Compound aquatic feed prepared from vanilla plant extract instead of antibiotics and preparation method of compound aquatic feed

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of aquatic feed processing, and discloses a compound aquatic feed extracted from vanilla plants to replace antibiotics and a preparation method thereof.The preparation method comprises the steps that under the low-temperature condition, molecular activation of starch or protein in feed slurry is directly triggered through mechanical energy generated by a dynamic slit high-shear area; aiming at the process, a double closed-loop self-adaptive regulation and control mechanism is established, feedforward regulation is carried out on shearing parameters by monitoring mixed power consumption so as to adapt to raw material fluctuation, and meanwhile, feedback regulation is carried out on geometric parameters of a shearing area by applying micro disturbance and monitoring harmonic distortion of response signals so as to optimize the uniformity of a shearing field; mechanical energy is used for replacing heat energy to serve as driving force for molecular activation, and the structure forming process and the high-temperature damage process of the feed are decoupled in principle, so that systematic retention of various heat-sensitive active substances is possible in the whole low-temperature preparation process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a compound aquatic feed that uses herb plant extracts as an alternative to antibiotics and its preparation method, belonging to the field of aquatic feed processing technology. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the industrial production of aquatic feed, extrusion puffing is a common technical method for constructing the physical morphology and nutritional basis of pellets. Through the combined action of high temperature, high pressure, and strong mechanical shear force, it promotes starch gelatinization and protein denaturation, thereby giving feed pellets the necessary structural stability and durability in water. The effectiveness of this technical approach has been widely recognized in the industry. However, with the increasing demand for feed functionality in aquaculture, especially for the addition of various heat-sensitive bioactive substances to improve feed quality, a limitation in the technical principle of the aforementioned mainstream process has become apparent. That is, the high temperature and high pressure physical environment necessary for constructing the pellet binding structure also constitutes the direct conditions that cause the degradation or inactivation of heat-sensitive bioactive substances, resulting in a technical constraint between the enhancement of feed functionality and the physical conditions of the processing.

[0003] To address this technological constraint, the industry has adopted some compensatory measures, such as surface coating after particle cooling or pre-encapsulating active substances in microcapsules. However, these compensatory approaches do not change the core technological premise; their essence remains a subsequent remedy under the premise of accepting the effects of the core process, rather than avoiding the process itself. Even in some alternative technological paths aimed at avoiding high temperatures, the simplicity and openness of their process control logic result in significant limitations in dealing with raw material fluctuations and ensuring the consistency of the physical properties of the final product. For example, Chinese invention patent CN106387350A discloses a method for preparing a compound feed additive using plant extracts as an antibiotic substitute. Although this method uses plant extracts, its core process flow, such as heating, stirring, and drying, relies on a preset, fixed parameter range, such as a heating temperature of 60-70°C. Drying temperature 50-60 This process is essentially an open, linear workflow without real-time feedback. It lacks an online sensing and adaptive adjustment mechanism for fluctuations in the physical properties of raw materials between batches (such as viscosity and solid content). Therefore, when the properties of raw materials change, it is difficult to ensure the uniformity of the intermediate product state, which in turn affects the consistency of the final product in terms of physical structure and performance indicators. This static control method, which relies on fixed parameters, cannot fundamentally solve the problem of product quality fluctuations caused by the uncertainty of raw materials.

[0004] To address this technological constraint, the industry has adopted some compensatory measures, such as surface coating after particle cooling or pre-encapsulating active substances in microcapsules. However, these compensatory approaches do not change the core technological premise. Existing technical approaches have the following limitations in practical applications: 1. Surface-coated active substances only adhere to the particle surface, are easily dissolved in water, and cannot act on the inside of the feed; 2. Microcapsulation technology increases the complexity of the process and production costs. Furthermore, the structural integrity and protective effect of the encapsulation material itself are limited under the high-strength conditions of extrusion and expansion. These improvements are essentially remedial measures taken after accepting the effects of the core process, rather than avoiding the process itself. Therefore, how to establish a new preparation method that achieves the molecular activation required for particle forming while avoiding the effects of high-temperature and high-pressure environments on the active substances is the technical problem this invention aims to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a compound aquatic feed that uses herb plant extracts to replace antibiotics and its preparation method. Its main purpose is to solve the problem that there is an inherent contradiction between particle structure formation and the protection of heat-sensitive active substances in the existing technology, making it difficult to achieve both simultaneously.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for preparing a compound aquatic feed using herb plant extracts as an antibiotic alternative, the method comprising the following steps:

[0007] Step a, after mixing the feed ingredients containing vanilla plant extract with water to form a slurry, the slurry is flowed through a dynamic slit high-shear region formed by at least two relatively high-speed rotating surfaces. In this region, the energy applied to the rotating surfaces is controlled to keep the overall temperature of the slurry below 60°C. Under certain conditions, starch or protein undergoes molecular activation to obtain an activated slurry with binding potential;

[0008] Step b: In response to the problem of uncertain rheological properties of activated slurry caused by fluctuations in the physical properties of different batches of feed raw materials, during the mixing process in step a, the power consumption of the equipment driving the mixing is monitored in real time and an electrical signal characterizing the power consumption is output. Based on the characteristic value of the electrical signal, the rotation speed of the rotating surface is adjusted in a closed loop using feedforward control logic.

[0009] Step c: To address the issue of uneven spatial distribution of shear stress in the high-shear region due to hydrodynamic effects, during the molecular activation process in step a, a periodic micro-perturbation signal is superimposed on the power source signal driving the rotating surface, and the current feedback signal of the power source is monitored in real time. The harmonic distortion characteristics generated by the interaction between the micro-perturbation signal and the non-uniform shear field are extracted. Based on the harmonic distortion characteristics, the axial geometric gap between the two rotating surfaces is adjusted in a closed loop using feedback control logic until the harmonic distortion characteristics are suppressed to a minimum.

[0010] Step d involves agglomerating the activated slurry, which has been treated in steps a to c, by applying pressure.

[0011] Preferably, in step b, adjusting the rotational speed of the rotating surface based on the characteristic value of the electrical signal using a feedforward control logic closed loop includes: converting continuously collected power consumption data into a power consumption characteristic value that can stably characterize the rheological properties of the current batch of slurry through a time window smoothing algorithm; reducing the rotational speed when the power consumption characteristic value is higher than a reference value; and increasing the rotational speed when the power consumption characteristic value is lower than the reference value; wherein, the reference value is the power consumption measured when mixing standard batches of feed raw materials that can produce qualified feed products with predetermined physical performance indicators.

[0012] Preferably, in step c, the periodic micro-perturbation signal is a non-sinusoidal periodic perturbation signal; the harmonic distortion characteristics generated by the interaction between the micro-perturbation signal and the non-uniform shear field are extracted, including extracting the amplitude and phase of the harmonic distortion from the current feedback signal of the power source in real time through fast Fourier transform logic; the closed-loop adjustment of the axial geometric gap between the two rotating surfaces is achieved by a piezoelectric ceramic actuator.

[0013] Preferably, during the agglomeration and molding process in step d, ultrasonic treatment is applied to the activated slurry being molded in the area where it is being extruded. This induces a transient cavitation effect within the activated slurry, creating an interconnected porous microstructure in the final feed. Simultaneously with the ultrasonic treatment, the broadband acoustic emission signal generated by the cavitation effect of the activated slurry is monitored in real time. The peak energy intensity of the acoustic emission signal in a preset harmonic or subharmonic frequency band is then used to determine the optimal treatment method. The power of the ultrasonic treatment is adjusted in a closed loop according to the following control rules. : ,in, This represents the ultrasonic power during the current control cycle. The preset proportional gain coefficient, The target energy peak intensity is calibrated for measuring the acoustic emission signal of samples prepared using standard process parameters that have target stability and dissolution rate in water.

[0014] Preferably, the agglomeration and molding process in step d is completed by extruding the activated slurry through a die hole using a granulator without additional heating of the activated slurry.

[0015] Preferably, in step a, at least two relatively high-speed rotating surfaces are at least two coaxially rotating discs with precision grooves; a dynamic slit high-shear region is formed between the discs, and the feed ingredients also contain at least one heat-sensitive functional ingredient selected from vitamins, probiotics and enzyme preparations, and the entire process is carried out under conditions below the inactivation temperature of the heat-sensitive functional ingredient.

[0016] Preferably, before step a, the step further includes filtering the slurry through a multi-stage filter screen.

[0017] Preferably, after step d, the process further includes removing moisture from the formed wet pellets by low-temperature fluidized bed drying or vacuum drying to obtain finished feed.

[0018] Preferably, the herb plant extract is a combination of oregano oil, thymol, and carvacrol.

[0019] A compound aquatic feed containing herb extracts as an antibiotic alternative, wherein the pellets of the compound aquatic feed have the following structural and component distribution characteristics:

[0020] The internal matrix of the granules is composed of starch and protein at a temperature below 60°C. Under certain conditions, molecular activation is induced by mechanical shear energy, resulting in a non-thermally denatured three-dimensional network framework formed by their overlapping.

