TWI546022B - Normal Temperature and Pressure Food Drying Apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Normal temperature and pressure food drying equipment

The invention relates to a food drying device, in particular to a normal temperature and atmospheric food drying device.

Food drying technology allows food to prolong storage time. Common food drying techniques include hot air drying method, vacuum frying dehydration drying method, vacuum freeze drying method, air drying method, normal temperature and normal pressure drying method, etc. Its advantages and disadvantages, among which the normal temperature and pressure drying method can best retain the nutrients of food, which is the best drying processing method. Nowadays, many machines claim to have normal temperature and normal pressure drying function, while normal temperature means the most suitable for animals and plants in nature. The ambient temperature of the living (about 25 to 35 degrees Celsius), but the drying temperature of the normal temperature and atmospheric drying equipment must exceed 50 degrees Celsius to shorten the drying time. Therefore, if the drying time is lower, it takes a long time. Drying, and thus will not achieve the effect of food preservation, but also the purpose of retaining nutrition, which is quite time consuming and energy consuming.

Take a domestic food dryer as an example. Although it is advertised at room temperature and dry, it is actually used at room temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. It still needs to be heated to above 50 degrees Celsius, and it adopts air convection inside and outside the body. Drying takes about 12 to 26 hours to complete the dry food (the actual time varies depending on the type of food), and it will be in constant contact with the air during the long drying process, which will cause excessive oxidation of the food and cause nutrients. Loss. Therefore, such an air-drying room temperature dryer is still not an ideal normal temperature drying technique.

Another conventional room temperature drying system for drying a large amount of food is to uniformly dry a large amount of food at room temperature, and an air removal device is additionally provided with an air pressurizing device to extract the indoor air of the drying chamber and then add The pressure is sent to the water removal device to increase the water removal amount of the water removal device to relatively increase the dryness of the air of the water removal device, and the dry air is sent back to the drying chamber to accelerate the drying speed of the indoor food. . Such a normal temperature drying system can indeed complete the food drying process at normal temperature, but the air pressurizing device not only occupies space and consumes electricity, but also has high equipment cost, and is not an optimal normal temperature drying system, and further improvement is necessary.

In view of the technical defects of the current room temperature drying equipment, the main object of the present invention is to provide a normal temperature and pressure food drying equipment, which does not require air pressure equipment, has low production cost, energy saving and fast drying speed.

The main technical means used for the above purposes is that the normal temperature and atmospheric pressure drying apparatus comprises: a drying chamber comprising a first air outlet and a first air inlet; and a first circulation air tube including an air inlet And an air outlet pipe; wherein the air intake pipe is connected to the first air outlet of the drying chamber, the air outlet pipe is connected to the first air inlet of the drying chamber; a first air blower is connected in series The first air outlet of the first circulating air pipe extracts indoor air from the first air outlet of the drying chamber; a first temperature control unit is connected in series to the air inlet pipe of the first circulating air pipe to adjust the inlet The temperature of the air in the trachea is maintained at a first temperature; a dehumidifying device includes a container, a cryogenic gas passage and a water outlet, the container being connected in series with the intake pipe and the gas outlet pipe of the first circulation gas pipe And maintaining a second temperature, and the low temperature gas passage is housed in the container, and is in communication with the intake pipe and the gas outlet pipe of the first circulation gas pipe, the water outlet is connected to the low temperature gas Channel connection; and a second The control unit is connected in series with the air outlet pipe of the first circulating air pipe to adjust the temperature of the air in the air outlet pipe to be maintained at a normal temperature; the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, so that the low temperature gas passage is The gas temperature is lowered to a dew point temperature, and the gaseous water contained therein is condensed into liquid water and discharged from the water outlet.

