JP7384408B2 - Aseptic drying equipment and aseptic drying method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an aseptic drying device and an aseptic drying method for drying and sterilizing objects to be dried such as agricultural products, forest products, fish products, clothing, and sanitary utensils at low temperatures.

As conventional drying apparatuses, for example, those described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are known. The drying device described in Patent Document 1 heats air introduced from the outside with an introduction air heating device, cools it with an introduction air cooling device, or simultaneously heats and cools the air and introduces it into the drying chamber, thereby reducing the amount of air that circulates within the drying chamber. The purpose is to accelerate the drying of the material to be dried while adjusting the temperature of the air, the temperature of the circulating air, and the temperature of the material to be dried to target values. The drying device also includes an exhaust fan that removes a portion of the circulating air to the outside together with evaporated moisture. Furthermore, this drying device adjusts the temperature of the air circulating inside the drying chamber or the temperature of the circulating air and the temperature of the material to be dried to the target value, while changing the passage area when introducing the air to increase the amount of air introduced. The system is equipped with an introduced air amount adjusting device that adjusts the amount of introduced air, and by adjusting the amount of introduced air, the amount of discharged air is adjusted.

Further, the drying device described in Patent Document 2 includes a drying chamber, a dehumidifier as a dehumidifying means for dehumidifying the inside air of the drying chamber, and a non-ventilated air path forming means for forming an air path for circulating the inside air. It has a sex member, a blower as a blowing means for blowing inside air, and a container as a seed storage container. Note that the dehumidifier is equipped with a cooling means, and can cool the air inside the drying chamber by discharging the heat inside the drying chamber to the outside of the drying chamber.

Further, the drying device described in Patent Document 3 includes a low-temperature storage that can be maintained near the freezing point, a dehumidifying means and a sterilizing means disposed inside the low-temperature storage, and a blowing means for stirring the air in the low-temperature storage. It is equipped with In this drying device, the temperature is adjusted by heating the circulating air in the low temperature storage.

The drying device described in Patent Document 1 heats and cools air introduced from the outside in order to adjust the temperature of the material to be dried to a target value, and adjusts the amount of air introduced from the exhaust fan to the outside. The amount of exhaust air to be removed is adjusted so that the evaporated moisture is exhausted to the outside along with the circulating air, but it is extremely inefficient to introduce air for drying from the outside for heating and cooling. bad. That is, a lot of energy is wasted because the moisture contained in the outside air is heated and cooled to dehumidify and the air that has entered the blower room is discharged to the outside by the blower.

Further, in the drying device described in Patent Document 2, in order to make the inside air in the drying room a temperature lower than the temperature at which the germination rate of seeds decreases, the heat inside the drying room is cooled by a cooling means provided in a dehumidifier. However, further cooling the air coming out of the dehumidifier to adjust the temperature is inefficient and wasteful. Similarly, in the drying device described in Patent Document 3, it is inefficient and wasteful to heat the circulating air that has been dehumidified by the dehumidifying means to adjust the temperature in the low-temperature storage. .

Therefore, the present inventor has developed a drying device described in Patent Document 4 as a drying device that can efficiently perform drying at a low temperature at low cost. In this drying device, the material to be dried is stored in a drying chamber, the air in the drying chamber is sucked into a dehumidifier through an intake duct, dehumidified, and returned to the drying chamber through an exhaust duct, and the temperature inside the drying chamber is set in advance. By keeping the temperature within the range of 5 to 40°C, the material to be dried can be efficiently dried at low cost and at low temperature.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-91783 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-286296 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-142059 Patent No. 5635952

As mentioned above, there are a wide variety of low-temperature drying devices, and although all of them are capable of sterilizing bacteria to some extent, there are no low-temperature drying devices that can sterilize general bacteria, E. coli, etc. do not have.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sterile drying apparatus and a sterile drying method that can not only dry a material to be dried at low temperatures but also sterilize it.

The sterile drying apparatus of the present invention includes a drying chamber that accommodates objects to be dried, a sterilizer installed in the drying chamber, and air in the drying chamber that is sucked through an intake duct, dehumidified, and delivered to the drying chamber through an exhaust duct. and a dehumidifier for drying the material to be dried in the drying chamber within a temperature range of 5 to 40 degrees Celsius. It is equipped with a heating device that heats for a certain period of time.

