Methods for increasing starch levels using sonication
First Claim
1. A method for increasing fermentable starch levels in a gain-based liquid medium processing stream comprising applying sonication in one or more locations to the liquid medium processing stream, causing starch granules present in the liquid medium processing stream to become destructured, wherein availability of the starch granules for hydrolysis is increased.
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Abstract
A system comprising one or more transducers and an alcohol production facility having a liquid medium processing stream, the alcohol production facility adapted for use with the one or more transducers is provided. In one embodiment, the one or more transducers apply sonication to the liquid medium processing stream in one or more locations. In one embodiment, the alcohol production facility is an ethanol production facility. In one embodiment, the ethanol production facility utilizes a dry grind process, modified dry grind process or wet mill process. The systems of the present invention utilize sonication at the frequencies and intensities required on an industrial scale to reduce the production cost of alcohol, such as ethanol, by improving alcohol yield per bushel, reducing processing times for higher throughput, reducing operating costs, and increasing the marketability of co-products, among other benefits.
45 Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A method for increasing fermentable starch levels in a gain-based liquid medium processing stream comprising applying sonication in one or more locations to the liquid medium processing stream, causing starch granules present in the liquid medium processing stream to become destructured, wherein availability of the starch granules for hydrolysis is increased.
- 23. A method for increasing extracted starch levels in a grain-based liquid medium processing stream comprising applying sonication in one or more locations to the liquid medium processing stream causing starch granules present in the liquid medium processing stream to become destructured, wherein availability of the starch granules for hydrolysis is increased.
Specification