RU2814187C1 - Continuous-flow microwave convective hop dryer with resonator drums - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: invention can be used in hop-growing farms for gradual drying of freshly harvested hops in a continuous mode while maintaining consumer properties. The hop dryer includes two truncated conical resonators placed in a horizontal plane, joined together by a common large base, and a toroidal resonator, where the base of its internal perforated non-ferromagnetic cylinder is the small base of the second truncated conical resonator. Along all the resonators, along the diameter width of the small bases of the truncated conical resonators, a dielectric mesh electric drive conveyor is laid, where a ceramic perforated U-shaped groove is permanently installed under its working branch. Magnetrons with waveguides are located with a 120-degree shift along the perimeter of the large bases of the resonators, where individual non-ferromagnetic air ducts from heat guns and non-ferromagnetic air vents are installed on opposite sides of the resonators. A non-ferromagnetic loading capacity is installed above the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor in front of the first truncated conical resonator, and a non-ferromagnetic receiving capacity is installed under the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor outside the outer large base of the toroidal resonator.

EFFECT: preservation of the consumer properties of dried hops.

1 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of agriculture and can be used in hop farms for step-by-step drying of freshly harvested hops in a continuous mode while maintaining consumer properties.

Dielectric resonators are known, see V. Gevorkyan, V. Kochemasov. Volumetric dielectric resonators - main types, characteristics, manufacturers // Electronics, No. 4 (00154) 2016, pp. 62-76. Strekalov, A.V., Yu.A. Strekalov. Electromagnetic fields and waves // M.: RIOR: INFRA. M, 2014. 375 p.

A microwave convective hop dryer of continuous flow action with a hemispherical resonator is also known (patent RU No. 2770628 containing a hemispherical non-ferromagnetic resonator with a rotating perforated non-ferromagnetic base.

The main disadvantage of known hop dryers is the uneven dielectric heating of hops, which affects the quality of drying.

The closest in technical essence is the well-known microwave convective hop dryer with elliptical toroidal resonators (RU patent No. 2772987). A multi-resonator hop dryer contains sequentially connected volumetric non-ferromagnetic resonators of non-traditional designs.

Disadvantage: the difficulty of matching the thickness of the hop layer with the penetration depth of the electromagnetic wave (2.5-3 cm) in the centimeter range, which entails uneven dielectric heating of the hops.

From an analysis of known similar technical solutions, it was revealed that the technical problem in this area is the need to expand the arsenal of equipment that provides step-by-step dehydration and disinfection of freshly harvested hops.

The technical result of the invention is the preservation of the consumer properties of dried and disinfected hops during multi-stage drying under different modes in a working chamber formed by several non-standard resonators.

To solve the technical problem and achieve the stated technical result, a continuous-flow microwave convective hop dryer with combined resonators contains, in the horizontal plane, two truncated conical resonators, docked with each other by a common large base and a toroidal resonator, where the base of its internal perforated non-ferromagnetic cylinder is a small base second truncated conical resonator,

at the same time, along all the resonators along the diameter width of the small bases of the truncated conical resonators, a dielectric grid electric drive conveyor is laid, where a ceramic perforated U-shaped groove is permanently installed under its working branch,

Moreover, magnetrons with waveguides are located with a 120-degree shift along the perimeter of the large bases of the resonators, where individual non-ferromagnetic air ducts from heat guns and non-ferromagnetic air vents are installed on opposite sides of the resonators,

in this case, a non-ferromagnetic loading capacitance is installed above the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor in front of the first truncated conical resonator, and a non-ferromagnetic receiving capacitance is installed under the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor outside the outer large base of the toroidal resonator.

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings, which show:

- microwave convective hop dryer of continuous flow action with combined resonators, general view (Fig. 1);

three docked resonators with a dielectric grid electrically driven conveyor, in section (Fig. 2);

- microwave convective hop dryer of continuous flow action with combined resonators (general view with positions) (Fig. 3);

- two truncated conical resonators docked (Fig. 4);

- toroidal resonator (Fig. 5);

docked two truncated conical resonators with a toroidal resonator, with magnetrons (Fig. 6)

- two truncated conical resonators coupled with a toroidal resonator (combined resonators), in section (Fig. 7);

- perforated non-ferromagnetic shell of the inner cylinder of the toroidal resonator (Fig. 8);

- ceramic perforated U-shaped gutter (Fig. 9).

A continuous-flow microwave convective hop dryer with combined resonators contains (Fig. 1-9):

- the first truncated conical resonator 1;

- non-ferromagnetic air vents 2, 4, 6;

- second truncated conical resonator 3;

- toroidal resonator 5;

- toroidal part 7 of the toroidal resonator 5;

- internal perforated non-ferromagnetic cylinder 8 with non-ferromagnetic base 9;

- capacitor part 10 of the toroidal resonator 5;

- dielectric mesh electrically driven conveyor 11;

- receiving capacity 12;

- non-ferromagnetic air ducts 13, 15, 17 with heat guns;

- magnetrons with waveguides 14, 16, 18 on a toroidal resonator, on resonators in the form of truncated cones, respectively;

- ceramic perforated U-shaped gutter 19;

- non-ferromagnetic loading capacity 20.

Continuous-flow microwave convective hop dryer with combined resonators contains

in the horizontal plane, two truncated conical resonators 1, 3, docked with each other by a common large base and a toroidal resonator 5. In this case, the internal non-ferromagnetic cylinder 8 of the toroidal resonator 5 is perforated and the base 9 is docked with the small base of the second truncated conical resonator 3. Along all resonators 1 , 3, 5 along the width of the diameter of the small bases of the truncated conical resonators, a dielectric grid electric drive conveyor 11 is laid, where a ceramic perforated U-shaped groove 19 is permanently installed under its working branch.