In the aseptic drying method of the present invention, the items to be dried are stored in a drying chamber equipped with a sterilizer, the air in the drying chamber is sucked into a dehumidifier through an air intake duct, dehumidified, and returned to the drying chamber through an exhaust duct. , Drying the material to be dried in the drying chamber within a temperature range of 5 to 40 degrees Celsius; After drying the material to be dried, the temperature in the drying chamber is raised to 80 to 85 degrees Celsius using a heating device, and then heated for a predetermined period of time. It is characterized by including:

According to these inventions, the air in the drying chamber is sterilized by the sterilizer and circulated and dehumidified by the dehumidifier, so that the surfaces of the objects to be dried stored in the drying chamber are sterilized by the sterilizer and sterilized. By being dried with dehumidified air within a low temperature range of 5 to 40°C, the dried material is free from discoloration, deodorization, and chemical deterioration, and dries and shrinks in shape. Further, after the drying is completed, the temperature of the dried material in the drying chamber is raised to 80 to 85° C., and then heated for a predetermined period of time to make it sterilized. At this time, since the material to be dried is heated at 80 to 85° C. once drying is completed, the cells are sterilized without being damaged.

Note that during operation of the heating device, it is desirable that the intake duct and the exhaust duct be respectively shut off by dampers. While the heating device is operating, the temperature inside the drying room reaches a high temperature of 80-85°C, so by blocking the intake and exhaust ducts with a damper, the dehumidifier is prevented from being exposed to this high temperature of 80-85°C. and can protect the dehumidifier.

(1) The material to be dried is stored in a drying chamber equipped with a sterilizer, and the air in the drying chamber is sucked into a dehumidifier through an air intake duct, dehumidified, and returned to the drying chamber through an exhaust duct. The material to be dried is dried within a temperature range of 5 to 40°C, and after the drying of the material to be dried is completed, the temperature in the drying chamber is raised to 80 to 85°C using a heating device, and then heated for a predetermined time. Products are sterilized without damage to their cells, are not discolored, deodorized or chemically altered, only shrink in shape, are free from mold or corrosion, and can be stored for long periods of time.

(2) While the heating device is operating, the intake duct and exhaust duct are each blocked by a damper, which protects the dehumidifier by preventing it from being exposed to high temperatures of 80 to 85°C while the heating device is operating. This can prevent dehumidifier failure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the sterile drying apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the sterile drying apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the aseptic drying apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the aseptic drying apparatus of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sterile drying apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a drying chamber 2 that accommodates objects to be dried, a dehumidifier 3 that dehumidifies the air in the drying chamber 2, and a drying chamber 2. It has a hot air generator 4 as a heating device that heats the inside of 2. Inside the drying chamber 2, an ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 5 is provided as a sterilizing device. Further, the drying chamber 2 is provided with a thermometer 6 for measuring the temperature inside the drying chamber 2.

The drying chamber 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and one side thereof is a door 2A that can be opened and closed. The drying chamber 2 can accommodate a trolley on which objects to be dried are placed. This trolley can be equipped with multiple shelves on which items to be dried can be placed. The trolley has wheels for running, and can be moved into and out of the drying chamber 2 by opening the door 2A while the objects to be dried are placed thereon.

The dehumidifier 3 is connected to the inside of the drying chamber 2 through an intake duct 7 and an exhaust duct 8. The air intake duct 7 is connected to the lower part of the drying chamber 2. A damper 9A for shutting off is provided in the middle of the intake duct 7. The exhaust duct 8 is connected above the drying chamber 2. A damper 9B for blocking is provided in the middle of the exhaust duct 8.

The air in the drying chamber 2 is sucked into the dehumidifier 3 through the intake duct 7, dehumidified by the dehumidifier 3, and returned to the drying chamber 2 through the exhaust duct 8. It circulates between At this time, the operation of the dehumidifier 3 is controlled so that the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 measured by the thermometer 6 is within the temperature range of 5 to 40°C.

The hot air generator 4 is used to raise the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 to 80 to 85° C. after drying the material to be dried, and then heat it for a predetermined period of time. The hot air generator 4 heats and sterilizes the material to be dried by heating and sterilizing the material to be dried by raising the temperature in the drying chamber 2 to, for example, 80 to 85° C. and then maintaining the temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. The holding time varies depending on the material to be dried. Further, while the hot air generator 4 is in operation, the intake duct 7 and the exhaust duct 8 are respectively shut off by the dampers 9A and 9B.

The ultraviolet germicidal lamp 5 is turned on at least while the dehumidifier 3 is drying the object to be dried, and simultaneously sterilizes the dry air and the surface of the object to be dried. While the hot air generator 4 is in operation, the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 5 may or may not be turned on, but by turning it on, the material to be dried is sterilized more reliably.