In the above-mentioned normal temperature drying apparatus of the present invention, the indoor air of the drying chamber is extracted by the first air blower, and the air temperature is adjusted by the first temperature control unit to the first temperature, because the dehumidifying device is maintained at a first temperature. a low second temperature, the temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature ensures that after the first temperature air passes through the dehumidifying device, the temperature thereof can be lowered to a dew point temperature, and the gaseous water contained therein is condensed into liquid water therefrom. The nozzle is discharged, and the air entering the intake pipe through the dehumidifying device becomes drier, and the second temperature control unit adjusts the drying temperature to the normal temperature, and then sends the drying chamber to the drying chamber to ensure that the drying chamber is at normal temperature. In addition, the air in the drying chamber is continuously dried by the dehumidifying device to remove water, so that the humidity in the drying chamber is continuously reduced, and the moisture content in the food is forcibly released to achieve a drying effect. Therefore, the present invention does not require an additional air pressurizing device to achieve the purpose of drying the food at normal temperature and pressure.

The present invention provides techniques for drying food products under ambient and atmospheric conditions. The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrates the architecture and drying process of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the normal temperature and atmospheric food drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a body 10, a drying chamber 20, a first circulating gas pipe 30, a first blower 40, and a first temperature control unit. 50. A dehumidification device 60 and a second temperature control unit 51.

At least two spaces 11 and 12 are partitioned in the body 10, wherein a space 11 is received in the drying chamber 20, and a door 111 is disposed on a side of the body 10 corresponding to the drying chamber 20 for the food to be dried and The dried food enters and exits the drying chamber 20. The structure other than the drying chamber 20 is disposed in the other space 12 of the body 10.

A first air outlet 21 and a first air inlet 22 are formed on opposite sides of the drying chamber 20, respectively. The first circulating air pipe 30 includes an intake pipe 31 and an air outlet pipe 32, wherein the air inlet pipe 31 is connected to the first air outlet 21 of the drying chamber 20, and the air outlet pipe 32 is connected to the drying chamber. The first air inlet 22 of the 20 is configured to form a closed communication gas passage with the drying chamber 20.

The first blower 40 is connected in series to the intake pipe 31 of the first circulating air pipe 30, and the indoor air is taken from the first air outlet 21 of the drying chamber 20, and then sent to the dehumidifying device 60; the first blower 40 The horsepower is determined according to the volume of the drying device, and the gas flow rate can be adjusted, so that the matched gas flow rate can be adjusted according to the type of food to be dried in the drying chamber 20. In the present embodiment, the drying device 3 m3 volume (m ^3), with the use of the first blower 0.5 horsepower (HP), if in the dried carrot slices, the preferred gas flow rate of 10.2 per minute Cubic meters (m ³ /min), but not limited to this.

The first temperature control unit 50 is connected in series to the intake pipe 31 of the first circulation air pipe 30 to adjust and maintain the temperature of the air in the intake pipe 31 at a first temperature. In the present embodiment, the first temperature control unit 50 is closer to the first air outlet 21 of the drying chamber 20 than the first air blower 40.

The dehumidifying device 60 includes a container 61, a low temperature gas passage 62 and a water outlet 63 maintained at a second temperature. The container 6 is connected in series between the intake pipe 31 and the air outlet pipe 32 of the first circulating air pipe 30. The low temperature gas passage 62 is disposed in the container 61 and is associated with the first circulating air pipe 30. The intake pipe 31 and the air outlet pipe 32 are in communication. The water outlet 63 is in communication with the low temperature gas passage 62. Preferably, the water outlet 63 is formed at a junction of the container 61 and the air outlet tube 32 to communicate with the low temperature gas passage 62. The second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and the temperature difference between the first and second temperatures causes the first temperature to decrease to a dew point temperature. Since the low temperature gas passage 62 in the container communicates with the intake pipe 31, the first temperature air in the intake pipe 31 is discharged into the low temperature gas passage 62 through the operation of the first blower 50. After the first temperature gas enters the low temperature gas pipe 62, the temperature of the temperature gradually approaches to the dew point temperature, so that the gaseous water in the gas condenses into liquid water and is converted into a dry gas. The dry gas is discharged into the gas outlet pipe 32 communicating with the low temperature gas passage 62, and the liquid water is smoothly discharged from the water outlet 63 and further discharged to the outside of the body 10. In this embodiment, the low temperature gas passage 62 is a low temperature gas pipe, and the low temperature gas pipe can be connected in parallel by a plurality of curved pipes 621 and connected to each other; or as shown in FIG. 4, another dehumidification device 60' The cryogenic air tube can be a continuous elbow 621'.

