KR20240053992A - Method for preparing high-quality salt with reduced bitterness and manufacturing apparatus of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A high-quality salt production method and production equipment with a rich mineral content and reduced bitter taste are provided. The salt production facility includes an evaporation chamber configured to contain seawater, including a bottom portion in which a first heating member is installed, and evaporating seawater; a cover configured to cover the evaporation chamber and form a closed space; and a humidity control member disposed within the enclosed space and condensing water vapor within the enclosed space to collect the moisture as water.

Description

Method for manufacturing high quality salt with reduced bitterness and manufacturing equipment thereof {METHOD FOR PREPARING HIGH-QUALITY SALT WITH REDUCED BITTERNESS AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS OF THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a method for producing high quality salt. In detail, it relates to a method and equipment for producing high-quality salt with a rich mineral content and reduced bitterness.

In general, salt refers to salty white crystals whose main ingredient is sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium chloride combines sodium and chlorine in equal proportions to form a cubic crystal structure, but salt generally contains impurities other than sodium chloride, so its crystal structure and color vary. While many substitutes have been developed for sugar, which gives sweetness, it is known that there is no substance that can replace salt.

Salt can be broadly divided into halite and sea salt depending on its production method. Rock salt is salt that remains in mineral form after seawater evaporates. Salt can be obtained simply by mining, making up a significant amount of world salt production.

On the other hand, sea salt is a general term for salt obtained by evaporating seawater in salt farms with wind and sunlight, and salt is mainly produced using the sea salt method in Korea and Japan. In addition to sea salt, there are known methods of producing salt from seawater, such as refined salt that removes impurities from seawater using an ion exchange membrane and increases the sodium chloride content, and re-salt (flower salt) that concentrates sea salt.

According to Korea's salt standards, sea salt must have a sodium chloride content of more than 70%, re-salted salt must have a sodium chloride content of more than 88%, and refined salt must have a sodium chloride content of more than 95%.

KR 10-2386106 B1

As explained previously, sea salt, re-salted salt, and refined salt are all crystal structures of the main ingredient sodium chloride obtained by processing seawater. These are not about mutual superiority or inferiority because they are processed by methods such as leaving or removing impurities or mineral components and concentrating sodium chloride depending on the use and need.

Among these, the quality of sea salt varies greatly depending on the seawater used in production, the condition of the salt farm, the know-how of the worker, etc., but sea salt made by directly evaporating seawater generally contains various mineral ingredients such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium. However, the magnesium or magnesium chloride (MgCl) contained in sea salt has a bitter taste, so salt containing too much magnesium is difficult to consider as good salt.

In order to remove magnesium contained as an impurity in salt, so-called bittern is sometimes removed. Generally, removal of bittern is accomplished by leaving sea salt in an atmosphere of appropriate humidity and temperature. It is known that if salt is left unattended, magnesium is leached into the water contained in the salt, removed, and the bitter taste is reduced. However, during the process of removing bittern, not only magnesium but also sodium and other minerals are removed. Salt whose saltiness has been reduced by removing bittern is sometimes promoted as being more beneficial to health and as aged, but this merely contains less sodium compared to the same content.

Additionally, the time required to remove bittern may be appropriately selected to reduce bitterness to a desired degree, but generally takes at least 1 year and up to 5 years. Also, even if the bittern is removed for 5 years, less than 50% of it is removed and it still tastes bitter. In addition, because it takes a long time to remove the bittern and space is needed to store the salt, sea salt with the bittern removed is usually sold at a higher price.

However, as explained earlier, salt with the bittern removed has a low mineral content and does not have the unique characteristics of sea salt that distinguish it from refined salt and re-salt.

Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a high-quality salt production method that has a low magnesium content, reduces bitter taste, and sufficiently contains components such as calcium, potassium, and sodium. In addition, the goal is to provide a salt manufacturing method that can omit the salt removal process or reduce the time required due to the low magnesium content from the crystallization stage of salt, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide salt production equipment for performing the salt production method described above.

The 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 description below.