Next, a sterile drying method using the sterile drying apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be explained. First, an object to be dried is placed in a drying chamber 2 equipped with an ultraviolet germicidal lamp 5, the door 2A is closed to seal the drying chamber 2, and the dehumidifier 3 is turned on. At this time, dampers 9A and 9B are kept open. As a result, the air in the drying chamber 2 is sucked into the dehumidifier 3 through the air intake duct 7, dehumidified, and returned to the drying chamber 2 through the exhaust duct 8, and the air to be dried in the drying chamber 2 is heated to 5 to 40°C. Dry within the temperature range.

The surface of the material to be dried in the drying chamber 2 is sterilized by ultraviolet rays irradiated by the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 5. Further, the air inside the drying chamber 2 is also sterilized by the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 5. During drying, the drying chamber 2 is sealed, and the air in the drying chamber 2 is circulated between the dehumidifier 3 and the dehumidifier 3 without being replaced, and the sterilized air strokes the surface of the object to be dried in the drying chamber 2. Make contact in this way. As a result, the surface of the object to be dried is sterilized, and the object to be dried is dried in a nearly sterile state. The drying time depends on the material to be dried, but is about 12 to 24 hours, 36 hours, or 48 hours.

Note that the upper limit of the temperature in the drying chamber 2 is 40°C, and preferably 38°C or less. There are also problems with the measurement error and response speed of the thermometer 6, and in order to ensure that the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 during drying is 40°C or lower, it is desirable to control it to 38°C or lower. When dried at 40° C. or lower, the nutrients of the dried material are not lost and no discoloration occurs. In addition, dried materials dried at 40° C. or lower return to their raw state when rehydrated with hot water, so they are suitable for drying materials such as vegetables, grains, agricultural products, fruits, and marine products. On the other hand, if the temperature exceeds 40°C, the cells will be destroyed and will not return to their original state.

After drying the material to be dried, the power to the dehumidifier 3 is turned off, the dampers 9A and 9B are closed, and the power to the hot air generator 4 is turned on. As a result, the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 is raised to 80 to 85° C. by the hot air generator 4. It takes about 30 to 35 minutes to complete the temperature rise. Then, the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 is maintained at 80 to 85° C. for 30 to 40 minutes to heat the material to be dried. As a result, the dried material that has already been dried is sterilized without damaging the cells. Note that if drying is not completed and the material is heated in a partially dried state, the water in the material to be dried will evaporate all at once and the cells will be destroyed.

Thereafter, the power to the hot air generator 4 is turned off, and when the temperature inside the drying chamber 2 has dropped to about 60° C., the door 2A of the drying chamber 2 is opened and the object to be dried is taken out. The dried material after processing is sterilized without damaging cells, does not change color, deodorize or chemically change, only shrinks in shape, does not have mold or corrosion, and can be stored for a long time. is possible.

Furthermore, in the sterile drying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the intake duct 7 and the exhaust duct 8 are blocked by the dampers 9A and 9B, respectively, while the hot air generator 4 is in operation. The dehumidifier 3 is protected from being exposed to high temperatures of 80 to 85° C., and failure of the dehumidifier 3 is prevented.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful as an aseptic drying device and an aseptic drying method capable of not only drying objects to be dried such as agricultural products, forest products, fish products, clothing, and sanitary utensils at low temperatures, but also sterilizing them.

1 Aseptic drying device 2 Drying room 2A Door 3 Dehumidifier 4 Hot air generator 5 Ultraviolet germicidal lamp 6 Thermometer 7 Air intake duct 8 Exhaust duct 9A, 9B Damper

Claims (3)

a drying chamber that accommodates items to be dried;
a sterilizer provided in the drying chamber;
A dehumidifier for sucking air in the drying chamber through an intake duct, dehumidifying it, and returning it to the drying chamber through an exhaust duct to dry the objects to be dried in the drying chamber within a temperature range of 5 to 40°C. ,
a heating device that heats the drying chamber for a predetermined period of time after raising the temperature in the drying chamber to 80 to 85° C. after the drying of the material to be dried is completed ;
a damper that respectively blocks the intake duct and the exhaust duct during operation of the heating device;
Aseptic drying equipment equipped with The sterile drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device is a hot air generator that supplies hot air into the drying chamber. The material to be dried is stored in a drying chamber equipped with a sterilizer, and the air in the drying chamber is sucked into a dehumidifier through an air intake duct, dehumidified, and returned to the drying chamber through an exhaust duct. drying the dried material within a temperature range of 5 to 40°C;
After the drying of the material to be dried is completed, the temperature in the drying chamber is raised to 80 to 85° C. by a heating device, and then heated for a predetermined period of time ;
While the heating device is in operation, the intake duct and the exhaust duct are each blocked by a damper.
Aseptic drying methods including.

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