A device for extracting, separating and enriching phycocyanin from spirulina

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of spirulina bioactive substance extraction equipment, specifically a device for separating and enriching phycocyanin from spirulina. The device includes a base, on which a stirring and feeding buffer tank, a separation unit membrane column assembly, and an enrichment unit are mounted. The stirring and feeding buffer tank contains a stirring mechanism, and the upper section of the drive shaft has an adaptive liquid level raising and lowering dispersing mechanism. A buoyancy ring drives a sliding sleeve to slide up and down along a square sleeve. Inclined dispersing blades always adhere to the liquid surface to disperse floating algae foam, preventing phycocyanin oxidation. The middle section of the drive shaft is equipped with mixing and stirring blades, and the lower section has an arc-shaped scraper to clean algae residue deposited at the bottom of the tank. The tank is externally equipped with a jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism with a spiral guide plate to achieve uniform low-temperature heat exchange throughout the entire area, avoiding high-temperature denaturation of phycocyanin. The separation unit membrane column assembly is equipped with a servo screw-driven overall translation and removal mechanism, along with an automatic contact mechanism linked to stepped rollers, which can automatically clamp and release the membrane column, making disassembly and maintenance convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of equipment technology for extracting bioactive substances from spirulina, and more specifically, to a device for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from spirulina. Background Technology

[0002] Phycocyanin is a highly valuable natural water-soluble bioactive protein found in spirulina, widely used in food coloring, biomedicine, and in vitro antioxidant experiments. Its complete extraction process includes four core steps: spirulina cell disruption, algal slurry storage, microfiltration solid-liquid separation, and ultrafiltration enrichment and concentration. Existing traditional extraction equipment often uses fixed-height stirring tanks. Fluctuations in the feed rate during production cause rises and falls in the liquid level within the tank. Floating light algal flocs and foam cannot be continuously dispersed, leading to oxidation from prolonged contact with air, directly causing phycocyanin fading and a significant decrease in its biological activity. Furthermore, conventional stirring structures lack bottom scraping components, making it easy for broken algal residue to precipitate and clump at the bottom of the conical tank. This reduces the phycocyanin dissolution rate and continuously clogs the downstream separation membrane column, requiring frequent equipment shutdowns for cleaning and severely impacting continuous production efficiency.

[0003] Conventional equipment uses membrane columns directly fixed between pipe supports. Disassembly and reassembly are cumbersome after membrane core blockage or aging, and the lack of automatic positioning and clamping structures makes manual tightening labor-intensive. Furthermore, phycocyanin exhibits significant heat sensitivity; irreversible molecular denaturation occurs above 45°C. Ordinary tank cooling jackets lack spiral flow guiding structures, leading to short-circuit flow in the cooling water, large temperature differences in tank wall heat exchange, and sustained localized high temperatures that damage phycocyanin activity. Currently, the industry lacks integrated extraction equipment that can adaptively disperse floating algae on the liquid surface, achieve uniform low-temperature control throughout the entire process, and enable rapid automatic disassembly and reassembly of membrane modules, making it difficult to simultaneously meet the demands of phycocyanin product quality and large-scale continuous production. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a device for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: a device for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from spirulina, comprising a horizontally arranged base, a stirring and feeding buffer tank, a separation unit membrane column assembly, and an enrichment unit are sequentially fixed on the top surface of the base; the bottom discharge pipe of the stirring and feeding buffer tank is connected to the material inlet pipe of the separation unit membrane column assembly, and a pump body for conveying spirulina cell wall breaking solution is installed on the connecting pipe; a clarified filtrate outlet is provided on the upper side wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly, and the filtrate outlet is connected to the feed end of the enrichment unit through a conveying pipe; a waste residue discharge outlet is provided at the bottom of the separation unit membrane column assembly, and a sewage discharge pipe is connected to the waste residue discharge outlet; a stirring mechanism is installed in the inner cavity of the stirring and feeding buffer tank, and the stirring mechanism includes a drive shaft that vertically penetrates the tank cavity; a dispersing mechanism that can adaptively raise and lower the liquid level is installed on the outer wall of the upper section of the drive shaft; The dispersing mechanism includes a square sleeve, a sliding sleeve, dispersing blades, limiting rings, and a hollow buoyancy ring. The square sleeve is interference-fitted and fixed to the outer wall of the upper cylindrical section of the drive shaft. The outer peripheral wall of the square sleeve is mirror-smooth. The sliding sleeve is a rectangular ring structure and is fitted onto the outside of the square sleeve. The inner wall of the sliding sleeve and the outer wall of the square sleeve are clearance-fitted and can slide freely vertically. One dispersing blade is fixed at an angle on each of the four outer walls of the sliding sleeve. A hollow sealed annular buoyancy ring is fixed to the outer side of the four dispersing blades. Annular limiting rings are fixed at the upper and lower ends of the square sleeve. The two sets of limiting rings cooperate to limit the maximum stroke of the sliding sleeve's vertical movement.

