Method and apparatus for transforming waste into fuel ethanol
First Claim
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1. A method for producing fuel ethanol from wastes comprising the steps of:
- providing a heated reactor;
adding a waste mash of one or more animal wastes, one or more vegetable wastes, one or more industrial food wastes or a mixture thereof to the heated reactor;
adding a measured quantity of water to the waste mash contained in the heated reactor;
precooking the waste mash at about 145°
F.;
heating the waste mash to between about 230°
F. and 320°
F.;
cooling the mash to between about 140°
F. and 145°
F. to form starch;
adding one or more beta enzymes selected from a group consisting of α
-amylases, amyloglucosidases, β
-amylase, cellulases, and lignases to the waste mash;
cooling the waste mash to about 85°
F.;
liquefying the waste;
converting the one or more carbohydrates to one or more fermentable sugars comprising one or more disaccharides and one or more oligomer;
adding of one or more yeast species to the cooled reactor;
maintaining a temperature of between about 85-95 °
F.;
forming fuel ethanol and carbon dioxide by anaerobic fermentation of the one or more fermentable sugars by the one or more yeast species;
forming a mixture of the fuel ethanol and water;
transferring the mixture to a distillation column;
distilling the mixture to separate the fuel ethanol and the water to form a distilled fuel ethanol; and
contacting the distilled fuel ethanol with one or more molecular sieves to remove residual water.
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Abstract
The present invention describes substrates (feedstocks) used in the production of fuel ethanol and describes the process by which the alcohol is produced. The inventors process animal, vegetable, industrial food waste or a mixture of wastes in a process involving saccharification and fermentation reactions to produce a mixture of fuel ethanol water and carbon-dioxide, which is subsequently separated to recover 95 vol. % ethanol.
9 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method for producing fuel ethanol from wastes comprising the steps of:
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providing a heated reactor; adding a waste mash of one or more animal wastes, one or more vegetable wastes, one or more industrial food wastes or a mixture thereof to the heated reactor; adding a measured quantity of water to the waste mash contained in the heated reactor; precooking the waste mash at about 145°
F.;heating the waste mash to between about 230°
F. and 320°
F.;cooling the mash to between about 140°
F. and 145°
F. to form starch;adding one or more beta enzymes selected from a group consisting of α
-amylases, amyloglucosidases, β
-amylase, cellulases, and lignases to the waste mash;cooling the waste mash to about 85°
F.;liquefying the waste; converting the one or more carbohydrates to one or more fermentable sugars comprising one or more disaccharides and one or more oligomer; adding of one or more yeast species to the cooled reactor; maintaining a temperature of between about 85-95 °
F.;forming fuel ethanol and carbon dioxide by anaerobic fermentation of the one or more fermentable sugars by the one or more yeast species; forming a mixture of the fuel ethanol and water; transferring the mixture to a distillation column; distilling the mixture to separate the fuel ethanol and the water to form a distilled fuel ethanol; and contacting the distilled fuel ethanol with one or more molecular sieves to remove residual water. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for producing fuel ethanol from wastes comprising the steps of:
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providing a heated reactor; adding a waste mash of one or more animal wastes, one or more vegetable wastes, one or more industrial food wastes or a mixture thereof to the heated reactor; adding a measured quantity of water to the waste mash contained in the heated reactor; precooking the waste mash at about 145°
F.;heating the waste mash to between about 230°
F. and 320°
F.;cooling the mash to between about 140°
F. and 145°
F. to form starch;adding one or more beta enzymes selected from a group consisting of α
-amylases, amyloglucosidases, β
-amylase, cellulases, and lignases to the waste mash;liquefying the waste; converting the one or more carbohydrates to one or more fermentable sugars comprising one or more disaccharides and one or more oligomer; cooling the waste mash to about 85°
F.;adding of one or more yeast species to the cooled reactor; maintaining a temperature of between about 85-95 °
F.;forming fuel ethanol and carbon dioxide by anaerobic fermentation of the one or more fermentable sugars by the one or more yeast species; forming a mixture of the fuel ethanol and water; transferring the mixture to a distillation column; distilling the mixture to separate the fuel ethanol and the water to form a distilled fuel ethanol; and contacting the distilled fuel ethanol with one or more molecular sieves to remove residual water.
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Specification