was confirmed. .
[0013]
In addition, in order to confirm the effect of the cleaning method itself of the present invention, the sake rice that was cleaned by the cleaning method of the present invention (Example) and the sake rice that was not cleaned (Comparative Example) were each transported by water to the immersion tank. The test was conducted. In both Examples and Comparative Examples, 100 kg of sake rice was transported by water at a rate of 1000 kg / h so that the ratio of sake rice: water = 1: 5 (weight ratio). When the turbidity of water separated after transporting water to the immersion tank was compared, the turbidity of the example was 1/10 or less compared to the comparative example. This level of turbidity proves that it can be easily and inexpensively recycled, and that an economic effect can be expected with a reduced amount of water used for water transportation.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention achieves fine grain agitation that cannot be achieved with conventional washing devices by agitating cereals in a state of being mixed with water during water transportation by countless bubbles, and good grain washing. Realize. In addition, the configuration of the cleaning apparatus using the cleaning method of the present invention is small and simple, and the bubble generating mechanism can be easily configured by providing a venturi pipe or an air introduction part in the piping that is the path. The manufacturing cost and the operation cost are advantageous.
[0015]
As is clear from the comparative test in the above-described embodiment, since the cleaning effect of the cleaning method of the present invention is high, the water used for water transport is formed when the cleaning device is configured separately from the water transport path to the immersion tank. As a result, the contamination of the water is greatly reduced to a level where it can be recycled, and economic effects such as saving water can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning apparatus having a path that allows water used for cleaning to be recycled.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cutaway perspective view of an ejector.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Grain 2 Water 3 Ejector 4 Hopper 5 Water storage tank 6 Central cylinder 7 Piping 8 Pump 9 Air bubbles
10 Water separator
11 Narrowest part
12 Air introduction route
13 Air
14 Mesh belt
15 Cereal pathway
16 Water path section
17 Shower nozzle

Claims (1)

As part of the path for pumping cereals with water , an ejector-type bubble generation mechanism with a gas introduction part is interposed, and the cereals that are being transported by water are continuously generated by countless fine bubbles generated in the path. A method for washing cereals, characterized by continuously stirring in a mixed state with water, and growing and washing the bubbles while gradually integrating them .

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