| 摘要 |
<p>A system of curing flue-cured tobacco in bulk including a barn structure having perforated floor defining a curing air inlet space therebelow and tobacco loading and curing space thereabove for receiving and supporting a plurality of bulk curing racks disposed in side-by-side relation and in a plurality of vertically spaced tiers, a return air space above the loading space and a curing air conditioning and circulating assembly including a housing having an inlet communicating with the upper return air space, an outlet communicating with the lower curing air space, damper controlled fresh air inlets adjacent the upper end thereof, an air heater, a blower and an improved air throttling mechanism for controlling the amount of curing air circulated throughout the cure so that (1) the yellowing of the leaves is accomplished with the curing air at the desired temperature and relative humidity flowing at a relatively slow rate within an operative range of between 10 and 50 cubic feet per minute for each square foot of effective curing area, and within a preferred range of 40 to 45 cfm and (2) drying of the leaves is accomplished with the curing air at the desired temperatures and relative humidities flowing at a relatively high rate within an operative range of 50 to 120 cfm for each square foot of effective curing area with an increase of at least 10 percent of the flow rate during yellowing and within a preferred range of 55 to 75 cfm and an increase of at least 30 percent.</p> |
