Processes and Systems for Alcohol Production and Recovery

Abstract

The present invention relates to processes for recovering butanol produced in a fermentative process using, for example, an ethanol production plant which has been reversibly-retrofitted for butanol production, that is, the ethanol production plant may be converted for butanol production, but can also revert to an ethanol production. The present invention also relates to processes for recovering butanol produced in a fermentative process in a butanol production plant that may be converted to ethanol production plant.

1 - 92 . (canceled) 
     
     
         93 . A method for processing undissolved solids from feedstock in a retrofitted bioethanol production plant comprising
 separating liquefied mash forming a wet cake comprising undissolved solids and thin mash;   washing the wet cake to produce a liquid stream and a washed wet cake, wherein existing separation devices of the retrofitted bioethanol production plant are repurposed for washing the wet cake.   
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein the separation device is one or more centrifuges. 
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein the wet cake is combined with an aqueous stream to form a slurry stream. 
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 95 , wherein the aqueous stream is lutter water, cook water, backset, process condensate, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         97 . The method of  claim 95 , wherein the slurry stream is conducted by a valve system to the one or more centrifuges forming wet cakes. 
     
     
         98 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein the wet cakes are combined by means of a conveyor system. 
     
     
         99 . The method of  claim 97 , wherein the wet cakes are transferred by a conveyor system to a dryer. 
     
     
         100 . The method of  claim 98 , wherein the one or more centrifuges operate in parallel. 
     
     
         101 . The method of  claim 100 , wherein the conveyor system is modified to reversibly switch between a parallel configuration and a series configuration. 
     
     
         102 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein the liquefied mash bypasses separation by modified piping and valves. 
     
     
         103 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein the thin mash is conducted to a fermentor. 
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein butanol is produced in the fermentor. 
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein the liquid stream is conducted to a fermentor. 
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 105 , wherein ethanol is produced in the fermentor.