PRODUCING EDIBLE RESIDUES FROM ETHANOL PRODUCTION

• US 20180213820A1
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: MEDOFF, Marshall
• Application Number:
  US15/937,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20180213820A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/30 from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/30 Physical treatment, e.g. electrical or magnetic means, wave energy or irradiation cooking A23L5/10
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• 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

Edible residues of ethanol production, e.g., distillers grains and solubles, are produced that are low in, or substantially free from, antibiotic residues. Antibiotics or bacteria present in edible residues resulting from ethanol production are inactivated by irradiating the edible residues.

Claims

1. A system for producing edible residues, the system comprising:

(a) one or more operating units for receiving and physically treating a feedstock, wherein at least one of the one or more operating units is a recalcitrance reducing operating unit comprising a first irradiating unit for irradiating the feedstock to reduce recalcitrance;

(b) one or more cooking devices for processing the feedstock prior to fermentation;

(c) a bio-processing unit for fermentation, wherein the bio-processing unit utilizes one or more antibiotics;

(d) an evaporator/dryer operating unit; and

(e) a second irradiating unit for irradiating an edible residue.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedstock is lignocellulosic or cellulosic.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedstock comprises a crop residue.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating units for physically treating a feedstock is for sonication, oxidation, pyrolysis, or steam explosion of the feedstock.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a liquefaction unit.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a cooling unit for cooling the processed feedstock prior to fermentation.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a holding tank for holding a crude ethanol mixture produced from fermentation.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a stripping column for stripping water or other non-ethanol components from the crude ethanol mixture.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a distillation unit for distilling ethanol.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a molecular sieve for drying ethanol.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a centrifuge to produce a liquid fraction and a solid fraction.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the solid fraction is dried in the evaporator/dryer operating unit to produce a dried edible residue.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the dried edible residue is dried Distillers Grains and Solubles (DDGS).

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second irradiating units deliver electron beam irradiation or gamma radiation.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the second irradiating unit delivers irradiation to inactivate or destroy the one or more antibiotics.