Methods for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct and system therefore
First Claim
1. A system for producing high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct produced via a corn dry-milling process, the system comprising:
- a first apparatus that is situated after a distillation column for distilling alcohol and that receives the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process, the first apparatus being selected from a filtration centrifuge, a decanter centrifuge, a pressure screen, or a paddle screen, wherein the first apparatus separates the whole stillage byproduct into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein and oil;
a second apparatus that is situated after the first apparatus and prior to any evaporator and that receives the thin stillage portion from the first apparatus, the second apparatus being selected from a nozzle centrifuge or a cyclone apparatus, wherein the second apparatus separates the thin stillage portion, via weights, into a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion, which includes oil from the thin stillage portion and is lighter than the protein portion;
an evaporator that is situated after the second apparatus and that receives the water soluble solids portion including the oil but does not receive the separated protein portion, wherein the evaporator separates soluble solids from the water soluble solids portion, via evaporation;
a decanter centrifuge that is situated after the second apparatus and that dewaters the separated protein portion, which is received from the second apparatus; and
a dryer that is situated after the decanter centrifuge and that dries the dewatered protein portion received from the decanter centrifuge to define a high protein corn meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis from the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates generally to corn dry-milling, and more specifically, to methods for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct produced in a corn dry-milling process for making ethanol and a system therefore. In one embodiment, a method for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct includes, in a corn dry-milling process for making ethanol, separating the whole stillage byproduct into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion. The thin stillage portion is separated into a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion. Next, the protein portion is dewatered then dried to define a high protein corn meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis.
81 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for producing high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct produced via a corn dry-milling process, the system comprising:
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a first apparatus that is situated after a distillation column for distilling alcohol and that receives the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process, the first apparatus being selected from a filtration centrifuge, a decanter centrifuge, a pressure screen, or a paddle screen, wherein the first apparatus separates the whole stillage byproduct into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein and oil; a second apparatus that is situated after the first apparatus and prior to any evaporator and that receives the thin stillage portion from the first apparatus, the second apparatus being selected from a nozzle centrifuge or a cyclone apparatus, wherein the second apparatus separates the thin stillage portion, via weights, into a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion, which includes oil from the thin stillage portion and is lighter than the protein portion; an evaporator that is situated after the second apparatus and that receives the water soluble solids portion including the oil but does not receive the separated protein portion, wherein the evaporator separates soluble solids from the water soluble solids portion, via evaporation; a decanter centrifuge that is situated after the second apparatus and that dewaters the separated protein portion, which is received from the second apparatus; and a dryer that is situated after the decanter centrifuge and that dries the dewatered protein portion received from the decanter centrifuge to define a high protein corn meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis from the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for producing high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct produced via a corn dry-milling process, the system comprising:
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a first apparatus that is situated after a distillation column for distilling alcohol and that receives the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process, the first apparatus is a filtration centrifuge that separates the whole stillage byproduct, via particle sizes, into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein and oil; a second apparatus that is situated after the first apparatus and prior to any evaporator and that receives the thin stillage from the first apparatus, the second apparatus is a nozzle centrifuge that separates the thin stillage portion, via weights, into a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion, which includes oil from the thin stillage portion and is lighter than the protein portion; an evaporator that is situated after the second apparatus and that receives the water soluble solids portion including the oil but does not receive the separated protein portion, wherein the evaporator separates soluble solids from the water soluble solids portion, via evaporation; a decanter centrifuge that is situated after the second apparatus and that dewaters the separated protein portion, which is received from the second apparatus; and a dryer that is situated after the decanter centrifuge and that dries the dewatered protein portion received from the decanter centrifuge to define a high protein corn meal that includes at least 50 wt % protein on a dry basis from the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for producing high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct produced via a corn dry-milling process, the system comprising:
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a first apparatus that is situated after a distillation column for distilling alcohol and that receives the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process, wherein the first apparatus separates the whole stillage byproduct into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein and oil; a second apparatus that is situated after the first apparatus and prior to any evaporator and that receives the thin stillage from the first apparatus, wherein the second apparatus separates the thin stillage portion, via weights, into a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion, which includes oil from the thin stillage portion and is lighter than the protein portion; an evaporator that is situated after the second apparatus and that receives the water soluble solids portion including the oil but does not receive the separated protein portion, wherein the evaporator separates soluble solids from the water soluble solids portion, via evaporation; and a dryer that is situated after the second apparatus and that dries the separated protein portion to define a high protein corn meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis from the whole stillage byproduct produced via the corn dry-milling process.
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Specification