KR102387368B1 - Fish Freeze Drying Device - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a drying device which includes: a tray part including a tray on which an object to be freeze-dried; and a vacuum chamber in which an internal space for accommodating the tray part is formed. According to the present invention, drying efficiency is increased.

Description

Vacuum Drying Device {Fish Freeze Drying Device}

The present invention relates to a vacuum freeze-drying apparatus for manufacturing ink, and more particularly, to a vacuum freeze-drying apparatus for manufacturing ink by sublimating moisture of frozen ink to be stored in a vacuum space to dry the ink.

Vacuum power drying consists of a freezing process, a drying process, a vacuum evacuation process, a heating process, and an ice melting process.

The freezing process is a pre-freezing process in which the dried material is frozen at about -40 ° C.

The drying process (cold trap cooling process) removes only moisture from the frozen article, and the moisture removed becomes water vapor (gas) directly from ice (solid). A cold trap is necessary because you have to make it into ice again.

The purpose of the vacuum evacuation process is to create conditions in which moisture (ice) is easy to sublimate in the frozen dry matter. When the vacuum pump is operated to reduce the pressure in the drying chamber to a vacuum state, the boiling point is lowered, and the frozen moisture in the dried product is sublimated to become steam and exhausted, and the moisture (water vapor) moves to the cold trap.

In the case of the conventional freeze-drying apparatus, there was a disadvantage that the sealing performance of the drying chamber deteriorated over time and the drying performance also decreased, and the opening and closing structure of the cover for opening and closing the drying chamber was complicated and a lot of labor was required. It also had the disadvantage of lowering work efficiency.

One aspect of the present invention provides a food drying apparatus implemented so as to sublimate the moisture of the frozen food ink stored in the vacuum space to dry the ink ink.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

A drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a tray unit including a tray on which an object to be freeze-dried is placed; and a vacuum chamber in which an internal space for accommodating the tray part is formed.

On the other hand, the vacuum chamber, the front door formed so as to be open and sealed; may include.

In addition, a heating medium injection hole is formed on the front surface of the tray portion, and the tray portion may be formed to have an inclination by installing a rear portion higher than the front portion having the heating medium injection hole formed thereon.

In addition, the tray may include: an upper plate on which the freeze-dried object is placed; a lower plate positioned at a predetermined interval downward from the upper plate; and a metal foil that is regularly wrinkled so that the concave and convex portions are repeatedly formed while in contact between the upper plate and the lower plate.

In addition, the metal foil, the upper plate, and the lower plate may form a channel through which a heating medium flows.

In addition, the channel may be formed to form a wave pattern or a sine wave shape when viewed from the top of the tray part.

In addition, the tray may be formed by stacking regularly corrugated metal foils in multiple stages.

In addition, the tray may be formed so as to contact the recessed portion of the metal foil disposed on the upper side and the convex portion of the metal foil disposed on the lower layer.

In addition, the tray unit, a front bar installed at the front end of the lower plate of the tray to form a front wall of the input flow path; a ruler-shaped left side bar installed on the left side of the lower plate of the tray and forming a part of the rear end wall of the output passage; a right side bar in the shape of a ruler installed on the right side of the lower plate of the tray to form a part of the rear end wall of the output passage and also to form the right wall of the recovery passage; and an inner bar installed at a predetermined distance to the right side of the metal foil included in the tray to be closely adhered or to allow solder to permeate.

Also, the inner bar may be spaced apart from the right side bar by a predetermined distance to form the recovery passage.

In addition, the upper plate may come in contact with and cover upper surfaces of the front bar, the metal foil, the side bar, and the inner bars.

In addition, an adapter for injecting or withdrawing a heating medium to the tray; may further include.

In addition, the adapter may include: a tube hole through which a tube serving as a heat medium passage can be connected to the front portion; The lower surface portion includes a step portion for receiving the heating medium from the recovery passage; two recovery passage holes connecting the tube hole and the step portion; and the upper surface is formed at the same height as the front bar, the inner bar, and the side bar, is formed to abut against the lower surface of the upper plate, and is formed on the side surface of the adapter and the rear blade formed on the rear surface.

In addition, a vacuum pump for evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber; may further include.

In addition, the cold trap is located at the bottom inside the vacuum chamber and consists of a coil in which a refrigerant circulates to condense sublimated moisture from the freeze-drying object on the surface of the coil; It may further include a partition wall made of a plate material that separates the inside of the vacuum chamber into an upper space in which the tray unit is located and a lower space in which the cold trap is located.

In addition, the partition wall may form a through hole in the front portion of the door side of the vacuum chamber so that the flow of sublimated moisture from the freeze-drying object can be guided to the cold trap.

Also, the vacuum chamber may be entirely made of silver or copper.

In addition, the vacuum chamber may be formed by integrally coating an antibacterial material of any one or more of silver, titanium dioxide, and copper on the upper side of the metal plate.

In addition, the vacuum chamber may be formed by integrally coating the antibacterial material on the upper side of the metal plate using any one of ion deposition, plating, and spraying.

In addition, the frame is formed to support the vacuum chamber under the vacuum chamber; and an installation module configured to install the vacuum chamber in the frame, and to allow the vacuum chamber to flow.

According to the present invention described above, by drying the ink by sublimating the moisture of the frozen ink in the vacuum space to a limited extent, it is possible not only to improve the marketability of the ink, but also to improve the drying efficiency and thus the cost of the manufacturing process. can provide the effect of reducing

1 is a view showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus for drying ink according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing the shelf of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a view showing the sealing cover of FIG. 1 .
Figure 4 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a drying apparatus in ink according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view showing the fastening fixing unit of FIG. 4 .
6 is a view illustrating a driving method of the fastening fixing unit of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is a view showing the sliding coupling part of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a connection relationship between the fourth frame of FIG. 7 .
9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 shows the vacuum chamber shown in FIG. 9 in more detail.
11 shows the main configuration of the drying apparatus.
12 shows a state in which the upper plate of the tray is removed to explain the flow path inside the tray.
13 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the upper plate of the tray is removed.
Fig. 14 shows the construction of a corrugated metal foil that has been folded to form a channel inside the tray.
15 and 16 show the detailed configuration of the right adapter.
17 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
18 and 19 are views showing an installation module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
20 is a view showing a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in a variety of different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs It is provided to fully inform the possessor of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, "comprises" and/or "comprising" refers to the stated elements, steps, and acts do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps and acts.

1 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the drying apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 , a plurality of shelves 200 , and a sealing cover 300 .

The vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100, the front end opening is opened and closed by the sealing cover 300, forms an internal space for accommodating the ink (P) frozen at -40 ℃_, and is supplied to the internal space in a vacuum state The moisture of the frozen ink (P) seated on the shelf (200) is sublimated using hot air of 80 °C_ to dry the ink (P).

The shelf 200 is spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction in the inner space of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 in a state in which at least one frozen state of the ink P (P) is placed, as shown in FIG. 2 , and is seated.

The sealing cover 300 covers the front opening of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 to seal the internal space of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 .

The drying apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention having the configuration as described above may improve the marketability of the ink by sublimating the moisture of the frozen ink and drying the ink by sublimating limitedly the moisture of the frozen ink stored in the vacuum space. In addition, it is possible to reduce the cost of the manufacturing process by improving the drying efficiency.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the sealing cover of FIG. 1 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , the sealing cover 300 includes a cover part 310 , a support part 320 , and a rotation mount part 330 .

The cover part 310 seals the front end opening 110 of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 to prevent external air from flowing into the internal space of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 during the drying process. It is formed in a hemispherical shape corresponding to the shape of the front opening 110 of the drying chamber 100 to cover the front opening 110 of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 to seal the internal space of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 .

The support part 320 is installed on the upper part of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 , and the rotation mounting part 330 is connected to be rotatable.

The rotation holder 330 is connected to one side so as to be rotatably connected to the support unit 320 , and the upper portion of the cover unit 310 is fastened to the other side to mount the cover unit 310 , and the cover unit 310 is mounted on the other side. It is rotated as it is separated from the front opening of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 or the cover part 310 is moved to the front-end opening of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 to induce movement of the cover part 310 .