A salt production facility according to an embodiment for solving the above problem includes an evaporation chamber configured to contain seawater, including a bottom portion in which a first heating member is installed, and evaporating seawater; a cover configured to cover the evaporation chamber and form a closed space; and a humidity control member disposed within the enclosed space and condensing water vapor within the enclosed space to collect the moisture as water.

The humidity control member may include a collection chamber that collects condensed water.

At this time, the collection chamber may be disposed within the closed space and configured not to emit heat inside the closed space to the external space.

The planar size of the cover is larger than the planar size of the evaporation chamber, and the side wall portion of the cover may surround the side wall portion of the evaporation chamber from the outside.

In some embodiments, the salt production facility may further include a second heating member disposed within the enclosed space and configured to heat an upper surface of seawater contained in the evaporation chamber.

A salt production method according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above other problems is a salt production method including a production equipment preparation step and a primary salt crystal acquisition step, wherein the production facility includes a first heating member. It includes a built-in evaporation chamber, a cover configured to cover the evaporation chamber to form an enclosed space, and a humidity control member for controlling the humidity in the enclosed space, wherein the step of obtaining the first salt crystal includes seawater having a salinity of 12% or more. Putting it into an evaporation chamber; Heating seawater to a temperature of 40°C to 50°C using at least the first heating member, until the salinity of the seawater reaches a first obtained concentration; and removing residual seawater and obtaining primary crystallized salt, wherein the first obtained concentration is in the range of 17% to 18%.

The heating step may be performed for 20 to 100 hours.

In the heating step, the temperature inside the closed space is maintained constant in the range of ±5°C, and in the heating step, water vapor in the closed space is condensed to maintain constant humidity.

In some embodiments, the method for producing salt may further include one or more secondary salt crystal acquisition steps.

At this time, the step of obtaining secondary salt crystals includes introducing distilled water into the evaporation chamber; At least partially dissolving the primary crystallized salt in the added distilled water; Heating seawater to a temperature of 40°C to 50°C using at least the first heating member, until the salinity of the dissolved water reaches a second obtained concentration; and removing residual dissolved water and obtaining secondary crystallized salt.

The second obtained concentration may be higher than the first obtained concentration.

Additionally, the step of obtaining secondary salt crystals may be repeated 3 to 5 times.

Each time the second salt crystal obtaining step is repeated, the second obtained concentration may gradually increase.

The volume of distilled water introduced into the evaporation chamber in the second salt crystal acquisition step may be in the range of 50% to 75% of the volume of seawater introduced into the evaporation chamber in the first salt crystal acquisition step.

Additionally, the concentration of the dissolved water in which the primary crystallized salt is dissolved may be in the range of 13% to 15%.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description.

According to embodiments of the present invention, salt crystallization is performed for a predetermined time without heat loss in the closed space in a closed space using a cover, thereby producing salt crystals with a large crystal size and minimal magnesium content. can be obtained.

Therefore, you can obtain high-quality salt that has a low bitter taste and is rich in minerals such as calcium and potassium.

Effects according to embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the contents exemplified above, and further various effects are included in the present specification.

1 is a perspective view of a salt manufacturing facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the salt manufacturing facility of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side view of the salt manufacturing facility of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a salt production facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a side view of a salt manufacturing facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a side view of a salt manufacturing facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a flowchart of a salt production method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a flowchart showing in detail the first salt crystal acquisition step of Figure 7.
Figure 9 is a flowchart showing in detail the secondary salt crystal acquisition step of Figure 7.
Figure 10 is an image showing salt crystals prepared according to the present invention.

The advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and will be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments serve to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete, and those skilled in the art It is provided to fully inform the person of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. That is, various changes may be made to the embodiments presented by the present invention. The embodiments described below are not intended to limit the embodiments, but should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes therefor.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with meanings that can be commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Additionally, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless clearly specifically defined.

As used herein, 'and/or' includes each and every combination of one or more of the mentioned items. Additionally, the singular form also includes the plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase. As used herein, 'comprises' and/or 'comprising' do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components in addition to the mentioned components. The numerical range expressed using 'to' indicates a numerical range that includes the values written before and after it as the lower limit and upper limit, respectively. ‘About’ or ‘approximately’ means a value or numerical range within 20% of the value or numerical range stated thereafter.

