WO2020075102A1

WO2020075102A1 - Continuous and automated system for the grinding and homogenisation of products with a high sugar content

Info

Publication number: WO2020075102A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/058622
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wilson Gamboa Contreras; Oscar Javier Velasco Sanchez; Luis Eduardo Cobos Ramirez; Jorge Alberto Neira Tavera; Juan Pablo LIZARAZO RUIZ
Original assignee: Fundacion Universitaria De San Gil - Unisangil
Priority date: 2018-10-12
Filing date: 2019-10-09
Publication date: 2020-04-16
Also published as: CO2018010968A1

Abstract

The present invention is related to an automated and continuous system for the grinding and homogenisation of dehydrated sugar cane juice (panela), said system comprising grinding, homogenisation and drying equipment. The system is based on the interaction of grinding equipment that performs uniform and continuous stirring of the product, and which is connected to a homogeniser via a pneumatic channel and drying equipment that uses infra-red radiation; the system also contains electronic instrumentation systems and automated control systems to achieve a continuous process. This system is particularly useful for preparing ground panela or dehydrated sugar cane juice on an industrial scale.

Description

CONTINUOUS AND AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR SPRAYING AND HOMOGENIZATION OF PRODUCTS WITH HIGH CONTENT IN

SUGARS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is located within the field of equipment to carry out the dehydration and pulverization of a raw material, such as products with high sugar content, such as syrups or molasses of different origin, specifically sugar cane, in order to obtain as a result a dehydrated cane powder or any other derived product, where the equipment is based on the implementation of a plurality of devices for spraying, homogenizing, and drying, without the use of mills.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The dehydrated syrup or cane juice is known as “panela”, which is a traditional product with excellent nutritional benefits, with little technology incorporated in the production, packaging and distribution processes. Due to its physico-chemical characteristics, dehydrated cane juice must be properly packaged to maintain its organoleptic properties and preserve its shelf life before reaching the final consumer. Due to the hygroscopy of the “panela”, the temperature and relative humidity have a great influence on its i conservation. As it absorbs moisture it softens, changes color and favors the generation of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and yeasts.

Currently, with the emergence of new markets, the dehydrated cane juice industry demands more and more quality, requiring changes in the presentation of the product, this because new technological proposals bring better machinery and equipment for production processes. . Thus, the panelero sector is forced to adopt these technologies and implement them to compete with different marketing alternatives to the traditional ones and thus guarantee a more stable market and with better prices.

However, the consumption of dehydrated cane juice as a 100% natural and indispensable food in the family basket, has been gradually reducing, due to the change in preferences and the eating habits of consumers who have sought other direct substituted products, such as sugar and synthetic sweeteners, which can have adverse effects on people's health, where serious problems can occur over time, including the proliferation of cancer cells in the body, as evidenced in multiple recent medical studies.

Thus, in the state of the art there are a plurality of disclosures related to equipment or systems for spraying substances with high sugar content, within which is the document CO 15-294188, which refers to a panel for drying of panela powder using infrared radiation, said equipment consists of: a) a rotating cylinder with a sealing cover hermetic opening for the entry and exit of the product, which rotates on four wheels, which are supported and attached to the structure by means of a support shaft to a series of bearings that are attached to the structure at the top ; b) an air extractor inside the cylinder; c) protective sheets; d) a reduction motorbike; e) a totalizer; f) a power control system; g) a protection circuit; h) a PLC, which sends the signal to a cylinder speed variator, either from the drying or cooling process; i) an emergency stop, corresponding to a mushroom switch, located on the side of the control box; j) a control box located in the command station, which has two buttons, one on and one off; k) infrared radiation (IR) lamps that are inside the cylinder; and I) a lower tray where the final powder product is unloaded for subsequent packaging.

On the other hand, there is the Colombian patent application CO 13-247107 that teaches a process to obtain a highly soluble panela product, similar to instant powdered panela, which is achieved by extrusion, without the use of any additive. , of the beaten and granulated panela obtained from the sugar cane juice removal process, where the process includes the steps of: 1) extraction of the sugarcane juice by grinding; 2) immediate cleaning of the cane juice in cold at the moment of its extraction by means of decanters; 3) clarification of the juice in a bowl, where by the action of heating and the binding action of natural compounds, the floating solids in suspension that the juice contains is produced, producing a homogeneous mass, which is removed manually; 4) adding food grade lime to the cane juice and stabilizing the pH, also promoting the flotation of organic matter for subsequent removal; 5) evaporation and concentration of sugarcane juice, where the juice advances from bowl to bowl until it is converted into honey; 6) concentration of honeys up to a specific temperature; 7) emptying the honeys into a container and stirring to cool the panela to room temperature and convert it into grains of different sizes.