[0021] Herb extracts and heat-sensitive functional components are encapsulated and uniformly distributed within a non-thermally denatured three-dimensional network framework; the particles form an interconnected porous microstructure throughout their interior.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] 1. This method establishes a new aquatic feed preparation pathway, which directly activates starch or protein molecules under low-temperature conditions using high fluid shear stress, and then completes agglomeration and molding without additional heating. This eliminates the mutual constraints between the particle structure formation process and the protection process of heat-sensitive active substances. In previous processing methods, the high temperature required to obtain particle cohesion was a direct cause of active ingredient degradation. This inherent contradiction in processing methods is no longer a prerequisite issue that needs to be weighed or remedied in the pathway of this invention.

[0024] 2. During the mixing step, the power consumption of the driving equipment is monitored, and this power consumption characteristic is fed forward to the subsequent high-shear activation step for adaptive adjustment of operating parameters. This establishes a process that senses the intrinsic properties of raw materials and performs self-optimization. The fluctuation of physical properties between batches of feed raw materials will be directly reflected in the power consumption changes during the mixing stage. This method captures this change and uses it to pre-adjust the shear intensity of the core activation step, transforming the entire preparation process from a fixed open-loop process into a closed-loop system with dynamic compensation capabilities that can adapt to fluctuations in upstream raw materials.

[0025] 3. During the agglomeration process, ultrasonic treatment is applied to the material, and the acoustic emission signal generated by the material is monitored in real time. The ultrasonic parameters are then adjusted in a closed loop based on the signal characteristics. This creates a stable functional microstructure in the final product. The transient cavitation effect induced by ultrasound can form a porous network inside the particles. The synchronous monitoring and feedback of the acoustic emission signal generated by the cavitation process itself allows the system to find and lock onto the resonance point that produces the optimal pore-forming effect in real time. This avoids inconsistencies in pore-forming effect caused by changes in material state and ensures the uniformity of the physical structure of the final particles across batches. Furthermore, this method combines the feedforward adjustment of mixed power consumption with the micro-disturbance response feedback of the high-shear process to construct a multi-dimensional process control mechanism. The mixed power consumption provides a benchmark adjustment basis for the macroscopic rheological properties of the material in the high-shear step, while applying periodic disturbances to the power source and monitoring its response signal reflects the uniformity of the shear field distribution in the internal space of the equipment. By adjusting the geometric parameters of the equipment in a closed loop to minimize the distortion of the response signal, dual synergistic control of the raw material adaptability in the time dimension and the uniformity of the effect in the spatial dimension of the activation process is achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of the low-temperature preparation process with dual closed-loop adaptive control according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a dynamic adjustment curve of harmonic distortion and axial clearance under the feedback control of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the integrated process control system architecture of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in further detail below. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0030] This invention provides a compound aquatic feed using herb extracts as an antibiotic alternative and its preparation method. The process mainly includes steps such as slurry preparation and pretreatment, low-temperature high-shear molecular activation, adaptive control of the activation process, and low-temperature agglomeration and structural construction. In one specific embodiment, for example, to prepare a functional aquatic feed for high-density aquaculture environments, slurry preparation is first performed. Feed ingredients containing fishmeal, soybean meal, vitamins, probiotics, enzymes, and herb extracts composed of oregano, thymol, and carvacrol are mixed with water in a mixing tank equipped with a power monitoring module to form a uniform slurry with a solid content of 30% to 50%. The power monitoring module can collect and output electrical signals characterizing the real-time power consumption of the mixing equipment at a frequency of not less than 10Hz. Subsequently, to prevent interference with subsequent micro-processing... The meter-level gap causes blockage or wear, and the slurry is pumped through a multi-stage filter screen to remove impurity particles larger than 100 micrometers. The pretreated slurry is then fed into a dynamic slit high-shear zone for molecular activation. This zone consists of at least two coaxial disks with precisely grooved surfaces, which rotate at high speed relative to each other under drive. The axial geometric gap between them is adjustable within the range of 50 to 500 micrometers. As the slurry flows through this slit zone, strong fluid shear stress acts on the starch and protein macromolecules in the slurry, causing the hydrogen bonds within their molecular chains to open and the chain structure to extend. This allows the macromolecules in the slurry to interlock and form a cohesive structure. By controlling the energy applied to the rotating surfaces and supplementing it with a circulating cooling medium, the overall temperature of the slurry during the entire molecular activation process remains below 60°C. Thus, vanilla plant extracts and heat-sensitive functional components are uniformly embedded in the non-thermally denatured three-dimensional network framework formed after activation.

