U.S. patent application number 11/634205 was filed with the patent office on 2007-06-07 for apparatus for conditioning of organic materials.
Invention is credited to Marek Sieredzinski.
Application Number | 20070125394 11/634205 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37734933 |
Filed Date | 2007-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070125394 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sieredzinski; Marek |
June 7, 2007 |
Apparatus for conditioning of organic materials
Abstract
Apparatus for conditioning of organic materials comprising
supplying channel (6) connected with an inlet gate (1a) leading to
the spreader (2) placed in the conditioning chamber (8). The
conditioning chamber (8) is connected with outlet gate (1b).
Further the conditioning chamber (8) is provided with channels (4,
5) supplying thermodynamic medium, the conditioning chamber (8)
comprises a set o nozzles (10) giving to the thermodynamic medium
angular motion, further conditioning chamber (8) comprises outlet
(3) discharging thermodynamic medium outside the apparatus.
Inventors: |
Sieredzinski; Marek; (Radom,
PL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON & VANDERHYE, PC
901 NORTH GLEBE ROAD, 11TH FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22203
US
|
Family ID: |
37734933 |
Appl. No.: |
11/634205 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
131/300 ;
131/301 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24B 3/04 20130101; F26B
17/107 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
131/300 ;
131/301 |
International
Class: |
A24B 3/00 20060101
A24B003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 6, 2005 |
PL |
378286 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for conditioning of organic materials comprising
supplying channel connected with an inlet gate leading to the
spreader placed in the conditioning chamber, conditioning chamber
is connected with outlet gate characterized in that the
conditioning chamber (8) is provided with channels (4, 5) supplying
thermodynamic medium, and the conditioning chamber (8) comprises a
set o nozzles (10) giving to the thermodynamic medium angular
motion, further conditioning chamber (8) comprises outlet (3)
discharging thermodynamic medium outside the apparatus.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that nozzles
(10) are having form of slots.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that chamber
(8) comprises a spreader (2) of the rotary type.
Description
[0001] Present invention relates to the apparatus for conditioning
of organic materials.
[0002] In the process of conditioning of organic materials, for
example tobacco, it is extremely important to precisely control
parameters of the conditioning process. This is particularly
difficult in a case of the fine particles of the organic material
exposed to the thermodynamic medium of high relative speed in
relation to the particles being conditioned. The main problem in
such process is controlling the parameters of swirling mass
consisting of particles of the conditioned organic material, in
respect to the particular particles of the organic material.
[0003] There are several apparatus for conditioning of organic
materials known in the state of the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,032
discloses a method and apparatus for expansion of tobacco, which is
using a channel in a form of letter C, wherein tobacco is
transported by hot gaseous medium.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,086 discloses an apparatus for
continuous drying in a superheated steam. Apparatus disclosed
comprises a drying chamber and an assembly of the conveyor belts
transporting material being dried. Superheated steam is generated
inside the drying chamber from the moisture coming from the
material being dried, as a result of exposing the material to hot
gas or the moisture is introduced into to the chamber from the
external source of the superheated steam.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,780 discloses an apparatus for expanding
in volume of the cut tobacco, the apparatus comprises first unit
increasing tobacco temperature and humidity to the state where
tobacco particles open. Such apparatus comprises additionally
separate unit for creating a thin layer of opened organic material
particles in the gas atmosphere and a unit for rapid cooling.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,843 discloses a dryer where the
transport of the organic material is carried out using pneumatic
means. The shape of the inlet channel is decreasing the contact of
the tobacco particles with a internal surfaces of the transport
channel.
[0007] EP patent No. 1,033,081 discloses a method of expanding the
food products or tobacco using superheated steam as transport
medium.
[0008] According to the invention apparatus for conditioning of
organic materials comprises supplying channel connected with an
inlet gate leading to the spreader placed in the conditioning
chamber, the conditioning chamber is connected with outlet gate.
Further the conditioning chamber is provided with channels
supplying thermodynamic medium, the conditioning chamber comprises
also a set o nozzles giving to the thermodynamic medium angular
motion, additionally the conditioning chamber comprises an outlet
discharging thermodynamic medium outside the apparatus.
[0009] Apparatus according the invention comprises nozzles having
form of slots.
[0010] Apparatus according to the invention comprises chamber
provided with a spreader of the rotary type.
