METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING OF POWDER FROM RAW PLANT MATERIAL Russian patent published in 2005 - IPC

FIELD: food-processing industry.

SUBSTANCE: method involves preliminarily rubbing prepared raw plant material for obtaining of homogeneous mixture; drying and grinding in drying chamber for producing of particles of predetermined dispersity; grinding particles by crushing and simultaneously introducing into drying chamber vortex heat-carrier flow in ascending direction at flow velocity equal to 11.0-1.5 the free fall velocity of particles drawn by heat-carrier flow into dust catcher. Plant material powder may be additionally introduced into mixer in an amount of 15-65% by weight of homogeneous mixture processed therein. Apparatus has mixer, drying chamber positioned adjacent to rubbing unit, grinder, and dust catcher. Discharge branch pipe of dust catcher is connected with suction compressor and heat generator. Drying chamber has cylindrical casing with grinder arranged in its lower part and branch pipes tangentially adjoining to cylindrical casing and adapted for accommodation of heat generator. Upper part of casing is connected with inlet branch pipe of dust catcher. Method and apparatus allow powder to be produced, which has predetermined dispersity and does not tend to aggregate during prolonged storage.

EFFECT: improved quality of powder, provision for retaining vitamin composition and organoleptical properties of basic raw plant material and prolonged shelf life.

3 cl, 2 dwg, 1 tbl