The second temperature control unit 51 is connected in series to the air outlet pipe 32 of the first circulating air pipe 30. After the dry gas discharged from the dehumidifying device 60 is discharged into the air outlet pipe 32, the air outlet pipe 32 is further adjusted and maintained. The dry air temperature is at a normal temperature; here, the dry air in the gas outlet pipe 32 is usually heated to the normal temperature. Since the air outlet pipe 32 is connected to the first air inlet 22 of the drying chamber 20, the normal temperature drying gas can be discharged into the drying chamber 20, so that the circulation is continuously dried by the dehumidifying device 60 to remove water, so that the air is discharged. The humidity in the drying chamber 20 is continuously lowered, so that the moisture content in the food is forcibly released to achieve a drying effect.

In the dehumidifying device 60, 60' used in each of the above embodiments, in order to improve the water removing effect, a cooling liquid may be added to the container 61, and the low temperature passage 62 is completely immersed in the cooling liquid to avoid the outer wall of the low temperature passage 62. Frosting or icing. Since the cryogenic passage 62 includes a plurality of curved tubes 621, or includes a continuous curved tube 621' as shown in FIG. 4, the contact area of the cryogenic passage 62 with the cooling liquid is increased, and gas is elongated in the container 61. The circulation path allows the gas of the first temperature to lengthen through the multi-bend pipe, so that the temperature can be smoothly lowered to the dew point temperature by the temperature difference between the second temperature of the cooling liquid and the first temperature, and The contained gaseous water is converted into liquid water and discharged from the drain port 63, and the dry gas is also supplied into the gas outlet pipe 32. Since the length of the low temperature gas passage 62 is lengthened, the gas flow rate of the first blower 40 can be appropriately increased, and the liquid water is brought back into the gas outlet pipe 32 to avoid excessive gas flow, as shown in FIG. 61 is further enlarged to a drain chamber 64 at the junction with the outlet pipe 32, and the water outlet 63 is formed below the drain chamber 64; thus, the dry gas and the liquid water discharged from the low temperature gas passage 62 at a relatively high flow rate of the gas flow rate The liquid water is dripped down into the drain chamber 64 without being carried back into the gas outlet tube 32 by the dry gas at a higher flow rate.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 , it is an embodiment of another dehumidification device 60 ′′ of the present invention, which further includes an inner container 611 connected in series with the low temperature gas passage 62 and The low temperature gas passage 62 is in communication, and the inner container 61 includes a plurality of passages 612 extending through the inner space thereof and communicating with the inner space of the container 61. When the container 61 is provided with a cooling liquid, the cooling liquid also fills the respective passages 612. When the first temperature gas is introduced into the low temperature gas passage 62 and reaches the inner space 611 having a large space, the gas flow rate and pressure are changed to accelerate the condensation of water molecules, and the inner container 611 is disposed through the plurality of channels 612. It can also ensure its low temperature. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7E, the changes in the permeation space in the embodiments of the plurality of low-temperature gas passages 62 cause the gas flow rate and pressure to change to accelerate the condensation of water molecules, wherein FIG. 7A is to widen the low-temperature gas passage. A portion of the inner diameter of 62 causes the internal space to vary in size; FIG. 7B reduces the internal diameter of the low temperature gas passage 62 by a size change; FIG. 7C sets a complex resistance in the low temperature gas passage 62. The gas piece 622 makes the internal space of the corresponding passage of each gas blocking member 622 small; the low temperature gas passage 62 of FIG. 7D is sleeved by the pipe members 623a and 623b of different pipe diameters, and the internal space naturally changes in size; FIG. 7E A plurality of cross partitions 624 are disposed in the low temperature gas passage 62 to reduce the internal space of the passage corresponding to each of the cross partitions 624.

