Brewer's Grain Protein Extraction via Colloid Mill Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for processing brewer's grains to obtain protein powder are complex, time-consuming, and result in significant waste products, with low protein content and high barley husk content, making them economically and nutritionally inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a colloid mill to grind brewer's grains with added water or centrate, followed by separation of husk and drying to produce a barley protein concentrate with at least 50% protein content, minimizing waste and using a two-stage processing approach without multi-step compression or thermochemical treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If brewer's grains are dried to preserve them, then storage and transportation become easier, but protein substances are transformed into non-digestible form and nutritional value decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters by converting wet brewer's grains into a liquid suspension through grinding and water addition, then transforms this suspension into a sprayable form for drying. This parameter transformation allows the final dried product to maintain digestibility while achieving stable storage and transportation conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by converting the solid wet grains into a liquid suspension, then into a fine spray mist, and finally into a dried powder form. These controlled phase transitions preserve the protein's nutritional properties while eliminating the fermentation problem and improving storability.
2Quantity of substance
If multi-step compression and drying methods are used to process brewer's grains, then protein concentrate is obtained, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming with significant waste products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential protein-containing components from brewer's grains by grinding them into a suspension and separating the liquid phase containing proteins from the solid husk. This extraction approach simplifies the process by removing unnecessary complex steps while preserving the valuable protein fraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex multi-step mechanical compression and drying systems with a simpler system based on suspension preparation, spray atomization, and rapid drying. This substitution reduces device complexity while maintaining effective protein concentrate production.
3Reliability
If traditional drying methods are applied to brewer's grains, then storage stability is improved, but power consumption increases and economic efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary grinding and suspension preparation to create a fine liquid mixture before drying. This preliminary action increases the surface area of the material, enabling much faster and more energy-efficient drying while achieving the same storage stability as traditional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes hydraulic principles by creating a liquid suspension and using spray atomization to distribute the material as fine droplets during drying. This hydraulic approach dramatically reduces drying time and energy consumption compared to traditional bulk drying methods while maintaining product stability.
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
The method achieves a high-protein barley protein concentrate with preserved amino acid composition and reduced waste, offering a simplified and efficient process for producing a valuable nutritional product.
Implementation Method 1
grind brewer's grains with added water or centrate
Implementation Method 2
drying to produce a barley protein concentrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology generally relates to food-processing industry, namely to a method of processing brewer's grains. The invention enables to increase the level of extracted food fractions of brewer's grains up to 90-95% and to increase protein content in barley protein concentrate up to 50-65% wt (dry solid). The method implies that brewer's grains are subject to loosening by means of a vibrating screen, grinding in a colloid mill with addition of water or centrate in the ratio from 0.5:1 to 1:1 to brewer's grains in order to produce a pasty homogeneous mass from brewer's grains; and then this mass is subject to processing by means of a screw extractor for its further grinding and division into 2 factions: suspension with the humidity level of 90-95%, and ground husk of brewer's grains with the humidity level of 60-75% suitable for its further industrial use. Then the suspension is supplied to mechanical filtration in order to remove the ground husk, pumped into the container and dried in order to obtain the humidity level of max. 7%.