[0006] Specifically, the stirring mechanism also includes a stirring motor and multiple sets of stirring blades. The stirring motor is vertically fixedly installed at the center of the top end cap of the stirring feed buffer tank. The output shaft of the stirring motor is fixedly connected to the top of the drive shaft through a rigid coupling. The output torque of the drive motor drives the drive shaft to rotate at a low speed. Multiple straight stirring blades are evenly fixed in a circular array along the middle section of the drive shaft. The multiple sets of stirring blades are distributed in the main material liquid area in the middle of the tank to mix the lower and middle layers of algae slurry in the tank and suppress the stratification of the material liquid in the tank.

[0007] Specifically, the lower section of the drive shaft is equipped with a cleaning mechanism for removing algae deposits at the bottom of the tank. The cleaning mechanism includes a mounting sleeve, multiple mounting rods, and an arc-shaped scraper. The mounting sleeve is fixedly fitted onto the bottom of the drive shaft. Multiple radially extending mounting rods are evenly fixed along the outer circumference of the mounting sleeve. An arc-shaped scraper is fixed to the end of each mounting rod away from the drive shaft. The bottom edge of all the arc-shaped scrapers is in close contact with the inner wall of the conical bottom of the mixing feed buffer tank. During the rotation of the drive shaft, the scrapers simultaneously scrape the bottom of the tank.

[0008] Specifically, the mixing and feeding buffer tank is equipped with a jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism on its exterior. This mechanism includes a jacketed sleeve, a cooling water inlet, a cooling water outlet, and a spiral guide plate. The jacketed sleeve is fully welded to the outer wall of the mixing and feeding buffer tank, forming a sealed cooling water jacketed cavity between the jacketed sleeve and the tank wall. The spiral guide plate is continuously welded inside the jacketed cavity and is arranged in a spiral pattern along the height of the tank. A water inlet is opened on the bottom side wall of the jacketed sleeve to allow low-temperature cooling water to enter, and a water outlet is opened on the top side wall of the jacketed sleeve to discharge the cooled water after heat exchange. The cooling water forms a spiral flow channel along the spiral guide plate, achieving uniform heat exchange throughout the tank and stabilizing the low-temperature storage environment of the algae slurry inside the tank.

[0009] Specifically, the membrane column assembly of the separation unit is equipped with a movable removal mechanism on its outer side for quick disassembly and maintenance. The removal mechanism includes two symmetrically arranged sliding seats, a servo motor, a mounting plate, a transmission screw, a threaded block, and a placement slot for placing the membrane column assembly. Two parallel sliding seats are symmetrically fixed to the top surface of the base via a vertical bracket. A threaded block is slidably mounted inside each sliding seat. A whole mounting plate is horizontally fixed between two threaded blocks. Several circular placement slots are equidistantly formed on the mounting plate. The membrane column assembly of the separation unit is vertically and detachably locked inside the placement slot. A screw is rotatably mounted inside the sliding seat. The screw engages with the threaded block for transmission. A servo motor is installed at the outer end of the sliding seat. The output shaft of the servo motor is connected to the end of the screw. The servo motor drives the screw to rotate forward and backward, thereby moving the threaded block, the mounting plate, and the membrane column assembly of the separation unit horizontally to remove the membrane column from the pipeline docking position.

[0010] Specifically, each placement slot on the mounting plate has a notch-type misalignment groove on its side wall. The misalignment groove is used to avoid the external pipeline connector on the side wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly, so as to remove the separation unit membrane column assembly vertically upward. The top surface of the base is also horizontally fixed with a placement plate. The placement plate is located below the translation path of the mounting plate and can temporarily receive and store the disassembled separation unit membrane column assembly.

[0011] Specifically, two sets of automatically linked abutment mechanisms are symmetrically assembled at both ends of the mounting plate. These abutment mechanisms are used to automatically clamp and fix the membrane column assembly of the separation unit. Each abutment mechanism includes an arc-shaped abutment plate, multiple guide posts, an inclined block, a vertical fixing rod, a compression spring, an inclined top abutment rod, rollers, and a stepped plate. Multiple parallel guide posts are horizontally fixed inside the mounting plate. The abutment plate slides horizontally through the outside of the guide posts. An inclined block is fixed to the end of the abutment plate facing outwards from the mounting plate. A fixing rod is vertically fixed downwards at the bottom of the mounting plate. A fixing plate is slidably mounted on the outside of the fixing rod. A compression spring is sleeved between the fixing plate and the bottom surface of the mounting plate, and on the outside of the fixing rod. A stop rod is fixed on the fixing plate. The top of the stop rod is machined with an inclined surface and abuts against the inclined surface of the inclined block. A roller is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the stop rod. A step plate is fixed on the base corresponding to the movement path of the roller. The step plate has two levels of steps. During the translation of the mounting plate, the roller rolls along the high and low steps of the step plate. The linkage stop rod and the inclined block drive the stop plate to automatically clamp inward or loosen outward to separate the outer wall of the membrane column assembly of the separation unit.

