Rotating Drum Screen Filtration for Ethanol Thin Stillage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for separating solids from thin stillage in ethanol production, such as evaporators and polymer-based filtration, are energy-intensive and inefficient, leading to suboptimal recovery of oil and increased solid content in recycled backset, which reduces fermentation process efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A rotating drum screen system with a non-stick perfluorocarbon coating and a head box that evenly distributes the influent stream, allowing for gentle separation of solids from liquids, minimizing polymer dissociation and enhancing oil recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If evaporators are used to separate solids from thin stillage, then solids can be removed, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal evaporation process with a mechanical filtration system. A drum screen with specific pore size mechanically separates solids from thin stillage through physical filtration, eliminating the need for high-energy evaporation while achieving effective solids removal and oil recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the separation mechanism from thermal (evaporation) to mechanical (filtration). By adjusting the drum screen pore size and rotation speed parameters, the system achieves effective solids separation without requiring the high energy input of evaporators, thus resolving the contradiction between separation effectiveness and energy consumption.
2Reliability
If polymer-based filtration is used to separate solids from thin stillage, then some separation is achieved, but polymer dissociation occurs and oil recovery is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the polymer additive from the separation process entirely. Instead of relying on polymer-based filtration that causes dissociation and oil loss, the system uses a drum screen with optimized pore size to directly separate solids from thin stillage, eliminating polymer dissociation and improving oil recovery while maintaining effective solids separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the polymer intermediary with a physical drum screen intermediary. The drum screen acts as a stable, non-dissociating intermediary that selectively allows liquids to pass through while retaining solids, eliminating the harmful polymer dissociation effect and improving both separation effectiveness and oil recovery.
3Reliability
If high-energy processes are used to separate solids from thin stillage, then separation effectiveness improves, but process efficiency decreases due to increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes high-energy thermal processes with a low-energy mechanical filtration system. The drum screen separates solids from thin stillage through physical filtration at low energy input, achieving effective separation while maintaining high process efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the energy input parameters by replacing high-energy evaporation with low-energy mechanical filtration. By optimizing drum screen parameters (pore size, rotation speed) rather than relying on high thermal energy, the system achieves effective separation with minimal energy consumption, thus improving overall process efficiency.
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 system achieves improved oil recovery and reduced solid content in the backset, increasing the efficiency of the ethanol fermentation process by effectively separating solids from liquids without the need for high-energy processes.
Implementation Method 1
A rotating drum screen system with a non-stick perfluorocarbon coating
Implementation Method 2
non-stick perfluorocarbon coating
Implementation Method 3
a head box that evenly distributes the influent stream
Implementation Method 4
drum screen system for separating solids from liquids
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating drum screen method for separating solids from thin stillage obtained from ethanol fermentation, the thin stillage comprising one or more of solids and suspended solids. Thin stillage is chemically treated with an anionic polymer to form stable particles of one or more of solids and suspended solids. Introducing the treated thin stillage into a rotating drum screen system. The drum screen includes a filter screen that retains at least a portion of the solids within a hollow portion of the drum screen and which produces a liquid effluent that is discharged from an outer surface of the drum screen. The retained solids are removable from the drum screen via a solid discharge end. A head box is disposed within the hollow portion of the drum screen and has a plurality of fluid flow channel dividers dividing and directing an influent stream outwardly against the drum screen.