Corn Starch Stream Separation by Soft Endosperm Size Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ethanol fermentation processes face economic challenges due to the lack of efficient methods for producing high purity starch streams without significantly impacting ethanol yield, particularly in dry milling processes, which result in commingled starch with bran and germ, and the high capital intensity of wet milling processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for producing a high purity starch stream by separating soft endosperm from corn kernels based on size, using a bolt-on pretreatment system that includes a pin mill and sifter, followed by size separation techniques, allowing for the production of a high purity starch stream with at least 88% starch on a dry basis, while maintaining ethanol production levels through increased grind rates and additional separation of non-starch components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If wet milling is used to produce high purity starch stream, then starch purity is improved, but capital investment cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The corn kernel is segmented into different components (starch, fiber, germ) through controlled size-based separation. The process divides the grinding and separation operations into stages, first producing a coarse grind then selectively separating starch particles by size to achieve high purity without requiring the complete wet milling infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The starch component is extracted from the ground corn stream through size separation techniques. By removing only the starch particles (which have specific size characteristics) from the ground corn mixture, the process achieves high purity starch production without needing to process or handle the entire wet milling system
2Device complexity
If dry milling is used to reduce capital investment, then capital investment cost is reduced, but starch stream purity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The process changes the particle size parameter of the ground corn to enable starch separation. By controlling the grind size and using size-based separation, the process achieves starch purification that would normally require wet milling, but through dry milling with optimized size parameters
3Adaptability or versatility
If starch is removed for bio-chemical production, then bio-chemical production is enabled, but ethanol yield decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The starch is separated and removed from the ground corn stream before the ethanol fermentation process begins. This preliminary separation allows the starch to be diverted to bio-chemical production while the remaining stream (without starch) is processed for ethanol, preventing the starch from competing for fermentation resources
4Productivity
If grind rate is increased to compensate for starch removal, then ethanol production is maintained, but non-starch component content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grind rate is dynamically adjusted based on the starch removal quantity. The process optimizes the grinding intensity to produce enough fermentable material for ethanol production while minimizing the generation of excessive non-starch components, adapting the grinding parameters to the specific requirements of each production cycle
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 enables the production of a high purity starch stream with limited capital investment and minimal impact on ethanol production, achieving starch purity levels of up to 94% on a dry basis, suitable for both ethanol and bio-chemical production, with balanced fermentable-to-non-fermentable ratios.
Implementation Method 1
processing corn kernels in a manner that facilitates separating at least a portion of the starch from the remaining stream based on size
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for isolating a high purity starch stream are provided. The methods provide an initial treatment step in advance of traditional grinding or fractionation operations (such as dry milling or wet milling operations) that facilitate separation of starch from other components of starch-based grains, for example facilitate separation of soft endosperm from other components of corn kernels including hard endosperm. The systems include a first treatment system for separating a high purity starch stream from other components of the grain stream, wherein the system can be configured as a bolt on for traditional milling operations such as wet milling and dry milling operations.