In this specification, when referring to components, ordinal modifiers such as 'first component', 'second component', '1-1 component', etc. are used to distinguish one component from another component. It just happens. Accordingly, the first component referred to below may be referred to as the second component within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, what is referred to as a first component in one embodiment may be referred to as a second component in another embodiment. Additionally, of course, what is referred to as a first component in the description of the invention may be referred to as a second component in the claims.

The size, thickness, width, length, etc. of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated or reduced for convenience and clarity of explanation, so the present invention is not limited to the form shown.

Spatially relative terms such as 'above', 'upper', 'on', 'below', 'beneath', and 'lower' are used in the drawing. As shown, it can be used to easily describe the correlation between one element or component and other elements or components. Spatially relative terms should be understood as terms that include different directions of the element when used in addition to the direction shown in the drawings. For example, when an element shown in a drawing is turned over, an element described as 'below or beneath' another element may be placed 'above' the other element. Accordingly, the illustrative term 'down' may include both downward and upward directions.

In this specification, the first direction (X) refers to one direction within a certain plane, and the second direction (Y) refers to another direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the first direction (X) within the plane. Additionally, the third direction (Z) refers to another direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the plane.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a salt manufacturing facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the salt manufacturing facility of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of the salt manufacturing facility of Figure 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the salt production facility 11 according to this embodiment may include an evaporation chamber 100, a chamber cover 200, and a humidity control member 300.

The evaporation chamber 100 may provide a space where seawater (W) is contained and evaporation occurs. The evaporation chamber 100 may include a bottom 110 and a chamber side wall 130 protruding from the bottom 110 . The evaporation chamber 100 may provide a bath function in which salt crystallization occurs by confining seawater (W).

The bottom portion 110 may have a substantially rectangular shape in plan, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A first heating member 190 may be built into the bottom portion 110. The first heating member 190 may include heating wires distributed approximately evenly on the bottom 110 . The heating wire may include a heating wire that generates heat due to resistance when an electric current flows, or may include a hot water pipe through which hot water flows inside the pipe. The first heating member 190 heats the bottom 110 and, as a result, can heat the seawater W from the bottom.

A side wall portion 130 may be disposed at the edge of the bottom portion 110. The side wall portion 130 may protrude from the bottom portion 110 in the third direction (Z) to form an internal space for confining seawater (W). The side wall portion 130 may be made of a material with excellent insulation properties and high management convenience, for example, a metal material with a built-in insulation material. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The chamber cover 200 may cover the evaporation chamber 100 from the top to form a closed space (S). However, the cover 200 does not directly seal the upper opening of the evaporation chamber 100, but may be spaced apart from the evaporation chamber 100 and cover the evaporation chamber 100. For example, the cover 200 is spaced apart from the side wall portion 130 of the evaporation chamber 100 in the third direction (Z) and the horizontal direction (first direction (X) and second direction (Y)) to form an enclosed space. (S) can be formed.

In an exemplary embodiment, cover 200 may have a larger planar size than evaporation chamber 100 . For a specific example, the maximum length of the cover 200 in the second direction (Y) may be greater than the maximum length of the evaporation chamber 100 in the second direction (Y). Additionally, the maximum length of the cover 200 in the first direction (X) may be greater than the maximum length of the evaporation chamber 100 in the first direction (X).

The side wall portion of the cover 200 may be shaped to surround the chamber side wall portion 130 of the evaporation chamber 100 in plan view. That is, the inner surface of the side wall portion of the cover 200 may face the outer surface of the chamber side wall portion 130 of the evaporation chamber 100. A humidity control member 300, which will be described later, may be disposed in the space between the side wall portion of the cover 200 and the chamber side wall portion 130 of the evaporation chamber 100. The humidity control member 300 will be described in detail later.

Cover 200 may have an inclined upper surface. Through this, the seawater evaporated in the internal sealed space (S) can condense on the lower side (inner side) of the cover 200 and flow down on both sides in the second direction (Y) along the inclined lower side. Condensed water flowing down on both sides in the second direction (Y) may be configured to accumulate or be absorbed in the external space of the evaporation chamber 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in other embodiments, the cover 200 may have a non-slanted shape.

