# US 2016/0257907 A1 · Enhanced Separation of Corn Oil from the Ethanol Manufacturing Process

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- Number: US 2016/0257907 A1
- Document ID: US20160257907A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/063,023
- Filed: 2016-03-07
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-05
- Assignees: Lincolnway Energy, LLC
- Applicants: Lincolnway Energy, LLC
- Inventors: Eric Hakmiller
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160257907A1

## CPC

- C11B 1/12: by melting out
- C11B 13/00: Recovery of fats, fatty oils or fatty acids from waste materials
- C12P 7/06: Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02W 30/74: Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes
- C11B: PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES (drying-oils C09F)
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

An ethanol production process and system for recovering high value oil products. The invention includes adding a heated lipid (oil) stream to a thin stillage stream to break the water/oil emulsion and free bound oil then recovering the oil. The process uses oil as the heat transfer mechanism to increase both the volume and quality of the oil recovered.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the recovery of oil from an ethanol process comprising:
processing a feedstock to create a process stream;
fermenting the process stream to create a post-fermentation process stream;
separating the post-fermentation process stream into an alcohol stream and a whole stillage stream;
separating a thin stillage stream from the whole stillage stream, wherein the thin stillage stream includes bound oil;
introducing a heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream to create an oil flow stream;
separating an oil product from the oil flow stream.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing the oil product in an oil storage tank.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 wherein the lipid stream is taken from the oil storage tank.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein lipids are recovered from a point in the ethanol process to create the lipid stream.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the lipid stream is separated from the process stream prior to fermentation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the lipid stream is heated in a heat exchanger prior to being introduced to the thin stillage stream.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the lipid stream is heated to a temperature of between about 190 degrees F. and 325 degrees F. before being introduced to the thin stillage stream.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the lipid stream is heated to a temperature of between about 205 degrees F. and 215 degrees F. before being introduced to the thin stillage stream.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the thin stillage stream is separated from the whole stillage stream using a centrifuge.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the oil product is separated from the oil flow stream using a centrifuge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein upon introducing the heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream, the heated lipid stream breaks emulsions in the thin stillage releasing bound oil.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein upon introducing the heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream, the heated lipid stream decreases the viscosity of the thin stillage.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein upon introducing the heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream, the heated lipid stream vaporizes water from the thin stillage.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1 wherein the lipid stream comprises at least 80% oil.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A product produced by the process of claim 1.

### Claim 16

A process for the recovery of oil from an ethanol process comprising:
processing a feedstock to create a process stream;
fermenting the process stream to create a post-fermentation process stream;
separating the post-fermentation process stream into an alcohol stream and a whole stillage stream;
separating a thin stillage stream from the whole stillage stream, wherein the thin stillage stream includes bound oil;
separating an oil stream from the thin stillage stream to create a lipid stream;
heating the lipid stream and recycling it to the thin stillage stream;
recovering an oil product.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The process of claim 16 wherein the lipid stream is heated to a temperature of between about 205 degrees F. and 215 degrees F. to create the heated lipid stream before being introduced to the thin stillage stream.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The process of claim 16 wherein the thin stillage stream is separated from the whole stillage stream using a centrifuge.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The process of claim 16 wherein upon introducing the heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream, the heated lipid stream breaks emulsions in the thin stillage releasing bound oil.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

A product produced by the process of claim 16.

### Claim 21

A process for the recovery of oil from an ethanol process, said process comprising:
grinding and wetting a feedstock to create a process stream;
separating a lipid stream from the process stream;
fermenting the process stream to create a post-fermentation process stream having an alcohol;
separating the post-fermentation process stream into an alcohol stream and a whole stillage stream;
separating a thin stillage stream from the whole stillage stream, wherein the thin stillage stream includes bound oil;
heating the lipid stream to produce a heated lipid stream; and
introducing the heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream to create an oil flow stream;
separating an oil product from the oil flow stream;
wherein the lipid stream is separated from the process stream before fermentation.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21 wherein the lipid stream is heated to a temperature of between about 205 degrees F. and 215 degrees F. to create the heated lipid stream before being introduced to the thin stillage stream.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21 wherein the thin stillage stream is separated from the whole stillage stream using centrifuge.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21 wherein the oil product is separated from the oil flow stream using a centrifuge.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21 wherein upon introducing the heated lipid stream to the thin stillage stream, the heated lipid stream breaks emulsions in the thin stillage releasing bound oil.

### Claim 26 (depends on 21)

A product produced by the process of claim 21.