Advanced cook technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113007-B2
Application number	US-201314073046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Nov 6, 2012
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

This disclosure describes providing techniques to treat large-size solids obtained from a slurry or a mash in dextrin production process as can be used in an alcohol production process. This disclosure describes a process for separating a large-particles stream from a liquid stream containing small particles of a process stream using a first mechanical separation device. The process further includes adding water to the large-particles stream to create a lower-solids stream in a cook tank. In an embodiment, the process may grind the large particles from the large-particles stream. In another embodiment, the process may adjust conditions (temperature, pH, processing aids addition) of the lower-solids stream in the cook tank and incubating for a predetermined amount of time. The process further includes separating components from the lower-solids stream by using a second mechanical separation device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method used in an alcohol production facility, the method comprising:
separating a first suspended-solids stream from a first liquid stream containing fine-suspended solids of a process stream by using a first separation device in a counter-flow wash process;
sending the first liquid stream containing fine-suspended solids to a first tank;
milling a portion of the first suspended-solids stream by using a mechanical milling device;
adding water to the milled particles stream to create a lower-solids stream in a second tank;
heating the lower-solids stream in the second tank at a temperature less than about 95° C.; and
further separating a second suspended-solids stream from a second liquid stream containing fine-suspended solids of the lower-solids stream by using a second separation device in the counter-flow wash process; and
combining the second suspended-solids stream with the first liquid stream containing fine-suspended solids and mixing to homogenize;
wherein the method is performed downstream of slurry and upstream of fermentation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating of the lower-solids stream in the second tank has an average residence time from about 20 minutes to about 300 minutes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical milling device comprises at least one of a disc mill, a pin mill, a grind mill, a hammer mill, or a roller mill.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a first portion of the second suspended-solids stream from the second mechanical separation device to a tank; and
milling a second portion of the second suspended-solids stream by using another mechanical milling device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower-solids stream in the second tank is heated to a temperature lower than about 80° C.(about 353 K) to remove starch.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separating, the milling, and the heating will cause an increase in ethanol yield that ranges from about 1% to about 3%.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process stream comprises being obtained as slurry from a slurry tank prior to being cooked or as mash from a liquefaction tank after being cooked.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first separation device or the second separation device comprises at least one of a paddle machine, a washing paddle machine, a filtration centrifuge, a pressure screen, a vibration screen, or a gravity screen.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adding water to the milled particles stream comprises water that is at least one of dilution water, water used in a washing portion of the first separation device, or a combination of the dilution water and the water used in the washing portion of the first separation device.

Assignees

• Icm Inc

Inventors

• Kohl Scott D

Classifications

• Y02E50/10

  Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel · CPC title

• C08B30/042 Primary

  from cereals or grains · CPC title

• C08H8/00

  Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials {(pretreatment thereof B27N)} · CPC title

• C08B30/12

  Degraded, {destructured} or non-chemically modified starch {, e.g. mechanically, enzymatically or by irradiation; Bleaching of starch (preparation of chemical derivatives of starch C08B31/00)} · CPC title

• C12P19/02

  Monosaccharides (2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60) · CPC title