Traditional Chinese medicine efficient alcohol precipitation system and control method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a traditional Chinese medicine efficient alcohol precipitation system and a control method thereof, and solves the technical problem that the alcohol precipitation of traditional Chinese medicine cannot simultaneously reduce the ethanol consumption, shorten the process time, conveniently remove impurities, and improve the yield and purity of effective components. The traditional Chinese medicine efficient alcohol precipitation system comprises a traditional Chinese medicine water extraction liquid pumping tank, an ethanol pumping tank and a supernatant extraction tank connected with an alcohol precipitation tank, the traditional Chinese medicine water extraction liquid storage tank is connected with a cation solution pumping tank, the ethanol pumping tank is connected with an anion solution pumping tank, the alcohol precipitation tank is provided with a high-voltage pulse emission unit, an alternating electric field generation unit, a standing wave generation unit, a stirring unit and a cooling unit connected with a control unit respectively, and the inside of the alcohol precipitation tank is provided with a sediment filter screen. The application can not only reduce the ethanol consumption and the cost, but also can quickly stir, quickly cool and shorten the standing time, and can conveniently remove the impurities of precipitated sediment, and improve the alcohol precipitation yield and purity of effective components of traditional Chinese medicine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of alcohol precipitation technology for traditional Chinese medicine, and in particular to a highly efficient alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Alcohol precipitation is a common process in the extraction of traditional Chinese medicine. Ethanol is added to the aqueous extract of the herb at room temperature or low temperature for precipitation. Ethanol acts as both a solvent to dissolve the active ingredients in the concentrate and a precipitant to cause impurities to precipitate. After settling, solid-liquid separation is performed, thus separating the active ingredients from the impurities. The main factors affecting the effectiveness of alcohol precipitation include the following: One key factor is the initial concentration of the extract. To ensure that impurities are removed as much as possible during alcohol precipitation, while minimizing the loss of active ingredients and ethanol consumption, the decoction of medicinal herbs is generally concentrated to a certain concentration of initial extract. If the initial extract concentration is too high, the liquid will be too viscous, making it difficult for ethanol to fully contact the liquid. The resulting precipitate will easily coat the liquid, causing loss of active ingredients and reducing the yield of active ingredients. If the initial extract concentration is too low, the volume of liquid will be too large, requiring a large amount of ethanol and extending the processing cycle.

[0003] Secondly, there is the alcohol precipitation temperature. If the alcohol precipitation temperature is low, the precipitation and settling rate of the precipitate will be faster, and the required settling time will be shorter. Conversely, the settling time will be longer, requiring a longer process cycle. However, if the alcohol-containing solution is cooled down rapidly in order to shorten the settling time, the chance of particle collision will be reduced, and the precipitate particles will be finer. This not only makes it difficult to filter out, but the suspended fine particles will also affect the high purity of the supernatant.

[0004] Thirdly, the alcohol precipitation time is important. If the alcohol precipitation time is too long, it will not only prolong the process cycle, but also cause the alcohol precipitation particles to cross-link and form clumps, resulting in the loss of effective ingredients and reducing the production rate of effective ingredients. If the alcohol precipitation time is too short, the impurities will not be completely removed and will be discharged with the supernatant, affecting the quality of the final product.

[0005] Fourthly, there are methods involving the addition of alcohol. One method involves adding a large amount of high-concentration ethanol at the beginning of the precipitation process. If the stirring is uneven and the ethanol is not dispersed, the alcohol content in some areas will be too high. Starch and proteins will quickly precipitate and coat the concentrate. As the amount of ethanol increases, the coating becomes denser and harder to disperse, inevitably affecting the precipitation effect and reducing the yield of active ingredients. Another method involves staged precipitation or gradually increasing the ethanol concentration in a gradient manner. This helps remove impurities and reduce the loss of active ingredients. However, this method is more complicated, with a longer process cycle and a larger ethanol consumption. A third method, aimed at reducing ethanol consumption and production costs, involves concentrating the water extract to a specified specific gravity, allowing it to settle in a sedimentation tank for 24 hours, discarding the precipitate, and then adding ethanol for further precipitation. This method also extends the process cycle, and the concentrated water extract leads to the problems associated with the high initial concentration of the extract.

[0006] Fifthly, the stirring speed is crucial. During alcohol precipitation, the stirring speed should be increased, and ethanol should be added slowly to avoid excessively high local ethanol concentrations in the solution, which could lead to the loss of active ingredients due to precipitate encapsulation. However, excessively fast stirring speeds can result in precipitate particles that are too small, making them difficult to filter and remove. Furthermore, the small suspended particles can affect the high purity of the supernatant. On the other hand, excessively slow stirring speeds can prolong the process cycle, and excessively high local ethanol concentrations in the solution can cause the precipitate to encapsulate the active ingredients, resulting in their loss and reduced productivity. Additionally, it can cause the precipitate to stick together, making filtration and separation difficult.

