# US 12,180,443 B2 · Apparatus for producing fermented soybean meal

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- Number: US 12,180,443 B2
- Document ID: US12180443B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/275,791
- Filed: 2019-01-31
- Published: 2022-02-17
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-10
- Assignees: Feedup Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Feedup Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jong Hwa Lee; Hyuck Gee Lee; Sung Min Lee; Hee Sung Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180443B2

## CPC

- C12M 21/16: {Solid state fermenters, e.g. for koji production}
- A23K 10/12: by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
- A23K 10/30: from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms (obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes, e.g. using yeasts or enzymes, A23K10/10)
- A23K 30/20: Dehydration (of green fodder A23K30/12)
- A23K 40/10: by agglomeration; by granulation, e.g. making powders
- A23K 50/10: for ruminants
- A23N 17/007: {for mixing feeding-stuff components}
- B01D 21/262: {by using a centrifuge}
- B04B 5/10: Centrifuges combined with other apparatus, e.g. electrostatic separators; Sets or systems of several centrifuges (B04B5/12 takes precedence; magnetic or electrostatic separators B03C; {amassing particles by electric fields, e.g. by agglomeration B03C3/0175})
- C12M 23/20: {Material Coatings (immunocoatings C12M25/00)}
- C12M 27/00: {Means for mixing, agitating or circulating fluids in the vessel (by introduction of gas C12M29/06, C12M29/14, mixing in general or mixers per se B01F; mixing in apparatus for chemical or physical processes B01J)}
- C12M 29/06: {Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers (per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26)}
- C12M 29/18: {External loop; Means for reintroduction of fermented biomass or liquid percolate (loop type reactors for chemical or physical processes B01J19/2435)}
- C12M 33/10: {by centrifugation (centrifuges in general B04B); Cyclones (cyclones in general B04C)}
- C12M 45/04: {Phase separators; Separation of non fermentable material; Fractionation}
- C12M 47/14: {Drying}
- A23K 50/30: for swines
- A23K 50/75: for poultry
- A23K 50/80: for aquatic animals, e.g. fish, crustaceans or molluscs
- Y02A 40/818: Alternative feeds for fish, e.g. in aquacultures
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- A23K: FODDER
- A23N: MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS (machines for cutting straw or fodder A01F29/00; disintegrating, e.g. shredding, B02C; severing, e.g. cutting, splitting, slicing B26B, B26D)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B04B: CENTRIFUGES (high-speed drum mills B02C19/11; domestic spin driers D06F; analysing, measuring or monitoring physical or chemical properties of samples during centrifuging, see the relevant subclasses for these procedures, e.g. G01N)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for producing fermented soybean meal, which produces fermented soybean meal for monogastric animals and ruminant selectively or together. An apparatus for producing fermented soybean meal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a solid-liquid separating part, which mixes raw material soybean meal and an extraction solvent and extracts the soybean meal, and separately produces a remaining soybean meal and a soybean meal extract; a lactic acid bacteria culturing part, which produces the lactic acid bacteria by putting inoculum into the soybean meal extract, and supplies the lactic acid bacteria to the solid-liquid separating part; a solid substrate fermenting part, which is selectively supplied with and mixes at least two of the remaining soybean meal supplied from the solid-liquid separating part, the raw material soybean meal supplied through bypass, and lactic acid bacteria supplied from the lactic acid bacteria culturing part to produce a mixed material, and solid-substrate ferments the mixed material to produce primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal; and a drier, which dries the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal supplied from the solid substrate fermenting part to produce secondary solid substrate fermented soybean meal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for producing fermented soybean meal, the apparatus comprising:
a solid-liquid separating part, which mixes raw material soybean meal and an extraction solvent and extracts soybean meal, and separately produces a remaining soybean meal and a soybean meal extract;
a lactic acid bacteria culturing part, which produces lactic acid bacteria by putting inoculum into the soybean meal extract, and supplies the lactic acid bacteria to the solid-liquid separating part;
a solid substrate fermentation part, which is selectively supplied with and mixes at least two of the remaining soybean meal supplied from the solid-liquid separating part, the raw material soybean meal supplied through a bypass, and lactic acid bacteria supplied from the lactic acid bacteria culturing part to produce a mixed material, and solid-substrate ferments the mixed material to produce primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal; and
a drier, which dries the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal supplied from the solid substrate fermentation part to produce secondary solid substrate fermented soybean meal,
wherein the solid substrate fermentation part includes:
a fermentation chamber, which is provided with an inlet, through which the mixed material is introduced, and an outlet, through which the fermented primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal is discharged, and ferments the mixed material to the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal;
a transfer conveyor, which is installed inside the fermentation chamber and transfers the mixed material and the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal to an outlet side from the inlet; and
a brush, which is provided at a lower side of the transfer conveyor in a width direction and brushes the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal attached to the return side of the transfer conveyor,
wherein the drier comprises:
a fluidized bed drier, which dries the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal of the solid substrate fermentation part at a first temperature; and
