Device and method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear reinforced beet element

Abstract

The invention discloses a device and a method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear reinforced beet. The device comprises a first liquid storage tank, a second liquid storage tank, a continuous high-shear mixer and a settling tank, wherein the first liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank are connected with the continuous high-shear mixer, and the continuous high-shear mixer comprises a premixer, a rotor, a stator, a vortex street generator, a discharge port and a shell; the premixer, the vortex generator, the rotor and the stator are arranged in the shell, the rotor is arranged outside the premixer, the stator is arranged outside the rotor, the premixer and the rotor are arranged at intervals, the rotor and the stator are arranged at intervals, the stator and the vortex generator are arranged at intervals, the vortex generator and the shell are arranged at intervals, and the rotor is obliquely arranged. The continuous high-shear mixer disclosed by the invention is used for non-thermal extraction of beet, can be continuously operated, is short in retention time, large in treatment capacity, good in repeatability and high in safety, and remarkably improves the beet rate. Dynamic updating and circulating treatment of the rotary baffle groove promote separation of polyethylene glycol and an ammonium sulfate solution after efficient mass transfer, and the two-phase separation time is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial extraction of betaine technology, and in particular to an apparatus and method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-strength betaine. Background Technology

[0002] Color is a crucial quality characteristic influencing consumer acceptance of food. Given the safety concerns surrounding synthetic pigments, increased consumer awareness, and the availability of natural pigments, the demand for extracts derived from plants and vegetables is growing. Major plant pigments include betaine, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll. Betaine, due to its bioactivity and stability at pH 3 to 7, is emphasized as a suitable natural pigment for coloring low-acidity foods, serving as an effective alternative to synthetic dyes and a potential functional food. Betaine is found in the edible parts of plants, leaves, and stems. Red beets are one of the richest sources of betaine; red betaine found in plant vacuoles possesses health-promoting benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, and hepatoprotective activities. Therefore, the extraction of betaine from beets rich in betaine is attracting increasing attention.

[0003] Although betaine is a water-soluble pigment, extraction with water alone is often insufficient for complete extraction. Tiwari et al. (BKTiwari, PJCullen, Extraction of red beet pigments, Red Beet Biotechnology: Food and Pharmaceutical Applications 2012, pp.373-391.) found that adding methanol or ethanol can increase the solubility of betaine in solvents, which is a traditional extraction method. This process is simple, easy to operate, and economically inexpensive, but it requires a large amount of solvent, which is highly volatile, flammable, and toxic. Furthermore, this method has a long extraction time, leading to high energy consumption.

[0004] Silva et al. (JPPSilva, BCBolanho, N.Stevanato, TBMassa, C.da Silva, Ultrasound-assisted extraction of red beet pigments (Beta vulgaris L.): Influence of operational parameters and kinetic modeling, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 44 (2020)) used ultrasound to enhance the extraction of betaine. Compared with traditional methods, this method can be combined with advanced technologies such as supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and microwave treatment. It has advantages such as higher efficiency, less solvent consumption, lower energy consumption, and shorter extraction time. However, this technology also has major drawbacks such as high cost and the potential to cause changes in molecular structure.

[0005] Hazervazifeh et al. (A. Hazervazifeh, A. Rezazadeh, A. Banihashemi, Z. Ghasempour, E. Moghaddas Kia, Pulsed microwave radiation for extraction of betalains from red beetroot: Engineering and technological aspects, ProcessBiochemistry 134(2023)121-130.) efficiently disrupted betalain cell walls through dipole rotation and ion conduction induced by electromagnetic waves, significantly improving betalain extraction efficiency. This method is highly efficient, rapid, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly; however, it carries the risk of localized overheating due to uneven heating, which may lead to betalain degradation. Furthermore, precise control of power and time is necessary to balance efficiency and product stability.

[0006] Moghimi et al. (M. Moghimi, M. Honarvar, M. Ghavami, H. Ahmadi Chenarbon, Betalain Extraction from Beetroot Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Microwave Pretreatment by Response Surface Method (RSM), Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 42(2023)925-938.) utilized supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. This method avoids solvent contamination and can be optimized for temperature, pressure, and flow rate to maximize extraction efficiency. However, the initial installation cost is relatively high.

[0007] There are also reports of using aqueous two-phase systems (polyethylene glycol-ammonium sulfate) to extract betaine, which have advantages such as high yield, good biocompatibility, and low energy consumption. An aqueous two-phase system is a technique used for the separation and purification of substances. Its basic principle is to utilize two immiscible water-soluble substances (such as polymers or salts) to form a two-phase system under specific conditions. Different pigments have different solubilities in the two phases of an aqueous two-phase system. Strongly hydrophobic pigments tend to partition into the polymer-enriched phase, while strongly hydrophilic pigments tend to partition into the salt-enriched phase. Betaine is hydrophilic, and due to the steric hindrance effect between polymer molecules in the polyethylene glycol-enriched phase, this phase has a high hydration capacity and can accommodate more water molecules, thus causing betaine to aggregate in the polyethylene glycol phase. The ammonium sulfate in the salt phase has a high ionic strength, which reduces the activity of water molecules, making water molecules in this phase more inclined to interact with the salt. Therefore, the hydrophilicity of the salt phase is relatively low.

