Method for employing corn plant material comprising cobs in the manufacture of ethanol

A method for producing ethanol from corn in a process that uses heat for which there has been employed, as a source of fuel, corn plant material comprising cobs characterized by having previously been subjected to upstream processing that has been performed upstream of an ethanol manufacturing facility, wherein said upstream processing has comprised the steps of:

• processing corn plants in a plurality of farm fields, the processing of said corn plants comprising employing harvesting equipment to pick, from said plurality of farm fields, corn plant material including ear corn comprising corn and cobs as components, and to return a corn plant ingredient other than corn to the farm fields;
• employing the harvesting equipment, that has picked said ear corn, to accumulate, at said farm fields, corn plant material having a plurality of corn plant ingredients and comprising cobs;
• said picking and accumulating steps being performed in a single pass of said harvesting equipment;
• and delivering corn plant material comprising cobs, from a plurality of farm fields, to a downstream location that is (a) downstream of said farm fields, (b) remote from the farms where the cobs are harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• the corn plant material delivered to said downstream location comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients delivered together to said downstream location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in that material being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• and wherein said method comprises the steps of:
• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said downstream location is physically associated and that is remote from the farms that supply said ethanol manufacturing facility with feed material;
• receiving corn, from a plurality of farm fields, as feed material at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• processing corn into ethanol at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• and
• using, in said processing, heat for which there has been employed, as a source of fuel, corn plant material comprising cobs characterized by having been subjected to said upstream processing;
• there being no consumption, of a corn plant ingredient that has been subjected to said upstream processing, to dry, at said downstream location, concurrently with cobs, corn that is processed into ethanol produced by said method;
• the ethanol produced by said method being processed from corn undried, concurrently with cobs, by consumption, at said downstream location, of said corn plant ingredient that has been subjected to said upstream processing.

A method for producing ethanol and that employs corn plant material comprising cobs characterized by having previously been subjected to upstream processing that has been performed upstream of an ethanol manufacturing facility and that has comprised the steps of:

• processing corn plants in a plurality of farm fields, the processing of said corn plants comprising employing harvesting equipment to pick, from said plurality of farm fields, corn plant material including ear corn comprising corn and cobs as components, and to return a corn plant ingredient other than corn to the farm fields;
• and delivering corn plant material comprising cobs, from a plurality of farm fields, to a downstream location that is (a) downstream of said farm fields, (b) remote from the farms where the cobs are harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• the corn plant material delivered to said downstream location comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients delivered together to said downstream location;
• and wherein said method comprises the steps of:
• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said downstream location is physically associated and that is remote from the farms that supply said ethanol manufacturing facility with feed material;
• receiving, at said downstream location, from a plurality of farm fields, corn plant material comprising cobs characterized by having undergone said upstream processing;
• subjecting the material that has undergone said upstream processing to further processing at said downstream location;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs that is subjected to said further processing at the downstream location comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients of which cobs are a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in that material being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• employing the material that has undergone said upstream processing as a source of fuel for processing a corn plant ingredient into ethanol at an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said downstream location is physically associated;
• and providing a storage site, downstream of said plurality of farm fields, for storing corn plant material comprising cobs employed in said method;
• there being no consumption, of a corn plant ingredient that has undergone said upstream processing, to dry corn at said downstream location.

A method for producing ethanol and that employs corn plant material comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving said corn plant material comprising cobs at a downstream location that is (a) downstream of a plurality of farm fields that supply said location with said corn plant material comprising cobs, (b) remote from the farms at which said cobs were harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• subjecting the corn plant material comprising cobs that is received at said location to processing at that location;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs that is subjected to said processing comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in the corn plant material subjected to said processing being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• employing the corn plant material comprising cobs that is received at said location as a source of fuel for processing a corn plant ingredient into ethanol at an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said location is physically associated;
• and providing a storage site, downstream of said plurality of farm fields, for storing corn plant material comprising cobs employed in said method;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location, to dry corn at that location.

