WO2016004965A1

WO2016004965A1 - Apparatus for fermenting and drying cocoa beans

Info

Publication number: WO2016004965A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/001902
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans-Ulrich WIBERG-WAGNER
Original assignee: Ritter Schönbuch Vermögensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG
Priority date: 2014-07-10
Filing date: 2014-07-10
Publication date: 2016-01-14

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for fermenting and drying cocoa beans, consisting of a container (1) with a floor (2) and of housing walls, which enclose the floor (2) and form an upper housing periphery (7). The housing periphery (7) is spaced apart from the floor (2), wherein a multiplicity of through-passages (35) are formed in the floor (2) for the supply of a gas. Mixing members (20) are provided and extend in an upright state from the floor (2) in the direction of a plane (8) formed by the upper housing periphery (7). The mixing members (20) are driven in rotation, wherein the mixing members (20) are retained on a carriage (13) which can be displaced along the container (1).

Description

Apparatus for fermenting and drying cocoa beans

The invention relates to a device for fermenting and drying cocoa beans.

The cacao beans, arranged in a cocoa fruit and arranged in five longitudinal rows, are about 2 cm to 4 cm long and 1, 2 cm to 2 cm wide and oval or elliptical in shape. The cocoa beans are surrounded by a thin, sweet layer of pulp, which is used for fermentation.

In a first, anaerobic phase, the fermentation is initiated by degradation of the sugar contained in the pulp by yeasts. Through the enzymes of the yeasts the fruit pulp is liquefied and separates from the shells of the cocoa beans. Now air can penetrate into the resulting cavities between the cocoa beans. This is promoted by turning the cocoa beans. In a subsequent aerobic phase, the alcohol is oxidized by acetic acid bacteria to acetic acid, whereby the temperature of the cocoa beans can rise to 45 ° to 50 °. The cocoa beans are mixed regularly so that the temperature can not rise above critical levels and a good air supply is guaranteed. Various manual methods of fermenting cocoa beans are known. Thus, the cocoa beans can be filled with the pulp in fermenting baskets, which can flow through gaps in the braided baskets of the fermentation juice that arises during fermentation. The mixing of the cocoa beans for the supply of air takes place by transferring to other baskets.

CONFIRMATION COPY In heap fermentation, the cocoa beans are z. B. heaped up and covered on a wooden floor to pile. For a sufficient supply of air, the heaps must be regularly rearranged.

The invention has for its object to provide a machine device for

Indicate fermentation and drying of cocoa beans.

The object is solved according to the features of claim 1.

The machine apparatus for fermenting and drying cocoa beans consists of a container with a bottom as well as the bottom housing walls which form an upper edge of the casing. The upper edge of the housing is at a distance from the floor, which determines the height of the trough-like container. For supplying air, such. As ambient air, in particular conditioned air, a plurality of openings are formed in the bottom. Furthermore, at least one mixing element is arranged in the container, which extends from the bottom upright in the direction of the plane of the upper edge of the housing. The mixing element is driven in rotation and held on a carriage which is movable along the container. By means of the rotating mixing element and by the driving movements of the carriage, the container contents can be mixed securely at changing points of the container.

With the machine device, it is possible to ferment a larger amount of cocoa beans at the same time without extensive manual steps and to dry.

The mixing device held on the carriage has a central shaft, on which a mixing screw is held. The mixing screw dips into the container contents and conveys the container contents from the bottom in conveying direction upwards to the level of the housing randes, so that the bottom of the container contents is required to the top and the top of the container contents is shifted down.

In an advantageous embodiment, the mixing screw is designed as a helix, which preferably extends without interruption from a driven end of the shaft to a free end of the shaft. In this case, in particular transversely to the track of the carriage across the width of the floor, a plurality of mixing elements are preferably arranged side by side. In particular, juxtaposed mixing elements are driven in opposite directions, so that between two mixing elements, a conveying zone is formed, in which the container contents is conveyed from the bottom in the direction of the plane of the edge of the housing upwards. The juxtaposed mixing devices cover, in particular, the entire width of the container, so that the travel path of the carriage can extend in the longitudinal direction of the container. In this way it can be ensured that by a simple reciprocating movement along the track every point of the container interior is reached; the active mixing zone corresponds approximately to the entire container interior; Dead spaces are minimized.