[0008] The extraction efficiency of betacyanins using an aqueous two-phase system is closely related to the mass fractions of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ammonium sulfate. Generally, increasing the amount of PEG can increase the extraction efficiency of betacyanins, while increasing the mass of ammonium sulfate can reduce the volume of the upper PEG solution containing betacyanins after extraction, thus reducing the amount of material to be processed. Chandrasekhar et al. (J. Chandrasekhar, G. Sonika, MC Madhusudhan, KSMSR Aghavarao, Differential partitioning of betacyanins and betaxanthins employing aqueous two-phase extraction, Journal of Food Engineering 144(2015) 156-163.) used an aqueous two-phase system composed of PEG and ammonium sulfate to extract betacyanins. The system was stirred with a magnetic stirrer for two hours, and then allowed to stand for 8 hours to allow complete separation of the two phases. The maximum extraction rate of betacyanins in the upper layer reached 73%. However, this method suffers from problems such as excessive processing time, small processing volume, and low extraction efficiency. Boravelli et al. (JARBoravelli, ABVir, Continuous flow aqueous two-phase extraction of betalains in millifluidicchannel, Chemical Engineering Journal 495 (2024)) used a microreactor to continuously extract betalains in an aqueous two-phase system. When the volume ratio of polyethylene glycol to ammonium sulfate was 7.5:1, the extraction efficiency reached a maximum of 97%, but the throughput was low. High polyethylene glycol usage led to severe dilution of the betalains, resulting in large subsequent processing volumes and increased costs for waste disposal. Insufficient mixing in conventional methods resulted in slow mass transfer of betalains. High-concentration polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulfate systems easily formed stable emulsions after high-shear mixing, leading to complete separation of the two phases taking several hours. While centrifuges could accelerate separation, they were expensive and energy-intensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a more efficient and energy-efficient betalain extraction process. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To overcome the problems of low extraction efficiency, long two-phase separation time, and high energy consumption of betaine in existing technologies, this invention provides a device and method for non-thermal continuous extraction of betaine with high shear enhancement. This device integrates synergistic technologies of efficient mass transfer, dynamic coalescence, and rapid phase separation, breaking through the bottlenecks of extraction efficiency and energy consumption.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0011] An apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine includes a first storage tank, a second storage tank, a continuous high-shear mixer, and a settling tank.

[0012] The first storage tank is connected to the second storage tank and the continuous high-shear mixer.

[0013] A continuous high-shear mixer includes a premixer, rotor, stator, vortex generator, discharge port, and housing;

[0014] The housing contains a premixer, a vortex generator, a rotor, and a stator. The rotor is located outside the premixer, and the stator is located outside the rotor. The premixer and rotor are spaced apart, as are the rotor and stator. The stator and vortex generator are spaced apart, and the vortex generator is spaced apart from the housing. The rotor is tilted.

[0015] Furthermore, the angle between the rotor and the vertical direction is 15°-35°, and the direction of the rotor's tilt is the same as the direction of the rotor's rotation.

[0016] Furthermore, the premixer includes a jet channel and a spherical premixing chamber. The spherical premixing chamber includes a first premixing chamber and a second premixing chamber. The jet channel includes a first channel and a second channel. The first premixing chamber is provided with a first channel at its top. The first premixing chamber and the second premixing chamber are connected through the second channel. The top of the first channel is provided with a first inlet and a second inlet, which are connected to each other. The first inlet is vertically oriented, and the second inlet is horizontally oriented. Several jet holes are provided on the side wall of the second premixing chamber. The first storage tank is connected to the first inlet, and the second storage tank is connected to the second inlet.

[0017] Furthermore, the vortex generator includes an annular sleeve, with glass beads filling the space between the inner and outer walls of the annular sleeve.

[0018] Furthermore, the settling tank includes a collection tank, and a rotating baffle groove is provided inside the collection tank. The rotating baffle groove includes a shell, and a servo motor is provided on the upper part of the shell. Several vent holes are opened on the top of the shell, and a shower head is provided on the top surface inside the shell. Two layers of staggered downward inclined baffles and two layers of staggered upward inclined baffles are provided inside the shell. The servo motor is connected to the rotating baffle groove. The servo motor includes a reciprocating oscillation mode and a unidirectional circulation mode.

[0019] Furthermore, a leakage port is provided near the shell on the two staggered, upward-sloping baffles.

[0020] Furthermore, the surfaces of the two layers of staggered downward-sloping baffles and the two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles are coated with PTFE, and grooves are provided on the PTFE coating.

[0021] Furthermore, a pulley track is provided on the top of the collection tank, and pulleys that cooperate with the pulley track are provided at the bottom of the rotating baffle groove.

[0022] A method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine based on the aforementioned device includes the following steps:

[0023] After soaking beetroot powder, centrifugation was performed to obtain a crude betaine extract solution.

[0024] Ammonium sulfate was added to the crude betaine extract solution to make the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate 20%-28%, thus obtaining the crude extract.

[0025] The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet. The crude extract and polyethylene glycol solution are then fed into a continuous high-shear mixer for high-shear mixing to obtain a liquid-liquid two-phase mixture. This mixture is then evenly sprayed through a shower head onto two layers of staggered downward-sloping baffles and two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After settling, a two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted.

[0026] Furthermore, the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate in the crude extract is 20%-28%, and the mass fraction of polyethylene glycol solution is 25%-45%.

[0027] The flow rate ratio of crude extract to polyethylene glycol solution is 3-0.5:1, and the total flow rate is 50-400 ml / min.

[0028] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0029] The non-thermal extraction method for betaine using a continuous high-shear mixer in this invention integrates the synergistic effects of efficient mass transfer, dynamic coalescence, and rapid phase separation, overcoming bottlenecks in extraction efficiency and energy consumption. It enables continuous operation, features short residence time, high throughput, good repeatability, and high safety, significantly improving the betaine extraction rate. The dynamic renewal and circulation of the rotating baffle tank promotes the separation of polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulfate solution after efficient mass transfer, shortening the separation time.

[0030] Furthermore, this invention utilizes a rotating baffle trough, which, through dynamic updating and circulation, promotes the separation of polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulfate solution after efficient mass transfer, thus shortening the separation time between the two phases. After high-shear mass transfer, the baffles dynamically coalesce, integrating the cyclic phase separation into the same system, resolving the contradiction between mass transfer and phase separation in aqueous two-phase extraction.

[0031] Furthermore, the continuous high-shear mixer used in this invention uses the strong turbulent kinetic energy and shear force generated by the stator-rotor structure to break the liquid-liquid two-phase system into micron-sized droplets, which greatly increases the liquid-liquid contact area, achieves efficient mass transfer, and accelerates liquid-liquid extraction.

[0032] Furthermore, using a rotor that rotates counterclockwise by 15°-35° towards the rotor tooth holes can improve the micro-mixing performance of liquid-liquid two-phase extraction compared to a rotor with upright teeth.

