GRAIN HUMIDIFICATION, STERILIZATION, COOLING, FREEZING AND DRYING TOWER

Abstract

A tower used to extend the life of the grains in the period of their storage, through procedures of grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying, which can be applied together or separately according to with the need of each particular cultivation, offering a multifunctional tower of high performance and low fuel & energy consumption, low noise and eco-friendly, not contaminating the grains that make the heat exchange with steam.

Claims

1. A grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower, is composed of a thermal tower (1) provided with a feed nozzle (2) and an outlet nozzle, wherein the dynamic storage in the inner grain chamber (5) around which an air chamber (6) where it traverses the air generated in an airflow treatment chamber (7) containing a cold radiator (15), a steam injector (16), a heat radiator (17) and a register (18); the air chamber (6) comprises, at the top, two lines of centrifugal fans (8) intersected by lines of registers (9) and (10), and, below, a line of centrifugal fans (11); the inner air chamber (6) has horizontal registers (12) and (13); the air chamber (6) and the airflow treatment chamber (7) are interconnected by a recovery tunnel (14).

2. The grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the humidification procedure of the grains occurring by injection of the airflow A, moist steam, at a temperature between 100 C. and 140 C. by the moist steam injector (16), and the register (18) of the airflow treatment chamber (7), which runs through the air chamber (6) and penetrates the inner grain chamber (5), the register (12) being closed, as well as the registers (9) and (10); the register (13) must be open to allow circulation of the airflow A along the thermal tower (1); the centrifugal fans (8) and (11) must be closed; the moist steam returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) through the recovery tunnel (14), forming a closed loop.

3. The grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower as claimed in claim 2, wherein, optionally, the register (12) is open and the register (13) is closed, or both the registers (12) and (13) closed, or both registers (12) and (13) opened, according to the amount of grains in the inner grain chamber (5).

4. The grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grain sterilization procedure occurring by injecting the dry steam airflow A, at a temperature between 280 C. to 320 C., by the steam injector (16) of the airflow treatment chamber (7), which circulates in the air chamber (6) and penetrates the inner grain chamber (5), the register (12) must be closed, as well as the registers (9) and (10), the register (13) must be open; the dry steam returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) through the recovery tunnel (14), forming a closed loop.

5. The grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower as claimed in claim 4, wherein, optionally, the register (12) is open and the register (13) is closed, or both the closed registers (12) and (13), or both the open registers (12) and (13), according to the amount of grains in the inner grain chamber (5).

6. The grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closed-loop drying procedure of the grains occurring by circulating the airflow B in the air chamber (6) which penetrates the inner grain chamber (5), the air recirculating in the airflow treatment chamber register (7), the register (18) is closed and the air is passed through the cold radiator (15) to condense the water into steam, after passing through the heat radiator (17) to heat the air; the registers (12) and (13) must be opened; the moist air is withdrawn from the thermal tower (1) by the centrifugal fans (8) and (11) by the recovery tunnel (14), the recovery of the flow B returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) by the recovery tunnel (14).

7. The grain humidification, sterilization, cooling, freezing and drying tower as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process of cooling the grains to a temperature of 10 C. or less by treating and distributing the airflow C through the cold radiator (15) of the airflow treatment chamber (7) with register (18) closed, that this airflow C is distributed staggered to sectors I, II and III of the air chamber (6) and penetrates the inner chamber (5), the registers (10), (12) and (13) must be closed, as well as the line of the centrifugal fans (8) and (11); register (9) remains open with regulation for hot air outlet; the air from the flow C returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) by the recovery tunnel (14).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to facilitate the research and provide understanding of the present invention, as set forth in the report, according to a basic and preferred embodiment developed by the applicant, reference is made to the accompanying illustrations which form part of and support this descriptive report where:

[0034] FIG. 1presents the tower containing airflow scheme in the grain humidification and sterilization process;

[0035] FIG. 2presents the tower containing airflow scheme in the grain drying procedure;

[0036] FIG. 3presents the tower containing airflow scheme in the grain cooling procedure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] The Grain Humidification, Sterilization, Cooling, Freezing and Drying Tower is composed of the thermal tower (1) provided with an upper feed nozzle (2), through which grains from the harvest are placed, and the outlet nozzle (3) for unloading, in which grains of various types are delivered.

