PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ETHANOL AND FOR ENERGY RECOVERY

• US 20100041117A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stanley Consultants Incorporated (SC Companies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Stanley Consultants Incorporated (SC Companies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hirl, Patrick Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/577,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20100041117A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/161
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 17/00 Preparation of fertilisers characterised by biological or biochemical treatment steps, e.g. composting or fermentation
• CPC Class Codes: C05F 5/008 Waste from biochemical processing of material, e.g. fermentation, breweries
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/04 for producing gas, e.g. biogas digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/12 for producing fuels or solvents C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/08 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices or plants for production of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/20 Fertilizers of biological origin, e.g. guano or fertilizers made from animal corpses
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/145 the feedstock being materials of biological origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/59 Biological synthesis; Biological purification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/40 Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a process for the production of ethanol and energy. The process includes the steps of fermenting a corn mash in an aqueous medium to produce a beer. Next, the beer is distilled to produce ethanol and a whole stillage. The whole stillage is anaerobically digested to produce a biogas and a residue. The biogas is combusted to produce electricity and steam. The electricity and steam are used during the fermentation and distillation process. The residue may further be separated into a liquid fertilizer and top soil residue.

Claims

1. An integrated continuous process for the production of ethanol and self generating energy on a commercial scale after an initial process start-up, said integrated continuous process comprising the steps of:

(a) fermenting a mash in an aqueous medium to produce a beer;

(b) distilling said beer to produce commercial scale quantities of ethanol and a remainder;

(c) digesting a mixture containing said remainder anaerobically in a digester tank to produce commercial scale quantities of a biogas and a residue;

(d) combusting said biogas to produce electricity and steam;

(e) utilizing steam produced by said the if combustion during the steps of fermenting and distilling to produce said ethanol; and

(f) utilizing electricity produced by said combustion during the step of fermenting the mash;

said commercial scale of biogas being defined to include up to 11.6 million BTUs of methane per dry ton of said remainder anaerobically digested with the steam produced by step (d) being sufficient to provide, after said initial start up of said integrated continuous process, all the steam of step (e) used to produce said ethanol and said remainder of step (b).

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said remainder is a stillage or a slurry.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said stillage or slurry is approximately 8 to 15 percent solids.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said digester tank includes a plurality of sectors to create a series of mixing digesters.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

dehydrating the distilled ethanol to produce an ethanol with a higher proof than said distilled ethanol, wherein during the dehydrating step water is recovered.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising mixing the remainder with bacteria and water prior to digesting.

7. The process of claim 1 further comprising the steps:

separating the residue from the digestion step into digested liquid and digested sludge.

8. The process of claim 7 further comprising the step:

dewatering the digested sludge to produce a soil amendment and a water residue.

9. The process of claim 8 further comprising the step:

recycling said water residue from the dewatering of the digested sludge into the remainder.

10. The process of claim 7 further comprising the step of recovering of ammonia from the digested liquid.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the step of recovering of ammonia from the digested liquid produces an ammonia fertilizer.

12. The process of claim 10 further comprising the step of recycling water from the digested liquid following ammonia recovery into the remainder.

13. The process of claim 7 further comprising the step of recycling bacteria from said digested sludge into the remainder.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of digesting includes digesting in a tank that includes a plurality of sectors in series, wherein each sector is portioned from each other.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sectors includes six sectors in series.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein said commercial scale of biogas is further defined to include the electricity produced by step (d) being sufficient to provide, after said initial start up of said integrated continuous process, about 75% of the electricity of step (f).

17. An integrated system for the production of ethanol and self generating energy on a commercial scale after an initial process start-up, the integrated system comprising:

an ethanol facility producing commercial scale quantities of ethanol, wherein the production of commercial scale quantities of ethanol include at least fermenting and distilling to produce commercial scale quantities of ethanol and a stillage by-product;

an anaerobic digester facility having at least an anaerobic digester, wherein the stillage by-product from the ethanol facility is included in a mixture digested by the anaerobic digester to produce commercial scale quantities of biogas and a residue;

a generator facility for combusting biogas to produce electricity and steam;

utilizing steam produced by said generator facility in the ethanol facility during fermentation and distillation; and

utilizing electricity produced by said generator facility in the ethanol facility during fermentation,

the commercial scale of biogas being defined to include up to 11.6 million BTUs of methane per dry ton of the stillage by-product anaerobically digested with the steam produced being sufficient to provide, after said initial start up of the process, all the steam used to produce the ethanol and stillage by-product.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said commercial scale of biogas is further defined to include the electricity produced being sufficient to provide, after said initial start up of the process, about 75% of the electricity during fermentation.