A cavitation ultrasonic microwave synergistic whey protein microparticulation device

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of cavitation ultrasonic microwave synergic whey protein microparticulation equipment, belong to protein processing equipment technical field;The equipment includes sequentially communicating feed system, hydrodynamic cavitation component, outer wall focused ultrasound component, microwave temperature control shaping component, online high shear component, discharge system and control system;Low-pressure bubble formation and pressure recovery collapse area are formed by hollow cavity, sudden expansion release cavity and first back pressure valve, focused ultrasound transducer is set to corresponding pipe wall outside, and its acoustic focus is located in cavitation bubble collapse or pressure recovery area.The material output by outer wall focused ultrasound component directly enters the single-layer spiral wave-transparent medium tube of microwave temperature control shaping component, and the control system adjusts microwave power according to outlet temperature feedback, and the rear online high shear component limits secondary aggregation after shaping.The equipment is used to coordinate the nucleation, depolymerization and shaping process of whey protein microparticles in continuous flow state, reduce excessive aggregation and pipeline fouling, and improve continuous operation stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of protein processing equipment, specifically relating to a cavitation, ultrasonic, and microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle microparticle device, which is suitable for the continuous microparticle microparticle processing of biological macromolecules such as whey protein, and can be applied to food processing, biomaterials, and pharmaceutical preparations. Background Technology

[0002] Whey protein has high nutritional value and good digestibility and absorption properties, and is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In systems such as yogurt, whey protein, after micronization, can form micron-sized particles of a specific particle size to improve the texture, water retention, and dispersion stability of the system, and reduce problems such as sedimentation and stratification. The particle size distribution, sphericity, and surface state of whey protein particles affect its compatibility with components such as stabilizers and flavoring agents, and also affect its processing suitability in products such as high-protein beverages, infant formula, and pharmaceutical carriers.

[0003] Currently, whey protein micronization equipment mainly includes thermal shearing devices, high-pressure microfluidic devices, ultrasonic disruption devices, homogenizing emulsification devices, and related equipment connected in series. Thermal shearing devices typically rely on plate or tubular heat exchangers combined with mechanical shearing, resulting in uneven shear force distribution, difficulty in controlling protein denaturation and aggregation locations, and wide particle size distribution. Localized overheating can also lead to protein aggregation and pipe scaling. High-pressure microfluidic devices rely on high pressure to generate mechanical shearing and collision effects, resulting in high energy consumption and easy wear. Their effective area is usually located within the microfluidic cavity, making it difficult to form a localizable cavitation bubble collapse region that coordinates with focused ultrasound on the outer wall. When ordinary ultrasonic equipment is used alone, the sound field and cavitation field distribution are uneven, and the cavitation nucleus source is unstable, making it difficult to form stable and repeatable nucleation and deagglomeration regions in continuous pipelines. Ordinary homogenizing or scraper-type micronization equipment mainly relies on mechanical shearing and heat exchange, lacking the structural coordination between low-pressure bubble formation, pressure recovery collapse, focused ultrasound enhancement, and outlet temperature feedback shaping. Chinese utility model CN212790876U discloses a whey protein micronization system, which mainly consists of a storage tank, a power module, an ultrafiltration module, a first / second micronization unit, a temperature-controlled denaturation unit, and a heat exchange module. The micronization unit relies on scraper-type mechanical shearing and heat exchange through a heat-conducting medium.

[0004] Even when existing combined equipment arranges high-pressure mechanical shearing units, ultrasonic units, heating units, or homogenizing units sequentially, it is usually still a series of independent processing chambers connected one after the other. There is a lack of spatial correspondence between the cavitation regions and ultrasonic focal points between the units, and a lack of equipment structure that defines the pressure recovery region by a back pressure valve and connects it to the subsequent shaping region. Therefore, existing equipment still suffers from problems such as complex piping, large footprint, significant energy loss during transport, and insufficient coordination between units. During continuous operation, it is prone to wide particle size distribution, excessive aggregation, pipe scaling, and poor batch stability.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle formation device. This device should define the correspondence between the cavitation bubble formation zone, the pressure recovery collapse zone, the external wall focused ultrasound focal point, the microwave feedback shaping zone, and the post-particle limiting zone through the device structure. This would improve the problems of wide particle size distribution, excessive aggregation, pipeline scaling, and poor batch stability caused by the difficulty in synchronously controlling nucleation, deagglomeration, and shaping in continuous processing. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the problems of existing equipment's inability to structurally define nucleation, depolymerization, and shaping regions during continuous processing, leading to wide whey protein particle size distribution, excessive aggregation, pipeline scaling, and poor batch stability, this invention provides a cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device. This device utilizes a structural coordination between a hydraulic cavitation low-pressure bubble formation and pressure recovery collapse region, an outer wall focused ultrasound focal zone, a microwave outlet temperature feedback shaping region, and a downstream online high-shear particle-limiting region to enable whey protein micronization under continuous flow conditions.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: This invention provides a cavitation, ultrasound, and microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle formation device, comprising a feeding system, a hydraulic cavitation component, an outer wall focusing ultrasound component, a microwave temperature control shaping component, an online high shear component, a discharge system, and a control system, which are sequentially connected through a material pipeline. The hydraulic cavitation component includes a flow stabilization cavity, a hollow cavity, and a rapid expansion release cavity. The flow stabilization cavity is connected to the rapid expansion release cavity through the hollow cavity. The external wall focused ultrasound assembly includes a metal energy transmission tube that is directly connected to the outlet of the rapid expansion release chamber, and multiple focused ultrasound transducers attached to the outer wall of the metal energy transmission tube. The microwave temperature control shaping component includes a horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity, a single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube connected to a metal energy transfer tube inside the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity, multiple waveguide ports arranged axially at intervals along the top of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity, a multi-channel solid-state microwave source connected to the multiple waveguide ports through waveguides, a short-circuit reflector plate disposed on the side of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity opposite to the waveguide ports, and a temperature sensor disposed at the outlet of the single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube. The online high-shear component is connected to the outlet of the single-layer spiral transparent medium tube; A first back pressure valve is provided between the outer wall focused ultrasound component and the microwave temperature control shaping component, and a second back pressure valve is provided at the outlet of the online high shear component; The control system is electrically connected to the multi-channel solid-state microwave source, temperature sensor, focused ultrasonic transducer, and online high-shear component, and adjusts the output power of the multi-channel solid-state microwave source based on the outlet temperature feedback detected by the temperature sensor.

[0008] Furthermore, the feeding system includes a storage tank, a high-pressure pump, and a feeding pipe. The storage tank is connected to the feeding pipe via the high-pressure pump, and a pulse damper is provided between the high-pressure pump and the feeding pipe. The discharging system includes a discharging pipe and a collection tank that are sequentially connected to the second back pressure valve, and a cooling assembly sleeved on the outside of the discharging pipe. The cooling assembly is used to cool the material to 20 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius.

[0009] Furthermore, the hydraulic cavitation assembly also includes a feed inlet and a hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe. One end of the feed inlet is connected to the feed pipe, and the other end is connected to the flow stabilizing chamber. The outlet of the rapid expansion release chamber is connected to the hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe. The side wall of the hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe is also provided with an impact-resistant observation window. A bypass branch pipe is connected in parallel between the flow stabilizing chamber and the hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe, and a manually adjustable bypass valve is installed on the bypass branch pipe. A porous metal sintered plate or a multi-layer stainless steel wire mesh assembly is detachably installed inside the flow stabilizing chamber.

[0010] Further, the hollow cavity includes a throttling orifice plate core or a Venturi core; the overall thickness of the throttling orifice plate core is 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm, and it has a tapered acceleration nozzle at its inlet. The side of the throttling orifice plate core facing the rapid expansion release chamber has a release chamfer or tapered countersunk hole coaxial with the throttling orifice, making the local effective wall thickness adjacent to the throttling orifice 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm; the single-hole diameter or multi-hole equivalent diameter of the throttling orifice is 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm; the Venturi core is divided into an inlet contraction section, a critical throat, and an outlet expansion section. The inlet contraction section has a diameter of 15-25 mm and a constant contraction angle of 10°-20°; the critical throat has a diameter of 1-5 mm and a length of 3-8 mm; the outlet expansion section has a diameter of 10-20 mm. mm, with a constant expansion angle of 3°~8°; the rapid expansion release cavity is a cylindrical cavity with an inner diameter larger than that of the steady flow cavity, and the ratio of the effective axial length L of the rapid expansion release cavity to the inner diameter D is 0.8 to 1.5; the downstream of the rapid expansion release cavity is provided with a gradually converging flow section with a contraction angle of 30° to 45°.

[0011] Furthermore, the metal energy transfer tube is a polygonal outer and circular inner tube formed integrally from 316L stainless steel, with each outer wall surface being a flat mounting surface. The wall thickness of the flat mounting surface is the bending resonance wall thickness corresponding to the operating frequency of the focused ultrasonic transducer. The focused ultrasonic transducer adopts a tube-wall non-contact design, specifically a piezoelectric transducer. The angle between the acoustic axes of two adjacent focused ultrasonic transducers is 360 degrees per row of focused ultrasonic transducers. Multiple rows of focused ultrasonic transducers can be arranged on the metal energy transfer tube.

