Acid Pretreatment for Ethanol Co-Product Yield

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ethanol production from biomass results in significant process losses due to unrecovered ethanol and unfermentable carbohydrates in whole stillage, making it challenging to enhance product and co-product yields efficiently, especially from starch and lignocellulosic materials.

Innovation Solution

A two-stage acid pretreatment process is applied to wet cake from primary ethanol production, involving protein removal and acidification to break down lignocellulosic material into fermentable sugars, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis to produce additional ethanol and improve co-product quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If intensive mechanical and chemical treatment is applied to whole stillage to recover additional ethanol and co-products, then product and co-product yield is improved, but energy consumption and material resource inputs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct and co-product yieldVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary acid pretreatment to whole stillage before fermentation to break down lignocellulosic material and release bound ethanol and carbohydrates. This preliminary action makes subsequent recovery processes more efficient by pre-liberating target compounds, thereby improving overall yield without proportionally increasing energy input in the main recovery stages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by adjusting pH through acidification to optimize the release of bound ethanol and carbohydrates from lignocellulosic material. By controlling pH parameters during pretreatment, the process enhances recovery efficiency while managing energy consumption through optimized chemical conditions rather than intensive mechanical treatment alone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If intensive mechanical and chemical treatment is applied to whole stillage to recover additional ethanol and co-products, then product and co-product yield is improved, but material resource inputs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct and co-product yieldVSAvoidmaterial resource inputs

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The acid pretreatment step performs preliminary breakdown of lignocellulosic structures to release bound materials, reducing the need for extensive subsequent mechanical and chemical treatment. This preliminary action minimizes material resource consumption in later stages while maximizing recovery of ethanol and co-products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces acid as an intermediary substance to facilitate the breakdown of lignocellulosic material and release of bound compounds. This chemical intermediary enables efficient recovery processes with reduced material inputs compared to direct intensive mechanical treatment, as the acid catalyst promotes natural decomposition pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If fiber content in stillage solids is reduced through intensive treatment, then co-product accessibility is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveco-product accessibilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The acid pretreatment performs preliminary degradation of fiber structures in stillage solids, making co-products more accessible before main processing. This preliminary action simplifies subsequent separation and recovery operations by pre-breaking down complex lignocellulosic matrices, thereby improving co-product accessibility without requiring equally complex downstream processing systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This process effectively increases ethanol yield and enhances the quality of co-products by converting lignocellulosic material into fermentable sugars, reducing energy consumption and capital costs, and producing high-protein distillers grains with improved digestibility and nutritional content.

Implementation Method 1

a two-stage acid pretreatment process is applied to wet cake from primary ethanol production, involving protein removal and acidification to break down lignocellulosic material into fermentable sugars

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 2

followed by enzymatic hydrolysis to produce additional ethanol and improve co-product quality

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEnzymatic hydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 3

enzymatic hydrolysis to produce additional ethanol

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFermentation: Fermentation

Data Source

PatentUS12168792B2Enhancing product streams from ethanol production

Publication Date: 2024.12.17 D3MAX LLC

AI summary

Processes are described herein for realizing an enhanced yield of ethanol and co-products from processes for producing ethanol from biomass containing lignocellulosic material. Also described herein are product outputs of these processes having new and useful properties and systems implementing the processes.