The sealing cover 300 having the configuration as described above is a cover without a worker putting great force in moving the cover part 310 for opening and closing the front opening 110 of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 . By implementing the mounting structure of the cover part 310 so that the part 310 can be easily moved, it is possible to reduce the worker's labor consumption and improve work efficiency.

4 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the drying apparatus 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 , a plurality of shelves 200 , and a sealing cover 300 .

Here, the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 , the plurality of shelves 200 , the sealing cover 300 , and the fastening fixing unit 400 are the same as the components of FIG. 1 , and thus descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The fastening fixing part 400 is installed on the wall surface (W) of the ink production facility, and the front end side of the cover part 310 to prevent the cover part 310 separated from the front end opening of the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 from moving. It is fixed by fastening the fastening ring 340 installed in the.

The drying apparatus 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention having the configuration as described above is by fixing the sealing cover 300 separated from the vacuum freeze drying chamber 100 using the fastening fixing unit 400, By separating the shelf 200 from the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100 or preventing the operator from interfering with the operation by the sealing cover 300 during the process of inserting the shelf 200 into the vacuum freeze-drying chamber 100, the operator work efficiency can be improved.

5 and 6 are views showing the fastening fixing unit of FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the fastening fixing part 400 includes a box part 410 , a sliding part 420 , an exposed part 430 , and a sliding fastening part 440 .

The box unit 410 is installed in a space that is recessed along the wall surface (W) of the ink production facility, and an internal space for installing the sliding unit 420 , the exposed unit 430 and the sliding fastening unit 440 . It is formed in the form of a box to form and installed along the wall.

The sliding unit 420 is formed to extend in the vertical direction along the inner rear surface of the box unit 410 so that the rear end of the sliding coupling unit 440 is connected and installed to slide in the vertical direction.

The exposed part 430 is the box part 410 so that the inner space 411 of the box part 410 is exposed to the outside so that the front end of the sliding coupling part 440 can be exposed to the outside of the box part 410 . It is formed extending in the vertical direction along the front surface.

The sliding fastening unit 440 is seated in the inner space 411 of the box unit 410, the rear end is connected to the sliding unit 420, and slides in the vertical direction, and the fastening ring 340 can be fastened. The front end passes through the exposed portion 430 to be exposed to the outside of the box portion 410 .

The fastening and fixing unit 400 having the configuration as described above, the sliding fastening unit 440 is accommodated in the inner space of the inner space 411 of the box unit 410 (Fig. 6 (a)), When the user adjusts the height of the sliding fastening part 440 in response to the height of the fastening ring 340 ((b) of FIG. 6), the sliding fastening part 440 is inserted into the inner space 411 of the box part 410. It can be used by taking out from and fastening the fastening ring 340 (FIG. 6(c)).

7 and 8 are views showing the sliding coupling part of FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the sliding coupling part 440 is a view showing a first frame 441 , a second frame 442 , a third frame 443 , a fourth frame 444 , and a supporting elastic body 445 . am.

The first frame 441 is seated in the inner space 411 of the box unit 410 so that the upper part is inclined upward at the front end, and the rear end is connected to the front end of the second frame 442 so as to be rotatably installed.

The second frame 442 is connected to the sliding unit 420 and slidably moved in the vertical direction along the sliding unit 420 , and the rear end of the first frame 441 is rotatably connected to the front end.

In an embodiment, the second frame 442 includes a sliding body 4421 and at least one elevating gear 4422 - 1 and 4422 - 2 .

The sliding body 4421 is seated on the sliding unit 420 and is formed to correspond to the shape of the sliding unit 420 so as to be able to slide vertically along the sliding unit 420 , and a first frame 441 at the front end. The rear end of the rotatable is connected and installed, and at least one elevating gear (4422-1, 4422-2) is connected and installed at the rear end.

At least one elevating gear (4422-1, 4422-2) is installed at the rear end of the sliding body 4421, and is installed in the vertical direction along the inner surface of the sliding unit 420, elevating and lowering rack gear (421) It is connected to and installed in, and is rotated by an elevating motor (not shown in the drawings for convenience of explanation) driven in response to a lifting or lowering request signal input from the user.

That is, as the user presses the lifting or lowering button (not shown in the drawing for convenience of explanation) installed on the wall to request elevating or lowering, the elevating motor rotates the elevating gears 4422-1 and 4422-2. to raise or lower the sliding body 4421 on the sliding unit 420 .

The third frame 443 is formed extending from the upper side of the first frame 441 so as to be able to fasten the fastening ring 340 to the space S between the fourth frame 444 and the fourth frame 444 installed at the rear end of the exposed portion. Through 430, the upper portion is exposed to the outside of the box portion (410).

In one embodiment, the third frame 443 may include an auxiliary frame 446 extending from the front end to adjust the fastening position according to the user's needs.

The fourth frame 444 is formed by being bent in the vertical direction from the upper side of the first frame 441 to the upper side, and as the upper portion of the first frame 441 is rotated in the shear direction, the inner surface of the box unit 410 is formed. is attached to

In one embodiment, the fourth frame 444 includes a seating bar 4441 , a first wing 4442 , a second wing 4443 , a first fastening protrusion 4444 and a second fastening protrusion 4445 . can do.

The seating bar 4441 has left and right widths corresponding to the width of the exposed portion 430 so that it can be moved through the exposed portion 430 , and is bent from the upper side of the first frame 441 in the upper vertical direction to extend is formed, a first wing 4442 is formed on one rear end, and a second wing 4443 is formed on the other side.

The first wing 4442 is formed on one side of the rear end of the seating bar 4441 , and as the upper portion of the first frame 441 rotates in the front end direction, the box portion located on one side 431 of the exposed portion 430 . It is in close contact with the inner surface of the 410 to prevent the first frame 441 from further rotating.

The second wing 4443 is formed on the other side of the rear end of the seating bar 4441, and is located on the other side 432 of the exposed portion 430 as the upper portion of the first frame 441 rotates in the front end direction. It is in close contact with the inner surface of the box portion 410 to prevent the first frame 441 from further rotating.

The first fastening protrusion 4444 is installed in the vertical direction along the front surface of the first wing 4442 , and as the first wing 4442 is in close contact with the inner surface of the box part 410 , the box part 410 is It is engaged with the first braking rack gear R1 installed on the inner surface to prevent the first wing 4442 from descending.

The second fastening protrusion 4445 is installed in the vertical direction along the front surface of the second blade 4443 , and as the second blade 4443 is in close contact with the inner surface of the box portion 410 , the box portion 410 is It is engaged with the second braking rack gear R2 installed on the inner surface to prevent the second wing 4443 from descending.

The support elastic body 445 is normally a fourth frame so that the sliding coupling part 440 can be accommodated in the inner space 411 of the box part 410 as shown in (a) or (b) of FIG. 6 . It is installed between the 444 and the second frame 442 and pulls the fourth frame 444 in the direction of the second frame 442 by using an elastic force.

When the user wants to fasten the fastening ring 340 , the fastening part 440 can be taken out from the box part 410 by pulling the front end of the third frame 443 exposed to the outside of the box part 410 . there is.

In this case, the support elastic body 445 prevents the vibration or impact transmitted from the sealing cover 300 from being transmitted to the wall W by the elastic force, so that the earthquake-resistant function may also be performed.

9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The vacuum chamber 10 is a pressure-resistant container-shaped chamber ( chamber) is formed.

The vacuum chamber 10 is manufactured with a strength that does not cause buckling due to external pressure because the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum during operation, so that the pressure difference between the inside and the outside is 1 atm. not shown) may be additionally provided.

In addition, the vacuum chamber 10 may be designed by applying the buckling strength design criteria of the ASME boiler code as a preferred embodiment, although any form through a conventional pressure-resistant vessel design technique is applicable.

Meanwhile, a door 110 is installed in the opening of the vacuum chamber 10 , and a transparent window 107 is installed in the center of the door 110 to observe the inside of the chamber.