As described above, the cover 200 does not directly cover and seal the internal space of the evaporation chamber 100, but may seal the space including the evaporation chamber 100 to form a closed space S. That is, in this embodiment, the closed space (S) is defined as a space surrounded by the lower side (inner side) of the cover 200 and the ground (not shown), and the closed space (S) is the space of the evaporation chamber 100. It may be a space that includes not only the internal space (S1) but also the external space (S2) of the evaporation chamber 100. During the salt manufacturing process, which will be described later, the interior of the closed space S may be maintained at atmospheric pressure, for example, about 0.9 atm to 1.1 atm. In addition, during the salt manufacturing process to be described later, the temperature inside the closed space S may be maintained at about 40°C to 50°C, or about 45°C to 50°C, or about 46°C to 50°C. In addition, during the manufacturing process of salt, which will be described later, the sealed space (S) can be maintained in a sealed state by being separated from other external spaces, for example, the space outside the cover 200.

A humidity control member 300 may be disposed in the closed space S. As seawater (W) evaporates, the humidity and vapor pressure of water in the enclosed space (S) may increase. High humidity inside the closed space (S) may inhibit evaporation of the seawater (W) despite heating of the seawater (W) by the first heating member 190, etc. Therefore, the humidity of the enclosed space S can be lowered or maintained within a certain range using the humidity control member 300. That is, the humidity control member 300 can collect or capture gaseous water, that is, water vapor, by condensing it into liquid water.

In an example embodiment, humidity control member 300 may include a water collection chamber 310 that collects condensed water. The method by which the humidity control member 300 recovers water vapor by condensing it into water is not particularly limited, but for example, the humidity control member 300 may further include a cooling element 330. Water condensed by the cooling element 330 may accumulate in the water collection chamber 310. As the cooling element 330, a Peltier element or the like can be used.

In another embodiment, unlike what is shown in the drawings, the humidity control member 300 may be implemented non-electrically, including a water collection chamber 310 and a desiccant (not shown). The moisture absorbent may include a porous material such as silica.

The humidity control member 300 according to the present embodiment may be configured to condense water vapor into water without emitting heat inside the system formed by the cover 200, that is, the enclosed space (S) to the outside. there is.

As a non-limiting example, unlike the present invention, when the humidity inside the closed space (S) is lowered by releasing the air inside the closed space (S) to the outside using a pump, etc., water vapor and/or water condensed with water vapor is It can be recovered from the external space of the cover 200, that is, the external space of the sealed space (S). This configuration may result in the heated air in the closed space (S) being released to the outside and heat being released. In addition, in order for the closed space (S) to maintain a certain level of pressure, dry external air must be introduced from the outside into the closed space (S). Dry outside air flowing in from outside may cause temperature changes in the enclosed space (S).

The inventor of the present invention completed the present invention by focusing on the correlation between the crystal size at the time of initial precipitation and the bitter taste of salt, that is, the magnesium content. In a typical salt farm, the upper surface of seawater trapped by sunlight is heated, crystallization begins on the surface of the seawater, and salt crystals that have grown to a certain size sink to the lower layer. On the other hand, when the seawater (W) is heated from the bottom using the first heating member 190 as in the present invention, water flow occurs in the upper and lower layers of the trapped seawater. Although the present invention is not limited to any theory, When seawater flow occurs, the size of salt crystals becomes smaller, and magnesium elements may attach together during the crystallization process. In relation to this, the inventor of the present invention focused on the fact that salt crystals are relatively large in the summer, and that salt crystals are relatively small and have a greater bitter taste in the fall.

In other words, if the temperature of the enclosed space (S) is not maintained at a constant level of about 40°C to 50°C, or about 45°C to 50°C, flow occurs in the upper and lower layers of the seawater (W), and seawater The size of salt crystals may become smaller due to the flow. In addition, although the present invention is not limited to any theory, the present invention was completed by focusing on the fact that thin and small salt crystals have a relatively bitter taste.