[0033] Furthermore, the premixer premixes the materials in advance. The two materials are ejected from the small holes of the distributor, guiding the fluid to flow regularly and disperse evenly, improving the level of micro-mixing, optimizing the residence time distribution, enhancing material collision, and reducing the adverse effects of reduced residence time caused by increased flow rate.

[0034] Furthermore, by using glass bead packing inside the shell, the contact area between materials is increased, the original fluid flow is disrupted, more vortices and turbulence are generated locally, dead zones and droplet coalescence are reduced, the turbulent dissipation rate is increased, the shear deformation of the fluid is enhanced, the mixing time is reduced, and the extraction efficiency of betaine is improved.

[0035] Furthermore, the two-phase materials are dispersed into the rotating baffle trough by the control of the shower head. The dispersed materials agglomerate on the baffle to form large two-phase droplets. Under the action of gravity, servo motor and continuous discharge from the shower head, the materials circulate and agglomerate on the baffle, and finally adhere to the wall and collect in the collection tank for gravity settling.

[0036] Furthermore, the rotating baffle groove is made of nylon material with a PTFE layer on its surface, and microgrooves are engraved on the layer to enhance droplet coalescence.

[0037] Furthermore, the servo motor ensures that the material is evenly distributed on the inclined baffle. The servo motor includes a reciprocating oscillation mode and a unidirectional circulation mode. The combination of these two modes can promote the aggregation of the enriched phase, provide centrifugal force to the material, causing it to fall to the next baffle or enter the settling tank, and also perform self-cleaning of the rotating baffle trough.

[0038] The present invention provides a non-thermal continuous extraction method for high-shear enhanced betaine, which improves the extraction efficiency of betaine and reduces the amount of polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulfate used and the amount of subsequent waste liquid treated. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a continuous high-shear mixer.

[0040] Figure 2 A simplified structural diagram of a continuous high-shear mixer;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure of a continuous high-shear mixer;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the premixer structure;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the premixer.

[0044] Figure 6 The diagram shows the rotor structure in this invention and the ordinary rotor structure; where (a) is the rotor in this invention and (b) is the ordinary rotor.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a vortex generator structure;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a continuous high-shear mixer.

[0047] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the settling tank.

[0048] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the baffle rotation groove.

[0049] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the collection tank.

[0050] Figure 12 A flowchart for extracting betaine;

[0051] Figure 13 This is the liquid chromatogram of the crude extract;

[0052] Figure 14 The liquid chromatogram of Comparative Example 1;

[0053] Figure 15 The liquid chromatogram of Example 1;

[0054] Figure 16 The liquid chromatogram of Example 2;

[0055] Figure 17 The liquid chromatogram of Example 3;

[0056] Figure 18 The liquid chromatogram of Example 4;

[0057] In the diagram, 1 is the first storage tank, 2 is the second storage tank, 3 is the first metering pump, 4 is the second metering pump, 5 is the continuous high-shear mixer, 6 is the settling tank, 7 is the premixer, 8 is the rotor, 9 is the stator, 10 is the generator, 11 is the outer casing, 12 is the discharge port, 13 is the first feed inlet, 14 is the second feed inlet, 15 is the jet orifice, 16 is the jet channel, 17 is the spherical premixing chamber, 18 is the rotor orifice, and 19 is the general-purpose... The rotor hole for the rotor is shown in the diagram. 20 is an annular sleeve, 21 is glass bead packing, 22 is a rotating baffle groove, 23 is a collection tank, 24 is a servo motor, 25 is a shower head, 26 is a shower jet hole, 27 is a vent hole, 28 is a downward-sloping baffle, 29 is an upward-sloping baffle, 30 is a drain outlet, 31 is a bottom pulley, 32 is the housing, 33 is a frustum housing, 34 is a cylindrical housing, 35 is a pulley track, and 36 is the outlet. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the invention.

[0059] See Figure 12 The present invention provides an apparatus for high-shear enhanced continuous non-thermal extraction of betaine, comprising a first storage tank 1 containing extract, a second storage tank 2 containing crude extract, a first metering pump 3, a first metering pump 4, a continuous high-shear mixer 5, and a settling tank 6.

[0060] The second storage tank 2 is connected to the first metering pump 4, the first storage tank 1 is connected to the second metering pump 3, the first metering pump 3 and the second metering pump 4 are connected to the continuous high-shear mixer 5, and the continuous high-shear mixer 5 is connected to the settling tank 6.

[0061] See Figure 1 and Figure 5 The continuous high-shear mixer 5 includes a premixer 7, a rotor 8, a stator 9, a vortex generator 10, a discharge port 12, and a housing 11. The premixer 7, rotor 8, stator 9, and vortex generator 10 are housed inside the housing 11. The rotor 8 is located outside the premixer 7, and the stator 9 is located outside the rotor 8. The premixer 7 and rotor 8 are spaced apart, the stator 9 and vortex generator 10 are spaced apart, and the vortex generator 10 and housing 11 are spaced apart. The distance between the premixer 7 and rotor 8 is 0.2-1 mm, and the distance between the stator 9 and housing 11 is 0.5-1 mm.

[0062] See Figure 6In (a) and (b), the rotor 8 of the present invention is obliquely arranged to the right. The rotor hole 18 on the rotor 8 of the present invention is obtained by rotating the rotor hole 19 of the ordinary rotor counterclockwise by 15°-35°. The tooth pitch of the rotor 8 is 0.1-2mm, and the number of teeth of the rotor 8 is 3-10. The number of teeth of the stator 9 is 8-16, the tooth pitch of the stator 9 is 0.4mm-2mm, and the shear gap between the rotor 8 and the stator 9 is 0.25-1.5mm.

[0063] See Figure 4 and Figure 5 The premixer 7 includes a jet channel 16 and a spherical premixing cavity 17. The spherical premixing cavity 17 includes a first premixing cavity and a second premixing cavity. A plurality of jet holes 15 are provided on the side wall of the second premixing cavity.