At this time, a sealing device for sealing is installed in the opening of the vacuum chamber 10 in contact with the door 110 . As the sealing device, any sealing device commonly used for vacuum sealing, such as an O-ring, is applicable.

The door 110 is provided with a plurality of fixing devices 108 along the outer periphery of the door 110 so as to be in close contact with the chamber body.

On the other hand, a frame 40 supports the vacuum chamber 10 under the vacuum chamber 10, and devices such as a vacuum pump, a heat medium refrigeration and a heater, which will be described in the future, may be disposed inside the frame, and the devices are necessary Depending on the frame, it can be selected and placed inside or outside the frame.

A wheel 41 is installed in the lower part of the frame to facilitate movement of the device.

FIG. 10 shows the vacuum chamber shown in FIG. 9 in more detail.

At the lower end of the chamber front, ports 120 and 130 are installed, one on each left and right. This port is a passage through which a tube through which the heating medium supplied to the chamber is supplied and discharged is installed, and wires are also arranged if necessary.

In addition, in the upper center of the chamber, various sensors such as temperature and humidity measurement are installed inside the chamber, and a sensor port 150, which is a passage for connecting a connected signal line to an external measuring device, is installed.

11 shows the main configuration of the drying apparatus.

In the inner space of the vacuum chamber 10, an opening is formed in only a part of the front by the partition wall 101, and the vacuum chamber 10 is largely divided into two parts in the axial direction.

In the upper half of the vacuum chamber 10, a tray portion 20 in which a plurality of trays 200 proposed by the present invention are stacked is installed, and in the lower half, moisture sublimated from the object to be dried is converted into solid ice granules. A cold trap 102 to collect is disposed.

The cold trap 102 can be installed in various forms, but the pipe (coil) is installed in a zigzag form to form a wide surface area that can be in contact with the airflow, so that the moisture in the gaseous phase passing through the cold trap 102 is stored like frost in the freezer. It is desirable to make it frozen on the surface. In the cold trap 102 , a refrigerant of minus 40° or less circulates inside the pipe (coil) of the cold trap 102 to maintain a low temperature.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the partition wall 101 divides the upper and lower spaces of the vacuum chamber 10 and forms a through hole 103 in the front portion of the door 110 side. do.

Therefore, the partition wall 101 not only functions to partition a space, but also ensures that moisture (gas) sublimated from the object to be dried is not immediately exhausted but must be exhausted through the cold trap 102 so that moisture is absorbed into the cold trap 102 . It plays a role in guiding the collection into granules.

On the other hand, the tray unit 20 is formed by stacking trays 200 on which the object to be dried is placed and for drying the object to be dried on the upper portion of the partition wall 101 at regular intervals in the vertical direction.

A channel through which a heating medium moves, which will be described in detail later, is formed inside the tray 200, and the heating medium flows through the channel to heat the object to be dried. Since the object to be dried is dried by heat transfer between the heating medium flowing inside the tray 200 and the object to be dried, if bubbles are generated in the heating medium flowing inside the tray 200, the heat transfer efficiency is rapidly deteriorated.

Therefore, when the heating medium is injected into the channel formed inside the tray 200, the rear part of the tray 200 is installed higher than the front part where the injection hole is formed in order to prevent bubbles from being generated, so that the tray 200 is tilted forward. Install to have a slope.

At this time, since it is preferable to set the inclination of the tray 200 so that the object to be dried does not flow forward, the inclination of the tray 200 is preferably 15° or less.

In addition, in the tray 200, a horizontal flow barrier (not shown) may be additionally installed on the upper surface of the tray 200 in order to prevent the object to be dried from flowing forward.

On the other hand, a guide rail (not shown) is installed inside the vacuum chamber 10 so that the cold trap 102 and the tray part 20 can be pulled out to the front part of the vacuum chamber in a drawer type for maintenance.

In addition, for maintenance, it is preferable that the cold trap 102 and the tray part 20 be installed so that they can be detached from the vacuum chamber 10 .

12 shows a state in which the upper plate of the tray is removed to explain the flow path inside the tray.

A heating medium is injected into the front left side of the tray 200 through a left side adapter 300 to be described later. The injected heating medium flows through the input passage 220 formed horizontally in front of the tray 200, and the corrugated metal foil 210 is corrugated from the input passage 220 to the rear of the tray 200. It is supplied to the output flow path 230 along the channel 211 formed in the inner space of the. The heating medium transfers heat through the upper plate while passing through the channel 211 of the metal foil 210, and the transferred heat is transferred to the object to be dried.

The heating medium is collected in the output passage 230 and again passes through the recovery passage 240 formed at one end of the side wall of the tray 200, through the right adapter 310 formed on the front right side of the tray 200, and exits the tray 200. comes out

At this time, the temperature of the heating medium may be controlled in a temperature range of about -40° to 70°. A drying object rapidly frozen before the drying process is loaded on the tray 200 and the tray 200 is maintained at -40°. The object to be dried may be directly loaded on the tray 200 or placed on a conventional tray and loaded on the tray 200 . As the vacuum freeze-drying process progresses, the temperature of the tray 200 is gradually increased over time, and the moisture in the object to be dried is sublimated into a gas, and the cold trap 102 undergoes a process of fixing to solid ice granules.

On the other hand, the upper plate, the metal foil 210, the lower plate, the adapter can be joined using a technique such as brazing (brazing), furnace brazing (furnace brazing) by a skilled artisan is a well-known technology, so detailed description is omitted. do.

13 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the upper plate of the tray is removed.

A front bar 250 in the shape of a long square column is positioned on the front part of the lower plate of the tray 200, and a rear part and a side surface are formed using two ruler-shaped side bars 260.

The inner bar 270 is positioned between the side bar 260 and the corrugated metal foil 210 on the right side of the tray 200, and is in close contact with the corrugated metal foil 210 or about 1 mm through which solder can permeate during brazing. placed with space for

The front bar 250 forms a front wall of the input flow path 220 , and a space between the front bar 250 and the corrugated metal foil 210 installed to be spaced apart by a predetermined distance forms the input flow path 220 . .

A left sidebar 261 in the shape of a ruler forming a part of the rear end wall of the output passage 230 is installed on the left side of the tray 200 , and the rear end wall of the output passage 230 is installed on the right side of the tray 200 . A right side bar 262 in the shape of a ruler forming a part of and also forming the right wall of the recovery passage 240 is installed.

The inner bar 270 is spaced apart from the right side bar 262 by a predetermined distance so as to be closely adhered to the right side of the metal foil 210 or to allow solder to permeate to form the recovery passage 240, there is.

The upper plate omitted in FIG. 13 is coupled so as to abut against and cover the upper surfaces of the front bar 250, the metal foil 210, the pair of side bars 260, and the inner bars 270 to cover the tray ( 200) is constructed.

On the other hand, FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the corrugated metal foil folded to form a channel inside the tray.

The corrugated metal foil 210 used in the present invention was formed as a stainless foil with a thickness of 0.1 mm, a height of irregularities of 3 mm, and an interval of 1 mm between irregularities, but the material, thickness, and height intervals of irregularities, etc. of the metal foil 210 are typical It can be changed by a technician as needed.

When a thin foil is repeatedly formed as irregularities as in the corrugated metal foil 210 of the tray 200 of the present invention, and the upper and lower plates are combined with the corrugated metal foil 210, the fluid flows inside the corrugated metal foil 210. In addition to the formation of a channel 211 capable of being formed, the channel 211 serves as many barrier ribs, thereby greatly improving the structural strength of the tray 200 .

In addition, since the tray 200 is made of thin foil, thermal capacitance is remarkably reduced, so that heat transfer efficiency through the heating medium is dramatically increased.

In addition, when the corrugated metal foil 210 is viewed from the top of the tray 200, the channel 211 forms a wave pattern or a sine wave shape and is formed in a repeated arrangement, so that the heating medium is the corrugated metal foil 210 ) It is configured to increase the amount of heat transfer between the heating medium and the object to be dried by increasing the time passing through the interior.

