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US 11,345,875 B2Granted
Systems and methods for extracting oil from plant material
AssigneePOET Research, Inc.
InventorsBlake A. Schnell, Kristin M. Calar, John C. Keeler, Matthew J. Rindsig, Benjamin G. Oster, Brett A. Flittie, Steven T. Bly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for recovering oil from processed plant materials and by-products formed during a milling process used for producing ethanol.
Claims22
A method of extracting oil from a grain in a biochemical process, comprising:
- (a) grinding grain to reduce a size of the grain to form ground grain;
- (b) fermenting the ground grain to produce beer;
- (c) distilling the beer to recover a biochemical from the beer and to form whole stillage;
- (d) separating at least a portion of at least one of the beer, the whole stillage, or a combination thereof into a first liquid fraction and a first solids fraction, wherein the first solids fraction comprises, or is adjusted to comprise, a total solids content in a range from 15 to less than 35% (wt/wt) based on the total weight of the first solids fraction and after step (d);
- (e) applying pressure to the first solids fraction to separate the first solids fraction into a second liquid fraction and a second solids fraction and to transfer oil into the second liquid fraction;
- and
- (f) recovering or separating oil from the second liquid fraction.
4 more elements
A method of extracting oil from a grain in a biochemical process, comprising:
- (a) grinding grain to reduce a size of the grain to form ground grain;
- (b) fermenting the ground grain to produce beer;
- (c) distilling the beer to recover a biochemical from the beer and to form whole stillage;
- (d) separating at least a portion of at least one of the beer or the whole stillage into a first liquid fraction and a first solids fraction, wherein the first solids fraction comprises, or is adjusted to comprise, a total solids content in a range from 15 to less than 35% (wt/wt) based on the total weight of the first solids fraction and after step (d);
- (e) applying pressure to the first solids fraction to separate the first solids fraction into a second liquid fraction and a second solids fraction;
- (f) adding a diluent to reduce the solids content of the second solids fraction to produce a diluted second solids fraction;
- (g) heating the diluted second solids fraction to produce a heated and diluted second solids fraction;
- (h) applying pressure to the heated and diluted second solids fraction to separate the heated and diluted second solids fraction into a third liquid fraction and a third solids fraction and to transfer oil into the third liquid fraction;
- and
- (i) recovering or separating oil from the third liquid fraction.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.