[0012] Furthermore, each of the waveguide ports is equipped with a tuner for adjusting the reflection coefficient at the connection point with the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity; the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity operates in TE10n multimode mode, its outer shell is made of corrosion-resistant metal, and the inner surface of the cavity is treated with high reflectivity; the single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube is a high-purity fused silica tube, which enters from the central axis of one end of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity and exits from the central axis of the other end; the multi-channel solid-state microwave source is used to generate microwave energy with adjustable power; the waveguide includes a rectangular waveguide; the short-circuit reflector is used to reflect unabsorbed microwave energy.

[0013] Furthermore, the online high-shear component is specifically a pipeline high-shear homogenizer with an operating speed of 3000 rpm to 10000 rpm.

[0014] Furthermore, the control system is also electrically connected to the high-pressure pump and cooling components to control the output pressure of the high-pressure pump, ultrasonic power and frequency, microwave power, fluid flow rate, high shear speed and cooling temperature, so as to maintain the outlet temperature of the single-layer spiral wave-transparent medium tube at 70 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius.

[0015] Furthermore, the first back pressure valve is used to set the working back pressure and adjust the pressure recovery gradient from the rapid expansion release chamber to the metal energy transfer tube, and a first pressure gauge is installed on the outlet pipe of the hydraulic cavitation component for pressure monitoring and control. The second back pressure valve is used to maintain the gauge pressure in the single-layer spiral transparent medium tube at a positive pressure, specifically 0.15 MPa to 0.5 MPa. A second pressure gauge is also provided at the outlet of the online high shear component.

[0016] Furthermore, the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity operates at a frequency of 2450 MHz and has a total microwave power of 15 kW. Its wide side dimension is 160 mm, narrow side dimension is 60 mm, and axial length is 1500 mm. The waveguide ports are seven WR340 rectangular waveguide ports arranged axially and alternately at a center-to-center spacing of 250 mm along the top of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity. The single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube has an inner diameter of 12 mm, a spiral diameter of 140 mm, 16 to 18 coils, and an unfolded length of 7.0 to 8.0 meters. At the rated processing flow rate, the material residence time within the microwave temperature-controlled shaping assembly is 15 seconds, and the outlet temperature is 75 degrees Celsius. The online high-shear assembly operates at a rotational speed of 6000 rpm.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. The cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle atomization device provided by this invention uses a hydraulic cavitation component to form a positionable cavitation zone, an outer wall focusing ultrasound component to couple this cavitation zone in situ, a microwave temperature-controlled shaping component to directly receive and provide feedback shaping, and an online high-shear component to post-position particle limiting, forming a continuous flow device structure with spatial correspondence and temporal connection. This device has a compact structure, small footprint, and can reduce the piping complexity and energy loss caused by multiple independently set units.

[0018] 2. Each component is arranged in the order of "low-pressure cavitation - pressure recovery collapse - in-situ focusing enhancement - outlet feedback shaping - post-particle limiting". The hydraulic cavitation component uses a flow stabilization cavity, a throttling orifice plate core or a Venturi core, a rapid expansion release cavity, and a first back pressure valve to jointly define a locatable cavitation bubble formation zone and a pressure recovery collapse zone, and generates microbubbles as cavitation nuclei for the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component; the focusing ultrasonic transducer of the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component is set on the outer side of the pipe wall corresponding to the rapid expansion release cavity, with the focal point falling on the cavitation bubble collapse or pressure recovery region, to enhance depolymerization and nucleation in the in-situ coupling region; the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component uses a longitudinal multimode resonant cavity + multi-port coherent feed structure and outlet temperature feedback to rapidly heat and shape the material output from the hydraulic cavitation component and the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component; the online high-shear component is set after the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component to limit disordered secondary aggregation after heat shaping. The above-mentioned equipment structure helps to improve the problems of uneven shearing and difficulty in controlling the deformation position of traditional hot shearing equipment, and improves the dispersion stability, solubility and compatibility of microparticles with other components.

[0019] 3. This invention employs a non-contact external ultrasonic structure. This structure reduces the risk of metal particle contamination caused by the erosion of traditional insertion probes. The cavity interior is smooth and free of inserts, facilitating in-situ cleaning in the food industry. Simultaneously, the microbubbles generated by the hydraulic cavitation component can serve as ultrasonic cavitation nuclei, compensating for the effects of non-contact ultrasonic energy transmission attenuation.

[0020] 4. The hydraulic cavitation component adopts a sanitary quick-connect replacement design. The orifice plate core and venturi core can be disassembled and replaced without disassembling the entire cavity, which facilitates cleaning, maintenance and equipment condition switching. With the help of bypass branch pipe and bypass valve, it can reduce water hammer impact during startup and pressure regulation, and improve the safety and service life of the equipment.

[0021] 5. The control system is used to adjust the operating parameters of each component, including high-pressure pump pressure, bypass opening, back pressure value, ultrasonic power and frequency, microwave power, fluid flow rate, etc., and can adjust the equipment operating status according to different whey protein micronization requirements.

[0022] 6. The equipment adopts a continuous pipeline structure, and the fluid residence time in the system is on the order of seconds, which can reduce the risk of excessive protein denaturation caused by excessively long thermal processes and is suitable for continuous scale-up operation.

[0023] 7. The microwave temperature control and shaping component adopts a structure with multi-mode cavity, phase synchronous feed, pressure maintenance and external high shear coordination, which can improve the problem of uneven heating of multi-mode cavity and reduce the risk of local vaporization and uneven shaping under high power heating. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; wherein, Figure 1 In the diagram, 'a' represents a simplified structural representation. Figure 1 In the diagram, 'b' represents a detailed structural diagram. Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hydraulic cavitation component of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of a hydraulic cavitation component; among which, Figure 3 In the diagram, 'a' represents a cross-sectional view of the orifice plate core. Figure 3 b in the diagram is a cross-sectional view of the Venturi core. Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the external wall focused ultrasound assembly of the present invention; wherein, Figure 4 In the diagram, 'a' represents a cross-sectional view of the external wall focused ultrasound assembly. Figure 4 In the diagram, b is an axial sectional view of the outer wall focusing ultrasound assembly; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the microwave temperature control shaping component and the online high shear component of the present invention; In the picture: Feeding system 1, storage tank 11, high-pressure pump 12, optional pulse damper 13 and feed pipe 14; hydraulic cavitation assembly 2, feed interface 21, flow stabilizing chamber 22, hollow cavity 23, throttling orifice plate core 231, venturi core 232, sanitary quick-connect coupling 233, tapering acceleration nozzle 234, rapid expansion release chamber 24, hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe 25, impact-resistant observation window 26, bypass branch pipe 27, bypass valve 271, first pressure gauge 28; external wall focused ultrasound Component 3, Metal energy transfer tube 31, Focused ultrasonic transducer 32; Microwave temperature control shaping component 4, Horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41, Single-layer spiral wave-transmitting dielectric tube 42, Multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43, Waveguide 44, Waveguide port 45, Short-circuit reflector 46, Temperature sensor 47; Online high-shear component 5; Discharge system 6, Discharge pipe 61, Cooling component 62, Collection tank 63; Control system 7; First back pressure valve 81, Second back pressure valve 82, Second pressure gauge 9. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The device structure of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The inventive concept of this invention lies in using a locatable hydraulic cavitation pressure recovery collapse region as the structural reference for a continuous equipment. The focal point of the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component is positioned on the outer side of the pipe wall corresponding to this region, and this in-situ cascaded coupling region is directly connected to the microwave temperature control and shaping component, with particle control further achieved by a subsequent online high-shear component. Thus, the equipment structure simultaneously defines the spatial location, pressure recovery, energy input, residence time, and outlet temperature feedback. This invention defines the installation positions, operating areas, direct connections, and feedback control relationships among the hydraulic cavitation component, the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component, the microwave temperature control and shaping component, and the online high-shear component. The innovations of this invention include at least the following: (1) The throttling orifice core or Venturi core, the rapid expansion release chamber and the first back pressure valve 81 together form a locatable "low-pressure bubble formation-pressure recovery collapse" region; (2) The outer wall focusing ultrasound component is set on the corresponding outer wall of the rapid expansion release chamber, and the focus falls on the cavitation bubble collapse or pressure recovery region; (3) The outlet of the outer wall focusing ultrasound component is directly and sealed to the inlet of the single-layer spiral wave-transmitting medium tube of the microwave temperature control shaping component; (4) The microwave temperature control shaping component adjusts the microwave power by feedback from the outlet temperature; (5) The online high shear component is set after the microwave temperature control shaping component to limit the disordered secondary aggregation after heat shaping.