[0064] The jet channel 16 includes a first channel and a second channel. The first channel is located at the top of the first premixing chamber, and the first premixing chamber and the second premixing chamber are connected by the second channel. The top of the first channel is provided with a first inlet 13 and a second inlet 14, which are connected to each other. The first inlet 13 is vertically oriented, and the second inlet 14 is horizontally oriented.

[0065] The first metering pump 3 is connected to the first inlet 13 of the premixer 7, and the second metering pump 4 is connected to the second inlet 14 of the premixer 7.

[0066] After the materials from the first feed inlet 13 and the second feed inlet 14 collide at the inlet, they are premixed through the first channel, the first premixing chamber, the second channel and the second premixing chamber, and then enter the interior of the outer shell 11 through the jet hole 15.

[0067] The first feed inlet 13 has an inner diameter of 6 mm and an outer diameter of 10 mm, and the second feed inlet 14 has an inner diameter of 6-8 mm and an outer diameter of 10 mm. The diameters of the first and second premixing chambers are 6-8 mm, the diameter of the jet orifice 15 is 0.6-1.8 mm, and the number of jet orifices 15 is 10-30.

[0068] See Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The vortex generator 10 includes an annular sleeve 20 and glass bead packing 21. The annular sleeve 20 has an outer diameter of 38 mm, an inner diameter of 26-30 mm, and a wall thickness of 1-2 mm. The space between the inner and outer walls of the annular sleeve 20 is filled with glass bead packing 21, with a diameter of 0.8-3 mm. The number of glass beads 21 is 260-700.

[0069] See Figure 9 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 The settling tank 6 includes a rotating baffle channel 22 and a collection tank 23. The rotating baffle channel 22 is disposed inside the collection tank 23 and includes a housing 32. Inside the housing 32 are a servo motor 24, a shower head 25, a vent 27, two layers of staggered downward-sloping baffles 28, and two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles 29. An outlet 36 is provided on the housing 32. The servo motor 24 is connected to the rotating baffle channel 22.

[0070] The shell 32 consists of a frustum shell 33 at the top and a cylindrical shell 34 at the bottom, which are connected. Gaps are left between the two layers of downwardly inclined baffles 28 and the two layers of upwardly inclined baffles 29 and the cylindrical shell 34. The spacing between the two layers of staggered downward-sloping baffles 28 is 1cm-5cm, and there are 6-20 downward-sloping baffles 28 in the same layer; the spacing between the two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles 29 is 1cm-5cm, and there are 6-20 baffles in the same layer; the two layers of downward-sloping baffles 28 and the two layers of upward-sloping baffles 29 are alternately arranged, with a distance of 5cm-20cm; the angle formed by the downward-sloping baffles 28 and the vertical direction is 110°-150°, the baffle length is 6cm-15cm, and the baffle width is 3cm-8cm; the angle formed by the upward-sloping baffles 29 and the vertical direction is 20°-70°, the baffle length is 10cm-20cm, and the baffle width is 4cm-10cm. The inner diameter of the upper base of the frustum shell 33 is 5cm-22cm, and the outer diameter is 7cm-24cm. The inner diameter of the lower base is 38cm-50cm, and the outer diameter is 40cm-52cm. The height of the frustum shell 33 is 6cm-15cm. The inner diameter of the cylindrical shell 34 is 38cm-50cm, the outer diameter is 40cm-52cm, and the height is 18cm-30cm.

[0071] A servo motor 24 is installed on the upper part of the outer shell 33 of the truncated cone. Several ventilation holes 27 are opened on the top of the outer shell 33 of the truncated cone. A shower head 25 is installed on the inner top surface of the outer shell 33 of the truncated cone. Two layers of staggered downward inclined baffles 28 and two layers of staggered upward inclined baffles 29 are installed inside the cylindrical shell 34. Several pulleys 31 are installed at the bottom of the cylindrical shell 34.

[0072] A drain outlet 30 is provided on the two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles 29 near the shell 32, so that the material flows down the wall from here. The length of the drain outlet 30 is 3cm-9cm and the width is 0.5cm-2cm.

[0073] The two layers of staggered downward-sloping baffles 28 and the two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles 29 are supported by nylon material, and their surfaces are provided with PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) coating. The PTFE coating is engraved with microgrooves 20-100μm deep and 100-200μm apart.

[0074] The servo motor 24 includes a reciprocating oscillation mode and a unidirectional circulation mode. When operating synchronously with the continuous high-shear mixer, and the rotating baffle trough 22 receives material from the outlet of the continuous high-shear mixer, the servo motor 24 adopts a reciprocating oscillation mode (±45°-90°) at a frequency of 1-5Hz. This mode promotes droplet collision and coalescence. When the continuous high-shear mixer completes one batch processing and the rotating baffle trough 22 stops receiving material, the servo motor 24 adopts a unidirectional rotation mode to promote the material residue on the baffle 28 and the wall of the rotating baffle trough 22 to enter the bottom collection tank. When cleaning the rotating baffle trough 22, a high-speed reciprocating oscillation mode (±90°-180°) at a frequency of 2-5Hz is first used for the main wash to generate high shear force and remove dirt. Finally, a unidirectional rotation mode is used to completely drain the cleaning solution.

[0075] See Figure 10 and Figure 11 The top of the collection tank 23 is equipped with a pulley track 35, and the bottom of the rotating baffle groove 22 is equipped with a pulley 31 that cooperates with the pulley track 35. The collection tank 23 and the rotating baffle groove 22 are connected by the pulley track 35 and the pulley 31, which can reduce the energy consumption of the servo motor 24. The linear velocity of the rotor 8 of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 is 0.5-8 m / s.

[0076] Specifically, the two-phase fluid flows out from the stator hole, passes through the vortex generator 10, and then the liquid-liquid two-phase mixture enters the settling tank 6 from the discharge port 12.

[0077] The flow rate ratio of the first crude extract to the second extract is 3-0.5:1, and the total flow rate is 50-400 ml / min.

