System and method for separating high value by-products from grains used for alcohol production

• US 9,732,302 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chie Ying Lee
• Original Assignee: Chie Ying Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Chie Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Lankford, Blaine
• Application Number:
  US13/377,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20130236936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 1/12 from cereals, wheat, bran, or molasses
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/10 for ruminants
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 21/26 Separation of sediment aided by centrifugal force or centripetal forcecentrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/02 Pretreatment
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/025 by enzymes or microorganisms, living or dead
• CPC Class Codes: C11B 1/06 by pressing
• CPC Class Codes: C12F 3/00 Recovery of by-products
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/12 for producing fuels or solvents C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/02 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/02 by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/04 Phase separators; Separation of non fermentable material; Fractionation
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/20 Heating; Cooling heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory uses B01L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/14 Drying
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/74 Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for separating high value by-products, such as oil and/or germ, from grains used for alcohol production. In one embodiment, a method for separating by-products from grains used for alcohol production includes, subjecting milled grains to liquefaction to provide a liquefied starch solution including fiber, protein, and germ. The germ is separated from the liquefied starch solution. The separated germ is ground, e.g., to a particle size less than 50 microns, to release oil to provide a germ/oil mixture. Then, prior to fermentation, the oil is separated from the germ/oil mixture to yield an oil by-product. The pH of the germ/oil mixture can be adjusted to about 8 to about 10.5 and/or cell wall breaking enzymes or chemicals may be added to help release oil from the germ. In one example, the oil yield is greater than 1.0 lb/Bu.

Claims

1. A method for front end separation of an oil by-product from grains used in an alcohol production process, the method comprising:

grinding the grains into grain particles to release oil from the grains;

mixing the grain particles with a liquid to form a slurry including starch, fiber, protein, germ, and the released oil defining free oil in the slurry;

subjecting the slurry to liquefaction to provide a liquefied starch solution including sugars and the fiber, protein, germ, and free oil;

separating solids including the fiber and germ from the liquefied starch solution including the free oil and sugars;

thereafter and prior to fermentation, separating the free oil from the liquefied starch solution to yield the oil by-product; and

after separating the free oil from the liquefied starch solution, rejoining the liquefied starch solution including the sugars with the separated solids, then subjecting the mixture to fermentation to produce alcohol.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the oil yield is from about 0.8 to 1.0 lb/Bu.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein separating the free oil from the liquefied starch solution further comprises individually separating gluten and the free oil from the liquefied starch solution to yield the oil and a gluten by-product.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising grinding the separated solids from the liquefied starch solution to produce fine fiber and fine germ, separating the fine fiber and fine germ from the ground solids prior to fermentation, and subjecting the fine fiber and fine germ to the liquefaction with the milled grains used for alcohol production to provide the liquefied starch solution including fiber, protein, germ, and free oil.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising combining fine germ recovered after distillation with the separated solids including fiber and germ from the liquefied starch solution, and grinding the separated solids from the liquefied starch solution and the fine germ recovered after distillation to produce the fine fiber and fine germ.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the alcohol is ethanol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the grains include at least one of corn, wheat, barley, sorghum, rye, rice, or oats.