Referring to FIG. 8 again, in another embodiment of the present invention, the container 61 is partitioned into a coolant zone 613 and an air cooling zone 614 by a partition 610; wherein the air is cooled. The area 614 is used between the intake pipe 31 and the air outlet pipe 32 of the first circulating air pipe, and is used as a low temperature gas passage 62. The air cooling zone 614 is provided with a cooling elbow 614a. The cooling elbow is disposed. One end of the 614a is formed with a water storage tank 616, and the other end is in communication with the cooling liquid area 613. A pump 615 is connected between the coolant zone 613 and the water storage tank 616 of the air cooling zone 614, and the cooling liquid of the coolant zone 613 is pumped into the water storage tank 616 to cool the cooling pipe 614a. A circulating water flow is formed between the liquid regions 613; when the first temperature gas is introduced into the air cooling zone 614 from the intake pipe 31, the gas flow rate and pressure are caused by reaching the air cooling zone 614 having a large space. The change accelerates the condensation of water molecules, and the air cooling zone 614 ensures a low temperature state due to the flowing cooling liquid in the cooling elbow 614a.

There are many ways to maintain the cooling liquid at the second temperature, which is generally divided into a power device and a non-electric device; wherein the power device is, for example, a refrigerating wafer refrigerator or an air conditioner (including a compressor, an expansion valve, an evaporator, etc.) And the like, the cold air or the cold water outside the machine can be introduced into the air, and the temperature of the cooling liquid can be adjusted. The specific implementation is a well-known technology in the related art, and details are not described herein.

The following is the actual measurement results of the drying of the same amount of dried material by the invention and several food drying techniques:

As can be seen from the above table, the food to be dried by the present invention does not require a hot water or steam cyanine treatment process, and the plant can be placed in the drying chamber of the present invention as long as the dry section is cleaned, and the drying time of the present invention. Although it is hot and dry, or close to the hot air drying time, the present invention uses normal temperature drying, and does not cause hot or hot air drying to destroy the nutrient content of the food; and the present invention has a shorter drying time than the conventional room temperature drying and freeze drying. Conducive to the mass production of dry foods with high dry quality.

The above is only the embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention has been disclosed by the embodiments, but is not intended to limit the invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art, In the scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, equivalent modifications may be made to the equivalents of the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments are still within the scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

10‧‧‧ Ontology
11, 12‧‧‧ accommodating space
111‧‧‧ Door panel
20‧‧‧Drying room
21‧‧‧First air outlet
22‧‧‧First air inlet
23‧‧‧Second air outlet
24‧‧‧second air inlet
30‧‧‧First cycle trachea
31‧‧‧Intake pipe
32‧‧‧Exhaust pipe
33‧‧‧second circulation trachea
40‧‧‧First blower
41‧‧‧second blower
50‧‧‧First temperature control unit
51‧‧‧Second temperature control unit
60, 60', 60'', 60'''‧‧‧ dehumidifiers
61‧‧‧ Container
611‧‧‧ inner container
612‧‧‧ channel
613‧‧‧ Coolant zone
614‧‧‧Air cooling zone
614a‧‧‧cooling elbow
615‧‧‧ pump
616‧‧‧Water storage tank
62‧‧‧Cryogenic gas channel
621, 621'‧‧‧ elbow
622‧‧‧ gas barrier
623a, 623b‧‧‧ pipe fittings
624‧‧‧cross partition
63‧‧‧Water outlet
64‧‧‧Drainage room

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the normal temperature and pressure food drying apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the structure of a first preferred embodiment of the room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the structure of a second preferred embodiment of the room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus of the present invention. Figure 4: A preferred embodiment of the dehumidification apparatus of the present invention. Figure 5: Another preferred embodiment of the dehumidification apparatus of the present invention. Figure 6: Front view of Figure 5. 7A to 7E are cross-sectional views showing five structures of a low temperature gas passage of the dehumidifying apparatus of the present invention. Figure 8: Still another preferred embodiment of the dehumidification apparatus of the present invention.