[0012] Specifically, the side of the contact plate facing the placement groove and in contact with the outer wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly is processed into an arc-shaped contact surface. A thickened rubber pad is glued to the entire arc-shaped contact surface. The rubber pad increases the static friction between the contact plate and the outer wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly, while buffering rigid compression, preventing the membrane column shell from being deformed by pressure, and ensuring that the separation unit membrane column assembly is stably positioned in the placement groove without shaking.

[0013] Specifically, the dispersing blades are arranged at an angle downwards along the direction of rotation to form a downward-pressing fluid flow field. The sliding sleeve transmits torque only through static friction between its inner wall and the outer wall of the smooth square sleeve, and rotates synchronously with the drive shaft. The annular hollow buoyancy ring is immersed in the algae slurry. The upward buoyancy generated by the buoyancy ring completely offsets the total weight of the sliding sleeve and the multiple dispersing blades. When the liquid level rises or falls, the buoyancy ring drives the sliding sleeve to slide freely vertically along the square sleeve, so that the dispersing blades always remain at the interface between the material, liquid, gas, and liquid, continuously pressing down to disperse the floating algae and foam on the surface, and isolating the air to prevent the phycocyanin from oxidizing and fading.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) Adaptive liquid surface dispersing mechanism: The buoyancy ring counteracts the weight of the sliding sleeve and the blade. When the liquid level rises or falls, the sliding sleeve slides freely along the smooth square sleeve. The tilted and pressed blade always stays at the interface between the material, liquid, gas and liquid, dispersing the surface algae and foam, isolating oxygen, and preventing the oxidation and fading of phycocyanin from the source. It rotates synchronously by relying on surface friction transmission. It has no keyway or uneven structure, and is not easy to accumulate algae residue and get stuck. Cleaning and maintenance are simple.

[0015] (2) Multi-level staged stirring system: The middle section straight stirring paddle mixes the main liquid in the tank, and the bottom arc scraper continuously scrapes the bottom of the conical tank to completely eliminate the dead corner of algal residue deposition, improve the phycocyanin dissolution and extraction rate, and at the same time reduce the frequency of membrane column blockage in the downstream separation unit and extend the service life of the membrane core.

[0016] (3) Spiral guide jacket constant temperature control: Cooling water is uniformly heated around the tank along the spiral guide plate, with no local high temperature area, and the suitable low temperature storage range for phycocyanin is stably maintained, effectively preventing the protein from denaturing and inactivating at high temperature; the jacket covering structure can be externally added with an insulation layer to reduce the energy consumption of the chiller unit.

[0017] (4) Membrane column assembly translation and removal mechanism: The servo screw drives the mounting plate to move all separation unit membrane column assemblies synchronously and detach them from the pipeline docking position in one go; the placement slot is equipped with a misaligned slot to avoid the upper and lower pipeline joints, and the base placement plate can temporarily store the membrane column. A single person can complete the disassembly, cleaning and replacement of the membrane core, which greatly shortens the downtime maintenance time and ensures continuous production.

[0018] (5) Step roller linkage automatic contact mechanism: Relying on the horizontal movement of the mounting plate and the cooperation of the roller with the step plate, the linkage spring and inclined block realize the automatic clamping or loosening of the membrane column by the contact plate, without the need for manual tightening of fasteners, reducing labor intensity; the arc-shaped rubber pad buffers the compression and increases the friction, the membrane column is positioned stably and does not shake, avoiding pipeline misalignment and leakage. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mixing and feeding buffer tank of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the dispersing mechanism of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the back of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the mounting plate and the membrane column assembly of the separation unit of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the sliding seat and the mounting plate of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the mounting plate, the abutment, and the step plate of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the contact plate, inclined block and abutment rod of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the mounting plate and the contact plate of the present invention.