[0078] When the betaine extraction apparatus of this invention is in operation, the crude extract and the extract are pumped into the premixer 7 by the second metering pump 4 and the first metering pump 3, respectively, for premixing. The premixed material is then jetted through the jet orifice 15 into the high-turbulence region of the rotor 8. The rotor with right-angled teeth, compared to a rotor with upright teeth, can improve the micro-mixing performance of liquid-liquid two-phase extraction. Subsequently, the two-phase material passes through the vortex generator 10, where it is further torn apart, allowing the liquid-liquid two-phase mixture to fully contact and achieve efficient mass transfer. The glass bead packing in the vortex generator increases the contact area between the liquid-liquid two-phase mixture, disrupts the original fluid flow, generates more vortices and turbulence locally, reduces dead zones and droplet coalescence, increases turbulent dissipation rate, enhances fluid shear deformation, reduces mixing time, and improves the extraction efficiency of betaine. Subsequently, the liquid-liquid two-phase mixture after efficient mass transfer flows from the outlet 12 to the shower head 25. Under the action of the shower head 25, the two-phase materials are controlled by the shower jet holes 26, and most of them are dispersed on the frustum shell 33 and the first layer of downward inclined baffle. The dispersed two-phase materials polymerize faster under the action of the spiral micropores and PTFE layer on the baffle. Then, with the help of gravity and servo motor 24, they are collected in the collection tank 23 by the wall. After standing for 1 hour, the upper and lower layered solutions are obtained. The upper layer is a polyethylene glycol solution containing betaine, which is red, and the lower layer is an ammonium sulfate solution, which is light pink.

[0079] See Figure 12 A non-thermal continuous extraction method for high-shear-strength betaine, comprising the following steps:

[0080] Step 1: Soak beetroot powder in deionized water for 40 minutes. Then centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 6 minutes to obtain a crude betaine extract solution containing a large amount of sugar.

[0081] Step 2: Add ammonium sulfate to the crude betaine extract solution from Step 1, so that the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate is 20%-28%, to obtain the crude extract.

[0082] Step 3: Add polyethylene glycol to deionized water to make the mass fraction of polyethylene glycol 25%-45% to obtain a polyethylene glycol solution.

[0083] Step 4: The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet 13 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the first metering pump 3, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet 14 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the second metering pump 4. The crude extract and polyethylene glycol solution are mixed under high shear for 1-3 minutes in the continuous high-shear mixer to obtain a liquid-liquid two-phase mixture. This mixture is then evenly sprayed onto the uniform baffles and the frustum shell through a shower head for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After standing for 1 hour, a completely separated two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted. The flow ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution is 3-0.5:1, and the total flow rate is 50-400 ml / min. The linear velocity of the rotor 8 of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 is 0.5-8 m / s, and the temperature of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 and the settling tank 6 is 26-30℃.

[0084] Comparative Example 1

[0085] To compare the enhanced extraction efficiency of the premixer, vortex generator, and rotor in this invention, as well as the demulsifying effect of the rotating baffle groove, the comparative example uses a non-thermal continuous extraction device for high-shear enhanced betaine. This device employs a standard rotor with 6 teeth and a tooth spacing of 2.5 mm. The rotor is surrounded by a stator with 12 teeth and a tooth spacing of 1.5 mm. The stator-rotor shear gap is 0.5 mm, and the distance between the stator and the outer shell is 0.5 mm. A 2L beaker is used to collect the two-phase material after efficient mass transfer.

[0086] Step 1: Soak beetroot powder in deionized water for 40 minutes. Then centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 6 minutes to obtain a crude betaine extract solution.

[0087] Step 2: Add ammonium sulfate to the crude betaine extract solution from Step 1 to make the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate 25%, and obtain the crude extract.

[0088] Step 3: Add polyethylene glycol to deionized water to make the mass fraction of polyethylene glycol 40%, thus obtaining a polyethylene glycol solution.

[0089] Step 4: The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet 13 of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 by the first metering pump, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet 14 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the second metering pump 4. This allows the crude extract and polyethylene glycol solution to undergo high-shear mixing within the continuous high-shear mixer. After 2 minutes, the sample is collected to obtain a liquid-liquid two-phase mixture. After standing for 6 hours, a completely separated two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted. The flow ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution is 1:3 (Salt / PEG = 6.2 / 30.0, %, w / w), the total flow rate is 150 ml / min, the rotor linear velocity of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 is 2 m / s, the extraction temperature of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 is 26℃, and the extraction efficiency is 83%.

[0090] See Figure 14 The peak with a retention time of 3.76 min in the liquid chromatogram corresponds to betalain, and the extraction efficiency is calculated based on this peak value. The peak with a retention time of 4.6 min corresponds to isobetaine.

[0091] Example 1

[0092] In this embodiment, the non-thermal continuous extraction device for high-shear enhanced betaine uses a premixer 7 with a jet channel 6 diameter of 2 mm, a spherical premixing chamber diameter of 8 mm, 16 jet holes of 1.6 mm diameter, a rotor 8 outside the premixer 7 with a distance of 1 mm between the premixer 7 and the rotor 8, 6 rotor teeth with a tooth spacing of 2.5 mm, a stator 9 outside the rotor with 12 stator teeth with a tooth spacing of 1.5 mm, and a stator-rotor shear gap of 0.5 mm, a vortex generator and a housing 11 outside the stator 9 with a distance of 0.5 mm between the stator 9 and the housing 11, and an annular sleeve of the vortex generator with an inner diameter of 27 mm, a wall thickness of 1.3 mm, and a glass bead filler diameter of 3 mm. In the rotating baffle groove 22, the downward-tilting baffle makes a 50° angle with the downward direction of the outer shell 11. Each layer has 14 baffles, each 3cm wide and 10cm long, with adjacent downward-tilting baffles spaced 2cm apart. The upward-tilting baffle makes a 50° angle with the upward direction of the outer shell 11. Each baffle is 5cm wide and 15cm long, with 14 baffles per layer, and adjacent downward-tilting baffles spaced 2cm apart. Two layers of downward-tilting baffles and two layers of upward-tilting baffles are spaced 10cm apart. The microgrooves are 100μm deep and 200μm apart. The servo motor 24 rotates ±60° in a reciprocating oscillation mode.