Likewise, there is document CO 10-059413 related to a spraying equipment for the production of pulverized panela from concentrated cane juice, consisting of: a) a system of blades subject to a connecting rod mechanism, which develops a horizontal movement to and fro, which is mounted on a trough, where the connecting rod is attached to an eccentric anchored to a motor, which are supported by a winch; b) a ventilation system made up of two motors and two axial fans, for the expulsion of steam from the trough produced by the honeys; c) a trough composed in its interior by a homogenizing worm screw, with two tapes in opposite directions with a reduction motor that is located inside a trough and metal claws are attached to its joints; d) a module control where are the power devices, wiring and drives of the different motors that make up the system and that are controlled by a PLC; and e) an emergency stop. Now, in the state of the art is also the document US 3652298 that discloses a process for the preparation of free-flowing sugar products, where the process is based on the crushing of free-flowing powdered sugar together with a component white powdered sugar in a dry and solid state and an additive in the form of insoluble sugar cane cellulose, beet sugar cellulose and / or edible wood cellulose, using proportions of said additive corresponding to 1.5 to 4% by weight of the sugar component, whereby the resulting product has a mesh particle fineness of 200 to 325. On the other hand, document JPS 60102162 teaches the preparation of tonic food from sugar cane, where the entire plant without the root is washed with fresh water, cut and squeezed, obtaining a juice that is filtered to remove the rough fiber, and the resulting green liquid is added with an alcohol under pressure reduced to crystallize and precipitate the sucrose fraction in the green liquid. After separating the sucrose fraction, the residual liquid is spray dried, pulverized, and mixed with L-ascorbic acid to obtain the final food. Finally, there is document FR 2198995 related to the extraction of sugar from pulverized crushed cane, where a floating mass of said pulverized and crushed sugar cane moves through a series of tanks, on and under consecutive baffles, and it is compressed against the upper parts of the tanks by immersion, being leached by countercurrent flow of liquid, which is pumped to the upper part of the tanks from the reservoirs fed under hydrostatic pressure from the bottom of the tanks. According to the above information, an expert in the field can clearly see that in the state of the art there is a need to design and implement a system and its respective process that allows obtaining a new presentation of dehydrated cane juice on the market, the which can be dissolved easily and adequately, easier for the consumer to use than traditional square panela, where said product can clearly correspond to dried and pulverized cane juice or any other high sugar product that wants to be pulverized. Thus, the entire process is required to be fully automated, that is, without manual steps, since these are lengthy, deficient, and even costly due to the workforce implemented, making the use of appropriate equipment essential. for spraying dehydrated cane juice in small and large mills, in order to streamline processes and homogenize the product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention, to provide an automated and continuous system for the pulverization and homogenization of products with high sugar content that must be pulverized and homogenized, especially dehydrated cane juice, where said system counts with spray equipment, homogenized, dried and sieved, always keeping in mind and taking into account the fundamental variables in spraying, which correspond to the final temperature of the tap, the degrees Brix and pH of the honeys and the maturation time of the cane .

The system of the present invention contemplates the interaction of a spraying equipment, drying equipment by means of infrared radiation, and complements it with new equipment, electronic instrumentation and automated control systems, in the form of a production process for the manufacture of pulverized panela or dehydrated cane juice, powdered sweetened fruits or others, on an industrial scale.

The system of the present invention allows the production and transformation of dehydrated cane juice in a continuous and automated way by monitoring the physicochemical variables involved in the crystallization of cane juice, optimizing empirical determination, expertise and experience. of the operator, through the implementation of technological tools such as industrial automation and process control. Thus, the system and its components represent an innovative solution in the manufacture of pulverized panela, which until now has been carried out in an artisanal, prolonged, deficient and expensive way, given the lack of technology in each of the production phases, leading to low productivity and competitiveness in the food sector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is understood more clearly from the following figures where the components associated with the present system are shown, as well as the novel elements with respect to the state of the art, where the figures are not intended to limit the scope of the invention , which is only given by the appended claims, wherein: Figure 1 corresponds to a general scheme of the system of the present invention where all the components that form part thereof are illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The system according to the present invention consists of the interaction of the variables present in the production and transformation process of products with high sugar content that must be pulverized and homogenized, in a continuous and automated way, where This system contains the physical, chemical, mechanical, electronic, electrical and Automation required in the manufacture and transformation of these products, especially dehydrated cane juice, starting from the point of crystallized juice to continuous drying, where the process is made up of mechanical equipment, electronic instrumentation (sensors), transport subsystem pneumatic and automated control, among others.