A method for producing ethanol from corn in a process that uses heat for which there has been employed fuel produced, in upstream processing, from corn plant material having a plurality of corn plant ingredients and comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, wherein said upstream processing has been performed upstream of an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as feed material, and wherein said upstream processing has comprised the steps of:

• receiving said corn plant material comprising cobs at a downstream location that is (a) downstream of a plurality of farm fields that supply said location with said corn plan material comprising cobs, (b) remote from the farms at which said cobs were harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• and subjecting the corn plant material comprising cobs that is received at said location to processing at that location, to produce a fuel for providing thermal energy;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs that is subjected to said processing comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in the corn plant material subjected to said processing being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• and wherein said method comprises the steps of:
• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said location is physically associated and that is remote from the farms that supply said ethanol manufacturing facility with feed material;
• receiving corn, from a plurality of farm fields, as feed material at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• processing corn into ethanol at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• and
• using, in the processing of said corn into ethanol, heat for which the fuel produced in said upstream processing has been employed as fuel for said heat;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in the corn plant material comprising cobs that has been received at said location, to dry, at that location, corn that is processed into ethanol produced by said method.

A method for employing, in the production of ethanol from corn, corn plant material having a plurality of corn plant ingredients and comprising cobs, said material being harvested from farm fields that grow corn, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• said ethanol manufacturing facility being remote from the farms that supply said ethanol manufacturing facility with feed material;
• said ethanol manufacturing facility being physically associated with a location (a) that is downstream of a plurality of farm fields that grow corn, (b) that receives corn plant material comprising cobs from said farm fields and (c) that is remote from the farms where the cobs are harvested;
• receiving, at said ethanol manufacturing facility, corn from a plurality of farm fields;
• processing said corn into ethanol at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• and
• using, in said processing, heat obtained from fuel for which there has been employed, as a source, corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location;
• the corn plant material employed as said source of fuel comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in the corn plant material employed as said source of fuel being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in the corn plant material comprising cobs employed as said source of fuel, to dry, at said location, corn that is processed into ethanol produced by said method;
• the ethanol produced by said method being processed from corn undried, by consumption at said location, of a corn plant ingredient in the corn plant material comprising cobs that has been employed as said source of fuel.

A method for employing, in the production of ethanol, corn plant material comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a downstream location that is (a) downstream of a plurality of farm fields that supply said location with corn plant material comprising cobs, (b) remote from the farms at which the cobs were harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• receiving, at said location, from said plurality of farm fields, corn plant material comprising cobs;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in said corn plant material received at said location being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• subjecting the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location to processing at said location to produce fuel for process heat;
• processing a corn plant ingredient into ethanol at an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said location is physically associated;
• and
• using, in said processing, heat obtained from fuel produced by the processing of said corn plant material comprising cobs at said location;
• and providing a storage site, downstream of said plurality of farm fields, for storing corn plant material comprising cobs employed in said method;
• there being no consumption, at said location, of a corn plant ingredient in the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location, to dry corn there.

A method for employing, in the production of ethanol from corn, corn plant material having a plurality of corn plant ingredients and comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility that is physically associated with a location (a) that receives corn plant material comprising cobs from a plurality of corn fields that are upstream of said location, (b) that is remote from the farms at which the cobs were harvested and (c) at which said corn plant material comprising cobs is processed to produce fuel for process heat;
• said ethanol manufacturing facility being remote from the farms that provide said facility with feed material;
• receiving corn, from a plurality of farm fields, as feed material at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• processing corn into ethanol at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• and
• using, in said processing, heat obtained from fuel produced by the processing of said corn plant material comprising cobs at said location;
• the corn plant material processed to produce said fuel comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in that corn plant material being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in said corn plant material comprising cobs, to dry, at said location, concurrently with cobs, corn that is to be processed into ethanol by said method;
• the ethanol produced by said method being processed from corn undried, concurrently with cobs, by the consumption, at said location, of a corn plant ingredient in said corn plant material comprising cobs.