[0031] Considering that fluctuations in the physical properties of different batches of feed ingredients can lead to changes in the rheological properties of the slurry, this method employs a feedforward control logic to adaptively adjust the molecular activation process. During the slurry mixing process, this logic continuously collects power consumption data from the driving device and uses a time-window smoothing algorithm, such as calculating the arithmetic mean of 50 power consumption data points collected within 5 seconds, to convert it into a power consumption characteristic value that stably characterizes the rheological properties of the current batch of slurry. A power consumption benchmark value is pre-calibrated using a standard batch of feed ingredients capable of producing qualified finished feed products. The mixture is mixed, and its stable power consumption characteristic value is recorded as a reference value. During production, when the power consumption characteristic value output by the monitoring system is higher than this reference value, it indicates that the slurry viscosity is too high. The control system then reduces the rotational speed of the rotating surface in the high-shear region of the dynamic slit accordingly. Conversely, when the power consumption characteristic value is lower than the reference value, the rotational speed is increased. For example, if the reference value is 1.5kW and the power consumption characteristic value measured for the current batch is 1.8kW, the control system will reduce the disk rotational speed from the reference speed of 3000rpm. Through this monitoring and feedforward adjustment of the power consumption characteristic value, the rotational speed of the rotating surface is controlled. The speed is adaptively adjusted to cope with changes in the rheological properties of the slurry. To further improve the spatial uniformity of shear stress distribution within the action area, a feedback control logic is also established. During molecular activation, a periodic micro-perturbation signal, such as a non-sinusoidal square wave signal with a fundamental frequency of 1Hz, is superimposed on the power source signal driving the rotating surface, causing slight fluctuations in the disk rotation speed. Simultaneously, the current feedback signal of the power source is monitored in real time. Due to the interaction between the non-uniform shear field and the micro-perturbation signal, harmonic distortion will be generated in the current feedback signal. The control system utilizes Fast Fourier Transform... The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) logic extracts the amplitude and phase of specific harmonics, such as the third or fifth harmonic, from the current feedback signal in real time. These parameters together constitute the harmonic distortion characteristics. When the amplitude of the harmonic distortion characteristics increases, indicating a decrease in the uniformity of the shear field, the feedback control logic uses a piezoelectric ceramic actuator to perform micron-level closed-loop adjustment of the axial geometric gap between the two rotating surfaces until the monitored harmonic distortion characteristics are suppressed to below a preset threshold, thereby improving the spatial distribution uniformity of the shear field.

[0032] The activated slurry, after the aforementioned molecular activation and adaptive regulation treatment, is fed into a pellet mill. Without additional heating, pressure is applied to force the slurry through a die, agglomerating it into pellets. During the agglomeration process, ultrasonic treatment is applied to the area where the activated slurry is being extruded. Utilizing the transient cavitation effect induced by ultrasound within the slurry, an interconnected porous microstructure is constructed within the final feed pellets. To ensure the consistency of this porous microstructure across different batches, a closed-loop adjustment procedure for the ultrasonic treatment is configured. Simultaneously with the ultrasonic treatment, acoustic sensors are used to monitor the broadband acoustic emission signal generated by the cavitation effect of the activated slurry in real time, and its peak energy intensity in a preset harmonic frequency band is calculated. The control system adjusts the power of the ultrasonic treatment according to the following control rules. Perform closed-loop adjustments: In the formula, The ultrasonic power for the next control cycle. This represents the ultrasonic power during the current control cycle. The preset proportional gain coefficient, For real-time measurement of peak energy intensity, The target energy peak intensity; The calibration method involves preparing a sample with the target physical properties using standard process parameters, measuring its acoustic emission signal, and calibrating the peak energy intensity in its steady state as follows: The closed-loop adjustment process enables the ultrasonic power to dynamically follow the changes in the slurry state, maintaining the peak energy intensity of the acoustic emission signal near the target value, thereby ensuring the consistency of the formed porous microstructure. Finally, the formed wet granules are dried by low-temperature fluidized bed drying or vacuum drying to obtain the finished feed.