[0027] This invention provides a cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle atomization device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the device includes a feeding system 1, a hydraulic cavitation component 2, an outer wall focusing ultrasonic component 3, a microwave temperature control and shaping component 4, an online high-shear component 5, a discharge system 6, and a control system 7. Specifically, the cavitation ultrasonic microwave-assisted whey protein micronization device is arranged along the material flow direction as follows: the hydraulic cavitation component 2, the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component 3 coupled in situ to the pressure recovery zone of the hydraulic cavitation component, the microwave temperature control and shaping component 4, and the online high-shear component 5 located downstream of the microwave temperature control and shaping component 4. The components form a mutually supportive equipment structure through their installation positions, operating areas, material flow sequences, pressure recovery processes, and outlet temperature feedback.

[0028] The feeding system 1 includes a storage tank 11, a high-pressure pump 12, and a feeding pipe 14. The storage tank 11 is connected to the feeding pipe 14 via the high-pressure pump 12. The storage tank 11 is used to store raw protein. Preferably, the raw protein is whey protein concentrate or whey / milk mixture, with a raw material solids content of 5–18 wt% and a feeding temperature controlled at 10–25 ℃. The high-pressure pump 12 is sealed to the feed inlet 21 of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 via the feeding pipe 14, and is used to pump the raw protein from the storage tank 11 into the hydraulic cavitation component 2 under high pressure. Optionally, a pulse damper 13 is also provided between the high-pressure pump 12 and the feeding pipe 14 to smooth pipeline pressure and flow pulsations and protect downstream equipment. The high-pressure pump 12 is a high-pressure diaphragm pump or a plunger pump with a rated outlet pressure ≥0.4~0.6 MPa, which is sufficient to overcome throttling resistance and provide stable driving pressure.

[0029] The hydraulic cavitation component 2 is used to pre-disperse materials and form cavitation bubble zones. It adopts a vertical or horizontal columnar cavity structure with a detachable modular design for easy disassembly, cleaning, and replacement of hollow cavities 23 of different specifications. The cavity minimizes welded sealing structures to meet food-grade CIP in-situ cleaning requirements. The cavitation intensity and cavitation zone can be adjusted through the core structure, pressure difference, and back pressure. Figure 2 As shown, the hydraulic cavitation component 2 includes a feed inlet 21, a flow stabilizing chamber 22, a hollow cavity 23, a rapid expansion and release chamber 24, and a hydraulic cavitation component outlet pipe 25.

[0030] One end of the feed inlet 21 is connected to the feed pipe 14, and the other end is connected to the flow stabilizing cavity 22. The flow stabilizing cavity 22 is connected to the rapid expansion release cavity 24 through the hollow cavity 23. The outlet of the rapid expansion release cavity 24 is connected to the outlet pipe 25 of the hydraulic cavitation component. The outlet pipe 25 of the hydraulic cavitation component is connected to the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3.

[0031] The feed inlet 21 and the flow stabilizing cavity 22 constitute the front-end flow stabilization and acceleration section of the hydraulic cavitation component 2. The main function of this section is to eliminate feed pulsation, regulate the flow field, and convert pressure potential energy into fluid kinetic energy, providing stable high-speed jet conditions for subsequent cavitation. Specifically, the feed inlet 21 adopts a sanitary quick-connect coupling, which is highly versatile and can be directly adapted to conventional laboratory pressure-resistant hoses and industrial pipeline systems. It is easy to assemble and disassemble and has reliable sealing. The flow stabilizing cavity 22 is a cylindrical straight-through cavity with a preferred length-to-diameter ratio of 3:1, used to stabilize the flow field before entering the hollow cavity 23. The interior is removably filled with porous metal sintered plates or multi-layer stainless steel wire mesh components to filter out small amounts of impurities in the raw material and reduce the flow pulsation and fluid sloshing caused by the high-pressure pump 12, so that the fluid flowing into the middle cavitation zone maintains a low-pulsation and relatively uniform axial flow state, reducing the impact of inlet pulsation on the cavitation field. like Figure 3 As shown, the hollow cavity 23 is the middle cavitation generating section of the hydraulic cavitation component 2. This section is the main working area of ​​the hydraulic cavitation component 2. Both ends are sealed with sanitary quick-connect couplings 233, and the hollow cavity 23 is sandwiched in the middle. During disassembly, the hollow cavity 23 can be replaced simply by loosening the sanitary quick-connect couplings 233. The hollow cavity 23 includes a throttling orifice plate core 231 or a Venturi core 232, which is suitable for switching between various cavitation conditions. The specific structure is as follows: 1. Orifice plate core 231: as shown Figure 3 As shown in a, a tapered acceleration nozzle 234 is provided at its upstream inlet. It adopts a smooth conical contraction structure. Preferably, the contraction angle is constant at 15°, and the inner diameter is contracted to 10 mm. This is used to accelerate the fluid after the front end has stabilized and to increase the fluid velocity at the middle throttling orifice plate. The tapered acceleration nozzle 234 is connected to the orifice plate core 231. The overall structural thickness of the orifice plate core 231 is preferably 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm to resist the bending stress and shear force generated by the high-pressure fluid and reduce the plastic deformation of the plate. The back surface of the orifice plate core 231 (facing the rapid expansion release chamber 24) is coaxially machined with an outwardly expanding release chamfer (or conical counterbore). The chamfer is deeply cut inward to control the local effective wall thickness adjacent to the orifice between 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm, so as to reduce the friction loss along the flow of fluid and allow the fluid to leave the wall after passing through the orifice and form a low-pressure vortex zone. The single hole diameter or multi-hole equivalent hole diameter of the orifice plate core 231 is preferably 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm. The material is preferably 316L sanitary stainless steel to adapt to the weakly acidic, high-moisture long-term operation conditions of whey protein and reduce metal wear and contamination of the liquid. The orifice plate core 231 is suitable for routine whey protein processing and features a simple structure and low maintenance cost.

[0032] 2. Venturi core 232: such as Figure 3As shown in b, an integrated contraction-throat-expansion structure is adopted, with a modular design that is compatible with the installation dimensions of the orifice plate core 231 and can be directly replaced. The overall length is 80 mm, allowing connection to the upstream stabilizing chamber 22 and the downstream rapid expansion release chamber 24, reducing abrupt flow field changes, localized fouling, and material blockage. The structure is divided into an inlet contraction section, a critical throat, and an outlet expansion section. The inlet contraction section has a diameter of 20 mm and a constant contraction angle of 15°; the critical throat has a diameter of 3 mm and a length of 5 mm, serving as the cavitation generation region; the outlet expansion section has a diameter of 15 mm and a constant expansion angle of 5°, used to achieve a smooth transition of fluid velocity and pressure, suitable for material systems with high thermal sensitivity and susceptibility to mechanical stress.

[0033] The rapid expansion release chamber 24 is coaxially disposed downstream of the hollow cavity 23. Its structural configuration is a cylindrical cavity with an enlarged inner diameter, the diameter of which is 6-8 times larger than that of the stabilizing cavity 22. The effective axial length L of the rapid expansion release chamber 24 satisfies a length-to-diameter ratio with its inner diameter D. Preferably, the L / D ratio is controlled between 0.8 and 1.5. This geometric ratio is used to reduce end-wall jet impact and insufficient cavitation caused by short cavities, and to reduce the risk of excessive shearing and coking of the liquid caused by dead zones at the edges of long cavities. The rear end of the rapid expansion release chamber 24 is a tapered constriction section, employing a smooth-walled conical tapered flow channel. Preferably, the tapering angle is controlled between 30° and 45°. This structure is used to smoothly gather the fluid within the rapid expansion release chamber 24 and guide it into the downstream standard pipeline.

[0034] The rapidly expanding release cavity 24 configuration supports modular universal matching, and its hydrodynamic function can adaptively switch according to the type of the currently installed hollow cavity 23. Specifically, it includes: (1) When the hollow cavity 23 is selected as the orifice plate core 231, the function of the rapid expansion release cavity 24 is as follows: the fluid forms a local low pressure in the orifice and near the outlet area of ​​the orifice plate core 231 due to high-speed throttling, which induces a large number of micro-cavities and cavitation nuclei to form inside the liquid. The high-speed fluid ejected through the sharp edge orifice of the orifice plate core 231 then enters the rapid expansion release cavity 24. Under the action of downstream back pressure and pressure recovery, the cavitation bubbles are rapidly compressed and collapse at high speed, releasing instantaneous high temperature, high pressure, micro-jet and strong shear force, completing the unfolding activation of whey protein molecules and the initial dispersal of aggregates, while generating uniform cavitation nuclei, providing a basis for the secondary enhanced cavitation of the external wall focused ultrasound component 3. At the same time, the large volume space provides a sufficient wall-free flow field environment for the full diffusion of the submerged jet and the violent transient collapse of the cavitation bubbles, avoiding the cavitation erosion damage of the pipe wall.