[0093] A method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine includes the following steps:

[0094] Step 1: Soak beetroot powder in deionized water for 40 minutes. Then centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 6 minutes to obtain a crude betaine extract solution.

[0095] Step 2: Add ammonium sulfate to the crude betaine extract solution from Step 1 to make the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate 25%, and obtain the crude extract.

[0096] Step 3: Add polyethylene glycol to deionized water to make the mass fraction of polyethylene glycol 40%, thus obtaining a polyethylene glycol solution.

[0097] Step 4: The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet of the premixer by the first metering pump, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet of the premixer by the second metering pump. The crude extract and polyethylene glycol solution are then mixed in a continuous high-shear mixer. The liquid-liquid two-phase mixture is evenly sprayed onto the uniform baffle and the frustum shell through a shower head for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After standing for 2 hours, a completely separated two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted.

[0098] The flow rate ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution was 1:3 (Salt / PEG = 6.2 / 30.0%, w / w), the total flow rate was 150 ml / min, the rotor linear velocity of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 was 2 m / s, and the extraction temperature of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 was 26℃. The extraction efficiency was 98.8%.

[0099] However, the extraction efficiency was improved by 16.0% compared to Comparative Example 1.

[0100] Compared to the literature (JARBoravelli, ABVir, Continuous flow aqueous two-phase extraction of betalains in millifluidic channel, Chemical Engineering Journal 495 (2024). The crude extract to polyethylene glycol flow ratio was 1:7.5 (Salt / PEG = 3.3 / 30.88, %, w / w), and the extraction efficiency was 98%), Example 2 of the present invention improved the extraction efficiency of betalains by 0.8%. Compared to the literature (J. Chandrasekhar, G. Sonika, MC Madhusudhan, KSMSR Aghavarao, Differential partitioning of betacyanins and betaxanthins employing aqueous two-phase extraction, Journal of Food Engineering 144 (2015) 156-163. Salt / PEG = 9.5 / 30.0, %, w / w, and the extraction efficiency was 92.6%), Example 1 of the present invention improved the extraction efficiency of betalains by 6.7%.

[0101] See Figure 13 , representing the concentration of betaine in the crude extract. The peak with a retention time of 3.76 min in the liquid chromatogram corresponds to betalain, and the concentration of betaine is calculated based on this peak value.

[0102] See Figure 15 The peak with a retention time of 3.76 min in the liquid chromatogram corresponds to betalain, which is used in this invention to calculate the extraction efficiency. The peak with a retention time of 4.6 min corresponds to isobetaine.

[0103] Example 2

[0104] In this embodiment, the non-thermal continuous extraction device for high-shear enhanced betaine uses a premixer with a jet channel diameter of 1.5 mm, a spherical premixing chamber diameter of 9 mm, and 16 jet orifices of 1.6 mm diameter. Outside the premixer is a rotor with a 1 mm distance between it and the rotor, 6 rotor teeth with a tooth spacing of 2.5 mm. Outside the rotor is a stator with 12 stator teeth, a tooth spacing of 1.5 mm, and a stator-rotor shear gap of 0.5 mm. Outside the stator are a vortex generator and a housing, with a 0.5 mm distance between the stator and the housing. The annular sleeve of the vortex generator has an inner diameter of 26 mm, a wall thickness of 1 mm, and glass beads with a 2 mm diameter. In the rotating baffle groove, the downward-inclined baffle forms a 40° angle with the downward direction of the housing. Each layer has 12 baffles, each 4 cm wide and 12 cm long, with adjacent downward-inclined baffles spaced 2 cm apart. The upward-tilting baffle forms a 40° angle with the upward direction of the outer shell. The baffle is 5cm wide and 15cm long, with 14 baffles per layer. Adjacent downward-tilting baffles are spaced 2cm apart. Two layers of downward-tilting baffles are spaced 10cm apart from two layers of upward-tilting baffles. The microgrooves are 100μm deep and 200μm apart, and are rotated ±60° by a servo motor in a reciprocating oscillation mode.

[0105] A method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine includes the following steps:

[0106] Step 1: Soak beetroot powder in deionized water for 40 minutes. Then centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 6 minutes to obtain a crude betaine extract solution.

[0107] Step 2: Prepare a crude extract with a mass fraction of 24%.

[0108] Step 3: Prepare a polyethylene glycol solution with a mass fraction of 44.7%.

[0109] Step 4: The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet of the premixer by the first metering pump 3, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet of the premixer by the second metering pump 4. The crude extract and the polyethylene glycol solution are then mixed in a continuous high-shear mixer. The liquid-liquid two-phase mixture is evenly sprayed onto the uniform baffle and the frustum shell through a shower head for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After standing for 2 hours, a completely separated two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted.

[0110] The flow rate ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution was 1.5:1 (Salt / PEG = 14.4 / 17.9, %, w / w), with a total flow rate of 200 ml / min. The rotor linear velocity of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 was 2.2 m / s, and the extraction temperature was 28°C. Betaine was concentrated to 1.6 times its original concentration. Even with a relatively high crude extract to polyethylene glycol flow rate ratio, the extraction rate reached 90%. Reducing the amount of polyethylene glycol required for subsequent processing was also reduced.

[0111] See Figure 16 The peak with a retention time of 3.76 min in the liquid chromatogram corresponds to betalain, which is used in this invention to calculate the extraction efficiency. The peak with a retention time of 4.6 min corresponds to isobetaine.

[0112] Compared to the literature (J. Chandrasekhar, G. Sonika, MC Madhusudhan, KSMSR Aghavarao, Differential partitioning of betacyanins and betaxanthins employing aqueous two-phase extraction, Journal of Food Engineering 144(2015)156-163. Salt / PEG = 14.26 / 17.9%, w / w, extraction efficiency 73%), the extraction efficiency of betaine in Example 2 of the present invention was increased by 23.3%.

