Anaerobic treatment process for ethanol production

Abstract

A method of treating thin stillage from an ethanol production process that includes in a digester, treating thin stillage from the ethanol production process using anaerobic digestion to produce an ammonia-rich liquid product. During anaerobic digestion of the thin stillage, with a solids/liquids separation system of the digester, the ammonia-rich liquid product may be separated from a mixed liquor to produce a permeate. At least a portion of the permeate from the solids/liquids separation system of the digester may be recycled directly to the ethanol production process. A mesophilic anaerobic digester with a thin stillage COD loading rate of about 3 kg/m3/d to at least about 7.5 kg/m3d. An anaerobic biomass prepared by a method that includes subjecting the biomass to at least one stress event.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.