Methods and systems for producing ethanol using raw starch and fractionation

• US 8,409,640 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Original Assignee: Poet Research Inc.
• Inventors: Lewis, Stephen M., Van Hulzen, Shon Erron
• Primary Examiner(s): Weber, Jon P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Srivastava, Kailash C
• Application Number:
  US11/682,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20070202214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: 435/14, 435/18, 435/22, 435/161, 435/29, 435/96, 426/52
• US Class Current: 426/52
• CPC Class Codes: C12C 12/00 Processes specially adapted for making special kinds of beer
• CPC Class Codes: C12C 12/006 Yeasts processes for seeding C12C11/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for producing high levels of alcohol during fermentation of plant material, and to the high alcohol beer produced. The method can include fractionating the plant material. The present invention also relates to methods for producing high protein distiller'"'"'s dried grain from fermentation of plant material, and to the high protein distiller'"'"'s dried grain produced. The method can include drying a co-product by ring drying, flash drying, or fluid bed drying. The present invention further relates to reduced stack emissions from drying distillation products from the production of ethanol.

Claims

1. A method of fermenting corn into a fermentation product comprising the steps of:

dry fractionating the corn into a fractionated corn comprising a fiber component, a germ component and an endosperm component;

inducing cavitation or disruption in the fractionated corn;

separating at least a portion of the germ component and at least a portion of the fiber component of the fractionated corn so that the fractionated corn substantially comprises the endosperm component;

simultaneously saccharifying and fermenting the fractionated corn substantially comprising the endosperm component in an aqueous composition which further comprises an acid stable fungal alpha amylase, a yeast and a glucoamylase under conditions to form glucose;

subsequently fermenting the glucose to the fermentation product, wherein the fermentation product comprises at least 18 volume percent ethanol, while maintaining a glucose concentration of less than 2 weight percent in the aqueous composition during saccharification and fermentation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said aqueous composition has a pH of from 3 to 6.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fermenting is carried out at a temperature of from 25°

C. to 40°

C.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the acid stable fungal alpha amylase is included in an amount of from 0.05 to 10 acid fungal amylase units/g of dry solids.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the yeast includes at least one strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

6. The method of claim 3, which method further comprises maintaining the temperature at about 35°

C. during the first half of the fermentation and lowering the temperature to about 30°

C. during the second half of the fermentation and, afterwards, distilling the ethanol from the fermentation product.