[0011] Present invention has been described in detail below in
relation to the preferred embodiment disclosed on figure attached
to the description, where:
[0012] FIG. 1a shows in a plan view in a cross section apparatus
according to the invention;
[0013] FIG. 1b shows in a side view in a cross section apparatus
according to the invention;
[0014] FIG. 1c shows in a perspective view apparatus according to
the invention.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment according to the invention shown
in the FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c, the apparatus comprises inlet gate 1a
transporting an organic material to the spreader 2. Spreader 2
preferably is a spreader of the rotary type, which uses centrifugal
force to throw an organic material into the conditioning chamber 8
with a high speed.
[0016] Apparatus is additionally provided with the outlet gate 1b
placed at the bottom of the apparatus for conditioning to discharge
the organic material into the channel 7 and further outside the
apparatus for conditioning.
[0017] Apparatus for conditioning is further provided with unit 4,
5, 10 supplying the thermodynamic medium into the conditioning
chamber and with outlet 3 discharging an excess of thermodynamic
medium outside apparatus for conditioning.
[0018] Thermodynamic medium is supplied through channels 4, 5 from
an external source (not shown) under pressure, preferably in a
range of 100 Pa to 1.0 MPa, in particular in a range of 100 Pa to
0.5 MPa. Thermodynamic medium is directed by the set of nozzles in
a form of slots 10, which additionally intensify the movement of
the thermodynamic medium stream inside the conditioning chamber 8
and give to the flow of the thermodynamic medium angular movement
of high speed. Thermodynamic medium is discharged from the
conditioning chamber 8 through the outlet 3.
[0019] The apparatus according to the invention disclosed on FIGS.
1a, 1b, 1c operates as described below.
[0020] An organic material for example tobacco, is introduced into
the conditioning apparatus through the channel 6 and inlet gate 1a.
An organic material gets on spreader 2, for example rotary
spreader, which throws an organic material to be conditioned into
the conditioning chamber 8, and give to the organic material
particles required speed and direction. The organic material
particles hit the stream of thermodynamic medium of parameters
being essential for exchange of the heat and mass (for example
water), and change direction under the inertial force, gravity and
hydrodynamic forces. An organic material falls into a swirl motion
and gets to the outlet gate 1b. The outlet gate 1b allows
controllable discharging of the conditioned material outside the
apparatus for conditioning.
[0021] Apparatus for conditioning of organic material is supplied,
via inlet channels 4, 5 and set of nozzles in a form of slots 10,
with the thermodynamic medium of parameters defined by the person
skilled in the art of organic material conditioning. Thermodynamic
medium inside the conditioning chamber swirls, and the main
component of the process stream (conditioning stream) is preferably
parallel (tangential) to the walls of the chamber.
[0022] The thermodynamic medium is a gas, preferably steam in any
form, including superheated steam in the temperature of 120.degree.
C. to 320.degree. C., preferably in a range of 170.degree. C. to
270.degree. C. Thermodynamic medium can be air, preferably hot air
in the temperature of 80.degree. C. to 280.degree. C. Thermodynamic
medium may be also any combination of aerosols and/or chemical
vapors, as well as gases, for example argon, nitrogen, carbon
dioxide etc, which may favorably influence the conditioning process
and/or give specific organoleptic properties to the conditioned
material.
[0023] An apparatus for conditioning may be supplied with different
thermodynamic medium at the same time, for example if the
thermodynamic medium is air alone, preferably low humidity air,
than the apparatus for conditioning being a drier. Speed of drying
increases with the increase of the relative speed between organic
material and thermodynamic medium. Along with increase of the
relative speed the Nusselt number increases which intensifies
exchange heat and mass (for example water) between thermodynamic
medium and organic material. Described above process parameters can
be controlled by adjusting speed of circulation for thermodynamic
medium or by adjusting time period of exposing the organic material
to thermodynamic medium.
[0024] Thermodynamic medium could be chosen from the group
comprising nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide or other non reactive
gas, then apart from intensive drying the thermodynamic medium can
be heated to the temperature above ignition point of the organic
material being dried, this allows not only drying but also allows
expansion (swelling) of the organic material.
[0025] In a case when thermodynamic medium is a steam with a small
addition of air, organic material after introducing into an
apparatus is moistened to the point where no condensation appears.
This leads to increase of the humidity of an organic material.
Keeping an organic material longer in the area of exposing to
thermodynamic medium or increasing temperature (considerably higher
than the saturation temperature), the organic material can be
expanded, and than dried to achieve final humidity. To increase
expansion of the material additional steam can be used, the
additional steam can be supplied by additional set of nozzles (not
shown) placed just behind the inlet gate 1a.
[0026] An apparatus for conditioning of organic materials may be
supplied with many different thermodynamic mediums in many
different conditioning processes or can be supplied with many
different thermodynamic mediums in a single conditioning
process.
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