[0035] (2) When the hollow cavity 23 is selected as a Venturi core 232, the function of the rapid expansion release cavity 24 is: low-speed convergence and buffering retention. The material fluid completes the depressurization nucleation and smooth pressure rise collapse process inside the Venturi core 232. After the fluid is released from the expansion section of the core, it achieves low-speed convergence and stable buffering in the rapid expansion release cavity 24. This structure is used to reduce the reverse interference and pulsating impact of the dynamic back pressure of the downstream pipeline on the smooth and gradual flow field inside the Venturi core 232, and is suitable for the low-stress cavitation treatment of the heat-sensitive protein system.

[0036] Furthermore, the hydraulic cavitation component 2 also includes an impact-resistant observation window 26, which is disposed on the side wall of the outlet pipe 25 of the hydraulic cavitation component. Preferably, the impact-resistant observation window 26 is made of quartz glass, sealed with a sanitary gasket, and has a pressure resistance of ≥10 bar. It can be connected to a high-speed camera to directly observe the distribution morphology, cavitation density, and collapse state of the cavitation cloud inside the cavity, which facilitates the calibration of process parameters and the verification of cavitation effect.

[0037] Optionally, the hydraulic cavitation component 2 is connected in parallel with a bypass branch pipe 27 between the flow stabilizing chamber 22 and the outlet pipe 25 of the hydraulic cavitation component, and a manually adjustable bypass valve 271 is installed on the bypass branch pipe 27. When the equipment is started, the bypass valve 271 is first fully opened to put the pump group in an unloaded state to avoid instantaneous pressure rise; then the bypass valve 271 is slowly closed to gradually increase the working pressure in the chamber, reducing the risk of water hammer effect impact damage to the chamber and pipeline; at the same time, the actual working flow entering the chamber can be controlled by fine-tuning the bypass opening to adjust the cavitation intensity.

[0038] This invention sets the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 as an in-situ cascaded coupling structure, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the outer wall focused ultrasound assembly 3 includes a metal energy transmission tube 31 and focused ultrasound transducers 32. The metal energy transmission tube 31 is directly connected to the outlet pipe 25 of the hydraulic cavitation assembly. Several focused ultrasound transducers 32 are attached to the outer wall of the metal energy transmission tube 31. The acoustic axes of the focused ultrasound transducers 32 point towards and intersect at the center region of the flow channel, causing the acoustic focus to fall on the cavitation bubble collapse region or the pressure recovery region.

[0039] The metal energy transfer tube 31 has an "outer polygonal-inner circular" cross-section, machined from a single piece of sanitary-grade 316L stainless steel solid bar. The inner diameter is designed according to the processing volume, and the wall thickness is designed as a resonant wall thickness according to acoustic requirements. This resonant wall thickness is used to improve the resonant transmission state of the metal tube wall under ultrasonic excitation, reduce the acoustic impedance mismatch at the solid-liquid interface, and allow ultrasonic mechanical energy to penetrate the tube wall and act on the cavitation nuclei inside the fluid. The focused ultrasonic transducer 32 is specifically a piezoelectric transducer, uniformly attached and fixed to the outer wall surface of the metal energy transfer tube 31. The focused ultrasonic transducer 32 adopts a tube-wall non-contact design to excite microbubbles formed by the hydraulic cavitation component 2 in the fluid to generate an acoustic cavitation effect, breaking protein aggregates into micron-sized particles. It can induce secondary cavitation through the metal tube wall without contacting the liquid, avoiding the cavitation erosion phenomenon of traditional insertion probes in high-temperature, high-viscosity, and high-shear environments. For fluids with high concentration and high viscosity, the present invention preferably uses a smaller pipe diameter to facilitate the focusing of acoustic energy to the central region and reduce the processing dead zone; when scaling up for industrial use, it is preferable to use a multi-pipe parallel array to increase production capacity rather than simply increasing the pipe diameter.

[0040] The material outlet of the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, i.e. the outlet of the metal energy transfer tube 31, is directly and sealed to the inlet of the single-layer spiral wave-transmitting medium tube 42 in the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4. There is no intermediate storage tank or long-distance buffer pipeline between the two, so that the material output through the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 directly enters the single-layer spiral wave-transmitting medium tube 42 in the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4, reducing the intermediate residence time of the material and secondary aggregation.

[0041] A first back pressure valve 81 is also provided between the outer wall focusing ultrasound component 3 and the microwave temperature control shaping component 4. This valve is used to set the working back pressure and adjust the pressure recovery gradient from the rapid expansion release chamber 24 to the metal energy transmission tube 31, preventing the fluid from concentrating and collapsing through the metal energy transmission tube 31, thereby improving the efficiency of cavitation and ultrasonic coupling. At the same time, a first pressure gauge 28 is installed on the outlet pipe 25 of the hydraulic cavitation component for pressure monitoring and control.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 is used to heat and shape the protein microparticles output from the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, so that the polar groups on their surface are appropriately exposed and cross-linked, reducing the risk of secondary aggregation downstream. Its structure adopts a "longitudinal multimode resonant cavity + multi-port coherent feed" structure, balancing the volume and flux of the multimode cavity, and improving the microwave field distribution within the cavity through waveguide arrangement. The specific structure is as follows: The microwave temperature control shaping component 4 includes a horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41, a single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube 42, a multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43, a waveguide 44, a waveguide port 45, a short-circuit reflector 46, and a temperature sensor 47.

[0043] The single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube 42 is disposed within the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41; there are several waveguides 44, one end of which is connected to the output end of the multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43, and the other end is connected to the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41 through the waveguide port 45. The waveguide ports 45 are arranged axially along the top of the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41 towards the single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube 42; the multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43 is connected to several waveguide ports 45 respectively and is phase-synchronized by a master oscillator and a phase-locked loop; the short-circuit reflector 46 is disposed on the side of the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41 opposite to the waveguide port 45, or disposed at an adjustable position at the end of the waveguide 44; the temperature sensor 47 is disposed at the outlet of the single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube 42.

[0044] The horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41 operates in TE10n multimode mode and belongs to the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity structure, which is suitable for industrial-grade high-throughput processing requirements. The specific materials of the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41 are as follows: the outer shell of the cavity is made of corrosion-resistant metal to meet the requirements of structural strength and corrosion resistance; the inner surface is treated with high reflectivity, preferably gold or silver plating, to improve microwave reflectivity and reduce microwave energy loss at the cavity wall.

[0045] The single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube 42 is made of microwave-transparent material, preferably high-purity fused silica glass. This material has high microwave transmittance and does not absorb microwave energy, thus avoiding energy loss due to self-heating of the tube. It also possesses high-temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, and its smooth inner wall effectively prevents scaling, meeting the hygiene requirements of the food industry. The single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube 42 adopts a single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube design to improve the utilization of cavity space and ensure smooth fluid flow and uniform heating within the cavity. The fluid enters from the central axis of one end of the single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube 42, rotates and heats along the spiral line, and finally exits from the center of the other end. This spiral flow channel can generate a certain degree of turbulent self-mixing, effectively breaking the radial temperature difference caused by laminar flow and further improving heating uniformity.

[0046] The multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43 is used to generate microwave energy with adjustable power. Its output power is adjusted according to the temperature feedback signal sent by the temperature sensor at the outlet of the microwave temperature control and shaping component 4, so that the material can be heated rapidly in a continuous flow state and complete the thermal shaping of protein microparticles.

[0047] The waveguide 44 is used to directionally transmit the microwave energy to the region where the single-layer spiral transparent dielectric tube 42 is located. The waveguide 44 is preferably a rectangular waveguide, and its length and cross-sectional dimensions are matched according to the microwave frequency and microwave cavity size to reduce transmission loss. The feed structure of the waveguide 44 affects the uniformity of microwave heating. This invention adopts a "top vertical multi-port excitation" design, with the following specific parameters: Waveguide type: Multiple standard rectangular waveguides are selected to ensure that the microwave feed power meets the heating requirements; Emission angle: Microwaves radiate vertically downwards from directly above the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41. A tuner is built into each waveguide port 45 at the connection point with the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41. The tuner is used to adjust the impedance matching state during microwave transmission, reduce reflection power, improve the coupling efficiency of microwave energy to the microwave cavity and material system, and adjust the microwave standing wave ratio in each region to reduce energy loss and uneven heating caused by microwave reflection. The tuner can be a three-pin tuner, a sliding short-circuit tuner, or an equivalent impedance matching structure.

[0048] The short-circuit reflector 46 is used to reflect unabsorbed microwave energy, resulting in a relatively concentrated energy distribution of the microwave field in the region where the single-layer spiral transparent dielectric tube 42 is located. The angle of the short-circuit reflector 46, in conjunction with the tuner, improves the microwave field distribution within the cavity, reducing local overheating and uneven shaping. By adjusting the distance, a multidimensional standing wave field distributed along the length direction can be formed within the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41, ensuring a uniform distribution of the electromagnetic field within the cavity and further improving heating uniformity.