On the other hand, in an embodiment of the present invention, a single-layer flow path is located between the upper and lower plates, but if a higher heat medium flow rate is required, a plurality of foils may be corrugated and laminated in a plurality of layers.

For example, the corrugated metal foil 210 is composed of a first foil in which the first foil is regularly corrugated, and a regularly corrugated second foil attached to the lower end of the first foil. The first foil and the second foil may be folded in the same shape, or foils folded in different shapes may also be stacked. In addition, it is preferable that the concave portion of the cross-section of the flow passage of the first foil and the convex portion of the cross-section of the passage of the second foil contact each other.

A method of increasing the height of the corrugated metal foil 210 in order to move a large amount of heat medium may also be applied, but since the foil is thin and the buckling strength due to the pressure load is weak, as the height of the irregularities increases, the corrugated metal Since there is a problem in that the buckling strength of the foil 210 is reduced and consequently the strength of the entire tray 200 is lowered, it is more preferable to laminate a plurality of foils in a plurality of layers.

On the other hand, when the channel 211 is formed using the corrugated metal foil 210 , the mass per volume is significantly reduced, so that the heating medium can effectively transfer heat to the object to be dried through the tray 200 . That is, since the heat consumed to heat the tray 200 body itself is reduced, a large amount of thermal energy can be transferred to the drying target. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the effect of reducing the energy required for the process and reducing the production cost. In addition, the quality of the dried product can be made more uniform by forming a finer flow path than the channel of the tray used in the conventional vacuum freeze-drying apparatus to make the heat distribution uniform.

15 and 16 show the detailed configuration of the right adapter.

In the tray 200 of the present invention, it is difficult to connect a tube for injecting a heating medium with a thickness of about 5 mm, so an adapter must be used.

Since the left adapter 300 and the right adapter 310 are basically formed in the same shape, the adapter will be described with the configuration of the right adapter 310 .

The right adapter 310 has a rectangular shape, and a tube hole 316 is formed in the front portion of the right adapter 310 to connect a pipe, a pipe, or the like, which serves as a heat medium passage. The tube hole 316 has an opening on the front side of the right adapter 310 and is formed in the rear direction with a constant inner diameter, but extends to the center of the right adapter 310 without penetrating to the rear side.

A step portion 318 having a predetermined depth and width through which a heating medium flows from the output passage 240 to the right adapter 310 is formed on the lower surface of the right adapter 310 . The step portion 318 should be formed to be lower than the height of the sidebar 260, and in an embodiment of the present invention, the height of the sidebar 260 is 3mm, and the depth of the step portion 318 is 2mm. However, specific figures for this are subject to change.

On the other hand, the step portion 318 is connected to the output flow path 240, and since the heat medium must pass through the step portion 318 and exit to the tube hole 316, the step portion 318 and the tube hole ( Between 318), a recovery passage hole 318 is formed in the vertical direction.

At this time, the recovery passage hole 318 may be formed in various ways, but as a preferred embodiment of the present invention, two recovery passage holes 317 are formed vertically upward from the lower surface of the right adapter 310 . may be provided. With such a configuration, the heat medium flowing along the recovery passage 240 moves upward along the two recovery passage holes 317 and merges into one in the tube hole 316, and then the tube connected to the right adapter 310. (not shown) will flow.

On the other hand, the right adapter 310 has a side blade 314 formed on the side of the adapter for brazing connection with the front bar 250 , the side bar 260 , and a rear blade 315 formed on the rear surface. The side wing 314 and the rear wing 315 are formed at the same height as the front bar 250, the inner bar, and the side bar 260, and the upper surface of the side wing 314 and the rear wing 315 is a tray 200 ) It contacts the lower surface of the upper plate and is joined by brazing, etc.

The present invention uses sublimation in a high vacuum state, has a process chamber and a condenser chamber connected to the process chamber and a conduit, a hot plate is provided in the process chamber in the form of a shelf, and a cold trap is provided in the condenser chamber. In the device, the refrigeration cycle of the drying device comprises: a first compressor, a first condenser, a first expansion valve, a hot plate, and a self-freezing circuit leading to the first compressor; a first compressor, a hot plate, a first condenser, a second expansion valve, a cold trap, and a hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance circuit leading to the first compressor; It includes a first compressor, a first condenser, a second expansion valve, a cold trap, and a cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance circuit that leads back to the first compressor, and a bypass valve on the outlet side of the first compressor to keep the refrigerant outlet pressure constant is provided, and the refrigeration cycle includes a check valve for preventing a reverse flow of refrigerant between circuit switching.

In addition, the drying apparatus further includes a temperature sensor and a controller disposed on the hot plate, wherein the controller controls the temperature of the hot plate by PID control by inputting the temperature of the temperature sensor, but the temperature of the hot plate over time in PID temperature control is controlled to be in a stepwise fashion.

In addition, a plurality of protrusions are provided on the upper side of the shelf, and a tray for placing an object to be dried is further included, which is spaced apart from the shelf by the protrusions.

In addition, a second condenser is further provided in a portion directly connected to the first condenser in each circuit of the refrigeration cycle of the drying device; A second compressor, a third condenser, a third expansion valve, a third evaporator, and a low-temperature cycle circuit continuously connected to the second compressor are further configured, and the second condenser and the third evaporator are counterflow heat exchangers and mutually heat exchange takes place.

In addition, a second evaporator is further provided at a front end of the first compressor in each circuit of the refrigeration cycle of the drying device, and the second evaporator and the first condenser exchange heat with each other to constitute a regeneration cycle.

In addition, the third condenser of the low-temperature cycle circuit is installed in contact with the second evaporator of each circuit of the refrigerating cycle to exchange heat with each other.

In addition, the self-freezing circuit during the refrigeration cycle of the drying device is specifically a first compressor, p1 pipe, p2 pipe, A1 solenoid valve, p3 pipe, p4 pipe, first condenser, p5 pipe, second condenser, p6 pipe, A2 The solenoid valve, the first expansion valve, the hot plate, the p8 pipe, the A3 solenoid valve, the p9 pipe, the p10 pipe, the second evaporator, the p11 pipe, and the first compressor are continuously connected.

In addition, the heating plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance circuit during the refrigeration cycle of the drying device is specifically a first compressor, p1 pipe, p2 pipe, B1 solenoid valve, p12 pipe, hot plate, p8 pipe, B3 solenoid valve, p13 pipe, p4 piping, 1st condenser, p5 piping, 2nd condenser, p6 piping, B2 solenoid valve, 2nd expansion valve, p14 piping, cold trap, p15 piping, p10 piping, 2nd evaporator, p11 piping, back to the 1st compressor continuously to have the following configuration.

In addition to the above, the cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance circuit during the refrigeration cycle of the drying device is specifically the first compressor, p1 pipe, p2 pipe, A1 solenoid valve, p3 pipe, p4 pipe, first condenser, p5 pipe, second 2 condenser, p6 pipe, B2 solenoid valve, 2nd expansion valve, p14 pipe, cold trap, p15 pipe, p10 pipe, second evaporator, p11 pipe, and has a configuration continuously connected to the first compressor.

As another aspect of the present invention, a defrost cycle of a cold trap is additionally provided in the refrigeration cycle of the drying device, and the defrost cycle is a first compressor, C1 valve, p24 pipe, p14 pipe, cold trap 550, p15 pipe. , p10 pipe, second evaporator 560, p11 pipe, provides a vacuum drying apparatus employing a heat pump method characterized in that it is continuously connected to the first compressor.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail focusing on examples.

(Example 1)

In the drying apparatus 100 of the present invention, a processor chamber 200 in which an object to be dried is placed in a cylindrical body 110 and a condenser chamber 300 for collecting sublimated moisture are disposed adjacent to each other with a partition wall 120 therebetween. and a conduit 130 is provided to communicate with each other between both chambers.

A first door 220 is formed on one side of the process chamber 200 so that an object to be dried can be carried in, and a first observation window 230 is provided at the center of the first door 220 to monitor the drying process. made to be able to

A second door 320 and a second observation window 330 are also provided on one side of the condenser chamber 300 , respectively. Each of the doors is firmly in close contact with the body 110 so that a high degree of vacuum can be maintained by the operation of the vacuum pump 140 .

