Integrated process for producing “clean beef” (or milk), ethanol, cattle feed and bio-gas/bio-fertilizer

• US 7,381,550 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PRIME BioShield, LLC
• Original Assignee: PRIME BioShield, LLC
• Inventors: Schlesinger, Victor W., Hallberg, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber; Jon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava; Kailash
• Application Number:
  US10/752,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20050153410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 435/161, 426/635
• US Class Current: 435/161
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/10 for ruminants
• 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 45/04 Phase separators; Separation of non fermentable material; Fractionation
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/02 Separating microorganisms from the culture medium; Concentration of biomass separating microorganisms from their culture media C12N1/02
• 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: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production

Abstract

An ethanol unit and anaerobic digestion/bio-fertilizer unit are integrated with a cattle feedlot (or dairy operation), wherein a continuous, balanced process yields a sanitary, low- to zero-pollution, and economically efficient production of “clean beef” (or milk), fuel ethanol, and bio-gas/bio-fertilizer. Fossil fuel consumption is substantially reduced, even eliminated, and 100% of the cattle waste is treated in digesters wherein it is converted into medium-BTU gas (bio-gas), organic fertilizer and bio-compost. The ethanol unit serves the purposes of ethanol production, grain pretreatment to produce feed for the cattle and production of a thin stillage which is fed to the digesters. The grain is first processed in the ethanol unit, where the starch portion is converted into ethanol and CO₂. The remaining portion is separated into the thin stillage and a wet cake which is fed directly to cattle as a superior ruminant animal ration which displaces certain traditional feed components, alters the standard starch to protein ratio, and significantly improves conversion efficiencies and meat/milk quality.

Claims

1. An integrated continuous process for the production of ethanol and biogas comprising:

fermenting grain in an aqueous medium to produce ethanol in said medium, a residue, and carbon dioxide;

separating the ethanol and residue;

separating the residue into wet cake and thin stillage;

feeding the wet cake to livestock, said wet grain residue constituting 25-80% of a feed ration of said livestock on a dry weight basis;

collecting manure produced by the livestock;

admixing, at least a portion of the collected manure and at least a portion of the thin stillage to produce an admixture; and

digesting the admixture to produce bio-gas, a liquid effluent and, as a residue, a bio-fertilizer.

2. A process according to claim 1 further comprising:

dry milling the grain fed to said fermenting for producing ethanol utilizing the energy produced by combusting said biogas.

3. A process according to claim 1 further comprising milling the grain prior to fermenting.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said digesting is either plug flow or mechanical mixed digestion.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the wet cake from the ethanol production is fed to the livestock without drying.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein said fermenting produces said wet cake in an amount substantially equal to 25-80% of a total feed requirement of said livestock.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein:

the amount of stillage in admixture with collected manure is regulated, along with the transfer of waste heat from the ethanol unit, to maintain said digesting at a temperature of at least 99°

F.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein:

the amount of stillage in admixture with collected manure is regulated, to prevent build-up of ammonia in a digester in which said digesting is effected.

9. An integrated continuous process for the production of ethanol, a biofertilizer, calcium phosphate, and bio-gas comprising:

fermenting grain in an aqueous medium to produce ethanol in said medium, a residue, and carbon dioxide;

separating the ethanol and residue;

separating the residue into wet cake and thin stillage;

feeding the wet cake to livestock, said wet grain residue constituting 25-80% of a feed ration of said livestock on a dry weight basis;

collecting manure produced by the livestock;

admixing at least a portion of the collected manure and at least a portion of the thin stillage to produce an admixture;

digesting the admixture to produce bio-gas, a liquid effluent containing phosphorus, and as a residue, biofertilizer;

separating the liquid effluent from the residue;

adding a calcium compound and at least a portion of the carbon dioxide to the liquid effluent to precipitate at least a portion of the phosphorous as calcium phosphate and obtain a phosphorous depleted liquid; and

separating the calcium phosphate from the phosphorous depleted liquid.

10. A process according to claim 9, wherein said calcium compound is lime.