METHOD FOR LOW-TEMPERATURE VACUUM DEHYDRATION OF MATERIALS AND DEVICE FOR ITS REALIZATION Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: processes of treatment (drying) of substances and materials, applicable in food, medical, microbiological and other branches of industry.

SUBSTANCE: the method consists in filling of the chamber with the source material, pumping-out of the chamber to a pressure below the atmospheric one, agitation and displacement of the source material in the chamber, collection, discharge and removal of condensate, discharging of the end dehydrated product, conductive supply of heat to the source material, it is provided by the fact that the thermal energy liberated in the process of collection and discharge of condensate returns to the source material heating system, the stage-by-stage discharge of condensate is performed in such a way that before the withdrawal of condensate into the atmosphere it is poured over into an additional vessel with a heat exchanger and a pressure inside it below the atmospheric one, and the charging system performs the supply of the source material either by portions, or by a controlled continuous flow. The device realizing the given method has a chamber for collection and discharge of the end product with a pressure inside it below the atmospheric one, linked with the process chamber by a valve and having a possibility of final discharging of the end product into the atmosphere. The process chamber is made in the form of two vertical loosely interconnected in the generating lines incomplete cylinders, and the heating elements for placement, transfer and heating of the source material are hermetically interconnected and make up a single unit with a header formed by the inner cavities of separate heating elements for turning this unit about the axis parallel with the axis of the process chamber and own axis of rotation, the diameter of the nominal bore (heat-transfer agent conductance) of each heating element exceeds or equals the header nominal bore.

EFFECT: reduced loss of heat due to the use for dehydration of thermal energy liberated in the process of collection and discharge of condensate produced in processing of the source wet product, enhanced convenience in servicing.

6 cl, 2 dwg