[0049] The online high-shear component 5 is connected to the outlet of the single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube 42 of the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4. It is used to apply controlled shear immediately after microwave rapid shaping, breaking up disordered secondary aggregation and limiting particle size within the target range. Specifically, the online high-shear component 5 is a pipeline-type high-shear homogenizer with a rotation speed of 3000-10000 rpm. After the high-viscosity protein material, which has reached its thermal denaturation cross-linking peak after passing through the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4, enters the online high-shear component 5, it undergoes intense mechanical shearing, centrifugal extrusion, and liquid layer friction under the high-speed rotation of multiple precisely interlaced stator and rotor layers. This dynamic high-intensity shearing process breaks up the disordered agglomeration of the protein cross-linked material, strictly limiting its physical size and shaping it within the target micron-level range. Simultaneously, the powerful head generated by the online high-shear component 5 acts as an online booster pump for the system, providing fluid power for the shaped high-viscosity suspension to overcome the resistance of the second back pressure valve 82 and smoothly discharge the material.

[0050] To address the risks of localized vaporization (boiling over) and waveguide system mismatch that may occur when the microwave temperature control and shaping component 4 heats flowing liquids at high power density, the following pressure maintenance auxiliary design is added to improve the operational stability of the equipment: When the fluid rapidly rises to 70-80°C, if it is under normal pressure, bubbles are easily generated on the pipe wall, or even local boiling occurs. These bubbles absorb microwaves and cause temperature fluctuations. To address this, a second back pressure valve 82 and a second pressure gauge 9 are added to the outlet of the online high-shear component 5 to maintain a positive pressure (preferably 0.15 MPa to 0.5 MPa) in the pipeline (single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium pipe 42). This raises the boiling point of the fluid above the target heating temperature and simultaneously allows the non-condensable free microbubbles left by upstream cavitation to redissolve into the liquid phase system, keeping the fluid in a liquid phase state at the target heating temperature and reducing the risk of explosive boiling.

[0051] In summary, the microwave temperature control and shaping component 4 provided by the present invention, through a spiral flow channel and a synchronously fed waveguide port 45, enables the fluid to heat up in a shorter residence time and improves heating uniformity and operational stability.

[0052] The discharge system 6 includes a discharge pipe 61, a cooling component 62, and a collection tank 63. One end of the discharge pipe 61 is connected to the outlet of the online high-shear component 5. The cooling component 62 is fitted onto the outside of the discharge pipe 61 and is used to cool the shaped microparticle suspension so that the final discharge temperature is controlled within the target range, preferably 20–30 °C. The other end of the discharge pipe 61 is connected to the collection tank 63.

[0053] The final particle size after processing by this equipment meets the target range, preferably D50 of 0.5-5 μm, D90≤50 μm, and particle size distribution width (Span)≤17, more preferably ≤15.

[0054] The control system 7 is electrically connected to the high-pressure pump 12, the focused ultrasonic transducer 32, the multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43, the temperature sensor 47, the online high-shear component 5, and the cooling component 62, respectively. It is used to control the output pressure of the high-pressure pump, the ultrasonic power and frequency, the microwave power, the fluid flow rate, the high-shear speed, and the cooling temperature. The control system 7 adjusts the output power of the multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43 in real time according to the feedback value of the temperature sensor 47 at the outlet of the microwave temperature control shaping component 4, so that the material reaches the target shaping temperature and reduces overheating and aggregation, thereby realizing closed-loop control of the continuous microparticle process.

[0055] Preferred technical parameters Furthermore, the working pressure difference of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 is controlled to be 0.1~0.4 MPa, preferably 0.2~0.3 MPa; the internal throttling structure size and the setting value of the back pressure valve are set as needed; the bypass valve 271, the first back pressure valve 81 and the second back pressure valve 82 are all electrically linked with the control system 7 to achieve fully automatic pressure regulation.

[0056] Furthermore, the number of focused ultrasound transducers 32 in the outer wall focused ultrasound assembly 3 is reasonably configured in proportion to the inner diameter of the metal energy transmission tube 31, and they are evenly arranged in a ring on the outer wall. The included angle between adjacent transducers is 360° / N (N is the number of transducers). The number of transducers can be selected as multiple, and the ultrasound frequency and power can be set as needed to form a more uniform ultrasound field and break up the aggregate.

[0057] Furthermore, the total output power and frequency of the multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43 in the microwave temperature control shaping component 4 are adjustable. The control system 7 adjusts the microwave output power with the microwave outlet temperature as feedback, and maintains the outlet temperature within the target shaping range in combination with the fluid residence time, so as to complete the rapid and stable shaping of whey protein microparticles.

[0058] Furthermore, the rated flow rate and output pressure of the high-pressure pump 12 are configured according to process requirements; the fluid's action time and total residence time in each section are controlled according to process requirements to meet the processing requirements of each section.

[0059] Furthermore, the cooling component 62 adopts water cooling or air cooling, and the cooling temperature is controlled within an appropriate range to rapidly cool and stabilize the morphology of the shaped suspension.

[0060] Furthermore, the outer shell of the cavitation ultrasonic microwave synergistic whey protein micronization equipment is made of heat-insulating material to reduce heat transfer interference between sections and keep the processing temperature of each section stable.

[0061] The present invention also provides the following embodiments and comparative examples to illustrate the necessity of the various components provided by the present invention, and to explore the critical parameters of each component.

[0062] Example 1: This embodiment is a complete equipment structure (hydraulic cavitation component 2 → outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 → microwave temperature control and shaping component 4 → online high shear component 5) (preferred embodiment).

[0063] The system configuration is as follows: The hydraulic cavitation component 2 adopts a horizontal columnar sandwich cavity. The feed inlet 21 uses a sanitary quick-connect connector 233. The flow stabilizing cavity 22 is φ20 mm × 60 mm. The tapering acceleration nozzle 234 has a contraction angle of 15°. The middle section adopts a cavitation mode using a throttling orifice plate core 231. A 5 mm thick 316L sharp-edged throttling orifice plate core 231 is installed, with a central throttling orifice diameter of 1.0 mm. The effective local wall thickness adjacent to the throttling orifice is controlled at 1.0 mm. The rapid expansion release cavity 24 is φ60 mm and 60 mm in length. The contraction angle of the tapering section is 45°. It is equipped with a high-pressure micro diaphragm pump of 200 L / h, rated pressure of 0.5 MPa, and a pulse damper 13. The bypass branch pipe 27 is equipped with a bypass valve 271. The set pressure of the first back pressure valve 81 is 0.25 MPa. The working pressure difference is 0.25 MPa, and the residence time is 5 minutes. s; The outlet of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 is directly cascaded with the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component 3, with an axial spacing of 1.5 times the aperture; The outer wall focusing ultrasound assembly 3 is made of a regular hexagonal 316L metal tube. Based on acoustic coupling finite element calculations, the wall thickness of its flat surface is machined to the characteristic bending resonance thickness of 5.8 mm at this frequency. Six focusing ultrasound transducers 32 are attached to the six flat surfaces. The ultrasound frequency is 20 kHz, the acoustic power is 600 W, and the duration is 3 s. The microwave temperature control shaping component 4 adopts a longitudinal multimode resonant cavity + multi-port coherent feed structure, with a total microwave power of 15kW and a microwave frequency of 2450MHz. The cavity is a horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity 41 (TE10n multimode), with a wide side a = 160 mm, a narrow side b = 60 mm, and an axial length L = 1500 mm. The inner surface is gold-plated. Seven WR340 rectangular waveguides 44 are staggered along the top axis with a center spacing of approximately 250 mm, and a movable short-circuit reflector 46 is correspondingly installed at the bottom. The fluid pipeline is a single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube 42 made of high-purity fused silica, with an inner diameter of 12 mm, a spiral diameter of 140 mm, and 16-18 turns, with a total unfolded length of approximately 7.0-8.0 meters. A second back pressure valve 82 is installed at the outlet to maintain a pressure of 0.15-0.3 m inside the pipeline. MPa positive pressure; a multi-channel solid-state microwave source 43 is used, and phase synchronization is achieved by driving the main control oscillator and PLL phase-locked loop; the residence time of the fluid in the microwave temperature control shaping component 4 is 15 s, and the outlet target temperature is 75 ℃; an online high-shear component 5 is set outside the outlet of the single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube 42, and the online high-shear component 5 is a pipeline-type high-shear homogenizer with a rotation speed of 6000 rpm.

[0064] The raw material is a whey protein solution with 8 wt% solids, pH 7.0, and a feed temperature of 25 ℃.

[0065] Testing indicators: D50, D90, and particle size distribution width (Span) were tested using the same testing rules in all examples and comparative examples. The obtained whey protein treatment solution was added to the same room temperature yogurt formula at the same dosage, and the gel uniformity, graininess, whey separation, and stratification were observed under the same fermentation, cooling, and storage conditions. Water retention was determined using uniform centrifugation conditions, and the water retention was calculated as the ratio of the mass of the gel retained after centrifugation to the mass of the sample before centrifugation. Taste evaluation was conducted using the same evaluators, blind evaluation order, and a 10-point scale, and the average score was recorded.