In an expedient embodiment, the drive of the mixing elements is carried out via a common chain drive with a drive chain.

The movements of the carriage along the container are monitored by a control unit, which determines the driving movement and direction of the carriage in response to an output signal of a temperature sensor and / or a humidity sensor. The movements of the carriage can be uniform or non-uniform; the mixing organs may have a longer residence time in a region of elevated temperature than in other areas of the container, where z. As permissible temperatures prevail. The openings in the bottom are preferably formed as longitudinal slots, wherein the slot width is smaller than 10 mm. This ensures that no cocoa bean can fall through the bottom of the container. In particular, the floor is designed as a grid. The openings or the grate ensure that fermentation juices can flow away unhindered and a good air supply over the entire surface of the soil is guaranteed.

Advantageously, the air required by the ground, z. B. ambient air, in particular conditioned air, supplied via a controlled fan, which injects the air below the ground. The fan is controlled by a control unit in response to an output signal of a temperature sensor and / or a humidity sensor. It may be expedient to heat the supplied air, in particular ambient air for drying the cocoa beans.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the other claims, the description and the drawing, in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention described in detail below is shown. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a device for fermenting and

Drying cocoa beans,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the device according to FIG. 1, FIG.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1 with schematically indicated control device.

The device shown in Figures 1 to 3 is used for fermentation and

Drying of cocoa beans arranged inside a cacao fruit. A cocoa bean is about 2 cm to 4 cm long and 1.2 cm to 2 cm wide and oval in shape or elliptical. The cocoa beans are surrounded by a thin, sweet layer of pulp on which a variety of microorganisms colonize after the cacao fruits break up. Through the microorganisms, the pulp surrounding the cocoa beans undergoes a fermentation process, which gives rise to the color and smell of the cocoa beans. Once the fermentation process begins, yeasts convert the sugars of the pulp into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Bacteria oxidize the alcohol thus obtained, producing lactic acid and, under aerobic conditions, acetic acid. This leads to an increase in temperature within the first 24 hours. The pulp is progressively broken down, keeping the bacteria active until the fermentation process is complete. The yeasts that are responsible for the fermentation come from the natural environment of the

Plants. After completion of the fermentation, the cocoa beans are dried by supplying air.

As the process progresses, the beans are cleaned, separated from their casings and roasted. Cocoa mass is produced by crushing the roasted cocoa beans.

The device for fermenting and drying the cocoa beans shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 essentially consists of a trough-like container 1 which has a bottom 2 and housing walls comprising the bottom 2. The housing walls consist of long side walls 3, 5 and narrow end walls 4 and 6. Thus - has. Fig. 3 - the container 1 is a plan view in a substantially rectangular shape.

The container 1 has an inner height H and an inner width B. Further, the container has an inner length L (Fig. 3).

In the exemplary embodiment, the housing walls have a height H of about 50 cm, wherein the end walls 4 and 6 have a width B of 120 cm. The side walls 3, 5 have a length of about 300 cm. The dimensions are only an example; The dimensions - at least in width and length - can be changed as needed.

The housing walls have a common upper housing edge 7, which determines a plane 8, which is opposite to the bottom 2. Preferably, the bottom 2 and the plane 8 lie in mutually parallel planes.

At the upper longitudinal edge 9 of the side walls 3 and 5 U- or preferably double-T-carrier 10 are arranged, whose limited between their legs longitudinal groove 11th

Form guideways 12 for a carriage 13. The carriage 13 is guided in the guide tracks 12 by guide rollers 14, wherein the carrier 10 rails for the guide rollers 14 form.

The carriers 10 are fixed to the longitudinal edges 9 of the side walls 3 and 5 on a support structure 15, wherein the side walls 3 and 5 project beyond the carrier 10 in the direction of the plane 8 of the housing edge 7. As in the embodiment shown, - see. Fig. 2 - the top edge of a carrier 10 is surmounted by the side wall 5 by a height z.

