Lemna Based Protein Concentrate

• US 20160157437A9
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Freddie Hebert
• Original Assignee: Freddie Hebert
• Inventors: Hebert, Freddie
• Application Number:
  US14/474,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20160057938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/12 by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• 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

Starch from the aquatic plant duckweed (Spirodela Polyrhiza) is fermented to produce an organic protein meal for feedstock. Fermentation is accomplished first by grinding the collected duckweed (lemna) then by the addition of 2 enzymes (e.g., Alpha Amylase and Glucomylase) in a cooker. Yeast is added in the fermenter to produce ethanol. The solids are centrifuged out after distillation of the ethanol through a stripper column. After the ethanol is stripped the solids are centrifuged out and the remaining thin stillage is recycled back to the aquatic plant growing area. This high nitrogen organically produced thin stillage provides 100% of the nitrogen needed to grow the Aquatic plant, so the process can be made 100% self-sustaining and certified organic.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for producing protein feedstock and ethanol, the method comprising:

grinding lemna collected from growing ponds;

adding enzymes to the ground lemna and cooking to convert starch in the ground lemna to sugar;

fermenting the cooked lemna to produce ethanol from the converted sugar;

from the fermented lemna, stripping the ethanol via distillation and thereafter separating remaining solids from yeast water via centrifuge;

producing a protein feedstock from the solids;

recycling the yeast water to the growing ponds to grow a next batch of lemna.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the grinding, adding, fermenting, stripping, separating and producing are repeated after the yeast water is recycled to the growing ponds.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the enzymes comprise alpha amylase and glucoamylase.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising adding a betaine source to the ground and/or cooked lemna, prior to the fermenting.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the betaine source comprises sugar beet molasses.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the betaine source consists of sugar beet molasses.

8. Lemna protein feedstock produced from a second batch of lemna harvested from growing ponds into which nitrogen rich thin stillage is recycled after being separated from solids that result from processing a first batch of lemna harvested from the growing ponds.

9. The lemna protein feedstock of claim 8, wherein the lemna protein feedstock is organic.

10. The lemna protein feedstock of claim 8. wherein the processing of the first batch of lemna comprises:

grinding the first batch of lemna harvested from the growing ponds;

adding enzymes to the ground first batch of lemna and cooking to convert starch in the ground first batch of lemna to sugar;

fermenting the cooked first batch of lemna to produce ethanol from the converted sugar;

from the fermented first batch of lemna, stripping the ethanol via distillation and thereafter separating remaining solids from yeast water via centrifuge, where the yeast water is the thin stillage.

11. The lemna protein feedstock of claim 10, wherein the enzymes comprise alpha amylase and glucoamylase.

12. The lemna protein feedstock of claim 10, wherein the processing of the first batch of lemna further comprises adding a betaine source to the ground and/or cooked first batch of lemna, prior to the fermenting.

13. The lemna protein feedstock of claim 12, wherein the betaine source comprises sugar beet molasses.

14. The lemna protein feedstock of claim 13, wherein the betaine source consists of sugar beet molasses.

15. Lemna protein meal produced by an industrial process.

16. Organic lemna protein meal according to claim 15.

17. Organic lemna protein meal according to claim 15, wherein the industrial process comprises fermenting lemna collected from growing ponds.