[0033] Example 1: In a production task of preparing functional feed for European bass fry, in addition to conventional nutrient components, the formula needs to add temperature-sensitive protease preparations and specific probiotic strains. However, conventional high-temperature extrusion processes exceed 120°C. The processing temperature can cause irreversible inactivation of the two bioactive components. In this production task, the method claimed in this invention is used to prepare feed. All feed ingredients containing protease and probiotics are mixed with water to form a slurry. During continuous production, the rheological properties of the mixed slurry changed due to differences in protein composition in a batch of fishmeal raw materials. The power consumption characteristic value monitored by the mixing equipment increased compared to the reference value. Before the slurry entered the high shear region of the dynamic slit, the feedforward control logic adjusted the rotation speed of the rotating surface according to the power consumption characteristic value. At the same time, due to the change in slurry properties, the harmonic distortion characteristics generated by the periodic micro-perturbation signal superimposed on the power source signal in the current feedback signal deviated. The feedback control logic then adjusted the axial geometric gap between the rotating surfaces until the harmonic distortion characteristics returned to the preset minimum state. Thus, the pre-adjustment of the rotation speed by the feedforward control and the real-time correction of the gap by the feedback control kept the shear strength and uniformity of the molecular activation process within the preset range, and obtained an activated slurry with stable bonding potential. Since the temperature of the entire preparation process is controlled at 60°C, In the following steps, ultrasonic treatment was applied by closed-loop feedback control of acoustic emission signals during the low-temperature agglomeration molding process. The resulting feed pellets exhibited the required physical stability in water and formed a uniform porous microstructure. Sampling tests showed that the protease activity and probiotic survival rate in the finished feed remained above 95% of the initial addition amount.

[0034] Example 2: To objectively verify the technical effectiveness of the method claimed in this invention in terms of preserving heat-sensitive functional components and improving product physical properties, a comparative experiment was conducted. Three groups of samples—experimental group, control group 1, and control group 2—were prepared using the same feed ingredient formula. In addition to the basic ingredients, this formula uniformly added three temperature-sensitive functional components with initial addition amounts of: Vitamin C 800 mg / kg, protease preparation 5000 U / g, and a herbal extract composed of oregano oil, thymol, and carvacrol, with the carvacrol content (as a detection indicator) at 1000 mg / kg. The experimental group samples were prepared using the complete technical solution described in the specific implementation method, including feedforward and feedback dual closed-loop adaptive control and ultrasonic treatment. The peak material temperature was controlled at 55°C throughout the process. The control group sample 1 was prepared using a conventional single-screw extrusion puffing process, with the extrusion chamber temperature set at 135°C. The control group 2 samples were prepared using the low-temperature mechanical activation method of the present invention, but feedforward and feedback adaptive control were not enabled during the process, the operating parameters of the dynamic slit high-shear region were fixed at the baseline value, and no ultrasonic treatment was applied in the molding step; samples of the finished feed pellets prepared in the three groups were taken, and the contents of vitamin C and carvacrol were detected by high performance liquid chromatography, the activity of protease was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the morphology retention rate after soaking in water for 2 hours was tested as an indicator of water stability. The experimental data are recorded in Table 1.

[0035] Table 1: Comparative data on the impact of different preparation methods on key feed indicators.

[0036]

[0037] The experimental data in Table 1 show that, compared with control group 1 which uses a high-temperature extrusion process, the experimental group using the method of the present invention has higher retention rates of vitamin C, protease activity, and carvacrol; compared with control group 2 which also uses a low-temperature method but does not use adaptive regulation and ultrasonic treatment, the experimental group has higher water stability values, and the values ​​are close to those of control group 1 which is prepared by a high-temperature process.

[0038] To further verify the dual closed-loop adaptive control mechanism claimed in this invention, the following comparative experiments were conducted to assess its non-obvious technical advantages over more direct or conventional automated process control technologies in the field.

[0039] Comparative Example 1: To further verify the unique technical effect of the dual closed-loop adaptive control mechanism claimed in this invention compared with conventional process control techniques in the art, this comparative example was prepared. The preparation of this comparative example involved identical raw material formulations, equipment, and all process steps except for the adaptive control of the molecular activation process, as described in the previous examples. The only difference was that the molecular activation process in this comparative example was controlled using a conventional single-loop negative feedback control method, replacing the dual closed-loop adaptive control mechanism of this invention. Specifically, an online viscometer was installed at the outlet of the dynamic slit high-shear device to monitor the rheological properties of the activated slurry in real time. This viscosity measurement was used as a feedback signal to adjust the rotational speed of the rotating surface through a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, thereby maintaining the slurry viscosity at a certain level. Near a preset target value, in this comparative example, neither feedforward control logic monitoring mixed power consumption nor feedback control logic superimposed micro-perturbation on the power source and monitored harmonic distortion is used to adjust the axial geometric clearance. During the preparation process, it was observed that when a batch of raw materials with different physical properties entered the system, the online viscometer could detect the viscosity change of the activated slurry, and the PID controller adjusted the speed accordingly. However, there was a response delay of about 15 seconds in the entire adjustment process. During this delay, some slurry failed to receive proper shearing treatment, resulting in a brief fluctuation in the material state at the pellet mill inlet. The size uniformity of the final finished pellets was lower than that of the experimental group. The finished feed pellets of this comparative example and the experimental group, control group 1 and control group 2 in the aforementioned examples were tested for the same performance indicators, and the comparative data are recorded in Table 2.