In the exemplary embodiment, the carrier 10 are designed as a double-T-carrier, wherein the lying between the legs longitudinal grooves 11, 18 facing on one side of the housing edge 7 and on the other side of the base 38 of the container 1. The carriage 13 has - on each side wall 3, 5 - a total of four guide rollers 14, 17, wherein upper two guide rollers 14 in the upper guide track 12 and lower

Guide rollers 17 engage in the lower longitudinal groove 18 of the carrier 10, which form a lower guide rail 19. The carriage 13 thus supports its total weight on the guide rollers 14 on the carriers 10; vertically upward forces on the carriage are intercepted by the current in the guide rail 19 guide rollers 17. As shown in Fig. 1, the end wall 6 has an upper wall portion 6a, which can be disassembled independently of the lower wall portion 6b, to provide easier access to the interior 16 of the container 1.

At least one mixing element 20, which is formed from a shaft 21 with a mixing element 22 provided on the shaft 21, is provided on the carriage 13. Preferably, a mixing screw 23 is formed as a mixing member 22 on the central shaft 21. The mixing screw is preferably provided as a helix 24, which extends - in particular without interruption - from a driven end 25 of the shaft 21 to a free end 26 of the shaft with a predetermined pitch.

Transverse to the track 33 of the carriage 13 a plurality of mixing elements 20 are provided over the width B of the bottom 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, four mixing elements 20 are arranged in a row 27 next to each other. The carriage 13 has a hollow cross-beam 28, which projects beyond the width B of the container 1 and is held at its ends with the guide roller pairs 14/17 on the carriers 10 movable. It may be advantageous to form the height of a mixing element 20 such that it extends from the bottom 2 to below the crosspiece 28; in particular, the mixing element extends over approximately the entire height H of the container 1.

Within the hollow cross-beam 28, a rotary drive for the mixing elements 20 is formed, which is formed in the embodiment shown as a chain drive 30 with a drive chain 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive chain 31 is guided over gear wheels 32 arranged on the ends 25 of the shafts 21 in such a way that adjacent mixing elements 20 are driven in opposite directions. The helices 24 of the mixing screws 23 are designed such that in coordination with the direction of rotation, a conveying direction 29 is achieved, which is directed from the bottom 2 upwards in the direction of the plane 8 of the container opening. The helix 24 is - depending on driving direction - either clockwise or counterclockwise provided on the shaft 21. As a common drive for the mixing elements and a belt drive may be advantageous, which may include a particular toothed drive belt. The chain drive 30 shown in the embodiment has the advantage that the rotational positions of the respective mixing elements 20 are mutually unchangeable due to the positive engagement of the gears 32 in the drive chain 31 relative to each other. Thus, the conveying effect of juxtaposed mixing elements 20 can be matched to one another constructively.

The mixing elements each extend upright from the bottom 2 to the plane 8 of the housing edge 7, wherein the shafts 21 of the mixing elements 20 are preferably perpendicular to the bottom 2.

The carriage 13 further has a drive 40 which drives on the one hand the drive chain 31 of the chain drive 30 and on the other hand at least one pair of guide rollers 14 and / or 17, which may be preferably designed as drive rollers. It can be provided between the drive motor of the drive 40 and a driving pair of guide rollers 14/17, a controllable transmission 42 which may be controlled by a control unit 41. For this purpose, the transmission 42 or the drive 40 is connected via a control line 43 to the control unit 41.

The juxtaposed mixing elements 20 in particular cover the entire width B of the container 1, so that the travel path 33 of the carriage 13 can extend in the longitudinal direction of the container 1. Thus, it can be ensured that by a simple reciprocating movement along the track 33, each point of the inner space 16 of the container 1 can be reached; the active mixing zone of the mixing elements reaches every location within the container 1, so that dead spaces which can not be reached by the mixing elements 20 are minimized. In the bottom 2 of the container 1, a plurality of apertures 35 is provided, via which in the container 1 air, for. B. ambient air flows in, which can be advantageously conditioned. For this purpose, blowers 34 are arranged on an end face of the container, which are connected via control lines 36 and 37 to the control unit 41.

Appropriately, the container 1 stands on feet 29, so that between the bottom 2 of the container 1 and the base 38, a distance e is formed.