[0113] Example 3

[0114] In this embodiment, the non-thermal continuous extraction device for high-shear-enhanced betaine uses a premixer with a jet channel diameter of 1.5 mm, a spherical premixing chamber diameter of 8 mm, and 20 jet orifices of 1.2 mm diameter. Outside the premixer is a rotor, with a distance of 1.5 mm between the premixer and the rotor. The rotor has 8 teeth with a tooth spacing of 2 mm. Outside the rotor is a stator with 12 teeth and a tooth spacing of 1.5 mm, resulting in a stator-rotor shear gap of 0.5 mm. Outside the stator are a vortex generator and a housing, with a distance of 0.5 mm between the stator and the housing. The vortex generator has an annular sleeve with an inner diameter of 26 mm and a wall thickness of 1 mm, and the filler glass beads have a diameter of 4 mm. In the rotating baffle groove, the downward-inclined baffle forms a 40° angle with the downward direction of the housing. Each layer has 12 baffles, each 4 cm wide and 12 cm long, with adjacent downward-inclined baffles spaced 2 cm apart. The upward-tilting baffle forms a 40° angle with the upward direction of the outer shell. The baffle is 5cm wide and 15cm long, with 14 baffles per layer. Adjacent downward-tilting baffles are spaced 2cm apart. Two layers of downward-tilting baffles are spaced 10cm apart from two layers of upward-tilting baffles. The microgrooves are 100μm deep and 200μm apart, and are rotated ±60° by a servo motor in a reciprocating oscillation mode.

[0115] A method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine includes the following steps:

[0116] Step 1: Soak beetroot powder in deionized water for 40 minutes. Then centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 6 minutes to obtain a crude betaine extract solution.

[0117] Step 2: Prepare a crude extract with a mass fraction of 25%.

[0118] Step 3: Prepare a polyethylene glycol solution with a mass fraction of 44.7%.

[0119] Step 4: The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet 13 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the first metering pump 3, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet 14 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the second metering pump 4. The crude extract and polyethylene glycol solution are mixed under high shear in the continuous high-shear mixer. The liquid-liquid two-phase mixture is evenly sprayed onto the uniform baffle and the outer shell of the truncated cone through the shower head for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After standing for 3 hours, a completely separated two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted.

[0120] The flow ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution was 2:1 (Salt / PEG = 16.7 / 14.9, %, w / w), with a total flow rate of 200 ml / min. The rotor linear velocity of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 was 4 m / s, and the extraction temperature was 26°C. Betaine was concentrated, doubling its original concentration. Under the relatively high crude extract to polyethylene glycol flow ratio, the extraction rate reached 90%. Reducing the amount of polyethylene glycol allowed for a decrease in subsequent processing volume.

[0121] See Figure 17 The peak with a retention time of 3.76 min in the liquid chromatogram corresponds to betalain, which is used in this invention to calculate the extraction efficiency. The peak with a retention time of 4.6 min corresponds to isobetaine.

[0122] Compared to the literature (S. Chethana, Canayak, KSMSR Aghavarao, Aqueous two phase extraction for purification and concentration of betalains, Journal of Food Engineering 81(2007)679-687. Salt / PEG = 14.3 / 17.9, %, w / w, optimal extraction efficiency was 78%), the extraction efficiency of betalains in Example 3 of the present invention was improved by 15.3%.

[0123] Example 4

[0124] In this embodiment, the non-thermal continuous extraction device for high-shear enhanced betaine uses a premixer with a jet channel diameter of 1.5 mm, a spherical premixing chamber diameter of 8 mm, and 20 jet orifices of 1.2 mm diameter. Outside the premixer is a rotor, with a distance of 1.5 mm between the premixer and rotor. The rotor has 8 teeth with a tooth spacing of 2 mm. Outside the rotor is a stator with 12 teeth and a tooth spacing of 1.5 mm, resulting in a stator-rotor shear gap of 0.5 mm. Outside the stator are a vortex generator and a housing, with a distance of 0.5 mm between the stator and housing. The vortex generator has an annular sleeve with an inner diameter of 26 mm, a wall thickness of 1 mm, and glass beads with a diameter of 4 mm. In the rotating baffle groove, the downward-inclined baffle forms a 45° angle with the downward direction of the housing. Each layer has 16 baffles, each 3 cm wide and 8 cm long, with adjacent downward-inclined baffles spaced 3 cm apart. The upward-tilting baffle forms a 45° angle with the upward direction of the outer shell. The baffle is 5cm wide and 15cm long, with 14 baffles per layer. Adjacent downward-tilting baffles are spaced 3cm apart. Two layers of downward-tilting baffles are spaced 8cm apart from two layers of upward-tilting baffles. The spiral microgrooves are 100μm deep and 250μm apart, with the groove orientation forming a 20° angle with the rotational tangent. A servo motor rotates ±50° in a reciprocating oscillation mode.

[0125] A method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine includes the following steps:

[0126] Step 1: Soak beetroot powder in deionized water for 40 minutes. Then centrifuge at 7000 rpm for 6 minutes to obtain a crude betaine extract solution.

[0127] Step 2: Prepare a crude extract with a mass fraction of 25%;

[0128] Step 3: Prepare a polyethylene glycol solution with a mass fraction of 44.7%;

[0129] Step 4: The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet 13 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the first metering pump 3, and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet 14 of the continuous high-shear mixer by the second metering pump 4. The crude extract and polyethylene glycol solution are mixed under high shear in the continuous high-shear mixer. The liquid-liquid two-phase mixture is evenly sprayed onto the uniform baffle and the outer shell of the truncated cone through the shower head for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After standing for 3 hours, a completely separated two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution from which betaine is extracted.

[0130] The flow rate ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution was 2:1 (Salt / PEG = 16.7 / 14.9, %, w / w), with a total flow rate of 400 ml / min. The rotor linear velocity of the continuous high-shear mixer 5 was 4 m / s, and the extraction temperature was 26°C. Betaine was concentrated, becoming twice its original concentration. Under the conditions of a relatively high crude extract to polyethylene glycol flow rate ratio and total flow rate, the extraction rate reached 89.3%. Reducing the amount of polyethylene glycol required for subsequent processing decreased. This indicates that increasing the flow rate has a relatively small impact on the extraction efficiency.