A shelf 210 for placing an object to be dried is included in the process chamber 200 , and the shelf 210 simultaneously acts as a hot plate 540 of the cryogenic cycle 500 , which will be described later.

It is preferable that the shelf 210 is provided in plural so as to allow the stacking of the object to be dried by layer.

Refrigerant pipe connection parts 250a and b for connecting the refrigerant pipe of the cryogenic cycle 500 are respectively provided at front and rear ends of the shelf 210 as the hot plate 540 .

A first drain pipe 240 is additionally provided at one lower side of the process chamber 200 to serve as a drain for water generated in the process chamber 200 due to cleaning or malfunction of the chamber.

The first drain pipe 240 is also provided to enable a high degree of sealing, so that it is possible to maintain a high vacuum in the chamber.

A temperature sensor 570 is attached to a portion of the shelf 210 as a monitoring means for temperature control of the shelf 210 , and the temperature of the shelf 210 measured by the temperature sensor 570 is controlled by the controller 150 , not shown. ) is transferred to

The condenser chamber 300 serves to collect water vapor generated as moisture in the form of ice that has been frozen inside the object to be dried in the process chamber is sublimed.

This sublimated water vapor can be discharged to the outside by the vacuum pump 140 installed to form a vacuum in the condenser chamber 300, but at the pressure of a typical freeze-drying process, 1 ml of ice becomes 1,000,000 ml or more of water vapor, so the vacuum Discharge to the pump 140 is uneconomical.

In addition, the exhausted moisture may age the vacuum pump 140, so the water vapor is re-freezeed using the cold trap 550 of the cryogenic cycle 500 located in the condenser chamber 300, and defrosted after drying is completed. and use the method of discharging it to the outside.

A cold trap 550 of the cryogenic cycle 500 is disposed in the center of the condenser chamber 300 . Refrigerant pipe connection parts 350a and b are provided at both front and rear ends of the cold trap 550 to which the refrigerant pipe of the cryogenic cycle is connected.

The lower portion of the condenser chamber 300 serves as a storage unit for water generated while the ice blocks implanted in the cold trap 550 are defrosted, and the defrosted water is a second drain pipe 340 provided at the lower portion of the condenser chamber 300 . drained to the outside by

The second drain pipe 340 may also be tightly closed, so that the high vacuum in the chamber by the vacuum pump 140 is not affected.

Meanwhile, an exhaust line connection part 360 of the exhaust line 141 connected to the vacuum pump 140 is included in the upper side of the condenser chamber 300 .

The capacity of the vacuum pump 140 is set so that the target pressures of the process chamber 200 and the condenser chamber 300 can be achieved in about 20 minutes.

A temperature sensor may be additionally provided in the cold trap 550 as necessary, and the measured temperature value may be transmitted to the control unit 150 to be utilized for monitoring and controlling the overall drying process.

As is clear from the above description, the process chamber 200 and the condenser chamber 300 are connected to be in free communication with the conduit 130 , so that the moisture sublimated in the object to be dried in the process chamber 200 is free of the cold in the condenser chamber 300 . It is implanted in the trap 550 .

The conduit 130 is generally provided in the form of a tube, but its shape is not limited, such as a change in the structure to make the conception constant, that is, it can be changed to the form of a fallopian tube.

In addition, a heater is additionally provided around the conduit 130 to prevent blockage of the conduit 130 by the implanted moisture.

Parts not described below correspond to techniques well-known in the art, and those of ordinary skill in the art can combine and apply them without great difficulty within the scope of not impairing the technical gist of the present invention, so it will be omitted here.

The refrigeration cycle of the present invention introduces a binary refrigeration and a heat pump method to a conventional refrigeration cycle for freezing.

The binary refrigeration method is a kind of refrigeration method employed to maintain the temperature in the target chamber at a very low temperature of about -50 degrees, and has been mainly used for commercial or physicochemical purposes.

In general, when a single compressor is used, the temperature on the evaporation side is determined according to the compressor capacity, the type of refrigerant, and the condensation side temperature, etc. However, there is a limit to the economically meaningful capacity of the compressor, and there is a limit in the selection of an employable refrigerant. In general, since the temperature of the condenser is at room temperature, the target temperature that can be lowered to the maximum is also limited.

One way to solve this problem is to introduce a binary refrigeration cycle that operates the refrigeration process step by step, that is, combines two or more refrigeration cycles that operate continuously.

In the binary refrigeration cycle, the condensing part of the low-temperature side cycle (hereinafter referred to as “cryogenic cycle 500”) and the evaporating part of the high-temperature side cycle (hereinafter referred to as “low-temperature cycle 400”) are coupled to exchange heat with each other, so that the cryogenic cycle (500) so that the temperature of the evaporator can be lowered to a very low temperature. In the binary refrigeration cycle, the work of the compressor is reduced, while the refrigeration capacity is increased, and as a result, the coefficient of performance is improved.

In the present invention, it is employed as a low-temperature refrigerant in the low-temperature cycle 400, and the ultra-low-temperature refrigerant (boiling point -82 degrees) having excellent ultra-low temperature characteristics is used for the cryogenic cycle 500. ) It is designed to cool the internal temperature to about -50 degrees.

The low-temperature cycle 400 is configured by sequentially connecting the second compressor 410, the p17 pipe, the third condenser 420, the p18 pipe, the third expansion valve 430, the third evaporator 440, and the p19 pipe.

An oil separator, a liquid separator, a control valve, etc. may be disposed in the path of each pipe of the low-temperature cycle 400 as necessary.

The third condenser 420 is placed at room temperature to exchange heat with outside air by a fan, and the third evaporator 440 is a state in which the second condenser 521 and the refrigerant of the cryogenic cycle 500 are not mixed with each other. The counter-flow heat exchanger (600) is coupled and arranged so that heat exchange occurs in the .

The heat exchange capacity of the third condenser 420, the design of the heat exchange area of the counter-flow heat exchanger 600, or the operation control method of the low-temperature cycle 400 can be determined without particular difficulty using well-known techniques widely known in the art. can be done

The insulation of the counter-flow heat exchanger 600 must be firmly maintained so that all heat transferred to the third evaporator 440 of the low-temperature cycle 400 is transferred from the second condenser 521 of the cryogenic cycle 500 .

The low-temperature cycle 400 of the binary refrigeration method is operated at all times during operation of each mode of the ultra-low temperature cycle 500 to realize sexual energy.

Next, the cryogenic cycle 500 will be described.

The cryogenic cycle 500 is configured to include a self-freezing mode 501 , a hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 , and a cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 .

The self-freezing mode 501 is a cycle type in which the object to be dried is lowered to a target temperature after the object to be dried is placed in the process chamber 200 .

In the self-freezing mode 501 , no refrigerant is circulated in the cold trap 550 , and the hot plate 540 in the process chamber 200 serves as an evaporator, so that the surface temperature of the shelf 210 is at least -50 degrees or less. It quickly freezes the object to be dried.

The cycle configuration of the self-freezing mode 501 is the first compressor 510, p1 pipe, oil separator 512, p2 pipe, A1 solenoid valve, p3 pipe, p4 pipe, first condenser 520, p5 pipe, second 2 condenser 521, p6 pipe, A2 solenoid valve, first expansion valve 530, hot plate 540, p8 pipe, A3 solenoid valve, p9 pipe, p10 pipe, second evaporator 560, p11 pipe in succession It is the following configuration.

At this time, the B1 solenoid valve connected from the p2 pipe, the B3 solenoid valve connected from the p8 pipe, and the B2 solenoid valve connected from the p6 pipe should be closed, and the opening and closing of each solenoid valve is controlled by the central processing unit provided in the control unit 150 controlled by the program.

The oil separator 512 is provided at the discharge end of the first compressor 510, and serves to filter the compressor oil flowing out by the discharge pressure and return it through the p16 pipe, which is the same in the description of each cycle mode below.