[0007] In summary, in the alcohol precipitation process of traditional Chinese medicine, factors such as the initial concentration of the extract, precipitation temperature, precipitation time, alcohol addition method, and stirring speed are mutually restrictive and jointly affect the amount of ethanol used, process time, precipitation effect of impurities, and yield and purity of active ingredients. Therefore, how to simultaneously reduce the amount of ethanol used, shorten the process time, conveniently remove impurities, and improve the yield and purity of active ingredients in the alcohol precipitation of traditional Chinese medicine is an urgent technical problem to be solved.

[0008] It should be noted that the above technical information is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background technology of the present invention, and should not be regarded as an admission or in any way implying that the above technical information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To address the shortcomings in the aforementioned background technology, this invention proposes a high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine and its control method, which solves the technical problem that when using existing technologies for alcohol precipitation of traditional Chinese medicine, it is impossible to simultaneously reduce the amount of ethanol used, shorten the process time, conveniently remove impurities, and improve the yield and purity of effective components.

[0010] The technical solution of this application is as follows: A high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine includes a pumping tank for aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine, an ethanol pumping tank, and a supernatant extraction tank connected to an alcohol precipitation tank. The aqueous extract storage tank is connected to a cation solution pumping tank, and the ethanol pumping tank is connected to an anion solution pumping tank. The alcohol precipitation tank is equipped with a high-voltage pulse transmitting unit, an alternating electric field generating unit, a standing wave generating unit, a stirring unit, and a cooling unit, which are respectively connected to a control unit. The interior of the alcohol precipitation tank is equipped with a sedimentation filter screen that matches the slag discharge port.

[0011] In this technical solution, the concentrated aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine can be directly used for alcohol precipitation. Although the viscosity of the medicine is relatively high, not only is the amount of ethanol used during alcohol precipitation small, but the effective components in the concentrated aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine can also come into full contact with ethanol. The resulting precipitate is difficult to encapsulate the medicine and will not cause loss of effective components. The reasons are multifaceted. First, cations are introduced into the concentrated aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine through a cation solution pumping tank, diluting the extract to a certain extent. Anions are introduced into the ethanol solution through an anion solution pumping tank, diluting the high-concentration ethanol. This results in a greater number of charged particles in the ethanol precipitation tank. Simultaneously, under the action of the high-voltage pulse emission unit, not only is the aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine subjected to electroporation and ionization, but the ethanol solution also undergoes an ionization reaction. This further increases the number of charged particles in the mixture within the ethanol precipitation tank, while also fully exposing the effective components of the aqueous extract, facilitating contact with ethanol. At the macroscopic level, the stirring unit within the ethanol precipitation tank thoroughly stirs the mixture, allowing the effective components of the aqueous extract to further contact with ethanol. At the microscopic level, under the action of the alternating electric field generating unit, various charged ions undergo complex reciprocating motion, mixing at the particle level, further ensuring sufficient contact and mixing between the effective components of the aqueous extract and ethanol.

[0012] Meanwhile, due to the aforementioned stirring action, the addition of charged particles, high-voltage pulse action, and alternating electric field, this technical solution can not only significantly reduce the stirring and mixing time, but also greatly reduce the settling time through the standing wave generating unit, allowing the alcohol-containing drug solution to cool down rapidly and generate larger precipitate particles, thereby conveniently removing impurities, especially effectively removing fine suspended particles, and allowing the supernatant to be discharged with high purity. Specifically, the suspended particles precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank are captured by the acoustic radiation force of the standing wave, and the suspended particles gradually aggregate in the standing wave. When the aggregated suspended particles reach a critical volume, they automatically settle, and then the supernatant in the alcohol precipitation tank is extracted through the supernatant extraction tank. Simultaneously, under the action of the standing wave generating unit, the stirring speed of the stirring unit has no upper limit, allowing for high-speed stirring, thus avoiding the loss of active ingredients caused by excessively high local ethanol concentrations in the drug solution being encapsulated by precipitates. This not only shortens the process cycle and improves the productivity of active ingredients, but also avoids the adhesion of precipitates that makes filtration and separation difficult. At the same time, due to the various effects mentioned above, a large amount of high-concentration ethanol can be added at the point of alcohol precipitation without causing excessively high alcohol content in local areas. This avoids the rapid precipitation and encapsulation of starch and protein in the concentrate. The encapsulation layer does not become denser with the increase of ethanol, which can effectively improve the productivity of active ingredients. There is no need to use fractional alcohol precipitation or gradually increase the ethanol concentration in a gradient manner.