Thus, Figure 1 illustrates a general view of the system of the present invention, in which the elements that form part of it can be clearly illustrated, within which are:

• A spraying system (1) consisting of two mixing equipment (2, 3), which must be interleaved in order to achieve a continuous flow. Where said mixing equipment (2, 3) are connected by their lower part with an endless conveyor (4), in which they unload the product after being mixed; Said auger (4) corresponds to an equipment designed to transport the panela or dehydrated cane juice, which allows dosing and feeding a first pneumatic conveyor (5), arranged in the lower part of the spraying system (1) under the auger ( 4);

· A homogenizing system (6) located posterior to the spraying system (1) and responsible for capturing the sprayed cane juice; which consists of a high efficiency cyclone (7) that has a filter that allows air to exit from a fan installed in the first pneumatic conveyor (5), a high impact fan (8) coupled to a casing that allows generating a dry impact, a cyclone (9) in charge of separating the panela particles from the air that enters from the high impact fan (8), and a tank (10) in charge of receiving the panela particles pulverized that are deposited to be transported by a second pneumatic conveyor (1 1) connected to the end of the homogenizing system (6)

• A drying equipment (12) joined to the homogenizing equipment (6) by means of the second pneumatic conveyor (11), and in charge of containing the panela and drying it by means of the air flow coming from the second pneumatic conveyor (1 1), wherein said dryer (12) stores all the panela from the spraying equipment (1) and consists of a main drying tank (13), a rotating cylindrical screen (14), where the separation by grain size can be made panela, an air outlet (15), and a finished product outlet (16) located at the bottom of the rotating screen (14), which supplies a high impact fan.

The main drying tank (13) is a rotating cylinder that has IR radiation lamps inside for drying and UV radiation to eliminate biological agents (bacteria and / or fungi) that could possibly be found in the product; The pulverized and homogenized cane juice enters there and starts heating while the cylinder is rotating, it also has blades adjusted to the wall of the cylinder that makes a slow movement. The temperature inside said tank (13) must not exceed 65 ° C in order to maintain the characteristics Organoleptic, thus, when the product reaches the mentioned temperature, the extractors are activated, which are in charge of cooling the product by means of air circulation. It is important to bear in mind that the spraying of cane juice basically consists of repeatedly beating the honeys that meet the condition of being pulverized until the grain is formed, and then it goes on to a homogenizing and drying system. Thus, to start the spraying process, variables such as pH, temperature, Brix degrees, shake and humidity are taken into account. The crystallization point of cane juice, also known as panela point, is obtained depending on the maturation of the cane, the percentage of soluble solids, the process temperature.

In this sense, in the spraying system (1), when dosing the raw material in the first pneumatic conveyor (5), jamming of the product is avoided, while helping to dry the dehydrated cane juice grains.

After the spraying system (1), all the product is sent to the homogenizer (6), which is a team in charge of capturing the sprayed cane juice by means of the high-efficiency cyclone (7). Said cyclone 7) has a filter that allows air to come out from the fan installed in the first pneumatic conveyor (5). This fan has a flow rate greater than 0.24 m ³ / s, and is preferably made of stainless steel, and to avoid humidity contamination, an air filter is also installed at the entrance. To obtain a homogeneous pulverized product, an impact fan (8) must be entered, coupled to a casing that allows generating a dry impact. Then, the product passes through a cyclone (9) that is responsible for separating the particles of the pulverized product from the air that enters from the impact fan (8). Thus, when performing the separation, the particles of the pulverized and homogenized product fall into the tank (10), where they are deposited to be transferred by means of the second pneumatic conveyor (11) that connects the homogenizer (6) and the drying equipment (12) , as previously indicated.

In general terms, the granulated or pulverized sugarcane juice currently has a low percentage of homogeneity, which is why the grain is passed through a device that destroys large particles and delivers a homogeneity of over 95%, making it possible to use all the product. This is achieved with a homogenizing system (6) composed of a high impact fan (8) that rotates at 3800 rpm, generates suction and hits the panela against the metal ducts, fragmenting them, these ducts are connected to a cyclone (9) that separates the coarse particles and the finer ones are retained in a mesh filter. In this way, the homogeneous panela that comes out of this equipment is pneumatically transported to the next part of the process.

The drying equipment (12) and the sieve system works with a single reducer motor, capable of generating a rotary mechanical movement that allows drying and select with a single movement (rotary sieve (14) - main drying tank (13)), which reduces maintenance costs and energy consumption. The drying equipment (12) also has an air outlet (15) located in the upper part of the rotating screen (14), where said air outlet (15) has a filter that allows the air outlet helping to generate a flow constantly and thus, the rest of the moisture is removed. In the lower part of the drying equipment (12) there is a discharge system for the exit of finished product (16).

