Self-Sustaining and Continuous System and Method of Anaerobically Digesting Ethanol Stillage
First Claim
1. A system of anaerobically digesting stillage and reintegrating substantially all by-products thereof back into the system, the system comprising:
- a) an ethanol producing facility for producing ethanol;
b) an anaerobic digestion facility for anaerobically digesting stillage from said ethanol producing facility to produce a plurality of by-products; and
c) a plurality of sub-systems wherein said plurality of by-products are used by said plurality of sub-systems to produce a plurality of end-products; and
d) integration means for integrating at least one of said plurality of end-products back into said ethanol producing facility and into at least one of said plurality of sub-systems such that the system of anaerobically digesting stillage is a continuous and self-sustaining operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of anaerobically digesting ethanol stillage and reintegrating substantially all by-products thereof back into the system is disclosed. The system includes an ethanol producing facility for producing ethanol and an anaerobic digestion facility for anaerobically digesting stillage from the ethanol producing facility to produce a plurality of by-products. A plurality of sub-systems utilize the plurality of by-products from anaerobic digestion to produce a plurality of end-products. At least one of the plurality of end-products from the various sub-systems is integrated back into the ethanol producing facility and into at least one of the sub-systems such that the system of anaerobically digesting stillage is a continuous and self-sustaining operation.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. A system of anaerobically digesting stillage and reintegrating substantially all by-products thereof back into the system, the system comprising:
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a) an ethanol producing facility for producing ethanol;
b) an anaerobic digestion facility for anaerobically digesting stillage from said ethanol producing facility to produce a plurality of by-products; and
c) a plurality of sub-systems wherein said plurality of by-products are used by said plurality of sub-systems to produce a plurality of end-products; and
d) integration means for integrating at least one of said plurality of end-products back into said ethanol producing facility and into at least one of said plurality of sub-systems such that the system of anaerobically digesting stillage is a continuous and self-sustaining operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 65)
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28. A system of anaerobically digesting stillage and reintegrating substantially all by-products thereof back into the system, the system comprising:
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a) an ethanol producing facility for producing ethanol;
b) an anaerobic digestion facility for anaerobically digesting stillage from said ethanol producing facility to produce a plurality of by-products;
c) a generator sub-system for producing electricity and/or heat from one of said plurality of by-products from said anaerobic digestion facility;
d) a greenhouse sub-system for producing a plurality of greenhouse end-products, said greenhouse sub-system integrating at least one of said plurality of by-products from said anaerobic digestion facility to facilitate growth of said plurality of greenhouse end-products; and
e) an ethanol user sub-system for producing ethanol end-products from said ethanol produced at said ethanol producing facility;
wherein interactions between said ethanol producing facility, said anaerobic digestion facility, said generator sub-system, said greenhouse sub-system, and said ethanol user sub-system integrate each of said ethanol producing facility, said anaerobic digestion facility, said generator sub-system, said greenhouse sub-system, and said ethanol user sub-system such that the system of anaerobically digesting stillage is a continuous and self-sustaining operation. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66)
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42. A method of anaerobically digesting stillage and reintegrating substantially all by-products thereof back into the system, the system comprising:
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a) producing ethanol and stillage in an ethanol producing facility;
b) anaerobically digesting stillage in an anaerobic digestion facility associated with said ethanol producing facility to produce a plurality of by-products; and
c) using said plurality of by-products in a plurality of sub-systems to produce a plurality of end-products; and
d) integrating by integration means at least one of said plurality of end-products back into said ethanol producing facility and into at least one of said plurality of sub-systems such that the system of anaerobically digesting stillage is a continuous and self-sustaining operation. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67)
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Specification