[0131] See Figure 18 The peak with a retention time of 3.76 min in the liquid chromatogram corresponds to betalain, which is used in this invention to calculate the extraction efficiency. The peak with a retention time of 4.6 min corresponds to isobetaine.

[0132] Compared to the literature (S. Chethana, Canayak, KSMSR Aghavarao, Aqueous two phase extraction for purification and concentration of betalains, Journal of Food Engineering 81(2007)679-687. Salt / PEG = 14.3 / 17.9, %, w / w, optimal extraction efficiency was 78%), the extraction efficiency of betalains in Example 5 of the present invention was increased by 14.5%.

[0133] The extraction efficiencies of betaine extracted in Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1-4 are shown in Table 1:

[0134] Table 1 Extraction efficiency of Comparative Example 1 and Examples 1-4

[0135]

[0136]

[0137] As shown in Table 1, the extraction efficiency of betaine in the betaine extraction method of the present invention is not less than 89%. The phase separation time increases with the increase of rotation speed.

[0138] The premixer in this invention premixes the liquid-liquid two-phase mixture. The premixed material then enters the high-turbulence zone of the rotor through smaller channels in a larger jet. Due to the high-speed rotation of the rotor, the material undergoes repeated shearing deformation and then primarily enters the vortex generator through the stator tooth outlet jet. The vortex generator further enhances the turbulence intensity of the material, preventing dead zones and the coalescence of the two-phase droplets. These effects pulverize the two materials into micron-sized droplets, increasing the contact area between the liquid and liquid phases, achieving efficient mass transfer, and significantly increasing the extraction efficiency of betaine. Subsequently, the material falls onto the inclined baffle of the rotating baffle groove through a spray nozzle. The spiral microgrooves on the baffle surface provide contact area and residence time for the colliding droplets, causing them to coalesce and accelerating the separation of the two phases.

[0139] The above description is only of the preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and variations in its specific structure are permitted. All variations made within the scope of the independent claims of the present invention are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0140] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-strength betaine, characterized in that, It includes a first storage tank (1), a second storage tank (2), a continuous high-shear mixer (5), and a settling tank (6); The first storage tank (1) is connected to the second storage tank (2) and the continuous high-shear mixer (5). The continuous high-shear mixer (5) includes a premixer (7), a rotor (8), a stator (9), a vortex generator (10), a discharge port (12), and a housing (11); The premixer (7), vortex generator (10), rotor (8) and stator (9) are arranged inside the housing (11). The rotor (8) is arranged outside the premixer (7), and the stator (9) is arranged outside the rotor (8). The premixer (7) and rotor (8) are spaced apart. The rotor (8) and stator (9) are spaced apart. The stator (9) and vortex generator (10) are spaced apart. The vortex generator (10) and housing (11) are spaced apart. The rotor (8) is tilted.

2. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle between the rotor (8) and the vertical direction is 15°-35°, and the tilt direction of the rotor (8) is the same as the rotation direction of the rotor (8).

3. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The premixer (7) includes a jet channel (16) and a spherical premixing chamber (17). The spherical premixing chamber (17) includes a first premixing chamber and a second premixing chamber. The jet channel (16) includes a first channel and a second channel. The first channel is provided at the top of the first premixing chamber. The first premixing chamber and the second premixing chamber are connected by the second channel. The top of the first channel is provided with a first inlet (13) and a second inlet (14). The first inlet (13) and the second inlet (14) are connected. The first inlet (13) is set vertically, and the second inlet (14) is set horizontally. Several jet holes (15) are opened on the side wall of the second premixing chamber. The first storage tank (1) is connected to the first inlet (13), and the second storage tank (2) is connected to the second inlet (14).

4. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vortex generator (10) includes an annular sleeve (20), and the space between the inner and outer walls of the annular sleeve (20) is filled with glass beads (21).

5. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The settling tank (6) includes a collection tank (23), a rotating baffle groove (22) is provided inside the collection tank (23), the rotating baffle groove (22) includes a shell (32), a servo motor (24) is provided on the upper part of the shell (32), a number of ventilation holes (27) are opened on the top of the shell (32), a shower head (25) is provided on the top surface inside the shell (32), two layers of staggered downward inclined baffles (28) and two layers of staggered upward inclined baffles (29) are provided inside the shell (32), the servo motor (24) is connected to the rotating baffle groove (22); the servo motor (24) includes a reciprocating oscillation mode and a unidirectional circulation mode.

6. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-strength betaine according to claim 5, characterized in that, A drain outlet (30) is provided on the two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles (29) near the housing (32).

7. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The surfaces of the two layers of staggered downward-sloping baffles (28) and the two layers of staggered upward-sloping baffles (29) are provided with PTFE coatings, and grooves are provided on the PTFE coatings.

8. The apparatus for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-strength betaine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The top of the collection tank (23) is provided with a pulley track (35), and the bottom of the rotating baffle groove (22) is provided with a pulley (31) that cooperates with the pulley track (35).

9. A method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine based on the apparatus of claim 3, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: After soaking beetroot powder, centrifugation was performed to obtain a crude betaine extract solution. Ammonium sulfate was added to the crude betaine extract solution to make the mass fraction of ammonium sulfate 20%-28%, thus obtaining the crude extract. The crude extract is pumped into the first inlet (13), and the polyethylene glycol solution is pumped into the second inlet (14), so that the crude extract and the polyethylene glycol solution enter the continuous high-shear mixer for high-shear mixing to obtain a liquid-liquid two-phase mixture. The liquid-liquid two-phase mixture is evenly sprayed through a shower head onto two layers of staggered downward inclined baffles (28) and two layers of staggered upward inclined baffles (29) for dynamic circulation polymerization and sedimentation. After being placed, a two-phase liquid system is obtained, with the upper layer being the polyethylene glycol solution for extracting betaine.

10. The method for non-thermal continuous extraction of high-shear-enhanced betaine according to claim 9, characterized in that, The crude extract contains 20%-28% ammonium sulfate and 25%-45% polyethylene glycol solution. The flow rate ratio of the crude extract to the polyethylene glycol solution is 3-0.5:1, and the total flow rate is 50-400 ml / min.

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