According to the present invention, the flow of seawater (W) inside the evaporation chamber 100 can be minimized and rapid growth of salt crystals can be promoted in a relatively short time. Therefore, the size of the salt crystals obtained is relatively large and the magnesium content is small, thereby reducing the bitter taste.

Although not shown in the drawing, the salt manufacturing facility 11 has one or more sensors (not shown) for measuring the temperature and/or pressure inside the enclosed space S and/or measuring the seawater concentration inside the evaporation chamber 100. It may further include one or more salinity sensors (not shown) for this purpose.

Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, descriptions of configurations that are substantially the same or extremely similar to the above-described embodiments will be omitted, and this will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the attached drawings.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a salt production facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the salt production facility 12 according to the present embodiment is different from the salt production facility 12 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that it further includes a second heating member 400.

The second heating member 400 may be configured to heat seawater from the upper side. In an exemplary embodiment, the second heating member 400 may include a plurality of heating elements disposed across the upper space of the evaporation chamber 100. The heating element may include a heating bulb, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

As described above, the heating direction of the seawater contained in the evaporation chamber 100 causes the flow of seawater and is a factor that affects the size control of precipitated salt crystals. The salt production facility 12 according to this embodiment not only heats seawater from the bottom using the first heating member 190 built into the bottom 110 of the evaporation chamber 100, but also heats the seawater from the bottom using the second heating member 400. ) can be used to suppress the flow of seawater by heating it from the top.

Figure 4 illustrates a case where the second heating member 400 extends in the first direction (X) and a plurality of heating elements are arranged in the first direction (X), but of course, the present invention is not limited thereto. The second heating member 400 is not particularly limited as long as it can be configured to evenly heat the surface of seawater, but is draped in the second direction (Y) or in the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y). It may be spanned by .

Figure 5 is a side view of a salt manufacturing facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the salt production facility 13 according to the present embodiment is different from the salt production facility according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that the evaporation chamber 100 further includes an extension portion 115.

The evaporation chamber 100 includes a bottom 110 and a side wall 130 protruding from the bottom 110, and may further include an extension 115 extending outward from the bottom 110. there is. The extension portion 115 does not directly contribute to confining the seawater (W), but may form an enclosed space (S) together with the cover (200). That is, in this embodiment, the closed space S may be defined as a space surrounded by the lower side of the cover 200, the extension portion 115, and the bottom portion 110.

With the cover 200 disposed, the cover 200 may be in contact with the extension portion 115 of the evaporation chamber 100. The extension portion 115 may be formed integrally with the bottom portion 110 without a physical boundary. In another embodiment, unlike what is shown in the drawings, the extension portion 115 may be provided as a separate component that is physically separate from the bottom portion 110.

Figure 6 is a side view of a salt manufacturing facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the salt production facility 14 according to this embodiment, the cover 204 does not form an inclined surface, but has a surface parallel to the plane to which the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y) belong. The point of formation is different from the salt manufacturing facility according to the embodiment of FIG. 5.

As previously explained, as a method to condense the water vapor inside the enclosed space (S), consider forming a slope on the cover forming the ceiling and allowing the condensed water to flow down the slope when touching the inner surface of the cover. You can. However, the salt production facility 14 according to the present invention includes a humidity control member 300 for reducing or controlling humidity inside the closed space S, so the slope of the lower side of the cover 204 may be unnecessary. .

Hereinafter, a method for producing salt according to the present invention will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart of a salt production method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing in detail the first salt crystal acquisition step of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing in detail the secondary salt crystal acquisition step of Figure 7.

First, referring to FIG. 7, the salt production method according to this embodiment may include preparing manufacturing equipment (S50), obtaining primary salt crystals (S100), and obtaining secondary salt crystals (S200). there is.

The step of preparing manufacturing equipment (S50) may refer to the step of preparing manufacturing equipment according to any one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 6 described above.

Referring further to FIG. 8, the first step of obtaining salt crystals (S100) according to this embodiment includes pre-concentrating seawater (S110), introducing seawater into an evaporation chamber (S120), and heating seawater to crystallize it. It may include a proceeding step (S130) and a step of obtaining primary crystallized salt (S140).

