Herbal MedicineThe Principle of Operation of a Concentrating Pot:

The material inside the pot is concentrated, while a horizontal stirrer beneath the pot continuously stirs to enhance flow. The heating surface liquid is continually refreshed to improve the concentration effect and ensure product quality. The main advantages are its simple structure and easy operation controls. The heating area is small, yet the production capacity is strong. The concentration pot consists of an upper and lower pot body, with a horizontal shaft stirrer device in the lower pot body, powered by an electric through-body reducer, operating at 20~36 rpm. The stirrer has four blades, with a distance of 5~10mm from the heating surface. The pot is equipped with a manhole sight glass, lighting, instruments, and a vapor-liquid separator. The secondary steam is extracted using a hydraulic jet ejector to ensure the pot reaches the predetermined vacuum level. At the start of operation, heating steam is introduced into the pot to expel air before the centrifugal multi-stage pump is activated to work the hydraulic jet ejector, creating a vacuum. Once a vacuum of 500 mercury columns is achieved, the feed valve is opened, and the feeding process begins. The liquid temperature is around 60°C. When the liquid descends from the evaporator, the heating steam valve can be opened, and the liquid concentration should be controlled. The steam valve should be gradually opened, and boiling conditions should be monitored to prevent the liquid from being carried out of the evaporator with the secondary steam, thus avoiding losses. The steam pressure is typically used at 0.05~0.09 MPa (gauge pressure) to prevent overheating and scaling of heat-sensitive materials. The boiling point of the material should be compatible with the vacuum inside the pot. The operating temperature is generally between 50~60°C, with a pot vacuum of 600~660 mercury columns (equivalent to 0.78~0.90 MPa). If the pot vacuum cannot be increased, it may be due to leakage, which is usually found at joints, valves, sight glasses, manholes, etc., or possibly a hydraulic jet ejector malfunction (nozzle clog, insufficient pump head). After resolving these leakage issues, production can resume. Discharging involves opening the steam valve and the stirrer. Once the required concentration is achieved through sampling, the vacuum can be released to discharge the material.