# US 10,309,723 B2 · Freeze-drying system and freeze-drying method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,723 B2 - Document ID: US10309723B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/901,069 - Filed: 2014-06-25 - Published: 2016-06-02 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-27 - Assignees: Mayekawa Mfg.Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kouichi Tsubata; Shigeru Iwami; Youichi Hiraga; Nobuya Ishitsuka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309723B2 ## CPC - F26B 5/06: the process involving freezing - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) ## Abstract An object is to provide a freeze-drying system and a freeze-drying method which can improve cleanliness and productivity. The present invention relates to a freeze-drying system in which freeze-drying is performed by sublimating moisture frozen by cooling an object. The system includes a cooling device (3) which generates cold with an air cycle in which air is used as a refrigerant, a freeze-drying chamber (2) accommodating a heat exchange unit which causes heat exchange between the refrigerant and the object, and a control unit (11) which controls a cooling capacity of the cooling device. The control unit adjusts the temperature in the freeze-drying chamber to a predetermined target temperature by controlling an amount of the cold generated in the cooling device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A freeze-drying system in which freeze-drying is performed by sublimating moisture frozen by cooling an object, and collecting the sublimated moisture with a cold trap, the freeze-drying system comprising: a cooling condenser which generates cold with an air cycle in which air is used as a first refrigerant; a freeze-drying chamber accommodating a heat exchange unit which causes heat exchange between a third refrigerant and the object; a cold air supplying mechanism which supplies precooled air into the freeze-drying chamber; a controller which controls a cooling capacity of the cooling condenser; a first circulation line in which the first refrigerant circulates in the cooling condenser; a second circulation line in which a second refrigerant that exchange heat with the first refrigerant circulates; and a third circulation line in which the third refrigerant that exchange heat with the second refrigerant circulates, wherein the heat exchange unit includes a pipe shelf on which the object is disposed; the third circulation line being routed to pass through the pipe shelf such that the object receives the cold from the third refrigerant through the pipe shelf; the cold air supplying mechanism includes: an outer air intaker which takes in outer air; a cooler which cools the outer air by performing the heat exchange between the taken outer air and the second refrigerant; and a blower which blows the cooled outer air into the freeze-drying chamber, and the controller adjusts a temperature in the freeze-drying chamber to a predetermined target temperature by controlling an amount of the cold generated in the cooling condenser. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The freeze-drying system according to claim 1, wherein the controller performs first cooling of cooling the freeze-drying chamber to a first temperature by setting the target temperature to the first temperature and supercools moisture contained in the object in the freeze-drying chamber to generate an ice nucleus, and then performs second cooling which cools the freeze-drying chamber to a second temperature lower than the first temperature by setting the target temperature to the second temperature and grows the ice nucleus of the object in the freeze-drying chamber to generate an ice crystal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The freeze-drying system according to claim 1, wherein the outer air intaker takes in the outer air through a sterilizer to clean the outer air. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A freeze-drying method in which freeze-drying is performed by sublimating moisture frozen by cooling an object, and collecting the sublimated moisture with a cold trap, the freeze-drying method comprising: providing the freeze-drying system according to claim 1; freezing performed through cooling through a plurality of stages including cooling a freeze-drying chamber via the third refrigerant to a first temperature by setting the freeze-drying chamber to the first temperature, supercooling moisture contained in the object in the freeze-drying chamber to generate an ice nucleus, then cooling the freeze-drying chamber via the third refrigerant to a second temperature lower than the first temperature by setting the freeze-drying chamber to the second temperature using an air cycle, and growing the ice nucleus of the object in the freeze-drying chamber to generate an ice crystal; and drying performed through sublimating the ice crystal formed in the object and collecting the moisture emitted into an atmosphere with the cold trap. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The freeze-dry method according to claim 4, wherein cooling in the freeze-drying chamber is facilitated by supplying precooled air into the freeze-drying chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The freeze-dry method according to claim 4, wherein air supplied to the freeze-drying chamber is precooled through heat exchange between air taken in from outside and cold generated in the air cycle.