[0040] Table 2: Comparative data on the impact of different preparation methods on key feed indicators.

[0041]

[0042] The experimental data in Table 2 show that, compared with the experimental group using the method of this invention, the comparative example 1 using conventional single-loop negative feedback control, although its retention rate of the thermosensitive functional components is at the same level, has a significantly lower water stability value (87.5%) than the experimental group (95.8%). This result indicates that conventional reactive single-loop feedback control, due to the lag in its control logic and its design principle's inability to actively optimize the spatial distribution uniformity of the shear field, has limited ability to ensure the consistency of the physical properties of the final product when dealing with raw material fluctuations.

[0043] Example 3: This example combines Figures 1 to 3 This document describes a compound aquatic feed made from herb extracts as an antibiotic alternative and its preparation method. Figure 1As shown, the process begins by mixing feed ingredients, including herb extracts, fish meal, and vitamins, with water. After slurry preparation and pretreatment steps, a homogeneous slurry is formed, and impurities are removed by a multi-stage filtration screen. The slurry then enters a low-temperature, high-shear molecular activation unit. Under conditions below [temperature value missing], mechanical energy triggers molecular activation of starch or protein, forming an activated slurry with binding potential. This activated slurry undergoes a low-temperature agglomeration and molding step, followed by extrusion molding using a pellet mill. Optional ultrasonic treatment can be used to construct a porous structure. The molded wet pellets then pass through a low-temperature drying unit, where moisture is removed using a fluidized bed or vacuum drying method. The final product is a finished feed with high retention of heat-sensitive substances and a porous microstructure. In this process, a feedforward control module monitors the power consumption signal of the mixing equipment to sense fluctuations in the slurry's rheological properties and adaptively adjusts the rotation speed of the subsequent molecular activation step accordingly. Simultaneously, a feedback control module collects the current feedback signal from the power source, monitors its harmonic distortion characteristics to assess the spatial uniformity of the shear field, and performs closed-loop adjustment of the axial geometric clearance of the molecular activation equipment.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the horizontal axis represents time in seconds, the left vertical axis represents harmonic distortion amplitude, and the right vertical axis represents axial clearance in micrometers. The solid curve represents the real-time monitored harmonic distortion amplitude, while the dashed curve represents the axial clearance of the equipment adjusted by the control system. As can be seen from the figure, when the harmonic distortion amplitude shows an upward trend due to external interference or material fluctuations, the control system adjusts the axial clearance accordingly. This adjustment helps to suppress the harmonic distortion amplitude back to a lower level, thereby dynamically maintaining the uniformity of the shear field effect. Figure 3 As shown, the core of this architecture is a central control system, which integrates feedforward control logic and feedback control logic for implementing feedforward and feedback control, respectively, as well as ultrasonic closed-loop control for constructing particle microstructure. The operating parameters of these software logics come from a parameter calibration database. Operators can interact with the central control system through operator terminals. At the physical equipment level, the central control system receives input signals from the mixing equipment with power monitoring and outputs control commands to the dynamic slit high-shear equipment and the pellet mill with ultrasonic processing. The material flows through these devices and the subsequent low-temperature drying equipment in sequence to form finished feed.

[0045] Example 4: This example describes a calibration procedure for determining key control parameters in the method of the present invention. Before the first production of a new high-fat fish feed formula, the control system needs to be calibrated. The initial state of this procedure is defined as follows: the target is a set of standard batches of feed raw materials whose main physicochemical indicators are limited to a protein content between 45.0% and 45.5% and a moisture content between 10.0% and 10.5%; the production equipment used has not been calibrated, but its hardware unit functions such as power monitoring, speed and gap adjustment, and ultrasonic power adjustment are all in normal working condition; the calibration process first determines the power consumption reference value required by the feedforward control logic, puts the aforementioned standard batches of feed raw materials into the mixing equipment, mixes for 300 seconds at the set standard speed, during which the power monitoring module continuously collects the power consumption data of the drive equipment, the control system discards the non-steady-state data of the first 60 seconds, calculates the time average of the power consumption data in the subsequent 240 seconds, and obtains 1.85kW, which is stored as the power consumption reference value of the formula.