[0024] In the diagram: 1. Base; 2. Mixing and feeding buffer tank; 3. Mixing mechanism; 301. Mixing motor; 302. Drive shaft; 303. Mixing blade; 4. Cleaning mechanism; 401. Mounting sleeve; 402. Mounting rod; 403. Scraper; 5. Dispersing mechanism; 501. Square sleeve; 502. Sliding sleeve; 503. Dispersing blade; 504. Limiting ring; 505. Buoyancy ring; 6. Jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism; 601. Jacketed sleeve; 602. Inlet; 603. Outlet; 604. Spiral guide plate; 7. Separation unit 8. Membrane column assembly; 9. Removal mechanism; 10. Sliding seat; 11. Servo motor; 20. Mounting plate; 3. Lead screw; 4. Threaded block; 5. Placement slot; 6. Misalignment slot; 7. Placement plate; 808. Placement plate; 9. Abutment mechanism; 10. Rubber pad; 11. Abutment plate; 22. Guide column; 33. Inclined block; 44. Fixing plate; 55. Fixing plate; 66. Fixing rod; 77. Spring; 88. Abutment rod; 909. Roller; 910. Stepped plate; 11. Enrichment unit; 12. Pump body; 13. Drain pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0026] like Figures 1-9 As shown, the present invention discloses a device for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from spirulina, comprising a horizontally arranged base 1. A stirring and feeding buffer tank 2, a separation unit membrane column assembly 7, and an enrichment unit 10 are sequentially fixed on the top surface of the base 1. The bottom discharge pipe of the stirring and feeding buffer tank 2 is connected to the material inlet pipe of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7. A pump body 11 for conveying the spirulina cell wall breaking solution is installed on the connecting pipe. A clarified filtrate outlet is opened on the upper side wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7. The filtrate outlet is connected to the feed end of the enrichment unit 10 through a conveying pipe. A waste residue discharge outlet is provided at the bottom of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7. The waste residue discharge outlet is connected to a sewage pipe 12. During the production process, the precipitated algal residue can be discharged through the sewage pipe 12 at regular intervals.

[0027] Furthermore, the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2 is a stainless steel sealed tank with a conical bottom. The inner cavity of the tank is equipped with a mixing mechanism 3. The mixing mechanism 3 includes a drive shaft 302 that runs vertically through the tank cavity. The mixing mechanism 3 is also equipped with a mixing motor 301 and multiple sets of mixing blades 303. The mixing motor 301 is vertically fixedly installed at the center of the top end cap of the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2. The output shaft of the mixing motor 301 is fixedly connected to the top of the drive shaft 302 through a rigid coupling. The output torque of the mixing motor 301 drives the drive shaft 302 to rotate at a low speed. Multiple straight mixing blades 303 are evenly fixed in a circular array along the circumference of the middle section of the drive shaft 302. The multiple sets of mixing blades 303 are distributed in the main material liquid area in the middle of the tank. When the drive shaft 302 rotates, the mixing blades 303 agitate the middle and lower layers of algae slurry, suppressing the stratification of the material liquid in the tank.

[0028] Furthermore, a dispersing mechanism 5 capable of adaptive liquid level adjustment is assembled on the outer wall of the upper section of the drive shaft 302. The dispersing mechanism 5 includes a square sleeve 501, a sliding sleeve 502, a dispersing blade 503, a limiting ring 504, and a hollow buoyancy ring 505. The square sleeve 501 is interference-fitted and fixed to the cylindrical outer wall of the upper section of the drive shaft 302. The outer peripheral wall of the square sleeve 501 is mirror-smooth. The sliding sleeve 502 has a rectangular ring structure and is slidably fitted onto the outside of the square sleeve 501. The inner wall of the sliding sleeve 502 is flush with the outer surface of the square sleeve 501. The outer wall of the square sleeve 501 has a clearance fit, allowing it to slide freely vertically. Each of the four outer walls of the sliding sleeve 502 is fixed with a dispersing blade 503 at an angle. A hollow, sealed annular buoyancy ring 505 is fixed to the outer side of the four dispersing blades 503. Annular limiting rings 504 are fixed at the upper and lower ends of the square sleeve 501, respectively. The two sets of limiting rings 504 work together to limit the maximum stroke of the sliding sleeve 502 to prevent the sliding sleeve 502 from leaving the effective guide area of ​​the square sleeve 501.

[0029] Furthermore, the dispersing blades 503 are arranged at an angle downwards along the direction of rotation, forming a downward-pressing fluid flow field. The sliding sleeve 502 transmits torque only by the static friction between its inner wall and the outer wall of the smooth square sleeve 501, and rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 302. The annular hollow buoyancy ring 505 is completely submerged in the algae slurry. The upward buoyancy generated by the buoyancy ring 505 completely offsets the total weight of the sliding sleeve 502 and the multiple dispersing blades 503. When the liquid level rises and falls, the buoyancy ring 505 drives the sliding sleeve 502 to slide freely vertically along the square sleeve 501. The dispersing blades 503 always remain at the interface between the liquid and gas, continuously pressing down to disperse the floating algae and foam on the surface, isolating the air and preventing the phycocyanin from oxidizing and fading.

