US2012291306A1PendingUtilityA1

Drying apparatus and methods for ethanol production

48
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jun 25, 2007Filed: Jul 31, 2012Published: Nov 22, 2012
Est. expiryJun 25, 2027(~0.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:James A. RehkopfJeffrey L. TateDavid A. Mirko
F26B 23/026F23C 15/00Y02E50/10C12F 3/10
48
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

The apparatus and methods disclosed herein relate to the production of dried co-products from stillage produced by an ethanol production facility. In various aspects, the apparatus and methods disclosed herein relate to an ethanol production facility that produces ethanol and stillage from grain, and a pulse combustion dryer in communication with the ethanol production facility to receive stillage therefrom and adapted to dry the stillage into a dried material

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an ethanol production facility adapted to produce ethanol and stillage from grain; and   a pulse combustion dryer in communication with the ethanol production facility to receive stillage therefrom and adapted to dry the stillage into a dried material.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises whole stillage and the dried material comprises dried distiller's grains and solubles. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises whole stillage and the dried material comprises dried grain fermented extractives. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises wet distiller's grains and the dried material comprises dried distiller's grains. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises thin stillage and the dried material comprises dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material comprises dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stillage processing unit in communication with the ethanol production facility to receive whole stillage therefrom, the stillage processing unit adapted to extract a stillage fraction from the whole stillage, the stillage processing unit in communication with the pulse combustion dryer to introduce the stillage fraction into the pulse combustion dryer as the dryer feed material to produce a dried material therefrom.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus, as in  claim 7 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of wet distiller's grains and the dried material produced therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's grains. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus, as in  claim 6 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material produced therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus, as in  claim 6 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of thin stillage and the dried material produced therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for producing ethanol and stillage;   and a pulse combustion dryer in communication with the means for producing ethanol and stillage to receive stillage therefrom and adapted to dry the stillage into a dried material.   
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 introducing stillage from an ethanol production facility into a pulse combustion dryer as a dryer feed material thereby obtaining a dried material therefrom.   
     
     
         13 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage comprises whole stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's grains and solubles. 
     
     
         14 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage consists essentially of whole stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's grains and solubles. 
     
     
         15 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage comprises whole stillage and the dried material comprises dried grain fermented extractives. 
     
     
         16 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage consists essentially of whole stillage and the dried material consists essentially of dried grain fermented extractives. 
     
     
         17 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage comprises wet distiller's grains and the dried material comprises dried distiller's grains. 
     
     
         18 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage comprises thin stillage and the dried material comprises dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         19 . The method, as in  claim 12 , wherein the stillage comprises condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material comprises dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         20 . A method, comprising:
 producing stillage using an ethanol production facility;   extracting a stillage fraction from said stillage; and   introducing the stillage fraction into a pulse combustion dryer as a dryer feed materials thereby obtaining a dried material therefrom.   
     
     
         21 . The method, as in  claim 20 , wherein the stillage fraction comprises wet distiller's grains and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's grains. 
     
     
         22 . The method, as in  claim 20 , wherein the stillage fraction comprises thin stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         23 . The method, as in  claim 20 , wherein the stillage fraction comprises condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         24 . The method, as in  claim 20 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of wet distiller's grains and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's grains. 
     
     
         25 . The method, as in  claim 20 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of thin stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's solubles. 
     
     
         26 . The method, as in  claim 20 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's solubles.

Join the waitlist — get patent alerts

Track US2012291306A1 — get alerts on status changes and closely related new filings.

We store only your email — no account needed. See our privacy policy.