[0046] Subsequently, using this power consumption benchmark, a reference batch of feed was prepared using standard batch raw materials. During this preparation process, the axial geometric gap of the dynamic slit high-shear region and the ultrasonic power of the agglomeration step were both manually adjusted. By online detection of the morphology retention rate of the final particle sample after soaking in water for 2 hours, the aforementioned two parameters were repeatedly adjusted until the stability in water was greater than 95%, thereby determining a set of operating parameters. When the equipment was running stably under this set of parameters, the control system recorded the stable value of the harmonic distortion characteristics extracted from the current feedback signal, obtaining the amplitude of the third harmonic as 0.05 (arbitrary unit). This value was set and stored as the control target of the feedback control logic. At the same time, the acoustic sensor monitored and recorded the peak energy intensity of the broadband acoustic emission signal in the preset harmonic frequency band under this state. The stable value is 1.25 (in arbitrary units), which is set and stored as the target peak energy intensity in the ultrasonic closed-loop control rule. After the above procedures are completed, the power consumption reference value, harmonic distortion characteristic target value, and target peak energy intensity for this specific formulation will be determined. It is identified and loaded into the control system as a control parameter for subsequent automated production.

[0047] Example 5: This example describes the adaptive adjustment process of the control system of the present invention to the drift of physical parameters of the equipment under long-term continuous production conditions. In a feed production task that runs continuously for 8 hours, the equipment starts to run after completing parameter calibration according to the above procedure. When production reaches the 5th hour, the rotating parts in the high shear area of ​​the dynamic slit generate heat and thermal expansion due to long-term operation, which causes the axial geometric gap between the two rotating surfaces to deviate from the initial calibration value, thereby increasing the spatial non-uniformity of the shear stress acting on the slurry.

[0048] Under this operating condition, the control system detects that the amplitude of the harmonic distortion characteristic in the current feedback signal of the drive power source is higher than the determined control target value. The feedback control logic is then triggered, driving the piezoelectric ceramic actuator to make compensatory adjustments to the axial geometric clearance until the amplitude of the harmonic distortion characteristic converges again and stabilizes near the control target value. Samples of the finished feed pellets produced in the 1st and 8th hours were taken for testing, and no statistically significant difference was found in the stability index in water between the two. During this period, the feedback control logic continuously adjusted the axial geometric clearance without human intervention.

[0049] Example 6: Before the first production of a new high-fat fish feed formula, the control system needs to be calibrated. The initial state of this procedure is defined as follows: the target is a set of standard batches of feed ingredients whose main physicochemical indicators are limited to a protein content between 45.0% and 45.5% and a moisture content between 10.0% and 10.5%. The production equipment used has not been calibrated, but its hardware unit functions such as power monitoring, speed and gap adjustment, and ultrasonic power adjustment are all in normal working condition. The calibration process first determines the power consumption reference value required by the feedforward control logic. The aforementioned standard batches of feed ingredients are put into the mixing equipment and mixed for 300 seconds at the set standard speed. During this period, the power monitoring module continuously collects the power consumption data of the drive equipment. The control system discards the non-steady-state data of the first 60 seconds and calculates the time average of the power consumption data in the subsequent 240 seconds to obtain 1.85kW. This value is stored as the power consumption reference value of the formula.

[0050] Subsequently, using this power consumption benchmark, a reference batch of feed was prepared using standard batch raw materials. During this preparation process, the axial geometric gap of the dynamic slit high-shear region and the ultrasonic power of the agglomeration step were both manually adjusted. By online detection of the morphology retention rate of the final particle sample after soaking in water for 2 hours, the aforementioned two parameters were repeatedly adjusted until the stability in water was greater than 95%, thereby determining a set of operating parameters. When the equipment was running stably under this set of parameters, the control system recorded the stable value of the harmonic distortion characteristics extracted from the current feedback signal, obtaining the amplitude of the third harmonic as 0.05 (arbitrary unit). This value was set and stored as the control target of the feedback control logic. At the same time, the acoustic sensor monitored and recorded the peak energy intensity of the broadband acoustic emission signal in the preset harmonic frequency band under this state. The stable value is 1.25 (in arbitrary units), which is set and stored as the target peak energy intensity in the ultrasonic closed-loop control rule. After the above procedures are completed, the power consumption reference value, harmonic distortion characteristic target value, and target peak energy intensity for this specific formulation will be determined. It is identified and loaded into the control system as a control parameter for subsequent automated production.

[0051] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention.