A method for producing ethanol and that employs corn plant material comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving said corn plant material comprising cobs at a downstream location that is (a) downstream of a plurality of farm fields that supply said location with said corn plant material comprising cobs, (b) remote from the farms at which said cobs were harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• subjecting the corn plant material comprising cobs that is received at said location to processing at that location;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs that is subjected to said processing comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in the corn plant material subjected to said processing being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• employing the corn plant material comprising cobs that is received at said location as a source of fuel for processing a corn plant ingredient into ethanol at an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said location is physically associated;
• and providing a storage site, downstream of said plurality of farm fields, for storing corn plant material comprising cobs employed in said method;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location, to dry corn and cobs concurrently at that location.

A method for employing, in the production of ethanol, corn plant material comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a downstream location that is (a) downstream of a plurality of farm fields that supply said location with corn plant material comprising cobs, (b) remote from the farms at which the cobs were harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• receiving, at said location, from said plurality of farm fields, corn plant material comprising cobs;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in said corn plant material received at said location being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• subjecting the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location to processing at said location to produce fuel for process heat;
• processing a corn plant ingredient into ethanol at an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said location is physically associated;
• and
• using, in said processing, heat obtained from fuel produced by the processing of said corn plant material comprising cobs at said location;
• and providing a storage site, downstream of said plurality of farm fields, for storing corn plant material comprising cobs employed in said method;
• there being no consumption, at said location, of a corn plant ingredient in the corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location, to dry corn and cobs concurrently there.

A method for producing ethanol from corn in a process that uses heat for which there has been employed fuel produced, in upstream processing, from corn plant material having a plurality of corn plant ingredients and comprising cobs harvested from farm fields, wherein said upstream processing has been performed upstream of an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as feed material, and wherein said upstream processing has comprised the steps of:

• receiving said corn plant material comprising cobs at a downstream location that is (a) downstream of a plurality of farm fields that supply said location with said corn plan material comprising cobs, (b) remote from the farms at which said cobs were harvested and (c) physically associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• and subjecting the corn plant material comprising cobs that is received at said location to processing at that location, to produce a fuel for providing thermal energy;
• the corn plant material comprising cobs that is subjected to said processing comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in the corn plant material subjected to said processing being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• and wherein said method comprises the steps of:
• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility with which said location is physically associated and that is remote from the farms that supply said ethanol manufacturing facility with feed material;
• receiving corn, from a plurality of farm fields, as feed material at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• processing corn into ethanol at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• and
• using, in the processing of said corn into ethanol, heat for which the fuel produced in said upstream processing has been employed as fuel for said heat;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in the corn plant material comprising cobs that has been received at said location, to dry, at that location, concurrently with cobs, corn that is processed into ethanol produced by said method.

A method for employing, in the production of ethanol from corn, corn plant material having a plurality of corn plant ingredients and comprising cobs, said material being harvested from farm fields that grow corn, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an ethanol manufacturing facility that receives corn as a feed material;
• said ethanol manufacturing facility being remote from the farms that supply said ethanol manufacturing facility with feed material;
• said ethanol manufacturing facility being physically associated with a location (a) that is downstream of a plurality of farm fields that grow corn, (b) that receives corn plant material comprising cobs from said farm fields and (c) that is remote from the farms where the cobs are harvested;
• receiving, at said ethanol manufacturing facility, corn from a plurality of farm fields;
• processing said corn into ethanol at said ethanol manufacturing facility;
• and
• using, in said processing, heat obtained from fuel for which there has been employed, as a source, corn plant material comprising cobs received at said location;
• the corn plant material employed as said source of fuel comprising a plurality of corn plant ingredients received together at said location and having cobs as a minor portion, the proportion of cobs in the corn plant material employed as said source of fuel being greater than the proportion of any other stover ingredient in that material, and the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in that material being greater than the proportion of cobs to other stover ingredients in the stover of the corn plant;
• there being no consumption of a corn plant ingredient, in the corn plant material comprising cobs employed as said source of fuel, to dry, at said location, concurrently with cobs, corn that is processed into ethanol produced by said method;
• the ethanol produced by said method being processed from corn undried, concurrently with cobs, by consumption at said location, of a corn plant ingredient in the corn plant material comprising cobs that has been employed as said source of fuel.