Seawater can be used pre-concentrated rather than directly pumped from the sea (S110). For example, the concentration of seawater can be increased by naturally evaporating seawater in a reservoir or evaporation pond for a predetermined period of time. The step (S110) of pre-concentrating seawater in the salt production method according to this embodiment may include concentrating the concentration (i.e., salinity) of seawater to 12% (w/v) or more. General seawater has a salinity of about 3% to 4%, but if low-concentration seawater is heated directly, limescale may precipitate, deteriorating the quality of the salt. Therefore, rather than directly putting seawater into a salt production facility, it can be naturally evaporated and concentrated in advance.

Then, concentrated seawater with a concentration of about 12% or more is introduced into the evaporation chamber of the salt production facility (S120). As described above, the evaporation chamber includes a bottom in which the first heating member is built and a side wall protruding from the bottom, and may be configured to trap seawater. Since the salt manufacturing equipment has been described in detail, redundant explanations will be omitted.

Then, the seawater is heated using the first heating member and/or the second heating member (S130). In this step (S130), the heating temperature of seawater and/or the target temperature of the enclosed space may be about 40°C to 50°C, or about 45°C to 50°C, or about 46°C to 50°C. In addition, the temperature of the seawater and/or the temperature inside the enclosed space may be kept constant in the range of about ±5°C.

This step (S130) may be performed until the concentration (ie, salinity) of the seawater inside the evaporation chamber reaches a predetermined reference concentration (eg, first obtained concentration). The first obtained concentration may range from about 17% to 18%. If the first obtained concentration is lower than the above range, salt crystals may not grow to a sufficient size. On the other hand, if the first obtained concentration is higher than the above range, magnesium elements may attach to salt crystals and the bitter taste of salt may increase.

The heating time may be appropriately selected considering the salinity of the seawater inside the evaporation chamber, but may be, for example, about 20 hours or more, or about 25 hours or more. The upper limit of the heating time is not particularly limited and may be about 100 hours, or about 90 hours, or about 80 hours, or about 70 hours, or about 60 hours. As described above, in this step (S130), while the seawater is heated and the seawater is evaporated, the humidity inside the enclosed space is kept constant using a humidity control member.

And when the seawater in the evaporation chamber reaches the first obtained concentration, heating using the heating member is stopped and primary crystallized salt crystallized in seawater is obtained (S140). The method of obtaining salt is not particularly limited, but residual seawater with a concentration of about 17% to 18% can be discharged and removed, and only the remaining salt crystals can be scraped off.

Next, with further reference to FIG. 9, the step of obtaining secondary salt crystals according to this embodiment (S200) includes introducing distilled water into the evaporation chamber (S220) and dissolving the primary salt crystals obtained prior to distilled water (S225). ), heating salt dissolved water to crystallize it (S230), and obtaining secondary crystallized salt (S240).

The evaporation chamber used in the second salt crystal acquisition step (S200) and the salt manufacturing equipment including the same may be the same as or different from the evaporation chamber and the salt manufacturing facility including the same used in the first salt crystal obtaining step (S100). If the same is used, salt crystals can be obtained by discharging the remaining seawater that has reached the first obtained concentration, and then distilled water can be added to the emptied evaporation chamber (S220). On the other hand, if a different one is used, distilled water can be added to the new evaporation chamber (S220).

The amount of distilled water introduced in the step of introducing distilled water into the evaporation chamber (S220) may be selected in consideration of the amount of seawater used in the first salt crystal obtaining step (S100). In an exemplary embodiment, the volume of distilled water introduced in the step of introducing distilled water (S220) is the seawater used in the first salt crystal obtaining step (S100), specifically the volume of seawater pre-concentrated and introduced into the evaporation chamber (S120). It may range from about 50% to 75%. If the amount of distilled water is too large, the time required to obtain secondary salt crystals may be long. On the other hand, if the amount of distilled water is too small, the salt crystals may not be dissolved evenly in the salt crystal dissolution step (S225), which will be described later.