[0038] The location of the grains occurs in the inner grain chamber (5) around which is the air chamber (6) through which the air generated in the airflow treatment chamber (7) so that each procedure is performed.

[0039] In the air chamber (6) there are, on the upper side, two lines of centrifugal fans (8) interspersed by two lines of registers (9) and (10), and, below, a line of centrifugal fans (11). Inside the inner tube (6) there are the horizontal registers (12) and (13).

[0040] The air chamber (6) and the airflow treatment chamber (7) are interconnected by the recovery tunnel (14) so as to allow for continuous flow therebetween.

[0041] The airflow treatment chamber (7) comprises the cold radiator (15), the wet steam injector (16) and the heat radiator (17), which are actuated according to each procedure, as well as the register (18).

[0042] For the grain humidification procedure, the wet steam injector (16) injects moist steam at a temperature of 100 C. to 140 C., the register (18) of the airflow treatment chamber (7) being closed, in order to generate the wet airflow A, which travels through the air chamber (6), penetrating into the inner grain chamber (5). The register (12) must be closed, as well as the registers (9) and (10). The register (13) must be open to allow circulation of the airflow A and distribution of the moist vapor along the thermal tower 1.

[0043] The wet steam returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) through the recovery tunnel (14), forming a closed circuit, since the centrifugal fans (8) and (11) are closed. In this way, the moisture that circulates between the grains allows the % of wet basis to be adequate to the standards. Optionally, the register (12) may be open and the register (13) closed or both open or both closed depending on the quantity of grains in the inner grain chamber (5).

[0044] In order for grain sterilization to take place, the same air flow A is injected by the wet steam injector (16) of the airflow treatment chamber (7), in which case the steam is dried, at a temperature between 280 C. and 320 C. Likewise, the register (12) must be closed, as well as the registers (9) and (10), the register (13) must be open. The excess dry steam returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) by the recovery tunnel (14). Optionally, the register (12) may be open and the register (13) closed or both open or both closed depending on the quantity of grains in the inner grain chamber (5).

[0045] The grain closed-loop drying process occurs by the circulation of airflow B, whereby the ambient air recirculates in the airflow treatment chamber (7) by the closed register (18) and passes through the radiator cold (15). Registers (12) and (13) are opened so as to enable the free airflow into the air chamber (6). The wet air is withdrawn from the thermal tower (1) by the centrifugal fans (8) and the registers (9) and (10) which remain closed. The air from the flow B returns to the air flow treatment chamber (7) by the recovery tunnel (14), to condense the moisture extracted from the grain for further heating, forming a closed drying loop.

[0046] For the cooling of the grains and their stay at 10 C. or less and % of the standard basic moisture, the airflow C is treated and distributed by the cold radiator (15) of the airflow treatment chamber (7), and this air flow C is distributed in a stepwise manner in sectors I, II and III, passing the cold air first in the grains of sector I, followed by the others in the sequence. To do this, registers (10), (12) and (13) must be closed, as well as the centrifugal fans (8) and (11). The register (9) remains open with adjustment for the output of the hot air. The air in the flow C returns to the airflow treatment chamber (7) through the recovery tunnel (14).

[0047] Circulation of airflow C by sectors I, II and III occurs by closing the registers (12) and (13) from the interior of the air chamber (6), causing the grains to be gradually cooled from the bottom upwards, thereby providing the upper outlet of the remaining hot air.

[0048] In this way, the Grain Humidification, Sterilization, Cooling, Freezing and Drying Tower is subsidized by new technical and functional characteristics, as can be seen in the attached figures and understood in the descriptive report, thus deserving the legal protection sought.