EICHEMBERG, Thiago Ramires (Av das Industrias 389 sl 12, -290 Porto Alegre - RS, 90200, BR)
| CLAIMS: 1. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE comprising a) an inflatable chamber (10) made of polymeric material whose internal surface has a reflective coating and a fastening means (11) on the edges; b) an air heating module (20) fitted with a structure for heating the air and a turbine that directs the heated air into the treatment chamber, said heating module (20) interconnected with the chamber (10) by a heated air entry duct (31) and an air return duct (32); c) an exhaustion module (10) disposed in the treatment chamber; d) temperature sensors (40) interconnected with a microcontroller (50) with specific computer soitware. 2. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 01 comprising the chamber treatment (10) whose surface is made of polymeric material with tensioned polymeric fibers that avoid fraying in case of tear and is tear- and pull-proof, weighing between 40 and 400g/m2. 3. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 01 comprising a microprocessor (50) that has a communication module for remote access. 4. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 01 comprising a deflecting cowl (311) in the air entry duct (31). 5. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 01 comprising the chamber (10) whose internal areas are strengthened on the surface (12) 6. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 01 comprising the chamber (10) that has an exhauster (60). 7. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 01 comprising the following stages: 8. a) arrange the products (100) on a surface; b) place and fasten the temperature sensors (40) on the products (100) and/or between the products; c) arrange the deflated chamber (10) on the products (100); d) fasten the fastening means (11) arranged on the edges of the chamber (10) to the support surface; e) start the air heating module (20); f) start the turbine to direct the hot air into the chamber (10) and to inflate said treatment chamber (10); g) start monitoring the temperature sensors (40); h) turn off the air heating module (20) when the temperature sensors (40) show that the preset temperature and the operation time have been reached; 8. SYSTEM FOR PHYTOSANITARY THERMAL TREATMENT OF WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL AND THE LIKE as claimed in 07 comprising a microcontroller (50) that generates thermal treatment operation charts showing the temperature and time intervals obtained during the process. |
This invention refers to a system and method for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material and the like such as an active part of transformers for drying the core, agro industrial products for drying or dehydrating, among others. More specifically, it comprises an inflatable structure containing a heating and exhausting module, including temperature sensors interconnected with a microprocessor that monitors the conditions of the process. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 or ISPM 15 that controls exports and imports of goods in packaging material made of raw wood, which are still under implementation in Brazil, describe phytosanitary measures to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of quarantine pests (non-native pests in a given country) associated with wood packaging material in use in international trade.
The Standards established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) determines that the wood packaging material has to undergo thermal treatment or fumigated with methyl bromide. As a result, foreign trade companies must comply with the standards that are still under implementation in some signatory countries, Brazil among them. The failure of compliance means that the goods will be returned or the treatment will be paid in the country of origin. Therefore, foreign trade operators that use wood packaging material must appeal to companies accredited by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock e Food Supply (MAPA) to carry out the treatment and receive the certification.
Such phytosanitary treatment as methyl bromide fumigation eliminates insects, pathogens (nematodes, fungi, and bacteria), weeds and any other living organisms in the areas of gas penetration. However, in 1992, the Copenhagen
Amendment included methyl bromide on the Montreal Protocol's list of substances that deplete the ozone layer. As a result, Brazil as a signatory to this Protocol, made a commitment to reduce the use of methyl bromide by 20% in 2005 and stop using it completely by 2015. The thermal treatment, in its turn, is internationally recognized as safe for the environment and efficient in eliminating pests associated with wood packaging material and wood supports and, more often than not, is the only alternative accepted by importing countries. In this process, a product undergoes heat treatment until it reaches a minimal temperature in a minimum period of time, according to the officially recognized technical specifications. In case of the ISPM
15, the central area of wood has to reach the minimal temperature of 560C in the minimum 30-minute period.
The literature describes systems and devices for eradicating pests by heat treatment, most of them comprising fixed structures that require a lot of physical space to place or move wood packaging material to a specific treatment area as shown in US4817329 e US2002170227 that describe specific chambers without mobility necessary for eradicating pests.
Moreover, active parts of transformers (the core and spools) are dried by removing the humidity in order to increase the isolation characteristics; an inflatable and movable structure facilitates these operations reducing greatly the costs of moving the equipment to fixed structures. The same situation can be found with relation to dehydration and drying of agro industrial products where an inflatable and movable thermal treatment structure allows the producer to eliminate expenses on moving products as well as on the need of fixed structures that are used only sporadically.
Therefore, the technical literature describes systems that, in spite of using thermal treatment to eradicate pests, still need a portable, movable, and inflatable structure fitted with a heating module and temperature sensors connected with a module containing a microprocessor, which capture the temperature and time data to provide controlled heat treatment, such system and method for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material being described and claimed herein.
SUMMARY Generally, this invention refers to a system for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material and the like, which comprises a movable and inflatable treatment chamber fitted with a fastening means on the support surface; an air heating module that comprises a portable and movable structure fitted with an air heating structure and a turbine that directs the heated air into the treating chamber; an exhaustion module disposed in the treatment chamber; temperature sensors interconnected with a microcontroller fitted with computer software that receives the data recorded by the temperature sensors and generates a temperature-time curve.