[0030] Furthermore, the lower section of the drive shaft 302 is equipped with a cleaning mechanism 4 for removing algae residue deposited at the bottom of the tank. The cleaning mechanism 4 includes a mounting sleeve 401, multiple mounting rods 402, and an arc-shaped scraper 403. The mounting sleeve 401 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the drive shaft 302. Multiple radially extending mounting rods 402 are evenly fixed along the outer circumference of the mounting sleeve 401. An arc-shaped scraper 403 is fixed to the end of each mounting rod 402 away from the drive shaft 302. The bottom edge of all the arc-shaped scrapers 403 is in close contact with the inner wall of the conical bottom of the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2. During the rotation of the drive shaft 302, the arc-shaped scrapers 403 simultaneously scrape the inner wall of the tank bottom to prevent the algae residue from accumulating and clumping over a long period of time.

[0031] Furthermore, the outer surface of the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2 is integrally equipped with a jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism 6. The jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism 6 includes a jacketed sleeve 601, a cooling water inlet 602, a cooling water outlet 603, and a spiral guide plate 604. The jacketed sleeve 601 is fully welded to the outer wall of the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2, forming a sealed cooling water jacketed cavity between the jacketed sleeve 601 and the tank wall. The spiral guide plate 604 is continuously welded inside the jacketed cavity. The spiral guide plate 604 is arranged in a spiral arrangement along the height of the tank. A water inlet 602 is opened on the bottom side wall of the jacketed sleeve 601 to introduce low-temperature cooling water, and a water outlet 603 is opened on the top side wall of the jacketed sleeve 601 to discharge the cooled water after heat exchange. The cooling water forms a spiral flow channel along the spiral guide plate 604, realizing uniform heat exchange throughout the tank, stabilizing the low-temperature storage environment of the algae slurry in the tank, and preventing the high-temperature denaturation and inactivation of phycocyanin.

[0032] Furthermore, a movable removal mechanism 8 is provided on the outside of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7 for quick disassembly and maintenance of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7. The removal mechanism 8 includes two symmetrically arranged sliding seats 801, a servo motor 802, a mounting plate 803, a transmission screw 804, a threaded block 805, and a placement groove 806. Two parallel sliding seats 801 are symmetrically fixed to the top surface of the base 1 by a vertical bracket. A threaded block 805 is slidably assembled inside each sliding seat 801. A whole mounting plate 803 is horizontally fixed between the two threaded blocks 805. A number of circular placement slots 806 are equally spaced on the plate. The separation unit membrane column assembly 7 is vertically and detachably locked inside the placement slot 806. A lead screw 804 is rotatably mounted in the inner cavity of the sliding seat 801. The lead screw 804 is threadedly engaged with the threaded block 805 for transmission. A servo motor 802 is installed at the outer end of the sliding seat 801. The output shaft of the servo motor 802 is connected to the end of the lead screw 804. The servo motor 802 drives the lead screw 804 to rotate forward and backward, which can drive the threaded block 805, the mounting plate 803 and the separation unit membrane column assembly 7 to move laterally as a whole, and move the membrane column out from the pipeline docking position.

[0033] Furthermore, each placement slot 806 on the mounting plate 803 has a notch-type misalignment slot 807 on its side wall. The misalignment slot 807 is used to avoid the external pipeline connector on the side wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7, so as to remove the separation unit membrane column assembly 7 vertically upward. The top surface of the base 1 is also horizontally fixed with a placement plate 808. The placement plate 808 is located below the translation path of the mounting plate 803 and can temporarily receive and store the disassembled separation unit membrane column assembly 7, which is convenient for manual cleaning and replacement of the membrane core.

[0034] Furthermore, two sets of automatic linkage abutment mechanisms 9 are symmetrically assembled at both ends of the mounting plate 803. The abutment mechanism 9 is used to automatically clamp and fix the membrane column assembly 7 of the separation unit. The abutment mechanism 9 includes an arc-shaped abutment plate 902, multiple guide posts 903, inclined block 904, vertical fixing rod 906, compression spring 907, inclined top abutment rod 908, roller 909, and step plate 910. Multiple parallel guide posts 903 are horizontally fixed inside the mounting plate 803. The abutment plate 902 slides horizontally through the outside of the guide posts 903. The inclined block 904 is fixed to the end of the abutment plate 902 facing the outside of the mounting plate 803. The fixing rod 906 is vertically fixed downward at the bottom of the mounting plate 803. 06 The outer sliding mounting plate 905 is fixed. A compression spring 907 is sleeved between the fixing plate 905 and the bottom surface of the mounting plate 803 and on the outer side of the fixing rod 906. A stop rod 908 is fixed on the fixing plate 905. The top of the stop rod 908 is machined with a bevel and abuts against the bevel of the bevel block 904. A roller 909 is rotatably mounted at the bottom of the stop rod 908. A step plate 910 is fixed on the base 1 corresponding to the movement path of the roller 909. The step plate 910 is set with two levels of steps. During the translation of the mounting plate 803, the roller 909 rolls along the high and low steps of the step plate 910. The linkage stop rod 908 and the bevel block 904 drive the contact plate 902 to automatically clamp inward or loosen outward to separate the outer wall of the membrane column assembly 7 of the separation unit. The side of the contact plate 902 facing the placement groove 806 and in contact with the outer wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7 is processed into an arc-shaped contact surface. A thickened rubber pad 901 is glued to the entire arc-shaped contact surface. The rubber pad 901 increases the static friction between the contact plate 902 and the outer wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly 7, while buffering rigid compression, preventing the membrane column shell from being deformed by pressure, and ensuring that the separation unit membrane column assembly 7 is stably positioned in the placement groove 806 without shaking.