[0013] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, flow control valves connected to the control unit are provided between the traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract pumping tank and the alcohol precipitation tank, between the ethanol pumping tank and the alcohol precipitation tank, between the traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract storage tank and the cation solution pumping tank, and between the ethanol pumping tank and the anion solution pumping tank.

[0014] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the water extract pumping tank is used to store the concentrated water extract of traditional Chinese medicine, the ethanol pumping tank is used to store an ethanol solution with an ethanol content of 90%, the anion solution pumping tank is used to hold an alkaline solution, and the cation solution pumping tank is used to hold an acid solution; or both the anion solution pumping tank and the cation solution pumping tank are used to hold salt solutions.

[0015] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the alkaline solution is sodium hydroxide solution, potassium hydroxide solution, or barium hydroxide solution; the acid solution is hydrochloric acid solution, acetic acid solution, or carbonic acid solution; and the salt solution is sodium chloride solution, potassium chloride solution, or magnesium chloride solution.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the high-voltage pulse emission unit is arranged along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank, and the alternating electric field generation unit is arranged along the radial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank.

[0017] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit includes several high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals, each of which is arrayed on the top of the alcohol precipitation tank. The alternating electric field generating unit includes several pairs of electrode plates, each pair of which is arranged in layers along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank, with adjacent electrode plates facing different directions.

[0018] As another preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit includes several second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals. Several groups of the second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals are spaced apart along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank. Each group of second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals is arranged in an array around the circumferential direction of the alcohol precipitation tank. The alternating electric field generating unit includes second electrode plates respectively arranged at the top and bottom of the alcohol precipitation tank.

[0019] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the standing wave generating unit includes several standing wave generators. Each ultrasonic transmitter includes opposing ultrasonic transmitting terminals and a reflector. The standing wave generators are arranged in layers along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank, and the ultrasonic transmitting directions of the ultrasonic transmitting terminals in each group of standing wave generators are parallel to each other.

[0020] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the stirring unit includes a hollow stirring shaft that is not coaxial with the alcohol precipitation tank. The hollow stirring shaft is provided with a plurality of radially extending stirring rods. The stirring rods are spirally distributed along the axial direction of the hollow stirring shaft. Each stirring rod is provided with a plurality of jet holes that connect the inner cavity of the hollow stirring shaft and the inner cavity of the alcohol precipitation tank. The jet holes on the stirring rods are spirally distributed along the axis of the stirring rods. The ethanol pumping tank delivers ethanol solution into the alcohol precipitation tank through the inner cavity of the hollow stirring shaft.

[0021] A method for controlling a high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, wherein the high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine described in any of the above technical solutions is used to sequentially perform a pretreatment stage, a mixing stage, and a settling stage. During the pretreatment stage, concentrated Chinese herbal extract and ethanol solution are first introduced into the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank and the ethanol pumping tank, respectively. Then, the control unit controls the cation solution pumping tank to deliver a certain amount of cation solution to the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank and controls the anion solution pumping tank to deliver a certain amount of anion solution to the ethanol pumping tank, based on the amount of concentrated Chinese herbal extract in the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank and the concentration of ethanol solution in the ethanol pumping tank. During the mixing stage, the control unit first controls the herbal extract pumping tank to pump the concentrated herbal extract mixed with cation solution into the alcohol precipitation tank. Then, the control unit controls the cooling unit to rapidly cool the concentrated herbal extract in the alcohol precipitation tank. Then, the control unit controls the ethanol pumping tank to pump the ethanol solution mixed with anion solution into the alcohol precipitation tank. At the same time, the control unit controls the high voltage pulse emission unit, the alternating electric field generation unit and the stirring unit to start simultaneously. The concentrated herbal extract containing cation solution and the ethanol solution containing anion solution are simultaneously subjected to the electroporation and ionization of the high voltage pulse, the interaction force between ions in the alternating electric field and the rapid stirring action of the stirring unit, and thus quickly and uniformly mixed. During the settling stage, the alcohol precipitation tank is directly transferred to a cold storage for further rapid cooling and settling. At the same time, the control device activates the standing wave generating unit, generating a standing wave between the ultrasonic transmitting terminal and the reflector. The suspended particles precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank are captured by the acoustic radiation force of the standing wave and gradually aggregate in the standing wave. When the aggregated suspended particles reach a critical volume, they automatically settle. Then, the supernatant in the alcohol precipitation tank is extracted through the supernatant extraction tank. The filtrate below the precipitation filter is discharged from the slag discharge port for use in the alcohol precipitation of the same batch of Chinese medicine. Then, the precipitation filter is removed to remove the precipitated impurities in the alcohol precipitation tank.