Additionally, a method for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material and the like using the system, subject matter of this invention, is described.
The invention comprises a system and a method for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material and the like that provides phytosanitary certification for wood packaging material and supports in accordance with the lSPM-15.
This invention refers to a system and method for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material and the like that comprises a movable structure installed in the treatment area, thus eliminating the need to move products and build fixed structures that are used only sporadically.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic view of the system, subject matter of this invention.
Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the stages of the method, subject matter of this invention.
Figures 3 and 3A is a graphic view of the process of the thermal treatment of pallets for phytosanitary control where the axis x measures the number of readings (NLT) and the axis y - the temperature (in degrees Celsius).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The system for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material and the like, subject matter of this invention, comprises a movable and inflatable treatment chamber (10) fitted with a fastening means (11 ) on the edges to fasten it to a support area, said chamber (10) comprising an air heating module (20), an exhaustion module (30), and temperature sensors (40) that continuously record and simultaneously send the temperature data to a microcontroller (50) fitted with computer software that informs the user of the status of the thermal treatment process with a possibility of providing a certifying report in accordance with the legal standards. The treatment chamber (10) comprises a movable and portable structure, the surface of said chamber (10) being made of polymeric material with tensioned polymeric fibers that avoid fraying in case of tear, and are tear- and pull-proof, weighing 40 to 400g/m 2 , said chamber (10) comprising an internal surface with a reflective coating in order to reflect the heat inside the chamber (10). The edges of the treatment chamber (10) comprise a fastening means
(11) of said chamber (10) to the support surface.
An air heating module (20) is disposed inside the chamber (10), which comprises a portable and movable structure having an air heating structure, preferably, a resistor, and a turbine that directs the heated air into the treatment chamber (10), inflating the chamber (10) and providing the heated air at the same time, said air heating module (20) interconnected with the chamber (10) by a heated air entry duct (31) and by an air return duct (32) that removes the air from inside the chamber (10) to let the heated air in.
The air return duct (32) ensures that the volume of the air inside the chamber (10) is kept and that it is fixed to the support surface with no loss of heated air.
The exhaustion module (30) allows reusing the thermal energy of the heated air to be sent to the heating module (20).
The temperature sensors (40) are spread inside the treatment chamber (10), said sensors (40) being interconnected with a microcontroller (50) where specific computer software continuously records the data relating to such variables as time, temperature, humidity, among others, thud monitoring the operation of the thermal treatment. The microcontroller (50) starts or interrupts the functioning of the heating module (20); said microcontroller (50) may comprise a communication module for remote access and data transmission between computers as well as for starting the air heating (20) and exhaustion module (30).
Optionally, a deflection cowl (311) is disposed in the air entry duct (31), which distributes homogenously the heated air inside the chamber (10), avoiding overheating in the chamber (10).
Optionally, the chamber (10) comprises internal areas strengthened on the surface (12) to avoid damaging the structure of the chamber (10) because of possible friction with the products disposed inside the chamber (10) such as pallets. Optionally, the chamber (10) comprises an exhauster (60) that removes the humidity of the drying environment which is ideal, for example, for treating the active part of transformers (the core and spools) making necessary the removal of humidity in order to increase isolation characteristics.
The method for phytosanitary thermal treatment of wood packaging material comprises the following stages: a) arrange the products for thermal treatment (100) on a support surface; b) place and fasten the temperature sensors (40) on the products (100) and/or between the products; c) arrange the deflated chamber (10) on the products (100); d) fasten the fastening means (11) arranged on the edges of the chamber (10) to the support surface; e) start the air heating module (20); f) start the turbine to direct the hot air into the chamber (10) and to inflate said treatment chamber (10); g) start monitoring the temperature sensors (40); h) turn off the air heating module (20) when the temperature sensors (40) show that the preset temperature and the operation time have been reached; i) generate a phytosanitary treatment operation chart showing the temperature and time intervals obtained during the process by the microcontroller
(50); j) generate the report certifying the process.
The tests of the phytosanitary treatment of pallets showed the efficiency of the system, subject matter of this invention. Figure 2 is a graphic view of the process of thermal treatment of pallets for phytosanitary control wherein the temperature is measured by four sensors, observing the temperature increase in the first minutes and keeping the temperature at a time interval of approximately 30 minutes (between the 11th and 25th reading where the number of each reading corresponds to 2 minutes) when the heating module is turned off and the internal temperature of the chamber is gradually reduced..
Figure 2A is a graphic view of the processing of a second set of pallets showing that only when all the sensors reach the minimal temperature defined in the microprocessor, the operation of thermal treatment starts, keeping the temperature between the 11th and 25th NLT or between the 21st and 50th NLT (where each NLT, or reading number, corresponds to 2 minutes) when the microprocessor turns off the heating module in order to gradually cool down the chamber.