Freeze vacuum drying apparatus and freeze vacuum drying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11112176-B2
Application number	US-202017107297-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2020
Priority date	Jun 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A freeze vacuum drying apparatus includes: a spraying unit; a pipe unit; a heating unit; and a collection unit. The spraying unit sprays a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber. The pipe unit has a non-linear shape, includes a first opening end and a second opening end, and traps frozen particles via the first opening end, the frozen particles being formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets formed by spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber. The heating unit heats the frozen particles in the pipe unit for sublimation drying, the frozen particles moving in the pipe unit from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying. The collection unit collects dried particles that are formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe unit and released from the second opening end of the pipe unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A freeze vacuum drying apparatus, comprising:
a sprayer spraying a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber;
a pipe having a non-linear shape, including a first opening end and a second opening end, trapping frozen particles formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets via the first opening end, and the liquid droplets being formed by spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber;
a heater sublimating and drying the frozen particles in the pipe by heating, the frozen particles moving in the pipe from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying; and
a collector collecting dried particles formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe and released from the second opening end of the pipe,
the pipe having a turning axis in a direction from the sprayer toward the collector and turning spirally between the sprayer and the collector.

2. A freeze vacuum drying apparatus, comprising:
a sprayer spraying a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber;
a pipe including a first opening end and a second opening end, wherein the pipe traps frozen particles via the first opening end, the frozen particles being formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets, and the liquid droplets being formed by spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber;
a heater sublimating and drying the frozen particles in the pipe by heating, the frozen particles moving in the pipe from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying; and
a collector collecting dried particles formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe and released from the second opening end of the pipe,
wherein the pipe comprises turns such that a path of the frozen particles from the first opening end to the second opening end is winding, thereby allowing the frozen particles to dry into the dried particles between the first opening end and the second opening end.

3. The freeze vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the pipe includes at least one opening capable of releasing a gas to an outside of the pipe, the gas being generated by sublimation drying of the frozen particles between the first opening end and the second opening end while the frozen particles moving in the pipe.

4. The freeze vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the pipe is formed of a gas-permeable resin.

5. The freeze vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heater includes a heating mechanism heating the frozen particles with a high frequency.

6. The freeze vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heater includes a heating mechanism heating the frozen particles by thermal radiation.

7. The freeze vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heater includes a plurality of units, and each of the plurality of units independently is capable of heating the frozen particles.

8. The freeze vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a transporter capable of replacing the collector with another collector.

9. A freeze vacuum drying method, comprising:
spraying a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber;
using a pipe having a non-linear shape, including a first opening end and a second opening end to trap frozen particles formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets via the first opening end, having a turning axis in a direction from the first opening end toward the second opening end and turning spirally between the first opening end and the second opening end, and the liquid droplets being formed by the spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber;
sublimating and drying the frozen particles in the pipe by heating, the frozen particles moving in the pipe from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying; and
collecting dried particles formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe and released from the second opening end of the pipe.

Assignees

• Ulvac Inc

Inventors

• Nishihashi Tsutomu
• Nakano Haruhisa
• Murakami Hirohiko
• Yoshimoto Tsuyoshi
• Itou Masaki
• KOMIYA Takumi

Classifications

• A23B2/92

  Freeze drying · CPC title

• A23B2/001

  Details of apparatus, e.g. pressure feed valves or for transport, or loading or unloading manipulation · CPC title

• F26B17/16

  the materials passing down a heated surface {, e.g. fluid-heated closed ducts or other heating elements in contact with the moving stack of material (F26B17/128 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F26B2200/08

  Granular materials · CPC title

• F26B3/347

  Electromagnetic heating, e.g. induction heating or heating using microwave energy · CPC title