[0022] Based on the above technical solution, as a preferred control method for a high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, during the settling stage, each group of standing wave generators is turned on sequentially from top to bottom to avoid interference between the standing waves generated by adjacent standing wave generators, which would tear apart the aggregated impurity precipitates, so that the impurities precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank aggregate and precipitate sequentially from top to bottom.

[0023] Compared with existing technologies, the alcohol precipitation system and control method for traditional Chinese medicine provided by this invention can simultaneously reduce ethanol usage, shorten process time, facilitate impurity removal, and improve the yield and purity of active ingredients. This invention not only reduces ethanol usage and lowers costs, but also enables rapid stirring, rapid cooling, and shortened settling time. It also conveniently removes precipitated impurities. More importantly, based on the above-mentioned technical effects, it can also improve the yield and purity of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hollow stirring shaft in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the core concept of the present invention and the following embodiments, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] These embodiments are provided to make the application thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of the application to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, material composition, numerical expressions, and values ​​illustrated in these embodiments should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting.

[0028] It should be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "several" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but within the permissible margin of error. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but within the permissible margin of error. Terms such as "including" or "contains" mean that the element preceding the word encompasses the element listed after it, and do not exclude the possibility of encompassing other elements as well.

[0030] It should also be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application depending on the specific circumstances. When a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device.

[0031] All terms used in this application have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, and not as idealized or highly formalized, unless expressly defined herein.

[0032] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, a high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine includes a traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract pumping tank 2, an ethanol pumping tank 3, and a supernatant extraction tank connected to an alcohol precipitation tank 1. The traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract pumping tank 2 is used to deliver the traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract to the alcohol precipitation tank 1, the ethanol pumping tank 3 is used to deliver an ethanol solution to the alcohol precipitation tank 1, and the supernatant extraction tank is used to extract the supernatant from the alcohol precipitation tank 1 after alcohol precipitation and sedimentation.

[0034] The herbal extract storage tank 2 is connected to a cation solution pumping tank 2-1, and the ethanol pumping tank 3 is connected to an anion solution pumping tank 3-1. The cation solution pumping tank 2-1 is used to add a cation solution to the herbal extract storage tank 2, and the anion solution pumping tank 3-1 is used to pump anion solution into the ethanol pumping tank 3, thereby ensuring that the herbal extract and ethanol solution contain a large number of cations and anions, respectively. The aforementioned pumping device and supernatant extraction device are existing technologies and not the inventive point of this invention. Those skilled in the art can make adaptive selections based on actual needs, such as flow rate, pressure, and control methods; therefore, this embodiment will not elaborate further.

[0035] The inventive point of this invention lies mainly in the addition of anions and cations and the following features: the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is equipped with a high-voltage pulse emission unit 1-1, an alternating electric field generation unit 1-2, a standing wave generation unit 1-3, a stirring unit 1-4, and a cooling unit 1-5, each connected to a control unit. The interior of the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is equipped with a sedimentation filter 1-6 that cooperates with the slag discharge port 1-7. The structural configuration and control method of the high-voltage pulse emission unit 1-1, the alternating electric field generation unit 1-2, the standing wave generation unit 1-3, the stirring unit 1-4, and the cooling unit 1-5 are not the inventive point of this application. Those skilled in the art can adapt them according to specific needs. The inventive effort of this application is reflected in the combined use of the above-mentioned units and their interaction with the mixed solution inside the alcohol precipitation tank 1.

[0036] In this embodiment, the concentrated aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine can be directly used for alcohol precipitation. Although the solution has a high viscosity, not only is the amount of ethanol used for precipitation small, but the active ingredients in the concentrated aqueous extract can also fully contact the ethanol. The resulting precipitate is unlikely to encapsulate the solution, thus avoiding loss of active ingredients. There are several reasons for this. First, cations are introduced into the concentrated aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine through the cation solution pump tank 2-1, diluting the extract to a certain extent. Second, anions are introduced into the ethanol solution through the anion solution pump tank 3-1, diluting the high-concentration ethanol to a certain extent. Therefore, a larger number of charged particles can be obtained in the alcohol precipitation tank 1.

[0037] Simultaneously, under the action of the high-voltage pulse emission unit 1-1, not only is the aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine subjected to electroporation and ionization, but the ethanol solution also undergoes an ionization reaction. While the number of charged particles in the mixture in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 further increases, the effective components in the aqueous extract of traditional Chinese medicine are also fully exposed, facilitating contact with ethanol. The material is intermittently processed by instantaneous high-voltage electric waves, with processing time typically between nanoseconds and milliseconds. When the electric field strength exceeds the critical strength that plant cells can withstand, the plant cells will undergo electroporation, leading to increased cell permeability. This can accelerate the diffusion of intracellular substances, promote the mass transfer process of the extract, increase the dissolution and extraction effect, and effectively improve the extraction efficiency.