A liquid separator 511 is attached to the inlet end of the first compressor 510 connected to the p11 pipe, and the liquid refrigerant is prevented from flowing into the first compressor 510 .

The low-temperature and low-pressure saturated steam refrigerant is isentropically compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure ideal refrigerant by the first compressor 510, passes through the first condenser 520 and the second condenser 521, and is in a high-temperature and high-pressure saturated liquid state. becomes

The refrigerant in the saturated liquid state passes through the first expansion valve 530 and is throttled so that the pressure is lowered to the evaporator pressure. Then, the refrigerant entering the hot plate 540 as a saturated mixture of low dryness is evaporated by absorbing heat in the process chamber 200 .

At this time, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is set lower than the target temperature of the space to be frozen by approximately -40°C to -70°C depending on the type of object to be dried.

However, the cold trap temperature is set below -70℃. The partially saturated liquid refrigerant that has not been completely evaporated passes through the second evaporator 560 and is completely evaporated and returned to the first compressor 510 as a saturated vapor state, thereby completing the cycle by the self-freezing mode 501 .

As described above, since the second condenser 521 exchanges heat with the third evaporator 440 of the low-temperature cycle 400 in the form of a counter-flow heat exchanger 600 by the binary freezing method as described above, the condensation temperature of the self-freezing mode 501 is sufficiently lower than the normal outdoor temperature condition, whereby the temperature of the evaporation part of the cryogenic cycle, that is, the surface temperature of the hot plate 540, can be maintained at a very low temperature.

A regeneration cycle of the cryogenic cycle 500 will be described.

The first condenser 520 and the second evaporator 560 of the self-freezing mode 501 are disposed adjacent to each other, so that mutual heat exchange is possible. Any structure is possible as long as it is a configuration that allows mutual heat exchange, such as a counterflow method.

As heat exchange between the first condenser 520 and the second evaporator 560 becomes possible, there is an effect that waste heat that had to be discarded by the first condenser 520 is regenerated by the second evaporator 560 .

By the regeneration cycle, the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is cooled a little more, and the temperature introduced into the first expansion valve 530 is lowered. do.

As a result, there is an advantage in that it is possible to realize an ultra-low temperature in the process chamber 200 compared to a normal refrigeration cycle. The above-mentioned matters regarding the regeneration cycle are also applied to the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 and the cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 described below.

When it is confirmed that the object to be dried in the process chamber 200 is completely frozen by dropping to the target temperature by the self-freezing mode 501, the process chamber 200 is maintained in a high vacuum state, and then drying is performed by sublimation.

When heat energy is added to the hot plate 540 in a pressure state below the triple point of water, the transferred heat is used as latent heat of change in the state of the moisture in the object to be dried, and sublimation occurs in which ice is immediately converted to water vapor. The evaporated moisture is captured by the cold trap 550 provided in the condenser chamber 300 .

Therefore, while heat is supplied to the hot plate 540 , the surface temperature of the cold trap 550 should be maintained at an extremely low temperature.

A heat-pump-type hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 capable of the above operation is disclosed.

The hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 of the present invention is a first compressor 510, p1 pipe, oil separator 512, p2 pipe, B1 solenoid valve, p12 pipe, hot plate 540, p8 pipe, B3 solenoid valve, p13 piping, p4 piping, 1st condenser 520, p5 piping, 2nd condenser 521, p6 piping, B2 solenoid valve, 2nd expansion valve 531, p14 piping, cold trap (550), It has a configuration continuously connected to the p15 pipe, the p10 pipe, the second evaporator 560 , the p11 pipe, and the first compressor 510 . At this time, the A1 solenoid valve, A3 solenoid valve, and A2 solenoid valve should be kept closed.

It is sufficient to toggle the opening and closing of each of the solenoid valves A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, and B3 in order to change from the self-freezing mode 501 to the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 .

The hot plate 540 acts as a condensing part into which high-temperature and high-pressure steam refrigerant flows by mode conversion from acting as an evaporation part of the cryogenic cycle 500, and supplies latent heat necessary for sublimation to the frozen object to be dried.

On the other hand, in the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502, the cold trap 550 acts as an evaporator, and the temperature of the surface decreases and the moisture introduced by sublimation in the process chamber 200 can be captured by conception. there will be

The effect of binary freezing by the low temperature cycle 400 or regeneration by the interaction of the first condenser 520 and the second evaporator 560 is the same in the hot plate temperature rise and the cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 .

The advantages of the heat pump method in sublimation of the vacuum freeze dryer will be described.

As described above, in the related art, in the supply of energy required for sublimation, a brine circulation cycle 33 using a boiler or an electric heater 31 was used.

However, according to the exergy theory, the electric heater 31 needs at least as much energy as the sublimation energy in order to supply the same amount of sublimation energy to the object to be dried. Assuming that the coefficient is 3, it is known that 1/3 of the energy is sufficient.

This is different from the conventional electric heater 31 method that simply converts electric energy flowing in from the outside into thermal energy and transfers it to the object to be dried, and turns the first compressor 510 with a small amount of energy to convert the heat in the condenser chamber 300 into the process chamber. (200) It is an action that occurs by moving inward.

Therefore, in the sublimation process by the heat pump method of the present invention, not only the energy supply efficiency is excellent, but also the cold trap 550 can be maintained at a very low temperature at the same time, so it can be said that the energy efficiency is excellent.

When the temperature of the hot plate 540 continuously rises, the sublimation of the object to be dried is not performed smoothly, whereby the tissue of the object to be dried is destroyed and a drying accident occurs. cannot be operated continuously.

That is, it is necessary to continuously control the thermal energy given to the hot plate 540 . Of course, at this time, the temperature of the cold trap 550 should be kept low to collect moisture.

In order to achieve this detailed purpose, a cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 is proposed.

Cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 is a first compressor 510, p1 pipe, oil separator 512, p2 pipe, A1 solenoid valve, p3 pipe, p4 pipe, first condenser 520, p5 pipe, 2nd condenser 521, p6 pipe, B2 solenoid valve, second expansion valve 531, p14 pipe, cold trap 550, p15 pipe, p10 pipe, second evaporator 560, p11 pipe, first compressor ( 510) is configured to be continuously connected.

At this time, the B1 solenoid valve, B3 solenoid valve, A2 solenoid valve, and A3 solenoid valve should be kept closed. Pipes corresponding in common to other operation modes are shared, and the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 and the cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 are switched as needed by the control unit 150 .

Switching between both modes is made possible simply by alternately toggling the A1 solenoid valve and the B1 solenoid valve, and also intermitting the B3 solenoid valve accordingly.

In the cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 , the cold trap 550 is maintained at a low temperature so that moisture can be continuously captured, whereas there is no energy transfer in the hot plate 540 , so sublimation is partially delayed.

The effect of dual freezing by the low temperature cycle 400 or regeneration by the interaction of the first condenser 520 and the second evaporator 560 is the same in the cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 .

The user opens the first door 220 of the process chamber 200 to place the object to be dried on the shelf 210 . When the stacking is completed, the first door 220 and the second door 320 of the condenser chamber 300 are closed, and valves such as the first drain pipe 240 and the second drain pipe 340 provided in each chamber are closed to ensure tightness. to keep Next, press the switch provided on the control panel to proceed with self-freezing.

The object to be dried is rapidly frozen by the self-freezing mode 501 under the control of the controller 150 . When the temperature of the hot plate 540 is maintained at about -50 degrees, the freezing temperature of the object to be dried finally freezes down to about -40 degrees.

A circulation fan commonly employed may be employed in order to assist in rapid freezing of the object to be dried. Appropriate control is possible by using the temperature sensor 570 provided on the hot plate 540 , and the temperature difference between the object to be dried and the hot plate 540 must be maintained within -10 degrees for desirable heat transfer.

When it is determined that the self-freezing is completed, the cold trap is cooled to a very low temperature, and evacuation is started after cooling is completed. The control unit 150 operates the vacuum pump 140 to evacuate the chamber at a pressure below the triple point of water.

