SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL AND CO-PRODUCTS WITH APPARATUS FOR SOLVENT WASHING OF FERMENTATION PRODUCT

• US 20100159550A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Inventors: Redford, Steven G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,603,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/161
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/37 from waste material from hydrolysates of wood or straw A23K10/32; from molasses A23K10/33
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/20 by moulding, e.g. making cakes or briquettes
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/25 by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production

Abstract

A system for the production of ethanol and co-products is provided. The system facilitates an overall reduction in the use of energy, for example, by reducing the mass of wet solids supplied to a distillation system. The system also reduces the amount of energy used to dry the wet solids component of a fermentation product, for example, by increasing the ethanol concentration of the wet solids. The system also facilitates the recovery of co-products including bioproducts and other biochemicals extracted from components of the fermentation product. The solids component of the fermentation product may be dried and constituted into a meal that may be used for animal feed, among other uses.

Claims

1. A method for processing a fermentation product of a fermentation process in a biorefinery that performs distillation of ethanol, the fermentation product comprising a liquid component and a solids component, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) depositing at least the solids component on an apparatus comprising a belt;

(b) as the solids component is along the apparatus, applying a solvent to the solids component; and

(c) drying the solids component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the solids component is deposited continuously as the belt is moved.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the solids component is disposed at a substantially uniform thickness over the belt.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the belt comprises a continuous semipermeable belt, and wherein the solvent is applied above the solids component and passes through the solids component and through the belt.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of belts.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the apparatus comprises at least one mixing device between belts for creating a slurry of the solids component and the solvent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the solids component comprises proteins derived from corn.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent comprises hexane.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent comprises ethanol.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the solids component comprises a moisture content comprising an ethanol component and a water component, and wherein the composition of the solids component is altered by decreasing the water component.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the composition of the solids component is altered by increasing the ethanol component.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising collecting liquid and/or gas from the solids component, and increasing ethanol content of the liquid and/or gas collected from the solids component to obtain a higher ethanol-content liquid, and wherein the higher ethanol-content liquid is applied to the solids component.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the liquid and/or gas is collected from the solids component by application of at least one of a positive pressure, a vacuum pressure, and heat to the solids component.

14. The method of claim 10 comprising performing step (b) at least twice to drive the components of the moisture content towards the water/ethanol azeotropic point.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein performance of step (b) is stopped, and the solids component is dried prior to reaching the water/ethanol azeotropic point.

16. The method of claim 10 comprising performing step (b) up to or beyond the water/ethanol azeotropic point.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising performing step (b) until the moisture content is substantially entirely ethanol.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the ethanol is produced by distillation of the liquid component of the fermentation products.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the solids component comprises meal.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein in steps (b) and (c) the average temperature of the wet solid fermentation product is maintained below 150°

C.