System for production of ethanol and co-products with solvent washing of fermentation product
First Claim
1. A method for reducing the water content of a solid component prepared from a fermentation product of a fermentation process in a biorefinery that performs distillation of ethanol wherein the fermentation product provides for an aqueous-ethanolic component and a solids component, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming the fermentation product from milled corn;
(b) partially separating the aqueous-ethanolic component from the solids component to provide a separated solids component having a reduced amount of the aqueous-ethanol component; and
(c) conducting at least two separate addition-removal procedures thereto wherein each procedure comprises adding an ethanol solution or solvent to the separated solids component and further wherein the ethanol or solvent content of the each solution is higher than ethanol or solvent content of the aqueous-ethanol component remaining in the separated solids component and then removing at least a portion of liquid therefrom such that after each addition-removal procedure the water content in the separated solids component is lower than the prior procedure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the production of ethanol and co-products is provided. The system facilitates an overall reduction in the use of energy, for example, by reducing the mass of wet solids supplied to a distillation system. The system also reduces the amount of energy used to dry the wet solids component of a fermentation product, for example, by increasing the ethanol concentration of the wet solids. The system also facilitates the recovery of co-products including bioproducts and other biochemicals extracted from components of the fermentation product. The solids component of the fermentation product may be dried and constituted into a meal that may be used for animal feed, among other uses.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for reducing the water content of a solid component prepared from a fermentation product of a fermentation process in a biorefinery that performs distillation of ethanol wherein the fermentation product provides for an aqueous-ethanolic component and a solids component, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming the fermentation product from milled corn; (b) partially separating the aqueous-ethanolic component from the solids component to provide a separated solids component having a reduced amount of the aqueous-ethanol component; and (c) conducting at least two separate addition-removal procedures thereto wherein each procedure comprises adding an ethanol solution or solvent to the separated solids component and further wherein the ethanol or solvent content of the each solution is higher than ethanol or solvent content of the aqueous-ethanol component remaining in the separated solids component and then removing at least a portion of liquid therefrom such that after each addition-removal procedure the water content in the separated solids component is lower than the prior procedure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for reducing the water content of a solid component prepared from a fermentation product of a fermentation process in a biorefinery that performs distillation of ethanol wherein the fermentation product provides for an aqueous-ethanolic component and a solids component, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming the fermentation product from milled corn; (b) partially separating the aqueous-ethanolic component from the solids component to provide a separated solids component having a reduced amount of the aqueous-ethanol component; and (c) conducting at least two separate addition-removal procedures thereto wherein each procedure comprises adding an ethanol solution and/or hexane to the separated solids component and further wherein the ethanol and/or hexane content of the each solution is higher than ethanol and/or hexane content of the aqueous-ethanol component remaining in the separated solids component and then removing at least a portion of liquid therefrom such that after each addition-removal procedure the water content in the separated solids component is lower than the prior procedure. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for reducing the water content of a solid component prepared from a fermentation product of a fermentation process in a biorefinery that performs distillation of ethanol wherein the fermentation product provides for an aqueous-ethanolic component and a solids component, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming the fermentation product; (b) partially separating the aqueous-ethanolic component from the solids component to provide a separated solids component having a reduced amount of the aqueous-ethanol component; and (c) conducting at least three separate addition-removal procedures thereto wherein each procedure comprises adding an ethanol solution to the separated solids component and further wherein the ethanol content of the each solution is higher than ethanol content of the aqueous-ethanol component remaining in the separated solids component and then removing at least a portion of liquid therefrom such that after each addition-removal procedure the water content in the separated solids component is lower than the prior procedure and such that the ethanol content of the removed liquid after at least a third addition-removal procedure is at or above 96% ethanol.
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Specification