Biogas apparatus for integration with an ethanol production system
First Claim
1. An integrated apparatus for producing ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials, the integrated apparatus comprising:
- a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars, the pretreatment apparatus being supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset;
a fermenter including yeast for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer comprising ethanol;
a distillation apparatus for separating the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage;
a separator for separating the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains, the thin stillage comprising non-fermentable solids and organic acids;
a thin stillage tank for collection of the thin stillage, the thin stillage tank having a first supply and a second supply extending therefrom, the first supply comprising a backset return supply extending into the pretreatment apparatus and the second supply comprising a biogas supply, wherein the thin stillage tank is operable to allow for selective distribution of thin stillage to vary flow rates to the backset return supply and the biogas supply to increase;
(i) the production of ethanol for the same or less water and energy requirement, (ii) an amount of raw plant material feed directed to the pretreatment apparatus, and (iii) an amount of thin stillage fed to the backset directly from the thin stillage tank; and
a biogas apparatus for processing a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, the biogas apparatus receiving the first portion of thin stillage from the thin stillage tank biogas supply, the biogas apparatus converting a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas and thereby reducing the concentration of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the biogas effluent,wherein the biogas apparatus comprises a biogas discharge and a biogas effluent return, the biogas effluent return extends from the biogas apparatus into the backset return supply and into the pretreatment apparatus, resulting in an integrated apparatus that produces ethanol, biogas and byproducts that are recycled into the integrated apparatus at the pretreatment apparatus, and no thin stillage discharge extends from the integrated apparatus.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated system produces ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials. The system includes a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars and a fermenter for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer including ethanol. A distillation apparatus separates the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage, and a separator then separates the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains. A biogas apparatus processes a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, and converts a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas. The pretreatment apparatus is supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset, the backset including the biogas effluent recycled from the biogas apparatus to the pretreatment apparatus.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An integrated apparatus for producing ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials, the integrated apparatus comprising:
-
a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars, the pretreatment apparatus being supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset; a fermenter including yeast for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer comprising ethanol; a distillation apparatus for separating the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage; a separator for separating the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains, the thin stillage comprising non-fermentable solids and organic acids; a thin stillage tank for collection of the thin stillage, the thin stillage tank having a first supply and a second supply extending therefrom, the first supply comprising a backset return supply extending into the pretreatment apparatus and the second supply comprising a biogas supply, wherein the thin stillage tank is operable to allow for selective distribution of thin stillage to vary flow rates to the backset return supply and the biogas supply to increase;
(i) the production of ethanol for the same or less water and energy requirement, (ii) an amount of raw plant material feed directed to the pretreatment apparatus, and (iii) an amount of thin stillage fed to the backset directly from the thin stillage tank; anda biogas apparatus for processing a first portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, the biogas apparatus receiving the first portion of thin stillage from the thin stillage tank biogas supply, the biogas apparatus converting a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the thin stillage into biogas and thereby reducing the concentration of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the biogas effluent, wherein the biogas apparatus comprises a biogas discharge and a biogas effluent return, the biogas effluent return extends from the biogas apparatus into the backset return supply and into the pretreatment apparatus, resulting in an integrated apparatus that produces ethanol, biogas and byproducts that are recycled into the integrated apparatus at the pretreatment apparatus, and no thin stillage discharge extends from the integrated apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An integrated apparatus for producing ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials, the integrated apparatus comprising:
-
a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars, the pretreatment apparatus being supplied with an amount of fresh water or and an amount of backset; a fermenter including yeast for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer comprising ethanol; a distillation apparatus for separating the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage; a separator for separating the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains, the thin stillage comprising non-fermentable solids and organic acids; a thin stillage tank for collection of the thin stillage, the thin stillage tank having a first backset return supply extending therefrom into the pretreatment apparatus and a second biogas supply extending therefrom, wherein the thin stillage tank is operable to allow for selective distribution of thin stillage to vary flow rates to the backset return and the biogas supply to increase;
(i) the production of ethanol for the same or less water and energy requirement, (ii) an amount of raw plant material feed directed to the pretreatment apparatus, and (iii) an amount of thin stillage fed to the backset directly from the thin stillage tank;an evaporator for concentrating a first portion of the thin stillage into a syrup by boiling off vapor from the thin stillage; and a biogas apparatus for processing at least one of a portion of the syrup and a second portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, the biogas apparatus converting a percentage of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the syrup and the thin stillage into biogas and thereby reducing the concentration of the non-fermentable solids and organic acids in the biogas effluent; wherein the biogas apparatus comprises a biogas discharge and a biogas effluent return, the biogas effluent return extends from the biogas apparatus into the backset return and into the pretreatment apparatus, resulting in a system that produces ethanol, biogas and byproducts that are recycled into the integrated apparatus at the pretreatment apparatus, and no thin stillage discharge extends from the integrated apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An integrated apparatus for producing ethanol and biogas from raw plant materials, the integrated apparatus comprising:
-
a pretreatment apparatus for converting raw plant materials into sugars, the pretreatment apparatus being supplied with an amount of fresh water and an amount of backset; a fermenter including yeast for fermenting the sugars to produce a beer comprising ethanol; a distillation apparatus for separating the beer into the ethanol and a whole stillage; a separator for separating the whole stillage into a thin stillage and wet distillers grains, the thin stillage comprising non-fermentable solids and organic acids; a thin stillage tank for collection of the thin stillage, the thin stillage tank having a first backset return supply, and a second biogas supply extending therefrom, the first backset return supply extending into the pretreatment apparatus and the second biogas supply extending into a biogas apparatus for processing a portion of the thin stillage to produce biogas and a biogas effluent, wherein the biogas apparatus comprises a biogas discharge and a biogas effluent return, the biogas effluent return extends from the biogas apparatus into the backset return, and no thin stillage discharge extends from the integrated apparatus.
-
Specification