At this time, the appropriate pressure is about 0.01 Torr ~ 0.1 Torr. When the vacuum is completed, the vacuum state is maintained in an open state in the exhaust line 141 .

If necessary, a solenoid valve and a pressure gauge electronically controlled by the control unit 150 may be additionally provided in the exhaust line 141 , and a high vacuum may be maintained using PID control. In the high vacuum state, the control unit 150 advances the hot plate temperature increase and the cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 .

Thermal energy is transferred to the hot plate 540 acting as a condensing unit and used for sublimation of ice condensed on the object to be dried, and the sublimated moisture is deposited on the low-temperature cold trap 550 acting as an evaporator.

The hot plate temperature increase and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 varies depending on the amount of the object to be dried, but the operation is repeated for about 1 hour and continues until the temperature of the hot plate 540 reaches -30 degrees.

After that, it has a constant temperature maintenance process for about 1 hour. The constant temperature maintenance process is possible by switching the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 and the cold trap cooling and temperature maintenance mode 503 by PID control.

That is, as described above, it is a step of intermittently supplying thermal energy to the hot plate 540 by simply toggling the solenoid valve.

A temperature sensor 570 provided in the hot plate 540 is used to input the temperature of the hot plate to perform PID control. By the constant temperature maintenance process, the to-be-dried object partially having a temperature gradient is equilibrated to a constant temperature. Accordingly, the sublimation process is performed smoothly without imbalance, and drying accidents are prevented.

Next, the hot plate temperature rise and the cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 progress over about 2 hours, and the temperature of the hot plate 540 reaches -10 degrees, and the hot plate temperature rises and the cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 and the cold A constant temperature maintenance process is followed by trap cooling and switching of the temperature maintenance mode 503 . The stepwise PID temperature control as described above is performed by the control unit 150, and eventually, after about 72 hours, the object to be dried reaches about 60 degrees, and at this time, the residual moisture in the object to be dried is up to about 4-6% w/w. off and drying is complete.

Upon completion of drying, the user opens a valve provided in the vacuum exhaust line 141 to release the vacuum state, and opens the first door 220 to take out the object to be dried. The ice that has been implanted in the cold trap 550 can be removed by melting naturally, and is removed using a watering and defrosting cycle if necessary. A mechanical removal method is also preferred. The water melted naturally or by the watering and defrosting cycle is discharged to the outside through the second drain pipe 340 provided in the lower part of the condenser chamber 300 .

(Example 2)

The second embodiment relates to the removal of moisture implanted in the cold trap 550 and is similar to the first embodiment except for this. In the second embodiment according to the present invention, moisture implanted in the cold trap 550 is removed using a high-temperature and high-pressure vapor type refrigerant naturally generated in the cryogenic cycle 500 .

As previously described in the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 , since a heat pump method is used for defrosting the cold trap 550 , energy efficiency is higher than that of a conventional electric heater.

In addition to the first embodiment in order to realize the defrost cycle 504, a p21 pipe is additionally provided between the contact part where the p12 pipe and the hot plate 540 are connected to the contact part where the p15 pipe and the cold trap 550 are connected, The p21 pipe is provided with the A4 solenoid valve and the third expansion valve 532 .

In addition, between the contact point of the p14 pipe and the cold trap 550 and the p6 pipe, a C4 solenoid valve and a p22 pipe are further provided, and a B4 solenoid valve is additionally provided in the existing p15 pipe.

When the defrost cycle 504 is described in more detail, the refrigeration cycle is a first compressor 510, p1 pipe, oil separator 512, p2 pipe, A1 solenoid valve, p3 pipe, p4 pipe, first condenser 520. , p5 piping, 2nd condenser (521), p6 piping, C4 solenoid valve, p22 piping, cold trap (550), p15 piping, p21 piping, 3rd expansion valve (532), A4 solenoid valve, hot plate (540), p8 It has a configuration continuously connected to the pipe, the A3 solenoid valve, the p9 pipe, the p10 pipe, the second evaporator 560 , the p11 pipe, and the first compressor 510 . A1 solenoid valve, B3 solenoid valve, A2 solenoid valve, B2 solenoid valve, and B4 solenoid valve not mentioned in the defrost cycle 504 should be maintained in a closed state. In the defrost cycle 504, the effect of regeneration by the interaction of the binary freezing or the first condenser 520 and the second evaporator 560 by the low-temperature cycle 400 is the same.

The cold trap 550 acts as a condensing unit, and the hot plate 540 acts as a cooling unit. It is a heat pump type cycle, and the thermal energy of the process chamber 200 is transferred to the cold trap 550 by the heat pump to defrost give

As a result, the energy efficiency is rapidly increased compared to the conventional electric heater method of defrosting and fixing. The defrosted moisture is discharged to the outside through the second drain pipe 340 provided under the condenser chamber 300 .

(Example 3)

The third embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the position of the third condenser 420 of the low-temperature cycle 400, which is at room temperature and is intended to exchange heat with outside air by a fan, is changed. In general, when liquid refrigerant flows into a refrigerant compressor, damage to a compressor designed to handle only gaseous refrigerant is a problem. Therefore, in the art, the solution is to be solved by installing the liquid separator 511, but in the third embodiment of the present invention, the third condenser 420 of the low-temperature cycle 400 is replaced with the second evaporator 560 of the cryogenic cycle 500. It is solved by installing adjacent to and so that heat exchange is possible.

That is, the liquid refrigerant passing through the second evaporator 560 may be introduced into the first compressor 510 in a completely vaporized state by heat transfer from the third condenser 420 of the low-temperature cycle 400, thereby It can prevent overcooling and prevent damage to the compressor. In addition, the effect of the regeneration cycle can be doubled according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

That is, the waste heat that had to be discarded by the third condenser 420 is regenerated by the second evaporator 560 .

(Example 4)

In the fourth embodiment, a check valve 710 for preventing a reverse flow of refrigerant is installed at the rear end of the B3 solenoid valve, and between the p2 pipe connected to the outlet side of the first compressor 510 and the p11 pipe connected to the inlet side. It is similar to the first embodiment except that the bypass valve (C2) for pressure control and the solenoid valve (C3) are connected to the p30 pipe to be provided. The B3 solenoid valve is operated by intermittent operation when the freeze-drying apparatus is switched to the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 , but a reverse flow of refrigerant may occur during the switching process to the self-freezing mode 501 . In the drying process, the switching of both modes occurs frequently according to temperature changes, so if a reverse flow of the refrigerant occurs, there is a problem that the drying performance may be rapidly deteriorated.

Therefore, in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the check valve 710 is placed at the rear end of the solenoid valve B3 to solve the problem.

The check valve 710 is installed to prevent a reverse flow in the direction of the B3 solenoid valve as known in the art, while providing a smooth flow in the opposite direction.

In addition, in the fourth embodiment, a bypass valve (C2) for regulating the pressure is installed between the outlet and the inlet of the first compressor (510). The bypass valve C2 prevents the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the B1 or A1 solenoid valve from excessively increasing.

That is, when the outlet pressure of the first compressor 510 rises above the set pressure value, the bypass operation is performed to maintain the pressure constant.

An expansion tank 700 and a solenoid valve C3 may be additionally provided in the p30 pipe connecting the p2 pipe and the p11 pipe.

(Example 5)

The fifth embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, except that the tray 211 is provided to be spaced apart from the shelf 210 on the shelf 210 provided for placing the object in the cylindrical body 110 . . As described above, in the drying apparatus of the present invention, for smooth drying, a self-freezing mode 501 in which the hot plate 540, that is, the shelf 210 acts as an evaporator, and a hot plate in which the hot plate 540 or the shelf 210 acts as a condenser A switching operation is performed between the temperature rise and the cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 .

When the shelf 210 acts as an evaporator and then acts as a condenser, the temperature of the surface of the shelf 210 changes dramatically.