[0038] Meanwhile, at the macroscopic level, the stirring units 1-4 in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 thoroughly stir the mixture, allowing the effective components in the herbal extract to come into further contact with ethanol; at the microscopic level, under the action of the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2, various charged ions undergo complex reciprocating motion, merging and mixing at the particle level, thereby allowing the effective components in the herbal extract to come into further and fully contact and mix with ethanol.

[0039] Meanwhile, due to the aforementioned stirring action, the addition of charged particles, the high-voltage pulse effect, and the alternating electric field, this embodiment can not only significantly reduce the stirring and mixing time, but also significantly reduce the settling time through the standing wave generating units 1-3, allowing the alcohol-containing liquid to cool down rapidly and generate larger precipitate particles, thereby conveniently removing impurities, especially effectively removing fine suspended particles, and allowing the supernatant to be discharged with high purity. That is, the suspended particles precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 are captured by the acoustic radiation force of the standing wave, and the suspended particles gradually aggregate in the standing wave. When the aggregated suspended particles reach a critical volume, they automatically settle, and then the supernatant in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is extracted through the supernatant extraction tank.

[0040] Meanwhile, under the action of standing wave generating units 1-3, the stirring speed of stirring units 1-4 will have no upper limit, allowing for high-speed stirring. This avoids the loss of active ingredients caused by excessively high local ethanol concentrations in the drug solution, which would otherwise result in the active ingredients being encapsulated by precipitates. This not only shortens the process cycle and improves the productivity of active ingredients but also prevents precipitates from adhering and becoming difficult to filter and separate. Furthermore, due to the aforementioned effects, a large amount of high-concentration ethanol can be added at the point of alcohol precipitation without causing excessively high local ethanol levels. This prevents starch and protein from rapidly precipitating and encapsulating the concentrate, and the encapsulation layer does not become increasingly dense with increasing ethanol content. This effectively improves the productivity of active ingredients, eliminating the need for staged alcohol precipitation or a gradual increase in ethanol concentration.

[0041] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, flow control valves connected to a control unit are installed between the traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract pumping tank 2 and the alcohol precipitation tank 1, between the ethanol pumping tank 3 and the alcohol precipitation tank 1, between the traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract storage tank 2 and the cation solution pumping tank 2-1, and between the ethanol pumping tank 3 and the anion solution pumping tank 3-1. In the alcohol precipitation process, the control unit controls the corresponding addition flow rate and addition time based on the amount of traditional Chinese medicine aqueous extract and ethanol solution, thereby automating the addition of various solutions under the control of the control unit. It should be noted that, as described in the above embodiments, the pumping device and the supernatant extraction device are existing technologies. The specific description in this embodiment aims to illustrate the arrangement and control relationship between the pumping device and the supernatant extraction device and the corresponding tanks, thereby explaining the addition method of various solutions. The addition amount is controlled by flow rate and time. Various options are available for the specific implementation of the flow control valve and the timer.

[0042] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the water extract pumping tank 2 is used to store the concentrated water extract of traditional Chinese medicine, and the ethanol pumping tank 3 is used to store an ethanol solution with an ethanol content of 90%. The anion solution pumping tank 3-1 is used to hold an alkaline solution, and the cation solution pumping tank 2-1 is used to hold an acidic solution. After mixing, the pH balance of the mixture in the alcohol precipitation tank can be maintained, or its pH can be guaranteed not to change significantly. Alternatively, as another embodiment, both the anion solution pumping tank 3-1 and the cation solution pumping tank 2-1 are used to hold salt solutions, which can ensure that no alkalinity or acidity appears in the alcohol precipitation tank and other solution tanks. Preferably, a salt solution that does not need to be removed in subsequent processes is used.

[0043] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the alkaline solution is sodium hydroxide solution, potassium hydroxide solution, or barium hydroxide solution; the acid solution is hydrochloric acid solution, acetic acid solution, or carbonic acid solution; and the salt solution is sodium chloride solution, potassium chloride solution, or magnesium chloride solution.

[0044] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 is arranged along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1, and the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 is arranged along the radial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. This arrangement of the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 and the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 perpendicularly avoids interference in installation positions, allows for the separate arrangement of multiple high-voltage pulse transmitting units 1-1 and alternating electric field generating units 1-2, and prevents the electromagnetic waves generated by the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 from adversely affecting the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2.

[0045] Meanwhile, since the axial dimension of the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is larger than its radial dimension, it can better match the radio waves generated by the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1. Correspondingly, since the radial dimension of the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is smaller than its axial dimension, arranging the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 in the radial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1 can effectively reduce the energy consumption of the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2. At the same time, since the purpose of the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 is to improve the mixing effect, arranging it radially means that the generated electric field is in the transverse direction. During the transverse reciprocating motion of ions in the mixed solution in the electric field, they can mix with substances moving in the vertical direction, thereby further improving the mixing effect.