[0035] Furthermore, the enrichment unit 10 is a horizontally arranged ultrafiltration membrane concentration component. The feed end of the enrichment unit 10 receives the clear and dilute phycocyanin filtrate produced by the separation unit membrane column component 7. The molecular weight cutoff of the ultrafiltration membrane matches the molecular size of the phycocyanin. Large phycocyanin molecules are retained and concentrated by the membrane, while water molecules, inorganic salts, and small polysaccharide impurities can penetrate the membrane layer and be continuously discharged, thereby continuously reducing the total volume of the feed solution, increasing the concentration of phycocyanin and the purity of the finished product, and completing the enrichment and concentration process of the target protein.

[0036] In use, the servo motor 802 is first started to drive the transmission screw 804 in the forward direction, which drives the threaded block 805 and the mounting plate 803 to move forward. The roller 909 climbs up the high-level inclined surface of the stepped plate 910, and the abutment rod 908 pushes the inclined block 904 upward. The arc-shaped abutment plate 902 clamps the separation unit membrane column assembly 7 inward. The membrane column is stably positioned by the rubber pad 901, and the pipeline connection is sealed. Then, the corresponding connection flanges are tightened with bolts. Subsequently, low-temperature cooling water is introduced into the cooling water inlet 602 of the jacket temperature control and insulation mechanism 6. The cooling water circulates around the jacket sleeve 601 along the spiral guide plate 604. The cooling water flows back from the cooling water outlet 603, pre-cooling the tank body of the stirring feed buffer tank 2 to a low-temperature range of 15-30°C. Open the top inlet of the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2, add the spirulina cell wall breaking solution, start the mixing motor 301, and drive the shaft 302 to rotate at low speed. The middle section mixing blade 303 mixes the main algae slurry in the tank. The arc-shaped scraper 403 at the bottom of the drive shaft 302 continuously scrapes the bottom of the conical tank to prevent algae residue from settling. The square sleeve 501 at the top of the drive shaft 302 drives the sliding sleeve 502 and the dispersing blade 503 to rotate synchronously by friction. The hollow buoyancy ring 505 automatically rises and falls with the current liquid level. The dispersing blade 503 always presses down on the surface algae and foam to isolate air and prevent the oxidation of phycocyanin. The blade height does not need to be manually adjusted throughout the process.

[0037] Then, the pump body 11 is started to transport the algal slurry mixed inside the stirring feed buffer tank 2 to the membrane column assembly 7 of the separation unit. The solid algal residue is intercepted by the membrane column. The waste residue is discharged by opening the drain pipe 12 valve at regular intervals. The clarified phycocyanin filtrate obtained by filtration is sent to the enrichment unit 10 through the pipeline. Under the action of ultrafiltration membrane, it is circulated and concentrated to continuously produce high-concentration phycocyanin finished liquid. If maintenance or replacement of the unit membrane column assembly 7 is required after shutdown, the pump body 11, stirring motor 301 and cooling water circulation are turned off. The servo motor 802 is controlled to rotate in reverse. The transmission screw 804 drives the mounting plate 803 to move outward. The roller 909 slides down to the low position of the step plate 910. The compression spring 907 pulls the abutment rod 908 to release the inclined block 904. The arc-shaped abutment plate 902 is released outward to separate the unit membrane column assembly 7. The operator can vertically remove the membrane column along the misalignment groove 807 above the placement groove 806 and temporarily place it on the placement plate 808 to complete cleaning and membrane core replacement. After maintenance, the servo motor 802 is reversed to reset and clamp the membrane column, restore pipeline connection and continue production.

[0038] After production is completed, cleaning water is introduced into the mixing and feeding buffer tank 2, the mixing mechanism 3 continues to operate, the dispersing mechanism 5 and the cleaning mechanism 4 simultaneously flush the tank wall and tank bottom, the jacket temperature control and insulation mechanism 6 introduces warm water to assist cleaning, all pipelines, separation unit membrane column assembly 7 and enrichment unit 10 can be cleaned in situ simultaneously, and the cleaning wastewater is discharged uniformly through the sewage pipe 12.

