Method for retrofitting an existing plant with a bran fractionation process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12163101-B2
Application number	US-202318120313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2023
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

This disclosure describes a method for retrofitting an existing plant. The method includes adding a fractionation process to separate bran from other components in a feedstock to the existing plant, adding a pretreatment process downstream of the fractionation process, the pretreatment process configured to receive the bran and utilize water and heat to break down cellulose and hemicellulose in the bran; adding a hydrolysis and cellulosic fermentation process downstream of the pretreatment process and upstream of the fermentation process to hydrolyze the bran with a cellulase enzyme complex cocktail and to ferment with an organism to produce cellulosic beer; and combining the cellulosic beer with starch from the grain in the existing plant into the fermentation process to increase overall yield per feedstock unit in the existing plant.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for retrofitting an existing plant, the method comprising: adding a fractionation process to separate bran from other components in a feedstock to the existing plant, the existing plant configured to convert grain to ethanol, the existing plant including a milling process, a cook process, a fermentation process, a distillation process, a dehydration process, an evaporation process, a solid-liquid separation process, and a propagation process, the fractionation process configured to receive a mash from a slurry tank of the cook process and output a liquids stream and a solids stream, the fractionation process configured to output the liquids stream to a liquefaction tank of the cook process, wherein the adding the fractionation process further comprises adding a first mechanical separation device, the first mechanical separation device configured to receive the mash and output the liquids stream and the solids stream;
adding a pretreatment process downstream of the fractionation process, the pretreatment process configured to receive the solids stream that is output from the fractionation process, the solids stream including the bran, the pretreatment process comprising a pretreatment slurry tank configured to utilize water and heat to break down cellulose and hemicellulose in the bran;
adding a hydrolysis and cellulosic fermentation process downstream of the pretreatment process and upstream of the fermentation process to hydrolyze the bran with a cellulase enzyme complex cocktail and to ferment with an organism to produce cellulosic beer; and
combining the cellulosic beer with starch from the grain in the existing plant into the fermentation process.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recovering energy by releasing a steam from the pretreatment process and sending the steam to be used in processes in the existing plant.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising redirecting a cook water supply from processes in the existing plant to be used in the pretreatment process.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising recycling a condensate from the pretreatment process to a pretreatment water tank.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
fermenting the starch from the grain combined with the cellulosic beer in the existing plant to beer;
distilling the beer to separate alcohol from solids and liquids;
removing moisture from the alcohol; and
adding a denaturant to the alcohol to produce biofuel.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
fermenting the starch from the grain combined with the cellulosic beer in the existing plant to beer;
distilling the beer to separate alcohol from solids and liquids;
separating the solids and the liquids into wet cake and concentrate; and
producing distillers grains.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mash that is output from the slurry tank includes a solids content between 18% and 40%.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adding the fractionation process further comprises adding a second mechanical separation device upstream from the first mechanical separation device, the second mechanical separation device configured to receive the mash and output a second solids stream to a wet fractionation slurry tank and a second liquids stream to the liquefaction tank.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wet fractionation slurry tank is configured to output the mash to the first mechanical separation device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the adding the fractionation process further comprises adding a third mechanical separation device upstream from the second mechanical separation device, wherein:
the third mechanical separation device is configured to receive the mash directly from the slurry tank and output a third solids stream to a shearing device and a third liquids stream to a mixing tank, and
the shearing device is configured to output a sheared solids stream to the mixing tank for mixing with the third liquids stream to form a mixed mash.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the mixing tank is configured to output the mixed mash to the second mechanical separation device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adding the fractionation process further comprises adding an array of separation devices, wherein a final separation device in the array of separation devices is configured to output the liquids stream and the solids stream.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein a first separation device in the array of separation devices is configured to receive the mash directly from the slurry tank.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a middle separation device in the array of separation devices is configured to receive a mixed mash that is output from a mixing tank, wherein the mixing tank is configured to combine a milled large particle stream that is output from a shearing device with a liquids and fine suspended particles stream that is output from the first of the array of separation devices.

15. A method for retrofitting an existing plant, the method comprising:
adding a fractionation process to separate bran from other components in a feedstock to the existing plant, the existing plant configured to convert grain to ethanol, the fractionation process configured to receive a mash and output a liquids stream and a solids stream, wherein the mash received by the fractionation process includes a solids content between 18% and 40%, wherein the adding the fractionation process further comprises adding a first mechanical separation device, the first mechanical separation device configured to receive the mash and output the liquids stream and the solids stream;
adding a pretreatment process downstream of the fractionation process, the pretreatment process configured to receive the solids stream that is output from the fractionation process, the solids stream including the bran, the pretreatment process comprising a pretreatment slurry tank configured to utilize water, chemicals, and heat to break down cellulose and hemicellulose in the bran; and
adding a hydrolysis and cellulosic fermentation process downstream of the pretreatment process and upstream of the fermentation process to hydrolyze the bran with enzymes and to ferment with an organism to produce cellulosic beer.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising redirecting cook water supply from processes in the existing plant to be used in the pretreatment process.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pretreatment process includes adding water to a large-suspended solids in a tank to create a low-solids slurry, wherein a percentage of solids in the low-solids slurry comprises less than about 25%, and wherein the large-suspended solids includes the bran.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adding a shearing device to impart shear on the large-suspended solids that is received from the fractionation process prior to the pretreatment process.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cellulosic beer is sent to a separate fermentation tank after the hydrolysis and cellulosic fermentation process.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the adding the fractionation process further comprises adding an array of separation devices and a plurality of mix tanks.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein:
the array of separation devices comprises a first separation device and a final separation device,
the first separation device is configured to receive the mash from a first of the plurality of mix tanks and output a first liquid stream to a li

Assignees

• Icm Inc

Inventors

• Javers Jeremy Edward
• Gerken Christopher Riley William
• Gallop Charles C
• Vander Griend Samuel
• Spooner Jesse
• Licklider Jonathan Phillip
• Malburg Laercio
• Hoefling Ryan Edward
• Rivers Douglas Bernard
• Dieker Kurt A

Classifications

• C12P2203/00

  Fermentation products obtained from optionally pretreated or hydrolyzed cellulosic or lignocellulosic material as the carbon source · CPC title

• C12P2201/00

  Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis · CPC title

• C12P7/14

  Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms · CPC title

• C10L2290/546

  Sieving for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel · CPC title

• C10L2290/543

  Distillation, fractionation or rectification for separating fractions, components or impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel · CPC title