10‧‧‧ Ontology

11, 12‧‧‧ accommodating space

20‧‧‧Drying room

21‧‧‧First air outlet

22‧‧‧First air inlet

30‧‧‧First cycle trachea

31‧‧‧Intake pipe

32‧‧‧Exhaust pipe

40‧‧‧First blower

50‧‧‧First temperature control unit

51‧‧‧Second temperature control unit

60‧‧‧Dehumidification device

61‧‧‧ Container

62‧‧‧Cryogenic gas channel

63‧‧‧Water outlet

Claims (10)

The utility model relates to a normal temperature and atmospheric pressure food drying device, comprising: a drying chamber comprising a first air outlet and a first air inlet; a first circulation air tube comprising an air inlet tube and an air outlet tube; wherein the air inlet tube Is connected to the first air outlet of the drying chamber, the air outlet is connected to the first air inlet of the drying chamber; a first air blower is connected in series to the air inlet pipe of the first circulating air pipe, The first air outlet of the drying chamber extracts indoor air; a first temperature control unit is connected in series to the intake pipe of the first circulating air pipe to adjust the temperature of the air in the air intake pipe to be maintained at the first a dehumidification device comprising a container, a cryogenic gas passage and a water outlet, the container being connected in series between the intake pipe and the gas outlet pipe of the first circulation gas pipe and maintained at a second temperature, And the low temperature gas passage is disposed in the inner space of the container, communicating with the air inlet pipe and the air outlet pipe of the first circulation air pipe, the water outlet is connected to the low temperature gas passage; and a second temperature control unit , connected in series Adjusting the temperature of the air in the air outlet pipe to a normal temperature; and the second temperature system is lower than the first temperature, so that the temperature of the gas in the low temperature gas passage is lowered to a dew point temperature, so that the temperature of the gas in the low temperature gas passage is lowered to a dew point temperature The gaseous water contained therein condenses into liquid water and is discharged from the water outlet. The room temperature and pressure food drying device according to claim 1, wherein the low temperature gas passage is a low temperature gas pipe. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the container is provided with a cooling liquid, and the low temperature gas pipe is completely immersed in the cooling liquid. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: an inner container disposed in the container and connected in series with the low temperature air pipe to communicate with the low temperature air pipe, and The inner container includes a plurality of passages extending through the inner space of the inner container and communicating with the inner space of the container. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the container is provided with a cooling liquid, the inner container and the low temperature air pipe system are completely immersed in the cooling liquid, and the passage of the inner container is also filled with the cooling liquid. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the low temperature gas pipe system comprises a plurality of bent pipes connected in parallel and connected to each other, or a continuous curved pipe. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the volume of the space of the low temperature gas passage varies in size. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container partitions the internal space by a partition: a cooling liquid zone containing a cooling liquid; and an air cooling zone connected in series Between the intake pipe and the gas outlet pipe of the first circulation gas pipe, as the low temperature gas passage, and a cooling elbow is disposed, one end of the cooling elbow is formed with a water storage tank, and the other end is connected with the cooling liquid zone Connected; wherein a water pump is arranged between the water storage tank and the coolant zone, and the cooling liquid in the coolant zone is pumped into the water storage tank to form a circulating water flow between the cooling water pipe and the coolant zone. The room temperature and pressure food drying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container and the outlet pipe joint are further expanded into a drain chamber, and the water outlet is formed below the drain chamber. The room temperature and pressure food drying device according to claim 8, wherein the connection between the container and the gas outlet pipe is further expanded into a drainage chamber, and the water outlet is formed below the drainage chamber.