[0046] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 includes a plurality of high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals 1-11, which are arranged in an array on the top of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. That is, the electromagnetic waves generated by the high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals 1-11 are emitted from top to bottom. Besides the array arrangement, the high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals 1-11 can also be arranged in other ways, such as irregular intervals. Preferably, the distribution density of the high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals 1-11 near the stirring unit 1-4 is lower than the distribution density at other locations. Furthermore, it should be noted that the direction of electromagnetic wave generation from the high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals 1-11 can be parallel to the axis of the alcohol precipitation tank 1 or inclined to the axis of the alcohol precipitation tank 1.

[0047] The alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 includes several pairs of electrode plates 1-21. Each pair of electrode plates 1-21 is arranged in layers along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1, and adjacent electrode plates 1-21 are arranged in different directions. That is, the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 includes several electric field generating groups, each generating an independent electric field. The electric field direction of each electric field is perpendicular to the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1, and the electric field directions of each electric field are different. At the same time, the electric fields are arranged in layers at intervals along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1.

[0048] As another preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 includes several second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals. These second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals are arranged in several groups at intervals along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. Each group of second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals is arranged in an array around the circumferential direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. The alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 includes second electrode plates respectively arranged at the top and bottom of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. This provides an embodiment with a different arrangement of the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 and the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2. The direction of action is opposite to that in the above embodiment, causing the alternating electric field generating unit 1-2 to generate a vertical electric field, and causing the high-voltage pulse transmitting unit 1-1 to emit radio waves in the transverse direction. In this case, although only one vertically oriented electric field can be arranged, more second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals can be arranged, achieving better electroporation and ionization effects. Moreover, since the direction of the alternating electric field is vertical, ions in the mixed solution can move vertically back and forth, also achieving a better mixing effect.

[0049] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, the standing wave generating unit 1-3 includes several standing wave generators. Each ultrasonic transmitter includes opposing ultrasonic transmitting terminals 1-31 and reflectors 1-32. The standing wave generators are arranged in layers along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1, and the ultrasonic transmitting directions of the ultrasonic transmitting terminals 1-31 in each group of standing wave generators are parallel to each other.

[0050] A number of standing wave generators are spaced apart along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. The ultrasonic transmitting terminals 1-31 in each standing wave generator face different directions, and the corresponding reflectors 1-32 are also located in different positions. For each standing wave generator, the line connecting the ultrasonic transmitting terminal 1-31 and the reflector 1-32 is spaced apart from the stirring unit 1-4 to ensure that the ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic transmitting terminal 1-31 and the reflector 1-32 only pass through the mixture and do not intersect with any other structure.

[0051] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the stirring unit 1-4 includes a hollow stirring shaft 1-41 that is not coaxial with the alcohol precipitation tank 1, so as to ensure that the ultrasonic waves between the ultrasonic transmitting terminal 1-31 and the reflector 1-32 only pass through the mixture and do not intersect with the stirring unit 1-4.

[0052] The hollow stirring shaft 1-41 is provided with a plurality of radially extending stirring rods 1-42. The stirring rods 1-42 are spirally distributed along the axial direction of the hollow stirring shaft 1-41. Each stirring rod 1-42 is provided with a plurality of jet holes 1-43 connecting the inner cavity of the hollow stirring shaft 1-41 and the inner cavity of the alcohol precipitation tank 1. The jet holes 1-43 on the stirring rod 1-42 are spirally distributed along the axis of the stirring rod 1-42. The ethanol pumping tank 3 delivers ethanol solution into the alcohol precipitation tank 1 through the inner cavity of the hollow stirring shaft 1-41.

[0053] In this embodiment, the spraying and stirring structure runs through the entire alcohol precipitation tank 1. While the ethanol solution is sprayed evenly in the alcohol precipitation tank 1, it can be stirred evenly and thoroughly. While the stirring rod 1-42 is mechanically stirring, the ethanol solution column sprayed from the jet hole 1-43 is hydraulically stirred, so that the ethanol solution and the drug solution are fully and evenly mixed.

[0054] A method for controlling a high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, wherein the high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine described in any of the above technical solutions is used to sequentially perform a pretreatment stage, a mixing stage, and a settling stage.

[0055] During the pretreatment stage, concentrated Chinese herbal extract and ethanol solution are first introduced into the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank 2 and the ethanol pumping tank 3, respectively. Then, the control unit controls the cation solution pumping tank 2-1 to deliver a certain amount of cation solution to the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank 2 and controls the anion solution pumping tank 3-1 to deliver a certain amount of anion solution to the ethanol pumping tank 3, based on the amount of concentrated Chinese herbal extract in the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank 2 and the concentration of the ethanol solution in the ethanol pumping tank 3.