[0066] Example 2: This embodiment specifically compares the hollow cavity 23 of different hydraulic cavitation components 2 with the pressure difference (Examples 2a-2b) to examine the influence of the modular structure of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 of the present invention and the working pressure difference on the microparticle effect, and to provide a basis for limiting the parameter range.

[0067] Equipment operation settings: The parameters of the fixed outer wall focusing ultrasound component 3 and microwave temperature control shaping component 4 are the same as in Example 1. Only the type of hollow cavity 23 of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the working pressure difference are changed. All other conditions are exactly the same.

[0068] Example 2a: The total thickness of the orifice plate core 231 is 5.0 mm, the effective local wall thickness adjacent to the orifice is 1.0 mm, the working pressure difference is 0.1 MPa, and the back pressure is 2 bar. Example 2b: Venturi core 232, throat 3 mm, working pressure difference 0.4 MPa, back pressure 0.3 MPa; Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0069] Example 3: This embodiment verifies the critical physical significance of the shearing speed range (3000 rpm~10000 rpm) of the online high-shear component 5 in the microwave cavity outlet region.

[0070] Equipment operation settings: Other operating parameters are the same as in Example 1, except that the stator and rotor operating speeds of the online high shear component 5 are changed to 1000, 3000, 6000, 10000, and 15000 rpm, and the continuous operation status and the texture performance of the final micronized product are tested.

[0071] Testing criteria: After 2 hours of continuous operation, disassemble the pipeline and check for coking on the equipment. Other procedures are the same as in Example 1.

[0072] Example 3a (Lower limit exceeded: 1000 rpm): Operating phenomena: The rotation speed was too low, and the shear force and centrifugal discharge power were severely insufficient. The protein gel produced by high-temperature cross-linking could not be effectively broken up, and the output material showed large pieces of macroscopic tofu-like gel. Moreover, due to poor discharge, obvious congestion appeared at the microwave cavity outlet after 2 hours of operation.

[0073] Example 3b (Critical lower limit: 3000 rpm): Operating phenomena: Continuous and stable operation without clogging. Shear force can break up macroscopic agglomerates, and the microparticle product D50 is about 4.5μm, which has a good smooth taste and meets application requirements.

[0074] Example 3c (Critical upper limit: 10000 rpm): Operating phenomena: Continuous and stable operation. Particle size further decreased, system stability was good, and the taste was delicate.

[0075] Example 3d (Maximum speed exceeded: 15000 rpm): Operating phenomena: The excessively high speed generated strong mechanical frictional heat and excessive shear. The originally cross-linked and stabilized protein microgel network was damaged, the fluid viscosity dropped sharply, the network support structure required to simulate fat weakened, and the texture became thin; moreover, the frictional heat caused abnormal local temperature rise in the equipment.

[0076] Example 4 This embodiment examines the equipment operation status and atomization results within the range of total residence time (5-35 seconds) and operating pressure difference (0.1~0.4 MPa) of the fluid in the system.

[0077] Equipment operation settings: By adjusting the flow rate of high-pressure pump 12 and the valve opening, complete microparticle testing is performed at the lower and upper limits of the parameters.

[0078] Example 4a (Short-time low pressure): Operating pressure difference 0.1 MPa, flow rate adjusted so that the total residence time of the entire system is only 5 seconds. Microwave power is synchronously adjusted to a high level to ensure that the outlet temperature meets the standard.

[0079] Example 4b (Long-term High Pressure): Operating pressure difference 0.4 MPa, adjust flow rate to extend total residence time to 35 seconds. Microwave power reduced to maintain 75°C for shaping.

[0080] Comparative Example Comparative Example 1: Untreated Control This comparative example obtained a baseline of whey protein without equipment treatment, eliminating the influence of batch differences in raw materials on particle size and application results in room temperature yogurt.

[0081] Equipment operation settings: Using the same batch, solid content, pH and feed temperature as in Example 1, the whey protein solution is not introduced into the hydraulic cavitation component 2, the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3, the microwave temperature control shaping component 4 and the online high shear component 5. The test and room temperature yogurt application test are carried out directly under the same conditions.

[0082] Comparative Example 2: Traditional high-pressure microjets (the closest to existing technology) This comparative example is used to examine the microparticle formation results of high-pressure mechanical shearing equipment under similar raw material conditions and to compare it with the complete equipment group.

[0083] Equipment operating settings: The raw material is whey protein concentrate, with 8 wt% solids, pH 7.0, and feed temperature of 25 ℃. A high-pressure microjet device with a rated pressure of 120 MPa is used, and the output temperature is about 40 ℃, which is then cooled to 25 ℃ by the cooling component 62.

[0084] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0085] Comparative Example 3: This comparative example is a control group for removing the hydraulic cavitation component 2.

[0086] Objective: Under the condition that the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, microwave temperature control shaping component 4, and online high shear component 5 are all kept the same as in Example 1, only the hydraulic cavitation component 2 is removed, to evaluate the contribution of the pre-dispersion effect, low-pressure bubble formation, and cavitation nucleus supply of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 to the overall effect.

[0087] Equipment operation settings: The bypass bypasses the hydraulic cavitation component 2, and the frequency, power, and residence time of the material in the external wall focused ultrasonic component 3, the outlet temperature and residence time of the microwave temperature control shaping component 4, the rotation speed of the online high shear component 5, and the feeding and cooling conditions are all consistent with those in Example 1.

[0088] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1 Comparative Example 4: This comparative example is a control group with a modified structure of the hydraulic cavitation component 2.

[0089] Objective: To evaluate the contributions of the hollow cavity 23, the rapid expansion release cavity 24, and the first back pressure valve 81 by replacing the hydraulic cavitation component 2 of the present invention with a conventional integrated orifice plate cavitation tube, while keeping the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, microwave temperature control shaping component 4, and online high shear component 5 unchanged.

[0090] Equipment operation settings: Replace the hydraulic cavitation component 2 in Example 1 with a common integrated orifice plate cavitation tube without a steady flow chamber 22, a rapid expansion release chamber 24, and a first back pressure valve 81, and keep the pressure difference and flow rate similar; the downstream outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3, microwave temperature control shaping component 4, online high shear component 5, and other conditions are the same as in Example 1.

[0091] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0092] Comparative Example 5: Comparison of installation order of different components Objective: To investigate the effect of the connection sequence of "hydraulic cavitation component 2 → outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 → microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4" on the microparticle formation effect, and to compare it with the connection sequence of "hydraulic cavitation component 2 → microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 → outer wall focused ultrasound component 3".

[0093] Equipment operation settings: Hydraulic cavitation component 2, outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, microwave temperature control shaping component 4 and online high shear component 5 are all retained, and the operating parameters are the same as in Example 1. Only the connection order of the first three components is changed to hydraulic cavitation component 2 → microwave temperature control shaping component 4 → outer wall focused ultrasound component 3. The online high shear component 5 is still located at the end.

[0094] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0095] Comparative Example 6: Replacement of ultrasonic energy transfer tube structure Objective: To compare the differences in energy transmittance and microparticle formation effect between the polygonal metal energy transfer tube and acoustic resonance wall thickness non-contact structure used in this invention and the traditional circular tube non-contact structure.

[0096] Comparative Example 6a: The parameters of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the microwave temperature control and shaping component 4 were kept completely consistent with those of Example 1, except that the metal energy transfer tube 31 of the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 was replaced with a 316L circular tube with the same inner diameter and a wall thickness of 3.0 mm (non-resonant random thickness). Six focused ultrasound transducers 32 were attached to the outer wall of the circular tube via arc-shaped matching blocks. The ultrasound frequency was 20 kHz, and the total power was 600 W.

[0097] Comparative Example 6b: A 316L round tube with the same inner diameter and a wall thickness of 5.8 mm was used (the same thickness as in Example 1, but without the polygonal panel resonance effect).

[0098] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0099] Comparative Example 7: The control group with microwave temperature control shaping component 4 removed.

[0100] Objective: Under the condition that the hydraulic cavitation component 2, the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, and the online high shear component 5 are all kept the same as in Example 1, only the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 is removed, to evaluate the contribution of the rapid shaping effect of the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 to the microparticle structure, water retention and taste.

[0101] Equipment operation settings: The bypass bypasses the microwave temperature control shaping component 4. The structure and operating parameters of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3, the speed of the online high shear component, the feeding and cooling conditions are all the same as in Example 1. After the material is output from the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3, it directly enters the online high shear component 5.

[0102] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0103] Comparative Example 8: Control group with outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 removed (hydraulic cavitation component 2 + microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 + online high-shear component 5) Objective: Under the condition that the hydraulic cavitation component 2, microwave temperature control shaping component 4, and online high shear component 5 are all kept the same as in Example 1, only the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3 is removed, to evaluate the contribution of the uniform nucleation and deagglomeration of the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3 to the particle size distribution and application performance.