Then, the salt crystals obtained in the first salt crystal obtaining step (S100) are at least partially dissolved in distilled water introduced into the evaporation chamber (S225). In an exemplary embodiment, the salt crystals obtained may be dissolved in a volume of distilled water as described above so that the salt concentration of the dissolved water is in the range of about 13% to 15%.

Then, the distilled water in which the primary salt crystals are dissolved is heated using the first heating member and/or the second heating member (S230). In this step (S230), the heating temperature of the salt dissolved water and/or the target temperature of the enclosed space may be about 40°C to 50°C, or about 45°C to 50°C, or about 46°C to 50°C. In addition, the temperature of the sea water and/or the temperature inside the enclosed space may be kept constant in the range of about ±5°C.

This step (S230) may be performed until the concentration (i.e., salinity) of the salt dissolved water inside the evaporation chamber reaches a predetermined reference concentration (e.g., second obtained concentration). The second obtained concentration may be higher than the above-described first obtained concentration. After obtaining the first salt crystal (S140), the process of dissolving the obtained salt crystal in distilled water and evaporating the water is repeated, thereby reducing the content of magnesium contained in the salt crystal and increasing the purity of magnesium chloride.

The heating time in this step (S230) may be substantially the same as the heating step (S130) in the above-described first salt crystal obtaining step (S100), so overlapping explanations will be omitted.

And when the salt dissolved water in the evaporation chamber reaches the second obtained concentration, heating using the heating member is stopped and secondary crystallized salt crystallized in the salt dissolved water is obtained (S240).

The secondary salt crystal acquisition step (S200) according to this embodiment may be repeated several times. For example, the secondary salt crystal obtaining step (S200) may be repeated 3 to 5 times, or 4 times. In other words, after the second salt crystal obtaining step (S200), the third salt crystal obtaining step, the fourth salt crystal obtaining step, and the fifth salt crystal obtaining step may be additionally performed. Here, the second salt crystal acquisition step (S200) to the fifth salt crystal acquisition step are all the same in that they do not use seawater, but distilled water in which the salt crystals obtained in the previous salt crystallization step are dissolved, but the recovery of salt The concentration may gradually increase.

For a specific example, if the first salt crystal acquisition step (S100) is performed and the second salt crystal acquisition step (S200) is performed four times, a total of five evaporation and salt crystal acquisition steps may be performed. At this time, as described above, the salt crystals used in the second step were obtained in the first salt crystal acquisition step (S100). And the salt crystals used in the third step are obtained in the second step, the salt crystals used in the fourth step are obtained in the third step, and the salt crystals used in the fifth step are obtained in the fourth step. It could be.

In addition, as described above, the concentration at which salt crystals are recovered in the second step (i.e., the second obtained concentration) is higher than the first obtained concentration at the first salt crystal acquisition step (S100). And the concentration at which the salt crystals are recovered in the third step (e.g., the third obtained concentration) is higher than the second obtained concentration, and the concentration at which the salt crystals are recovered in the fourth step (e.g., the fourth obtained concentration) is higher than the third obtained concentration. higher, the concentration at which salt crystals are recovered in the fifth step (e.g., the fifth yield concentration) may be higher than the fourth yield concentration.

In the salt production method according to this embodiment, in obtaining salt crystals from seawater, crystallization of salt can be carried out by maintaining a relatively uniform temperature inside the enclosed space and suppressing the flow of confined seawater. Therefore, the size of the salt crystals obtained is large, and minerals such as calcium and potassium can be included in the crystals while reducing the magnesium content. Therefore, it is possible to provide high-quality salt with a deep flavor and reduced bitterness.

In addition, rather than completing the salt crystallization step all at once, the steps of dissolving the obtained salt crystals in distilled water and evaporating them are repeated, and in the process, trace amounts of magnesium contained in the salt crystals can be further removed. Therefore, it is possible to provide salt with improved taste and flavor simply by omitting the separate bittern removal process or performing it relatively briefly.