The provided in the bottom 2 openings 35 are preferably formed as longitudinal slots 39, which have a maximum slot width S of less than 10 mm. Cocoa beans filled in the container are thus held securely by the ground, while liquid flows away and air, in particular conditioned air, can enter via the openings. Preferably, the bottom 2 forms a grid.

The carriage 13 which can be moved along the travel path 33 is advantageously controlled by the control unit 41 in its travel movement. According to the double arrow 44, the carriage 13 is moved along the track 33, wherein at the same time the mixing screws 23 are driven in rotation via the chain drive 30. Cocoa beans filled in the container 1 are thus mixed by the mixing elements 20, the cocoa beans closest to the bottom 2 being conveyed upwards from the bottom 2 upwards in the direction of the plane 8 of the housing edge 7 due to the conveying direction 29, whereby cocoa beans lying below are conveyed upwards go up and slipping overhead cocoa beans down. In the container 1 preferably temperature sensors 45 and humidity sensors 46 are arranged, which expedient in

Region of the bottom 2 or at a distance above it, which may be about one-quarter to one-third of the height H of the container 1. The sensors 45, 46 are connected via signal lines 48 to the control unit 41. It may be appropriate

Combined temperature / humidity sensors to use, so that on each sensor both the temperature and the humidity of the container contents can be detected. Depending on the output signals of the temperature sensors 45 and humidity sensors 46, the carriage 13 is moved with the mixing devices 20 via the control unit 41 such that the container contents have a substantially uniform temperature and uniform humidity, whereby the fermentation processes are favored. If the fermentation process is over, is via the fan 34 ambient air, which is preferably conditioned, for. B. can be preheated, blown over the bottom 2 into the container interior 16 to dry the cocoa beans. On the large number of openings provided 35 good access to the entire container contents is guaranteed, so that largely no dead spaces are given. The apertures 35 are distributed over the entire surface of the bottom 2, whereby a uniform air supply at each point of the container can be achieved.

A supply of ambient air may also be advantageous if, during the fermentation process, an excessively high temperature rise is detected in different regions of the container 1. A container portion of elevated temperature is then approached by the carriage 13 and - possibly with the addition of ambient air - the carriage 13 preferably moved back and forth in the container portion of elevated temperature to promote the underlying cocoa beans upwards.

As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier 10 may protrude with an end portion 47 on the end wall 6, so that - after removal of the end wall 6 - the car with the mixing elements z. B. can be extended for revision forward from the container 1.

Claims

claims

1. Apparatus for fermenting and drying cocoa beans, comprising a container (1) having a bottom (2) and the bottom (2) comprising housing walls which form an upper edge of the housing (7), which is at a distance from the bottom (2) in which a plurality of openings (35) are formed for the supply of a gas in the bottom (2), and with at least one mixing element (20) extending from the bottom (2) in the direction of one through the upper edge of the housing (7). formed plane (8) and is driven in rotation, wherein the mixing member (20) on a carriage (13) is held, which is movable along the container (1).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1,

characterized in that the mixing member (20) has a central shaft (21) on which a mixing screw (23) is held.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2,

characterized in that the mixing screw (23) as a helix (24) is formed, which preferably extends without interruption from a driven end (25) of the shaft (21) to a free end (26) of the shaft (21).

4. Apparatus according to claim 1,

characterized in that transverse to the track (33) of the carriage (13) over the width (B) of the bottom (2) a plurality of mixing elements (20) are preferably arranged side by side.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4,

characterized in that juxtaposed mixing members (20) are driven in opposite directions.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5,

characterized in that the drive of the mixing elements (20) via a common chain drive (30) with a drive chain (31).

7. Apparatus according to claim 1,

characterized in that the travel movements of the carriage (13) by a control unit (41) in response to an output signal of a temperature sensor (45) and / or a humidity sensor (46) are controlled.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7,

characterized in that the driving movements of the carriage (13) are non-uniform.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1,

characterized in that the openings (35) as longitudinal slots (39) are formed, the slot width (S) is smaller than 10 mm.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9,

characterized in that the bottom (2) is designed as a grid.

11. The device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the gas conveyed through the bottom (2) is supplied via a controlled blower (34). Device according to claim 11,

characterized in that the fan (34) is controlled by a control unit (41) in response to an output signal of a temperature sensor (45) and / or a humidity sensor (46).