[0056] During the mixing stage, the control unit first controls the herbal extract pumping tank 2 to pump the concentrated herbal extract mixed with cation solution into the alcohol precipitation tank 1. Then, the control unit controls the cooling unit 1-5 to rapidly cool the concentrated herbal extract in the alcohol precipitation tank 1. Then, the control unit controls the ethanol pumping tank 3 to pump the ethanol solution mixed with anion solution into the alcohol precipitation tank 1. At the same time, the control unit controls the high voltage pulse emission unit 1-1, the alternating electric field generation unit 1-2 and the stirring unit 1-4 to start simultaneously. The concentrated herbal extract containing cation solution and the ethanol solution containing anion solution are simultaneously subjected to the electroporation and ionization of the high voltage pulse, the interaction force between ions in the alternating electric field, and the rapid stirring action of the stirring unit 1-4, and thus quickly and uniformly mixed.

[0057] During the settling stage, the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is directly transferred to a cold storage for further rapid cooling and settling. At the same time, the control device activates the standing wave generating unit 1-3, generating a standing wave between the ultrasonic transmitting terminal 1-31 and the reflector 1-32. The suspended particles precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 are captured by the acoustic radiation force of the standing wave, and the suspended particles gradually aggregate in the standing wave. When the aggregated suspended particles reach the critical volume, they automatically settle. Then, the supernatant in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 is extracted through the supernatant extraction tank. The filtrate below the precipitation filter 1-6 is discharged from the slag discharge port 1-7 for use in the alcohol precipitation of the same batch of Chinese medicine. Then, the precipitation filter 1-6 is removed to remove the precipitated impurities in the alcohol precipitation tank 1.

[0058] Based on the above embodiments, as a preferred control method for a high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, during the settling stage, each group of standing wave generators is turned on sequentially from top to bottom to avoid interference between the standing waves generated by adjacent standing wave generators, which would tear apart the aggregated impurity precipitates, so that the impurities precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank 1 aggregate and precipitate sequentially from top to bottom.

[0059] All aspects not detailed in this invention are conventional technical means known to those skilled in the art.

[0060] The above content shows and describes the basic principles, main features, and beneficial effects of the present invention. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, comprising a pumping tank (2) for water extract of traditional Chinese medicine, an ethanol pumping tank (3), and a supernatant extraction tank connected to an alcohol precipitation tank (1), characterized in that: The herbal extract pumping tank (2) is connected to a cation solution pumping tank (2-1), the ethanol pumping tank (3) is connected to an anion solution pumping tank (3-1), and the alcohol precipitation tank (1) is equipped with a high-voltage pulse transmitting unit (1-1), an alternating electric field generating unit (1-2), a standing wave generating unit (1-3), a stirring unit (1-4), and a cooling unit (1-5) respectively connected to the control unit. The interior of the alcohol precipitation tank (1) is equipped with a precipitation filter screen (1-6) that matches the slag discharge port (1-7). The high-voltage pulse transmitting unit (1-1) is arrayed along the top of the alcohol precipitation tank (1), and the alternating electric field generating unit (1-2) is arranged in layers along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank (1). The standing wave generating unit (1-3) includes several standing wave generators, each ultrasonic transmitter including opposing ultrasonic transmitting terminals (1-31) and a reflector (1-32). Each group of standing wave generators is arranged along the alcohol precipitation tank (1). The axial direction is layered, and the ultrasonic transmitting terminals (1-31) in each group of standing wave generators emit ultrasonic waves in different directions and the ultrasonic emission directions are parallel to each other; the stirring unit (1-4) includes a hollow stirring shaft (1-41) that is not coaxial with the alcohol precipitation tank (1). The hollow stirring shaft (1-41) is provided with a number of radially extending stirring rods (1-42). The stirring rods (1-42) are spirally distributed along the axial direction of the hollow stirring shaft (1-41). Each stirring rod (1-42) is provided with a number of jet holes (1-43) that connect the inner cavity of the hollow stirring shaft (1-41) and the inner cavity of the alcohol precipitation tank (1). The jet holes (1-43) on the stirring rods (1-42) are spirally distributed along the axis of the stirring rods (1-42). The ethanol pumping tank (3) delivers ethanol solution into the alcohol precipitation tank (1) through the inner cavity of the hollow stirring shaft (1-41).

2. The high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A flow control valve connected to the control unit is installed between the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank (2) and the alcohol precipitation tank (1), between the ethanol pumping tank (3) and the alcohol precipitation tank (1), between the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank (2) and the cation solution pumping tank (2-1), and between the ethanol pumping tank (3) and the anion solution pumping tank (3-1).