a double mixing drier, which dries the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal of the solid substrate fermentation part at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a grinder, which grinds the secondary solid substrate fermented soybean meal supplied from the drier and finally produces tertiary solid substrate fermented soybean meal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:
the grinder includes:
a housing, which is provided with an inlet, through which the secondary solid substrate fermented soybean meal is introduced in a lateral direction, and an outlet, through which a ground tertiary solid substrate fermented soybean meal is discharged;
rotary blades, which are installed in a plurality of blade mounting portions, which are mounted on a rotation shaft penetrating the housing and is provided at a set rotation interval, respectively;
a plurality of stationary blades, which are continuously disposed in a frame disposed in a crushing area in a rotation trace of the rotary blades while maintaining a gap with the rotary blades; and
a perforated plate, which is disposed in a discharge area along a remaining area of the crushing area in the rotation trace while maintaining a gap with the rotary blades and discharges a crushed tertiary solid substrate fermented soybean meal to an outlet side.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the solid-liquid separating part is configured to
mix supplied raw material soybean meal and an extraction solvent and immerses the soybean meal,
separate the remaining soybean meal and the soybean meal extract from an immersed immersion sludge,
supply the separated remaining soybean meal to the solid substrate fermentation part, and
supply the dehydrated soybean meal extract to the lactic acid bacteria culturing part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:
the solid-liquid separating part includes
any one of a centrifugal separator, a screw pressor, a filter pressor, and a decanter, which separates the remaining soybean meal and the soybean meal extract from the immersion sludge.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the solid-liquid separating part
mixes supplied tap water, circulating water, which circulates the lactic acid bacteria culturing part, and acidified material to produce the extraction solvent.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the lactic acid bacteria culturing part includes:
a liquid fermentation tank, which injects the inoculum to the soybean meal extract supplied from the solid-liquid separating part and tap water to produce the lactic acid bacteria;
a lactic acid bacteria storing tank, which is connected to the liquid fermentation tank, and mixes supplied lactic acid bacteria with tap water and stores the lactic acid bacteria; and
a lactic acid bacteria service tank, which is connected to the lactic acid bacteria storing tank and supplies the supplied lactic acid bacteria to the solid substrate fermentation part.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
the solid substrate fermentation part
mixes supplied remaining soybean meal and the lactic acid bacteria as a first mixed material,
mixes the raw material soybean meal and the lactic acid bacteria as a second mixed material, or
mixes the remaining soybean meal, the raw material soybean meal, the lactic acid bacteria as a third mixed material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:
the solid substrate fermentation part
solid-substrate ferments one of the first mixed material to the third mixed material and produces the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:
the lactic acid bacteria culturing part further includes
a circulating water tank, which supplies circulating water produced by mixing a part of the lactic acid bacteria supplied from the lactic acid bacteria storing tank and the lactic acid bacteria service tank and the soybean meal extract supplied from the solid-liquid separating part to the solid-liquid separating part.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the double mixing drier further includes:
a lactic acid bacteria injection nozzle, which is installed to inject a part of the lactic acid bacteria supplied from the lactic acid bacteria service tank to the solid substrate fermentation part into the double mixing drier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the solid substrate fermentation part further includes:
a blade, which is provided on a shaft, which is installed at an inlet side in a transverse direction of the fermentation chamber and rotates, and sets a height of the mixed material within the fermentation chamber; and
a scraper, which is installed on a shaft, which is installed at the outlet side in the transverse direction of the fermentation chamber and forwardly and reversely rotates, with a bracket interposed therebetween, and scrapes the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal fermented in the fermentation chamber and discharges the scraped primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal in a set amount.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the double mixing drier includes:
a housing including an inlet, through which the primary solid substrate fermented soybean meal is introduced from the solid substrate fermentation part, and an outlet, through which mixed and dried secondary solid substrate fermented soybean meal is discharged;
one pair of rotation shafts, which are elongated in disposition in a direction of the inlet and the outlet inside the housing and is disposed in parallel at a set interval in a direction crossing the elongation direction; and
a plurality of blades, which are slantly installed on the pair of rotation shafts at a set angle, and
wherein an internal space of the housing includes
a fermentation and mixing area, a Maillard reaction area, in which a Maillard reaction is generated by supplied lactic acid bacteria, and a moisture adjusting area by supplied moisture, which are sequentially provided between the inlet and the outlet.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:
the housing is provided with an oil jacket, which circulates high-temperature oil, and
the rotation shafts and the plurality of blades are provided with oil passages, through which the high-temperature oil is circulated.