[0052] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a compound aquatic feed using herb plant extracts as an antibiotic alternative, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Step a: After mixing the feed ingredients containing vanilla plant extract with water to form a slurry, the slurry is flowed through a dynamic slit high-shear region consisting of at least two relatively high-speed rotating surfaces. In this dynamic slit high-shear region, the energy applied to the rotating surfaces is controlled to keep the overall temperature of the slurry below 60°C. Under certain conditions, starch or protein undergoes molecular activation to obtain an activated slurry with binding potential; Step b: In response to the problem of uncertain rheological properties of activated slurry caused by fluctuations in the physical properties of different batches of feed raw materials, during the mixing process in step a, the power consumption of the equipment driving the mixing is monitored in real time and an electrical signal characterizing the power consumption is output. Based on the characteristic value of the electrical signal, the rotation speed of the rotating surface is adjusted in a closed loop using feedforward control logic. Step c: To address the issue of uneven spatial distribution of shear stress in the high-shear region due to hydrodynamic effects, during the molecular activation process in step a, a periodic micro-perturbation signal is superimposed on the power source signal driving the rotating surface, and the current feedback signal of the power source is monitored in real time. The harmonic distortion characteristics generated by the interaction between the micro-perturbation signal and the non-uniform shear field are extracted. Based on the harmonic distortion characteristics, the axial geometric gap between the two rotating surfaces is adjusted in a closed loop using feedback control logic until the harmonic distortion characteristics are suppressed to a minimum. Step d involves agglomerating the activated slurry, which has been treated in steps a to c, by applying pressure.

2. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic alternative, and its preparation method, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... In step b, the rotational speed of the rotating surface is adjusted based on the characteristic value of the electrical signal using a feedforward control logic closed loop. This includes: converting continuously collected power consumption data into a power consumption characteristic value that can stably characterize the rheological properties of the current batch of slurry using a time window smoothing algorithm; reducing the rotational speed when the power consumption characteristic value is higher than the reference value; and increasing the rotational speed when the power consumption characteristic value is lower than the reference value. The reference value is the power consumption measured when mixing standard batches of feed raw materials that can produce qualified feed products with predetermined physical performance indicators.

3. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic alternative, and its preparation method, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... In step c, the periodic micro-perturbation signal is a non-sinusoidal periodic perturbation signal; the harmonic distortion characteristics generated by the interaction between the micro-perturbation signal and the non-uniform shear field are extracted, including extracting the amplitude and phase of the harmonic distortion from the current feedback signal of the power source in real time through fast Fourier transform logic; the axial geometric gap between the two rotating surfaces is adjusted in a closed loop by a piezoelectric ceramic actuator.

4. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic alternative, and its preparation method, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... During the agglomeration and molding process in step d, ultrasonic treatment is applied to the activated slurry being extruded in the area where it is being molded. Through the transient cavitation effect induced within the activated slurry, an interconnected porous microstructure is constructed in the final feed. Simultaneously with the ultrasonic treatment, the broadband acoustic emission signal generated by the cavitation effect of the activated slurry is monitored in real time. The peak energy intensity of the acoustic emission signal in the preset harmonic or subharmonic frequency band is then used to determine the optimal signal. The power of the ultrasonic treatment is adjusted in a closed loop according to the following control rules. : ,in, This represents the ultrasonic power during the current control cycle. The preset proportional gain coefficient, The target energy peak intensity is calibrated for measuring the acoustic emission signal of samples prepared using standard process parameters that have target stability and dissolution rate in water.

5. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic alternative, as described in claim 1, and its preparation method, characterized in that, In step a, at least two relatively high-speed rotating surfaces are discs with precision grooves etched on at least two coaxially rotating surfaces; a dynamic slit high-shear region is formed between the discs; the feed ingredients also contain at least one heat-sensitive functional ingredient selected from vitamins, probiotics and enzyme preparations; the entire process is carried out under conditions below the inactivation temperature of the heat-sensitive functional ingredient.

6. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic alternative, and its preparation method, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... Before step a, the process also includes filtering the slurry through a multi-stage filter screen.

7. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic alternative, and its preparation method, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... After step d, the process further includes removing moisture from the formed wet pellets by low-temperature fluidized bed drying or vacuum drying to obtain finished feed.

8. The compound aquatic feed using herb plant extract as an antibiotic substitute, and its preparation method, as described in claim 1, is characterized in that... The herb plant extract is a combination of oregano oil, thymol, and carvacrol.

9. A compound aquatic feed prepared by the method of claim 1, characterized in that, Compound aquatic feed pellets have the following structural and component distribution characteristics: The internal matrix of the granules is composed of starch and protein at a temperature below 60°C. Under certain conditions, molecular activation is induced by mechanical shear energy, resulting in a non-thermally denatured three-dimensional network framework formed by their overlapping. Herb extracts and heat-sensitive functional components are encapsulated and uniformly distributed within a non-thermally denatured three-dimensional network framework; the particles form an interconnected porous microstructure throughout their interior.

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