That is, the cryogenic cycle 500 undergoes a sudden change between the evaporation temperature and the condensation temperature during the refrigeration cycle. In the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502, the refrigerant hot gas does not return by freezing. Problems may arise that cannot be

This is because the drying device is switched to the hot plate temperature rise and cold trap temperature maintenance mode 502 so that the shelf 210 is at the condensing temperature, while the object to be dried stored on the shelf 210 is maintained at a temperature similar to the evaporation temperature. am.

That is, the refrigerant hot gas passing through the shelf 210 is frozen due to the low temperature of the object to be dried, and the frozen refrigerant does not return, so the entire cycle is disturbed.

In order to eliminate this problem, in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of protrusions 212 are formed on the upper surface of the shelf 210 and a tray 211 designed to be placed on the protrusions 212 is provided. As a result, the low-temperature to-be-dried object does not directly contact the shelf 210 and is placed on the tray 211, so that the refrigerant hot gas is not frozen. The object to be dried is placed in a line on the tray 211, frozen and evaporated by thermal radiation.

17 is a schematic configuration diagram of a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include an installation module 800 in addition to the configuration of the drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 16 . .

The vacuum chamber 10 is a pressure-resistant container-shaped chamber ( channel) is formed.

The vacuum chamber 10 is manufactured with a strength that does not cause buckling due to external pressure because the pressure difference between the inside and the outside is 1 atmosphere because the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum during operation. city) may be additionally provided.

In addition, the vacuum chamber 10 may be designed by applying the buckling strength design criteria of the ASME boiler code as a preferred embodiment, although all shapes through a conventional pressure-resistant vessel design technique are applicable.

A door 110 is installed in the opening of the vacuum chamber 10 , and a transparent window 107 is installed in the center of the door 110 to observe the inside of the chamber.

At this time, a sealing device for sealing is installed in the opening of the vacuum chamber 10 in contact with the door 110 . As the sealing device, any sealing device commonly used for vacuum sealing, such as an O-ring, is applicable.

The door 110 may be provided with a plurality of fixing devices along the outer periphery of the door 110 so as to be in close contact with the chamber body.

A frame 40 supports the vacuum chamber 10 at a lower portion of the vacuum chamber 10, and devices such as the vacuum pump, thermal medium refrigeration and heater described above may be disposed inside the frame 40, and the devices are Depending on your needs, you can choose to place it inside or outside the frame.

A wheel 41 is installed at the lower portion of the frame 40 to facilitate movement of the device.

The installation module 800 may be formed to install the vacuum chamber 10 in the frame 40 , and to adjust the inclination of the vacuum chamber 10 .

For example, the installation module 800 may be installed on the upper surface of the frame 40 , and may be coupled and installed to support the installation housing 105 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum chamber 10 . In this regard, it will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 18 .

18 and 19 are views showing an installation module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

18 and 19 , the installation module 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an installation bar 820 , an installation block 840 , an installation plate 830 , a driving unit 810 and a support unit 850 . may include

The installation bar 820 may be installed on the upper surface of the frame 40 in the axial direction of the vacuum chamber 10 .

The installation bar 820 may be applied as a pair of rails.

The installation block 840 may be installed on the installation bar 820 to be slidably movable along the installation bar 820 .

The installation plate 830 may be installed on the installation block 840 .

The driving unit 810 may be provided on one side of the frame 40 to swing the installation plate 830 .

The driving unit 810 may include a driving motor 811 , a driving plate 812 , and a driving rod 813 .

The driving motor 811 may be installed adjacent to the installation bar 820 on the upper surface of the frame 40 and may generate a rotational force.

The driving plate 812 may be coupled to the rotation shaft of the driving motor 811 to rotate according to the operation of the driving motor 811 .

The driving plate 812 may be applied as a cam plate.

The driving rod 813 may interconnect the driving plate 812 and the installation plate 830 .

When the driving motor 811 rotates, the driving unit 810 may move the installation plate 830 in the front-rear direction by the driving rod 813 while the driving plate 812 rotates.

The support part 850 may interconnect the installation plate 830 and the installation housing 105 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum chamber 10 .

The support 850 may be applied as a buffer spring.

Such an installation module 800 is provided to allow the vacuum chamber 10 to flow after the drying process in the vacuum chamber 10 is completed, so that foreign substances adhering to the inner wall of the vacuum chamber 10 can be easily removed. .

Meanwhile, FIG. 20 is a view showing a drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 20 , the drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a vibrating unit 900 in addition to the configuration of the drying apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 19 .

The vacuum chamber 10 is a pressure-resistant container-shaped chamber ( channel) is formed.

The vacuum chamber 10 is manufactured with a strength that does not cause buckling due to external pressure because the pressure difference between the inside and the outside is 1 atmosphere because the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 is maintained in a vacuum during operation. city) may be additionally provided.

In addition, the vacuum chamber 10 may be designed by applying the buckling strength design criteria of the ASME boiler code as a preferred embodiment, although all shapes through a conventional pressure-resistant vessel design technique are applicable.

A door 110 is installed in the opening of the vacuum chamber 10 , and a transparent window 107 is installed in the center of the door 110 to observe the inside of the chamber.

At this time, a sealing device for sealing is installed in the opening of the vacuum chamber 10 in contact with the door 110 . As the sealing device, any sealing device commonly used for vacuum sealing, such as an O-ring, is applicable.

The door 110 may be provided with a plurality of fixing devices along the outer periphery of the door 110 so as to be in close contact with the chamber body.

The vacuum chamber 10 may be entirely made of silver or copper, or may have a configuration in which an antibacterial material of any one or more of silver, titanium dioxide, and copper is integrally coated on the upper side of a metal plate.

In addition, the antibacterial material may be integrally coated on the upper side of the metal plate using a method such as ion deposition, plating, or spraying.

A frame 40 supports the vacuum chamber 10 at a lower portion of the vacuum chamber 10, and devices such as the vacuum pump, thermal medium refrigeration and heater described above may be disposed inside the frame 40, and the devices are Depending on your needs, you can choose to place it inside or outside the frame.

A wheel 41 is installed at the lower portion of the frame 40 to facilitate movement of the device.

The installation module 800 may be formed to install the vacuum chamber 10 in the frame 40 , and to adjust the inclination of the vacuum chamber 10 .

For example, the installation module 800 may be installed on the upper surface of the frame 40 , and may be coupled and installed to support the installation housing 105 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum chamber 10 .

The vibrator 900 may be installed on the vacuum chamber 10 .

The vibrator 900 may be applied as a vibration motor, and may apply vibration to the vacuum chamber 10 to make the vacuum chamber 10 flow together with the installation module 800 .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can realize that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing its technical spirit or essential features. you will be able to understand Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

100: vacuum freeze drying chamber
200: shelf
300: sealing cover
400: fastening fixing part

Claims (2)

a tray unit including a tray on which the freeze-dried object is placed; and
Including; a vacuum chamber in which an internal space for accommodating the tray part is formed;
a frame formed under the vacuum chamber to support the vacuum chamber; and
Including, but installing the vacuum chamber to the frame, the installation module is formed so as to allow the vacuum chamber to flow;
The installation module is
an installation bar installed on the upper surface of the frame in the axial direction of the vacuum chamber and formed of a pair of rails;
an installation block installed on the installation bar so as to be slidably movable along the installation bar;
an installation plate installed on the installation block; and
a driving unit provided on one side of the frame so as to swing the installation plate; and
The driving unit,
a driving motor installed adjacent to the installation bar on the upper surface of the frame and generating a rotational force;
a driving plate coupled to the rotation shaft of the driving motor, rotating according to the operation of the driving motor, and formed of a cam plate; and
Including; a driving rod interconnecting the driving plate and the installation plate;
The driving unit,
When the drive motor rotates, the drive plate rotates to move the installation plate in the front-rear direction by the drive rod,
The installation module is
Further comprising; a support portion for interconnecting the installation plate and the installation housing provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vacuum chamber, and formed of a buffer spring,
The tray is
an upper plate on which the freeze-dried object is placed;
a lower plate positioned at a predetermined interval downward from the upper plate;
A drying apparatus comprising a; a metal foil that is regularly corrugated so as to be in contact between the upper plate and the lower plate and to form concave and convex portions repeatedly.

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