Waveguides with magnetrons are located with a 120-degree shift along the perimeter of the large bases of resonators 1, 3, 5. Individual non-ferromagnetic air ducts 13, 15, 17 from heat guns and non-ferromagnetic air vents 2, 4, 6 are located respectively on the side surface of each resonator.

The supply of warm air is carried out against the movement of the dielectric grid electrically driven conveyor 11. A non-ferromagnetic loading capacity 20 is installed above the dielectric grid electrically driven conveyor 11 in front of the first truncated conical resonator 1, and a non-ferromagnetic receiving capacity is installed under the dielectric grid electrically driven conveyor 11, outside the outer large base of the toroidal resonator 5 12.

The technological process of drying freshly harvested hops is as follows. Load freshly harvested hops into loading container 20, first closing the damper. Turn on the electric drive of the dielectric mesh conveyor 11. Turn on the fans with the corresponding heat guns 13, 15, 17. Open the damper in the loading tank 20, after which the hop cones enter the dielectric mesh electric conveyor 11. As soon as freshly harvested hops are in the first truncated conical resonator 1, turn on the generators (magnetrons 18). Next, as raw materials enter the second and third resonators, turn on the corresponding generators (magnetrons 16 and 14). The hop cones along the edges of the dielectric mesh electric drive conveyor 11 do not crumble, since under its working branch there is a ceramic U-shaped trench 19. In the first truncated conical resonator 1 (the first stage of drying), due to polarization currents and convective heat from the heat gun, the hop cones are heated to 31-34°C, surface moisture is carried away by air through air vent 2.

In the second truncated conical resonator 3, the temperature in the raw material increases to 37-46°C, internal moisture, due to the temperature and pressure gradient, is released on the surface of the cones, and is also removed through the air vent 4 (second stage of drying). Physico-chemical bound water is removed.

In the third toroidal resonator 5, the process of drying hop cones occurs as follows. Due to the fact that the internal non-ferromagnetic cylinder 8 is perforated and closed with a non-ferromagnetic base 9 containing a hole for moving the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor 11 with raw materials, and in this space there is no microwave emitter, therefore there is no endogenous heating of the raw materials. And warm air from the heat gun 13 is blown through the internal perforated non-ferromagnetic cylinder 8. The pressure, humidity and temperature in the hop cones are equalized (65-75°C). Next, the raw material is moved using a dielectric grid electric drive conveyor 11 in the capacitor part 10 of the toroidal resonator 5, where the electric field strength is high enough (0.6-1.2 kV/cm) to ensure a reduction in bacterial contamination of hops.

The quality of dried hops depends on the temperature and air pressure, the dose of exposure to EMF, and the electric field strength at each stage of drying, so at least a three-stage drying process should be followed. The drying speed of hops depends on the specific power of the generators in each resonator and on the parameters of the coolant: temperature, speed and relative humidity. Ceramic perforated U-shaped trough 19 ensures the concentration of microwave energy in the raw material, reducing radiation losses through the holes between the resonators, designed to move the dielectric grid electric conveyor through the drying chamber, consisting of three volumetric resonators. Ceramics have a low dielectric loss tangent [2, p. 360].

The duration of movement of raw materials through the central non-ferromagnetic perforated cylinder 8 is equal to or greater than the duration of the presence of raw materials in the capacitor part 10 of the toroidal resonator 5. That is the duty cycle of the technological process in a toroidal resonator must be greater than or equal to 0.5 (the ratio of the duration of exposure to microwave emfs to the duration of the cycle). This promotes uniform drying throughout the volume of hop cones. The thickness of the layer of hop cones on a dielectric mesh conveyor should not exceed two wave penetration depths (3-6 cm).

So, the essence of drying: warm air is supplied to the drying chamber (to combined resonators) through a layer of hop cones. The moisture contained in the cones turns into a vapor state and is removed from the chamber (from the resonators) by a stream of air. The highest air temperature in the condenser part 10 of the toroidal resonator 5 is allowed to be no more than 65°C, and the speed of movement of the heated air should not exceed 0.5 m/s. The hops are dried to a moisture content of 8-9%.

The hop dryer provides step-by-step removal of moisture from hop cones when moving through combined resonators using a dielectric mesh electrically driven conveyor. In this case, hop cones are subjected to endogenous convective heating, dried and disinfected, i.e. consumer characteristics are preserved and microbiological indicators are improved.

In all resonators, the dose of exposure to EMF microwaves, the temperature and pressure of the supplied air are controlled and regulated depending on the humidity and volume of loaded hops by changing the power of microwave generators (magnetrons) and heat guns, as well as the speed of movement of the dielectric mesh electric drive conveyor 11. Organoleptic characteristics of dried hops: the hops rustle, the stem of the cone bends but does not break, and its color turns from green to gray.

Claims (4)

A continuous-flow microwave convective hop dryer with combined resonators, characterized in that it contains two truncated conical resonators placed in a horizontal plane, docked with each other by a common large base, and a toroidal resonator, where the base of its internal perforated non-ferromagnetic cylinder is the small base of the second truncated conical resonator, at the same time, along all the resonators along the diameter width of the small bases of the truncated conical resonators, a dielectric grid electric drive conveyor is laid, where a ceramic perforated U-shaped groove is permanently installed under its working branch, Moreover, magnetrons with waveguides are located with a 120-degree shift along the perimeter of the large bases of the resonators, where individual non-ferromagnetic air ducts from heat guns and non-ferromagnetic air vents are installed on opposite sides of the resonators, in this case, a non-ferromagnetic loading capacitance is installed above the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor in front of the first truncated conical resonator, and a non-ferromagnetic receiving capacitance is installed under the dielectric grid electric drive conveyor outside the outer large base of the toroidal resonator.