3. The high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The Chinese herbal extract pumping tank (2) is used to store the concentrated Chinese herbal extract, the ethanol pumping tank (3) is used to store an ethanol solution with an ethanol content of 90%, the anion solution pumping tank (3-1) is used to hold an alkaline solution, and the cation solution pumping tank (2-1) is used to hold an acid solution; or both the anion solution pumping tank (3-1) and the cation solution pumping tank (2-1) are used to hold salt solutions.

4. The high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The alkaline solution is a sodium hydroxide solution, a potassium hydroxide solution, or a barium hydroxide solution; the acid solution is a hydrochloric acid solution, an acetic acid solution, or a carbonic acid solution; and the salt solution is a sodium chloride solution, a potassium chloride solution, or a magnesium chloride solution.

5. The high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4, characterized in that: The high-voltage pulse transmitting unit (1-1) includes several high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals (1-11), and each of the high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals (1-11) is arranged in an array on the top of the alcohol precipitation tank (1). The alternating electric field generating unit (1-2) includes several pairs of electrode plates (1-21), and each pair of electrode plates (1-21) is arranged in layers along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank (1), with adjacent electrode plates (1-21) oriented in different directions.

6. The high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4, characterized in that: The high-voltage pulse transmitting unit (1-1) includes several second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals. Several groups of the second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the alcohol precipitation tank (1). Each group of second high-voltage pulse transmitting terminals is arranged in an array around the circumferential direction of the alcohol precipitation tank (1). The alternating electric field generating unit (1-2) includes second electrode plates respectively arranged at the top and bottom of the alcohol precipitation tank (1).

7. A method for controlling a highly efficient alcohol precipitation system for traditional Chinese medicine, characterized in that: The traditional Chinese medicine high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system according to any one of claims 1-6 is used to perform a pretreatment stage, a mixing stage and a settling stage in sequence; During the pretreatment stage, the traditional Chinese medicine water extract concentrate and ethanol solution are first introduced into the traditional Chinese medicine water extract pumping tank (2) and the ethanol pumping tank (3) respectively. Then, the control unit controls the cation solution pumping tank (2-1) to deliver a certain amount of cation solution to the traditional Chinese medicine water extract pumping tank (2) and controls the anion solution pumping tank (3-1) to deliver a certain amount of anion solution to the ethanol pumping tank (3) according to the amount of traditional Chinese medicine water extract concentrate in the traditional Chinese medicine water extract pumping tank (2) and the concentration of ethanol solution in the ethanol pumping tank (3); During the mixing stage, the control unit first controls the Chinese herbal extract pumping tank (2) to pump the concentrated Chinese herbal extract mixed with cation solution into the alcohol precipitation tank (1), then controls the cooling unit (1-5) to rapidly cool the concentrated Chinese herbal extract in the alcohol precipitation tank (1), and then controls the ethanol pumping tank (3) to pump the ethanol solution mixed with anion solution into the alcohol precipitation tank (1). At the same time, the control unit controls the high voltage pulse emission unit (1-1), the alternating electric field generation unit (1-2) and the stirring unit (1-4) to start simultaneously. The concentrated Chinese herbal extract containing cation solution and the ethanol solution containing anion solution are simultaneously subjected to the electroporation and ionization effect of the high voltage pulse, the interaction force between ions in the alternating electric field, and the rapid stirring effect of the stirring unit (1-4) to mix rapidly and evenly. During the settling stage, the alcohol precipitation tank (1) is directly transferred to a cold storage for further rapid cooling and settling. At the same time, the control device controls the standing wave generating unit (1-3) to start, and a standing wave is generated between the ultrasonic transmitting terminal (1-31) and the reflector (1-32). The suspended particles precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank (1) are captured by the acoustic radiation force of the standing wave. The suspended particles gradually gather in the standing wave. When the gathered suspended particles reach the critical volume, they automatically settle. Then, the supernatant in the alcohol precipitation tank (1) is extracted through the supernatant extraction tank. The filtrate below the precipitation filter (1-6) is discharged from the slag discharge port (1-7) for use in the alcohol precipitation of the same batch of Chinese medicine. Then, the precipitation filter (1-6) is removed to remove the precipitated impurities in the alcohol precipitation tank (1).

8. The control method for the high-efficiency alcohol precipitation system of traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 7, characterized in that: During the settling stage, each group of standing wave generators is turned on sequentially from top to bottom to avoid interference between the standing waves generated by adjacent standing wave generators, which would tear apart the aggregated impurity precipitates, so that the impurities precipitated in the alcohol precipitation tank (1) will aggregate and precipitate sequentially from top to bottom.

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