Method and system for processing of aquatic species

• US 8,679,352 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lemnature Aquafarms Corporation
• Original Assignee: PA LLC
• Inventors: Olivier, Laurent, Havemann, Greg, Antalik, Paul, Alderson, Brandi
• Primary Examiner(s): ZALASKY, KATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US13/050,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 210/770
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 1/006 from vegetable materials A23J1/005, A23J1/12 and A23J1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/22 from fish
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/147 Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/163 Sugars; Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 17/70 Comminuted, e.g. emulsified, fish products; Processed products therefrom such as pastes, reformed or compressed products A23L17/65, A23L17/10, A23L17/20, A23L17/40, A23L17/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 17/002 for treating of meat, fish waste or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/36 by a combination of two or more processes of different types
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 37/0003 General processes for their isolation or fractionation, e.g. purification or extraction from biomass
• 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

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and system of recovering multiple products from industrial-scale production of a biomass of an aquatic species.

Claims

1. A process of recovering multiple products from biomass of an aquatic species comprising:

providing the biomass;

lysing the biomass to generate a lysed biomass;

separating the lysed biomass to generate a juice and a first solid phase;

filtering the juice to generate a filtered juice and a second solid phase;

clarifying the filtered juice to generate a clarified juice and a third solid phase;

coagulating protein from the clarified juice to generate a broth comprising the wet protein concentrate;

separating the wet protein concentrate from the broth;

drying the wet protein concentrate to generate a dry protein concentrate;

producing a wet bio-crude using the first solid phase;

drying the wet bio-crude to generate at least one product selected from a dry bio-crude and a carbohydrate-rich meal;

wherein the multiple products comprise products selected from the dry protein concentrate, dry bio-crude, and carbohydrate-rich meal; and

wherein at least 50% of the protein in the multiple products is in the dry protein concentration.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the providing step comprises:

producing the biomass of an aquatic species on an industrial scale; and

harvesting the biomass.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the separating step comprises pressing the lysed biomass.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the pressing comprises using at least one of a belt press, a fan press, a rotary press, a screw press, a filter press, and finisher press.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the first solid phase, the second solid phase, the third solid phase, and the broth, is/are used to recover the bio-crude and the carbohydrate-rich meal.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the aquatic species comprises a species of Lemna.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the lysing comprises using at least one of:

a ball mill a colloid mill, a knife mill, a hammer mill, a grinding mill, a puree machine, and a filter press.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the juice comprises soluble protein.

9. The process of claim 1 comprising pressing at least one of the first solid phase, the second solid phase, or the third solid phase to generate a second juice and a bio-crude.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the second juice is combined with the juice.

11. The process of claim 9, wherein the further pressing is carried out using a screw press.

12. The process of claim 9, further comprising drying the bio-crude.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the drying is carried out using at least one of:

a spin flash dryer, a spray dryer, a drum dryer, a flash dryer, a fluid bed dryer, a double drum dryer, and a rotary dryer.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the filtering is carried out using at least one of:

a vibratory separator, a vibrating screen filter, a circular vibratory separator, a linear/inclined motion shaker, a decanter centrifuge, and a filter press.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the vibratory separator comprises at least one vibrating screen filter.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein the clarifying comprises centrifuging and/or further filtration of the filtered juice.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the clarifying comprises use of at least one of a high-speed multi disc stack centrifuge, microfiltration and ultrafiltration.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the clarified juice is stored in a chilled storage tank.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the coagulating comprises lowering the pH of the clarified juice.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the pH is lowered to below about 6.

21. The process of claim 19, wherein the pH is lowered to below about 5.

22. The process of claim 19, wherein the pH is lowered to about 4.5.

23. The process of claim 19, wherein lowering the pH comprises using at least one acid selected from hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid.

24. The process of claim 1, wherein the coagulating is carried out using a precipitator comprising at least one heat exchanger.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises at least one plate, or tube or steam injection heat exchanger.

26. The process of claim 1, wherein the coagulating comprises heating the clarified juice to a first temperature to generate a broth;

and cooling the broth to a second temperature.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein the first temperature is from about 40°

C. to about 100°

C.

28. The process of claim 26, wherein the second temperature is below about 40°

C.

29. The process of claim 26, wherein the second temperature is below about 30°

C.

30. The process of claim 1, wherein the separating comprises using a high speed multi-disk stack centrifuge.

31. The process of claim 1, wherein the wet protein concentrate is stored in a chilled storage tank.

32. The process of claim 1, further comprising drying the wet protein concentrate to generate a dry protein concentrate.

33. The process of claim 32, wherein the drying is carried out using a spray dryer, a drum dryer, spin flash dryer, a flash dryer, a fluid bed dryer, a double drum dryer, and a rotary dryer.

34. The process of claim 1, further comprising contacting a material selected from the group consisting of the third solid phase and the clarified juice with at least one of:

an alcohol, a solvent, or water, and with an acid catalyst, to form a mixture, separating the mixture into a liquid and a solid, whereby lipids and ash-forming components in the material are segregated into the liquid.

35. The process of claim 1, further comprising, either before or directly after the lysing, washing the biomass using an aqueous solvent.