[0104] Equipment operation settings: The structure and operating parameters of the bypass-bypass-outer-wall focused ultrasonic component 3, the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the microwave temperature control shaping component 4, the online high-shear component speed, and the feeding and cooling conditions are all the same as in Example 1.

[0105] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0106] Comparative Example 9: The control group with the online high-shear component 5 removed.

[0107] Objective: To evaluate the limiting effect of the online high-shear component 5 on the disordered secondary aggregation of the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 after treatment.

[0108] Equipment operation settings: The structure, component connection sequence and operating parameters of the hydraulic cavitation component 2, the outer wall focused ultrasonic component 3 and the microwave temperature control shaping component 4 are the same as those in Example 1. The bypass bypasses the online high shear component 5 downstream of the microwave temperature control shaping component 4. The material is directly cooled and collected after being output from the microwave temperature control shaping component 4.

[0109] Detection indicators: Same as in Example 1.

[0110] Table 1 shows a comprehensive comparison of the detection indicators between the examples and the comparative examples.

[0111] Table 1. Comprehensive Comparison of Detection Indicators between Examples and Comparative Examples Example 1 1.50 13.5 8.874 The acid gel has a uniform structure, good rheological properties, and excellent water retention. It can effectively simulate the smooth and rich texture of fat, is stable in dispersion within the system, has excellent solubility, and is compatible with other components in yogurt. 94% 8.5 Example 2a 1.18 16.0 13.538 The acid gel has a uniform structure, good rheological properties, and excellent water retention. It can effectively simulate the smooth and rich texture of fat, is stable in dispersion within the system, has excellent solubility, and is compatible with other components in yogurt. 83% 8.3 Example 2b 1.12 13.3 11.866 The acid gel has a uniform structure, good rheological properties, and excellent water retention. It can effectively simulate the smooth and rich taste of fat, disperses stably in the system, has excellent solubility, and is compatible with other components in yogurt. 88% 8.2 Example 3a 35.2 185 5.056 The product contains macroscopic, tofu-like gel clumps, has a rough and dry yogurt system, exhibits sedimentation and stratification, and has poor palatability. 52% 4.5 Example 3b 4.50 38.6 8.378 The acid gel structure is relatively uniform, the particle size is slightly large but it can provide good structural support, the dispersion stability is good, and it has a certain chewy feel. 85% 8.0 Example 3c 0.98 5.20 5.100 The acid gel has a delicate and smooth structure with no graininess and good system stability; however, due to the small particle size, its fullness and richness are slightly inferior. 90% 8.2 Example 3d 0.424 4.16 9.622 The protein microgel physical network is disrupted, resulting in a yogurt system with low viscosity, a thin texture, and no simulated fat texture. 68% 5.8 Example 4a 1.32 19.4 14.590 The acid gel has a relatively uniform structure, good rheological properties, can better simulate the taste of fat, and has good dispersion stability. 80% 8.0 Example 4b 0.584 9.95 16.829 The system has no sediment and good stability, but the fluid texture is relatively thin, with low richness and fullness. 91% 7.6 Comparative Example 1 0.183 2.969 16.024 The system is too thin, with insufficient gel support, and whey separation is visible after storage, failing to create a fat-like texture. 33% 4.3 Comparative Example 2 8.38 162 19.132 Dry, rough, and prone to sedimentation and stratification. 47% 5.5 Comparative Example 3 7.79 110 13.921 It is dry, has a high precipitation rate, poor dispersion stability, and poor compatibility with other components. 39% 4.2 Comparative Example 4 4.59 46.8 10.142 It can form microparticles, but the particle size uniformity and the smoothness of the yogurt are lower than those of a complete equipment. 76% 7.1 Comparative Example 5 58.6 246 3.926 Structural damage, coarse aggregation of protein particles, and decreased taste and stability. 68% 6.4 Comparative Example 6a 9.10 111 11.829 It is rough and dry, with obvious large gel particles, and is prone to sedimentation and layering, making it unable to effectively simulate the taste of fat. 50% 5.2 Comparative Example 6b 10.2 81.7 7.810 Accompanied by sedimentation and large particle aggregation, the dispersion stability is poor, resulting in a gritty texture. 45% 4.8 Comparative Example 7 0.847 11.256 13.088 It is relatively evenly dispersed, but lacks gel-like texture, water retention, and richness. 62% 6.3 Comparative Example 8 5.64 91.742 16.058 There are localized coarse aggregates, accompanied by a granular texture and some whey separation. 69% 6.1 Comparative Example 9 5.24 62.485 11.709 The gel is relatively uniform and has improved water retention, but large particles are noticeable, resulting in a thicker or slightly grainy texture. 78% 7.2 Table 1 shows that Example 1 exhibits a relatively balanced performance across D50, D90, Span, water retention, and mouthfeel scores. Removing the hydraulic cavitation component 2, the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, or the online high-shear component 5 (Comparative Examples 3, 8, and 9) increases D50, D90, or Span and decreases application performance. Removing the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 (Comparative Example 7) does not increase D50 and D90, but reduces water retention and mouthfeel scores, indicating that smaller particle size does not equate to the formation of a stable microgel with fat-mimicking function. Comparative Examples 4-6 further demonstrate that the matching structure of the hydraulic cavitation component 2, the component connection sequence, and the structure of the metal energy transfer tube 31 of the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 all affect the final effect. Examples 2a and 2b show that both configurations of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 can yield usable microparticles under the listed combination parameters. The cavitation intensity can be adjusted by changing different hydraulic cavitation components 2, thereby affecting the degree of protein micronization. The online high-shear component 5 operates at a shearing speed ranging from 3000 rpm to 10000 rpm, enabling it to break up agglomerates and discharge them smoothly after microwave crosslinking, while reducing the risk of excessive shearing damaging the microgel network (Example 3). Results from Examples 4a and 4b show that both sets of combined conditions can reach the preset particle size acceptance limit, indicating that the equipment has a certain degree of adaptability to the tested combinations.

[0112] Unmicronized whey proteins (Comparative Example 1) have smaller particle sizes, resulting in insufficient support for the gel system and poor water retention when applied to yogurt, thus failing to create a fat-mimicking texture. While conventional high-pressure microfluidic equipment (Comparative Example 2) provides strong mechanical shear, it lacks the coordination of uniform nucleation, rapid shaping, and end-particle limiting. Its D50, D90, and Span are all higher than those of the complete equipment group, leading to a dry, rough texture and easy sedimentation and stratification when applied to yogurt. Without the pre-dispersion effect of the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the microbubble "inoculation" (Comparative Example 3), the protein aggregation state and cavitation nucleus supply to the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 and microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 are inconsistent. The uneven starting points for depolymerization in the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 and shaping in the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 result in increased D50, D90, and Span, leading to decreased water retention and texture scores in the yogurt, accompanied by sedimentation. When the hydraulic cavitation component 2 of this invention is replaced with a conventional hydraulic cavitation component (Comparative Example 4) that lacks a flow stabilization chamber, a rapid expansion release chamber, a controlled pressure recovery zone, and a first back pressure valve 81, although the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component 3, the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4, and the online high-shear component 5 are still retained and can form microparticles, the particle size uniformity, water retention, and taste are all lower than those of the complete equipment group due to the uneven supply of cavitation nuclei and the pressure recovery process at the front end. When the component connection sequence is changed to "hydraulic cavitation component → microwave temperature-controlled shaping component → outer wall focusing ultrasonic component" (Comparative Example 5), D50 and D90 increase, the overall particle size shifts towards the coarser range, and the taste and stability of the yogurt decrease. If a traditional cylindrical non-contact ultrasonic structure is used (Comparative Examples 6a and 6b), the sound energy transmission and focusing effect decrease, D50 and D90 increase, and the water retention and taste scores decrease. After removing the rapid setting effect of the microwave temperature-controlled setting component (Comparative Example 7), although the hydraulic cavitation component 2 and the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 can initially refine and relatively uniformly disperse protein particles, the aggregates cannot be set in time. The resulting microparticles have a loose structure and insufficient stability, resulting in reduced water retention and richness when applied to yogurt. After removing the uniform nucleation and deagglomeration effect of the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3 (Comparative Example 8), the aggregates formed by pre-dispersion in the hydraulic cavitation component 2 are directly set in the microwave temperature-controlled setting component 4. Local coarse aggregates are solidified, leading to an increase in D90 and Span. When applied to yogurt, this results in a grainy texture and some whey separation. After removing the granulation effect of the online high-shear component 5 (Comparative Example 9), the particles set by the microwave temperature-controlled setting component 4 lack end deagglomeration and particle size limitation, making them prone to disordered secondary aggregation and the formation of large particle tails. Although the water retention is acceptable, the yogurt has a thicker texture and a grainy feel.