[0039] 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 invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0040] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A device for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from spirulina, comprising a horizontally arranged base (1), wherein a stirring and feeding buffer tank (2), a separation unit membrane column assembly (7), and an enrichment unit (10) are sequentially fixed on the top surface of the base (1), wherein the bottom discharge pipe of the stirring and feeding buffer tank (2) is connected to the material inlet pipe of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7), and a pump body (11) for conveying spirulina cell wall breaking solution is installed on the connecting pipe, wherein a clarified filtrate outlet is provided on the upper side wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7), and the filtrate outlet is connected to the feed end of the enrichment unit (10) through a conveying pipe, wherein a waste residue discharge outlet is provided at the bottom end of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7), and a sewage discharge pipe (12) is connected to the waste residue discharge outlet, wherein the device is characterized in that: The inner cavity of the stirring feed buffer tank (2) is equipped with a stirring mechanism (3), the stirring mechanism (3) includes a drive shaft (302) that runs vertically through the tank cavity, and the upper section of the drive shaft (302) is equipped with a dispersing mechanism (5) that can adapt to the liquid level rise and fall. The dispersing mechanism (5) includes a square sleeve (501), a sliding sleeve (502), a dispersing blade (503), a limiting ring (504), and a hollow buoyancy ring (505). The square sleeve (501) is interference-fitted and fixed to the outer wall of the upper cylindrical section of the drive shaft (302). The outer peripheral wall of the square sleeve (501) is mirror-smooth. The sliding sleeve (502) is a rectangular ring structure that slides onto the outside of the square sleeve (501). The inner wall of the sliding sleeve (502) is flush with the outer wall of the square sleeve (501). The square sleeve (501) has a clearance fit on its outer wall, allowing it to slide freely vertically. Each of the four outer walls of the sliding sleeve (502) is fixed with a dispersing blade (503) at an angle. A hollow sealed annular buoyancy ring (505) is fixed around the outer side of the four dispersing blades (503). Annular limiting rings (504) are fixed at the upper and lower ends of the square sleeve (501). The two sets of limiting rings (504) work together to limit the maximum stroke of the sliding sleeve (502) sliding up and down.

2. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring mechanism (3) also includes a stirring motor (301) and multiple sets of stirring blades (303). The stirring motor (301) is vertically fixed at the center of the top end cap of the stirring feed buffer tank (2). The output shaft of the stirring motor (301) is fixedly connected to the top of the drive shaft (302) through a rigid coupling. The output torque of the drive motor drives the drive shaft (302) to rotate at a low speed. Multiple straight stirring blades (303) are evenly fixed in a circular array along the middle section of the drive shaft (302). The multiple sets of stirring blades (303) are distributed in the main liquid area in the middle of the tank to mix the lower and middle layers of algae slurry in the tank and suppress the stratification of the liquid in the tank.

3. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower section of the drive shaft (302) is equipped with a cleaning mechanism (4) for removing algae deposits at the bottom of the tank. The cleaning mechanism (4) includes a mounting sleeve (401), multiple mounting rods (402), and an arc-shaped scraper (403). The mounting sleeve (401) is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the drive shaft (302). Multiple radially extending mounting rods (402) are uniformly fixed along the outer circumference of the mounting sleeve (401). An arc-shaped scraper (403) is fixed at the end of each mounting rod (402) away from the drive shaft (302). The bottom edge of all the arc-shaped scrapers (403) is tightly fitted to the inner wall of the conical bottom of the mixing feed buffer tank (2). During the rotation of the drive shaft (302), the scrapers (403) simultaneously scrape the bottom of the tank.

4. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mixing and feeding buffer tank (2) is integrally equipped with a jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism (6) on the outside of the tank body. The jacketed temperature control and insulation mechanism (6) includes a jacketed sleeve (601), a cooling water inlet (602), a cooling water outlet (603), and a spiral guide plate (604). The jacketed sleeve (601) is fully covered and welded to the outer wall of the mixing and feeding buffer tank (2). A sealed cooling water jacket cavity is formed between the jacketed sleeve (601) and the tank wall. Inside the jacket cavity... A continuous welded spiral guide plate (604) is arranged to spiral around the height of the tank. A water inlet (602) is opened on the bottom side wall of the jacket sleeve (601) to introduce low-temperature cooling water. A water outlet (603) is opened on the top side wall of the jacket sleeve (601) to discharge the cooling water after heat exchange. The cooling water forms a spiral flow channel along the spiral guide plate (604) to achieve uniform heat exchange throughout the tank and stabilize the low-temperature storage environment of the algae slurry in the tank.

5. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 1, characterized in that: The membrane column assembly (7) of the separation unit is equipped with a movable removal mechanism (8) that can be moved as a whole for quick disassembly and maintenance of the membrane column assembly (7). The removal mechanism (8) includes two sets of symmetrically arranged sliding seats (801), a servo motor (802), a mounting plate (803), a transmission screw (804), a threaded block (805), and a placement slot (806) for placing the membrane column assembly (7). The top surface of the base (1) is symmetrically fixed with two parallel sliding seats (801) by a vertical bracket. Each sliding seat (801) has a threaded block (805) slidably assembled inside. A whole mounting plate (803) is horizontally fixed between the two threaded blocks (805). A number of circular placement slots (806) are equally spaced on the mounting plate (803). The separation unit membrane column assembly (7) is vertically and detachably installed inside the placement slot (806). A lead screw (804) is rotatably mounted in the inner cavity of the sliding seat (801). The lead screw (804) is threadedly engaged with the threaded block (805) for transmission. A servo motor (802) is installed at the outer end of the sliding seat (801). The output shaft of the servo motor (802) is connected to the end of the lead screw (804). The servo motor (802) drives the lead screw (804) to rotate forward and backward, which can drive the threaded block (805), the mounting plate (803), and the separation unit membrane column assembly (7) to move laterally as a whole, moving the membrane column out from the pipeline docking position.

6. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each placement slot (806) on the mounting plate (803) has a notch-type misalignment slot (807) on its side wall. The misalignment slot (807) is used to avoid the external pipeline connector of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7) on its side wall, so as to realize the vertical upward removal of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7). The top surface of the base (1) is also horizontally fixed with a placement plate (808). The placement plate (808) is located below the translation path of the mounting plate (803) and can temporarily receive and store the disassembled separation unit membrane column assembly (7).

7. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 5, characterized in that: Two sets of automatic linkage abutment mechanisms (9) are symmetrically assembled at the left and right ends of the mounting plate (803). The abutment mechanism (9) is used to automatically clamp and fix the membrane column assembly (7) of the separation unit. The abutment mechanism (9) includes an arc-shaped abutment plate (902), multiple guide posts (903), inclined block (904), vertical fixing rod (906), compression spring (907), inclined top abutment rod (908), roller (909), and step plate (910). Multiple parallel guide posts (903) are horizontally fixed inside the mounting plate (803). The abutment plate (902) slides horizontally through the outside of the guide posts (903). The inclined block (904) is fixed at the end of the abutment plate (902) facing the outside of the mounting plate (803). The fixing rod (906) is vertically fixed downward at the bottom of the mounting plate (803). An outer sliding mounting plate (905) is provided. A compression spring (907) is fitted between the bottom surface of the mounting plate (803) and the outer side of the fixing rod (906). A stop rod (908) is fixed on the mounting plate (905). The top of the stop rod (908) is machined with an inclined surface and abuts against the inclined surface of the inclined block (904). A roller (909) is mounted on the bottom of the stop rod (908). A step plate (910) is fixed on the base (1) corresponding to the movement path of the roller (909). The step plate (910) is provided with two levels of steps. During the translation of the mounting plate (803), the roller (909) rolls along the steps of the step plate (910). The linkage stop rod (908) and the inclined block (904) drive the contact plate (902) to automatically clamp inward or loosen outward to separate the membrane column assembly (7) of the separation unit.

8. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 7, characterized in that: The side of the contact plate (902) facing the placement groove (806) and in contact with the outer wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7) is processed into an arc-shaped contact surface. A thickened rubber pad (901) is glued to the entire arc-shaped contact surface. The rubber pad (901) increases the static friction between the contact plate (902) and the outer wall of the separation unit membrane column assembly (7), while buffering rigid compression, preventing the membrane column shell from being deformed by pressure, and ensuring that the separation unit membrane column assembly (7) is stably positioned in the placement groove (806) without shaking.

9. The apparatus for separating and enriching phycocyanin extracted from Spirulina according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dispersing blades (503) are arranged at an angle downward along the direction of rotation to form a downward pressure fluid flow field. The sliding sleeve (502) transmits torque only by the static friction between its inner wall and the outer wall of the smooth square sleeve (501) and rotates synchronously with the drive shaft (302). The annular hollow buoyancy ring (505) is immersed in the algae slurry. The upward buoyancy generated by the buoyancy ring (505) completely offsets the total weight of the sliding sleeve (502) and the multiple dispersing blades (503). When the liquid level rises and falls, the buoyancy ring (505) drives the sliding sleeve (502) to slide freely vertically along the square sleeve (501), so that the dispersing blades (503) always remain at the interface between the liquid and gas, continuously pressing down to disperse the floating algae and foam on the surface, and isolating the air to prevent the phycocyanin from oxidizing and fading.

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