On the other hand, as mentioned in some sections of this document, the union of the equipment that makes up the present system is done with pneumatic transport (5, 1 1), which is equipment that has a fan positive feed, this provides an air flow that allows the pulverized panela to be transported at a grain skipping speed of 22 m / s thus driving it to the next production stage, this type of transport is specially designed to meet the needs of the product, since alternatives such as the conveyor screw or gutters, currently known, do not serve because they allow the product to be exposed to the air and increase the humidification, which makes the product compact. In addition, in this type of conventional and currently available transport, cleaning would be difficult due to compaction, forcing the production process to stop. All the equipments that are part of the system of the present invention have an individual automation system, which is managed directly from an auxiliary panel that can be preferably located outside the equipment space; In addition, each equipment in the system has an emergency stop element.

In a preferred embodiment, all the equipment that forms part of the system of the present invention are designed in a practical way, with the least number of welds; Thus, reducing the size of the pieces, giving them greater maneuverability to be assembled and disassembled easily and appropriately, so cleaning and maintenance do not take long and are easily done. In another aspect, the dehydrated cane juice that enters the system of the present invention comes from a dehydration process, which determines the conditions of the product to be obtained, where said crystallization stage has the following conditions:

• Crystallization temperature of 120 - 125 ° C

Brix degrees: 90 - 95

• pH of 5.9 - 6.5

The studies and analyzes carried out made it possible to predict the success of spraying dehydrated cane juice through the reaction of honey in a controlled environment, guaranteeing a homogeneous product, of excellent quality, and with yields greater than 1 Ton / hour. The developed system is totally innovative and pioneering in the control of the physical variables that intervene in the crystallization process of the cane honey, fundamental aspects of the pulverization, which until now have generated the greatest difficulties in the production process, limiting the producers' foray into other market segments, which at present have not been fully satisfied. The proposed technology for the process of spraying dehydrated cane juice presents great possibilities of access and competitiveness in national and international markets, in addition to incorporating efficient and friendly technology with the natural environment, contributing to the agroindustrial development of the region, adaptation, optimization and innovation of technology to production processes, generating quality culture within the sugar mills of the region.

With the system of the present invention, complete food safety is guaranteed, since the process is autonomous and the panela is not in contact with the operators as it happens in the traditional process. In the drying module, the equipment has a UV radiation lamp that eliminates the presence of microorganisms that may contaminate the product; while the equipment is built with materials authorized by food standards. The main feature is its total automation from the moment the honeys enter the spraying equipment and leave at the end of the drying equipment ready to be packed. The transport between teams is pneumatic making the process continuous, with the possibility of being scaled depending on the production volume. The automation of the process takes into account the receiver located outside the equipment where the variables are recorded and displayed, such as the temperature of the honey that enters, the temperature and heating curve of the equipment for drying, turning on and off each equipment, and stopping of emergency.

The term "dehydrated cane juice" refers to products also known as panela, piloncillo, sweet pepa, papelón, raspadura, sweetmeat, sweet cap, breaded, guarapo, panocha, chancaca, jaggery or gur.

Claims

1. Continuous and automated system for spraying and homogenizing products with high sugar content, comprising:

· A spraying system (1) consisting of a pair of mixing equipment

(2, 3) arranged interleaved and connected with a worm gear (4);

• a homogenizing system (6) connected to the spraying system (1) by means of a first pneumatic conveyor (5), consisting of a high efficiency cyclone (7), a high impact fan (8) coupled to a casing, a cyclone (9) separation, a particle receiving tank

(10); and

• a drying equipment (12) connected to the homogenizing equipment (6) by means of a second pneumatic conveyor (1 1). Composed of a main drying tank (13), a rotating cylindrical screen (14), an air outlet (15), and a finished product outlet (16), where the entire system has an automation and control system for operation and give autonomy and continuity to production.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the homogenizer (6) has a diameter not greater than 30 cm, and the impact fan (8) has a three-phase motor.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the high efficiency cyclone (7) has an air outlet filter from the fan installed in the first pneumatic conveyor (5). 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical system of the drying equipment (12) has a single single-motion reducing motor coupled to the rotating screen (14) and the main drying tank (13). 5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the main drying tank (13) is a rotating cylinder that has IR radiation lamps inside, a UV lamp, blades fitted to the wall, and whose temperature at inside is not above 65 ° C. 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the pneumatic conveyor (5 and 1 1) is a closed positive transport element fed by a centrifugal fan, which does not expose the product inside to environmental factors, minimizing the interaction of the product with microbiological agents, maintaining the characteristic quality of the pulverized panela.

7. The system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the components of the system have an automation system with an auxiliary panel, located outside the system equipment space, and an individual emergency stop element for each equipment.

8. The system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the components of the system are removable or interchangeable.