Separation systems for removing starch and other usable by-products from processing waste water
AssigneeSmartflow Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJASON BELL, MARK VANDER HOFF, TODD BENSON, MARC PUGH, JOSEPH PETERS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides for a method for separating starch from processing solutions containing starch containing plants or roots such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat, corn, tapioca, yams, cassaya, sago, rice, pea, broad bean, horse bean, sorghum, konjac, rye, buckwheat and barley to provide commercially acceptable starch while reducing disposal of solid or liquid waste matter into landfills or water treatment facilities.
Claims12
A separation method for separating water from starch milk, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing starch milk liquid-type medium, wherein the liquid-type medium is a viscous liquid, non-viscous liquid, a suspension or an emulsion;
- (b) providing at least one cross-flow filtration cassette comprising:
- an array of sheet members of generally rectangular and generally planar shape with main top and bottom surfaces, wherein the sheet members include in sequence in said array a first retentate sheet, a first filter sheet, a permeate sheet, a second filter sheet, and a second retentate sheet, wherein the fatty acids and triglycerides, having a diameter larger than the filter sheet's pore size, are retained in the retentate flow, and at least a portion of the liquid medium with any permeate species diffuse through the filter sheets and enter the permeate sheet and permeate flow;
- and
- directing the starch milk liquid-type medium through the cross-flow cassette to separate water from the starch component.
A method for production of food quality starch from potato starch containing sludge, wherein the potato starch containing sludge comprises starch milk, hydrolyzed starch, non-hydrolyzed starch, waste water, potato pulp, potato fibers and/or fruit juice, the method comprising:
- a) moving the potato starch containing sludge through a first cross-flow filtration unit according to the present invention wherein such potato starch containing sludge is separated and the starch milk, waste water, fruit juice is separated into a first permeate stream and the remaining potato pulp and/or potato fibers in the first retentate are collected for further use;
- b) moving the permeate stream through a second cross-flow filtration unit wherein the permeate stream from step a) comprising waste water and fruit juice are moved into a second permeate stream for further use and a second retentate stream comprises starch milk;
- c) moving the starch milk through a third cross-flow filtration unit wherein the starch milk is concentrated and dewatered and wherein the removed water is directed into a third permeate stream and the starch in a third retentate stream is collected, wherein the starch content is at least 20%.
A method for dewatering a liquid medium containing starch, the method comprising:
- optionally, subjecting the liquid medium containing starch to pretreating including systems such as centrifuge, vibrating screen, mesh screening, belt filter, hydrocylcone and other systems that remove debris or further reduce particle size to ensure easy flow through the following dewatering separation step;
- dewatering the liquid medium containing starch wherein water is removed from the liquid medium containing starch with the use of a cross-flow filtration unit to form a permeate water stream and a retentate starch stream, wherein the cross-flow filtration unit comprises:
- an array of sheet members of generally rectangular and generally planar shape with main top and bottom surfaces, wherein the sheet members include in sequence in said array a first retentate sheet, a first filter sheet, a permeate sheet, a second filter sheet, and a second retentate sheet, wherein the short or long chain fatty acids, having a diameter larger than the filter sheet's pore size, are retained in the retentate flow, and at least a portion of the liquid medium with any permeate species diffuse through the filter sheets and enter the permeate sheet and permeate flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.