[0113] In summary, the present invention forms a positionable hydraulic cavitation region by means of a flow stabilizing cavity 22, a throttling orifice plate core 231 or a venturi core 232, a rapid expansion release cavity 24 and a first back pressure valve 81, which is used to generate low-pressure bubbles and pressure recovery collapse, and to provide an in-situ coupled cavitation bubble collapse region for the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3.

[0114] Existing public descriptions of high-pressure microjets combined with ultrasound typically involve the sequential arrangement of high-pressure microjets and ultrasound units, without specifying the spatial correspondence between the cavitation bubble collapse region and the ultrasound focal point. This invention installs the outer wall focusing ultrasound component 3 on the outer side of the tube wall corresponding to the rapid expansion release chamber 24, causing the ultrasound focal point to fall on the cavitation bubble collapse region or pressure recovery region, thereby achieving in-situ focusing enhancement of the microbubbles formed by the hydraulic cavitation component 2.

[0115] The present invention utilizes the microbubbles generated by the hydraulic cavitation component 2 as the cavitation nuclei of the outer wall focused ultrasound component 3, and limits the collapse position and intensity of the microbubbles by the first back pressure valve 81.

[0116] In existing publicly available structures, heating, ultrasonication, or drying units are typically treated as independent functional units. In this invention, the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 functions as follows: the material output from the outer wall focusing ultrasonic component 3 directly enters the single-layer spiral microwave-transparent medium tube 42 within a short residence time, and the microwave power is adjusted based on the outlet temperature feedback for rapid shaping of the already formed protein microparticles. This structure addresses the problem of secondary aggregation after nucleation and depolymerization due to insufficient time for shaping, rather than simply heating or drying.

[0117] The online high-shear component 5 of this invention is positioned after the microwave temperature-controlled shaping component 4 to break up or limit the loose secondary aggregates formed after heat shaping without damaging the main structure of the shaped particles. This positional relationship differs from the high-pressure microjets front-end shearing unit or ordinary thermal shearing unit in existing disclosed structures.

[0118] Other embodiments of this application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this application that follow the general principles of this application and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only.

[0119] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope.

Claims

1. A cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle atomization device, characterized in that, It includes a feeding system, a hydraulic cavitation component, an outer wall focused ultrasonic component, a microwave temperature control and shaping component, an online high shear component, a discharge system, and a control system, which are connected sequentially through material pipelines. The hydraulic cavitation component includes a flow stabilization cavity, a hollow cavity, and a rapid expansion release cavity. The flow stabilization cavity is connected to the rapid expansion release cavity through the hollow cavity. The external wall focused ultrasound assembly includes a metal energy transmission tube that is directly connected to the outlet of the rapid expansion release chamber, and multiple focused ultrasound transducers attached to the outer wall of the metal energy transmission tube. The microwave temperature control shaping component includes a horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity, a single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube connected to a metal energy transfer tube inside the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity, multiple waveguide ports arranged axially at intervals along the top of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity, a multi-channel solid-state microwave source connected to the multiple waveguide ports through waveguides, a short-circuit reflector plate disposed on the side of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity opposite to the waveguide ports, and a temperature sensor disposed at the outlet of the single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube. The online high-shear component is connected to the outlet of the single-layer spiral transparent medium tube; A first back pressure valve is provided between the outer wall focused ultrasound component and the microwave temperature control shaping component, and a second back pressure valve is provided at the outlet of the online high shear component; The control system is electrically connected to the multi-channel solid-state microwave source, temperature sensor, focused ultrasonic transducer, and online high-shear component, and adjusts the output power of the multi-channel solid-state microwave source based on the outlet temperature feedback detected by the temperature sensor.

2. The cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle atomization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding system includes a storage tank, a high-pressure pump, and a feeding pipe. The storage tank is connected to the feeding pipe via the high-pressure pump, and a pulse damper is provided between the high-pressure pump and the feeding pipe. The discharging system includes a discharging pipe and a collection tank that are sequentially connected to the second back pressure valve, and a cooling assembly sleeved on the outside of the discharging pipe. The cooling assembly is used to cool the material to 20 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius.

3. The cavitation ultrasonic-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydraulic cavitation assembly also includes a feed inlet and a hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe. One end of the feed inlet is connected to the feed pipe, and the other end is connected to the flow stabilization chamber. The outlet of the rapid expansion release chamber is connected to the hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe. The side wall of the hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe is also provided with an impact-resistant observation window. A bypass branch pipe is connected in parallel between the flow stabilization chamber and the hydraulic cavitation assembly outlet pipe, and a manually adjustable bypass valve is installed on the bypass branch pipe. A porous metal sintered plate or a multi-layer stainless steel wire mesh assembly is detachably installed inside the flow stabilization chamber.

4. The cavitation ultrasonic-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hollow cavity includes a throttling orifice plate core or a Venturi core; the overall thickness of the throttling orifice plate core is 3.0 mm to 5.0 mm, and it has a tapered acceleration nozzle at its inlet. The side of the throttling orifice plate core facing the rapid expansion release chamber has a release chamfer or tapered countersunk hole coaxial with the throttling orifice, making the local effective wall thickness adjacent to the throttling orifice 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm; the single-hole diameter or multi-hole equivalent diameter of the throttling orifice is 1.0 mm to 2.5 mm; the Venturi core is divided into an inlet contraction section, a critical throat, and an outlet expansion section. The inlet contraction section has a diameter of 15-25 mm and a constant contraction angle of 10°-20°; the critical throat has a diameter of 1-5 mm and a length of 3-8 mm; the outlet expansion section has a diameter of 10-20 mm. mm, with a constant expansion angle of 3°~8°; the rapid expansion release cavity is a cylindrical cavity with an inner diameter larger than that of the steady flow cavity, and the ratio of the effective axial length L of the rapid expansion release cavity to the inner diameter D is 0.8 to 1.5; the downstream of the rapid expansion release cavity is provided with a gradually converging flow section with a contraction angle of 30° to 45°.

5. The cavitation ultrasonic-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal energy transfer tube is a polygonal outer and circular inner tube formed by integral machining of 316L stainless steel. Each outer wall surface is a flat mounting surface, and the wall thickness of the flat mounting surface is the bending resonance wall thickness corresponding to the operating frequency of the focused ultrasonic transducer. The focused ultrasonic transducer adopts a tube wall non-contact design, specifically a piezoelectric transducer. The included angle between the acoustic axes of two adjacent focused ultrasonic transducers is 360 degrees / the number of focused ultrasonic transducers per row. Multiple rows of focused ultrasonic transducers can be arranged on the metal energy transfer tube.

6. The cavitation ultrasonic-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each waveguide port is equipped with a tuner at its connection to the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity for adjusting the reflection coefficient; the horizontal rectangular longitudinal multimode resonant cavity operates in TE10n multimode mode, its outer shell is made of corrosion-resistant metal, and its inner surface is treated with high reflectivity; the single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube is a high-purity fused silica tube, which enters from the central axis of one end of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity and exits from the central axis of the other end; the multi-channel solid-state microwave source is used to generate adjustable power microwave energy; the waveguide includes a rectangular waveguide; the short-circuit reflector is used to reflect unabsorbed microwave energy.

7. The cavitation ultrasonic-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The online high-shear component is specifically a pipeline high-shear homogenizer with an operating speed of 3000 rpm to 10000 rpm.

8. The cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system is also electrically connected to the high-pressure pump and cooling components to control the output pressure of the high-pressure pump, ultrasonic power and frequency, microwave power, fluid flow rate, high shear speed and cooling temperature, and to maintain the outlet temperature of the single-layer spiral wave-transmitting medium tube at 70 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius.

9. The cavitation-ultrasound-microwave synergistic whey protein microparticle atomization device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first back pressure valve is used to set the working back pressure and adjust the pressure recovery gradient from the rapid expansion release chamber to the metal energy transmission tube, and a first pressure gauge is installed on the outlet pipe of the hydraulic cavitation component for pressure monitoring and control. The second back pressure valve is used to maintain the gauge pressure in the single-layer spiral transparent medium tube at a positive pressure, specifically 0.15 MPa to 0.5 MPa. A second pressure gauge is also provided at the outlet of the online high shear component.

10. The cavitation ultrasonic-microwave synergistic whey protein micronization device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The longitudinal multimode resonant cavity operates at a frequency of 2450 MHz and has a total microwave power of 15 kW. Its wide side dimension is 160 mm, narrow side dimension is 60 mm, and axial length is 1500 mm. The waveguide ports consist of seven WR340 rectangular waveguide ports arranged axially and alternately at a center-to-center spacing of 250 mm along the top of the longitudinal multimode resonant cavity. The single-layer spiral wave-transparent dielectric tube has an inner diameter of 12 mm, a spiral diameter of 140 mm, 16 to 18 coils, and an unfolded length of 7.0 to 8.0 meters. At the rated processing flow rate, the material residence time within the microwave temperature-controlled shaping assembly is 15 seconds, and the outlet temperature is 75 degrees Celsius. The online high-shear assembly operates at a rotational speed of 6000 rpm.

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