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US 8,524,473 B2Granted
Ethanol production process using cold traps
AssigneeLittle Sioux Corn Processors, LLC.
InventorsNeal Hammond, John Prevost
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Abstract
An improved ethanol production process providing novel stillage treatment is disclosed wherein the stillage is separated into four value added product streams that are subjected to drying conditions reducing or eliminating volatization of any VOC's in the product streams.
Claims11
In an ethanol production process wherein a starch-containing feedstock is hydrolyzed to produce ethanol and whole stillage, the improvement to which comprises:
- (a) separating the whole stillage to produce a protein-containing solids stream and a solubles stream, and
- (b) drying the protein-containing solids stream in a spray dryer operating at an inlet hot air temperature of less than about 450° F. and an exhaust temperature of between about 140° F. and about 170° F. for a period of time to produce a protein rich product having a water content of less than about 15% by weight, wherein drying the protein-containing solids stream produces a volatile organic compound stream comprised of volatile organic compounds and water vapor;
- (c) passing the volatile organic compound stream through a cold trap to produce a water-volatile organic compound liquid;
- and
- (d) passing the water-volatile organic compound liquid through a separator to separate the volatile organic compound and the water to form a volatile organic compound product.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.