Salt crystals that have gone through a total of five steps (one step of obtaining primary salt crystals and four steps of obtaining secondary salt crystals) according to the present invention are shown in Figure 10. Then, the Mokpo National University Salt Quality Inspection Institute was asked to analyze the composition of the manufactured salt crystals, and the results are shown in Table 1 below.

item result Sodium chloride (%) 95.0 Total chlorine (%) 56.9 moisture(%) 3.6 Other insoluble matter (%) 0.01 Sulfate ion (%) 1.2 Quarter (%) 0.1 Arsenic (mg/kg) 0.0 Lead (mg/kg) 0.2 Cadmium (mg/kg) 0.0 Mercury (mg/kg) 0.0 Ferrocyanide ion (g/kg) Not detected

In addition, as a result of separate component analysis, the magnesium content was 243 mg/kg, the sodium content was 451,532 mg/kg, the potassium content was 7,341 mg/kg, and the calcium content was 1,988 mg/kg. According to the present invention, salt crystals larger than a coin can be produced, as shown in Figure 10.

Although the above description focuses on the embodiments of the present invention, this is only an example and does not limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art will understand the present invention without departing from the essential characteristics of the embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent that various modifications and applications not exemplified above are possible.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include changes, equivalents, or substitutes of the technical ideas exemplified above. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiments of the present invention can be modified and implemented. And these variations and differences in application should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

11: Salt manufacturing equipment
100: Evaporation chamber
110: bottom part
130: side wall part
190: first heating member
200: Cover
300: Absence of humidity control

Claims (10)

An evaporation chamber configured to contain seawater, the evaporation chamber including a bottom in which a first heating member is built, to evaporate seawater;
a cover configured to cover the evaporation chamber and form a closed space; and
A salt manufacturing facility disposed within the enclosed space and including a humidity control member that condenses water vapor in the enclosed space and collects it as water. According to paragraph 1,
The humidity control member includes a collection chamber for collecting condensed water,
The salt production facility is configured so that the collection chamber is disposed within the enclosed space and does not emit heat inside the enclosed space to an external space. According to paragraph 1,
The planar size of the cover is larger than the planar size of the evaporation chamber, and the side wall portion of the cover surrounds the side wall portion of the evaporation chamber from the outside. According to paragraph 1,
Salt production equipment disposed within the enclosed space and further comprising a second heating member configured to heat an upper surface of seawater contained in the evaporation chamber. A salt production method including a manufacturing equipment preparation step and a primary salt crystal acquisition step,
The manufacturing equipment includes an evaporation chamber in which a first heating member is built, a cover configured to cover the evaporation chamber to form a closed space, and a humidity control member that controls humidity in the closed space,
The first step of obtaining salt crystals is,
Injecting seawater with a salinity of 12% or more into the evaporation chamber;
Heating seawater to a temperature of 40°C to 50°C using at least the first heating member, until the salinity of the seawater reaches a first obtained concentration; and
Including removing residual seawater and obtaining primary crystallized salt,
The method of producing salt, wherein the first obtained concentration is in the range of 17% to 18%. According to clause 5,
The heating step is performed for 20 to 100 hours, and in the heating step, the temperature inside the enclosed space is kept constant in the range of ±5°C, and in the heating step, water vapor in the enclosed space is condensed to increase humidity. A method of producing salt that remains constant. According to clause 5,
It further includes one or more steps of obtaining secondary salt crystals, wherein the step of obtaining secondary salt crystals includes,
Injecting distilled water into the evaporation chamber;
At least partially dissolving the primary crystallized salt in the added distilled water;
Heating seawater to a temperature of 40°C to 50°C using at least the first heating member, until the salinity of the dissolved water reaches a second obtained concentration; and
Removing residual dissolved water and obtaining secondary crystallized salt,
A method for producing salt, wherein the second obtained concentration is higher than the first obtained concentration. In clause 7,
The step of obtaining secondary salt crystals is repeated 3 to 5 times,
A method of producing salt in which the second obtained concentration gradually increases each time the step of obtaining secondary salt crystals is repeated. In clause 7,
The volume of distilled water introduced into the evaporation chamber in the secondary salt crystal acquisition step is in the range of 50% to 75% of the volume of seawater introduced into the evaporation chamber in the primary salt crystal acquisition step. According to clause 9,
A method of producing salt wherein the concentration of the dissolved water in which the primary crystallized salt is dissolved is in the range of 13% to 15%.