Dry Grind Sugar Stream Separation for Low Unfermentable Solids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dry grind biofuel production processes are inefficient and costly, with low yields of valuable co-products like oil, protein, and fiber, and produce a sugar stream with high unfermentable solids content, limiting revenue generation and biofuel production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A dry milling method and system that includes grinding, liquefaction, saccharification, and separation steps to produce a cleaner sugar stream with a high dextrose equivalent and low unfermentable solids fraction, similar to wet milling systems but at a lower cost, allowing for additional revenue from oil, protein, and fiber yields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional dry grind processing is used, then production cost is reduced compared to wet mill, but the sugar stream quality deteriorates with high unfermentable solids content
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the grain processing into distinct stages: grinding, liquefaction, saccharification, and separation. By dividing the process into these functional segments, the system achieves wet-mill quality sugar streams while maintaining dry-grind cost advantages, resolving the contradiction between production cost and sugar stream quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts unfermentable solids from the sugar stream through filtration or centrifugation after saccharification. This removal of undesirable components purifies the sugar stream to meet quality requirements while keeping the overall process simpler and more cost-effective than traditional wet mill processing.
2Ease of operation
If conventional dry grind processing is used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but co-product yield deteriorates with low recovery of oil, protein, and fiber
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary separation of oil, protein, and fiber from the ground grain before the main fermentation process. By extracting these co-products early in the process flow, the system maximizes their recovery yields while maintaining the operational simplicity of a continuous processing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces intermediary separation steps between grinding and fermentation that enable recovery of valuable co-products. These intermediary processes act as mediators that capture oil, protein, and fiber without disrupting the overall simple operational flow of the dry grind system.
3Device complexity
If conventional dry grind processing is used, then process simplicity is maintained, but biofuel production efficiency deteriorates due to high unfermentable solids
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the slurry through controlled liquefaction and saccharification processes. By optimizing temperature, pH, and enzyme addition during these stages, the system converts starch to fermentable sugars efficiently, improving biofuel production without significantly increasing process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts unfermentable solids from the sugar stream through filtration or centrifugation before fermentation. This removal of inhibitory components enhances yeast performance and biofuel production efficiency while adding only minimal process complexity.
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 generates a high-quality sugar stream with a dextrose equivalent of at least 20 DE and unfermentable solids fraction less than 30%, enhancing biofuel production efficiency and revenue generation by removing undesirable components prior to fermentation.
Implementation Method 1
liquefaction occurs as the mixture or 'mash' is held at 90 to 95° C. in order for alpha-amylase to hydrolyze the gelatinized starch into maltodextrins and oligosaccharides
Implementation Method 2
a commercial enzyme known as gluco-amylase is added. The gluco-amylase hydrolyzes the maltodextrins and short-chained oligosaccharides into single glucose sugar molecules
Implementation Method 3
a common strain of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae) is added to metabolize the glucose sugars into ethanol and CO2
Data Source
AI summary
An improved dry grind system and method for producing a sugar stream from grains or similar carbohydrate sources and/or residues, such as for biofuel production. In particular, a sugar/carbohydrate stream, which includes a desired Dextrose Equivalent (DE) where DE describes the degree of conversion of starch to dextrose (aka glucose) and/or has had removed therefrom an undesirable amount of unfermentable components, can be produced after saccharification and prior to fermentation (or other sugar conversion process), with such sugar stream being available for biofuel production, e.g., alcohol production, or other processes. In addition, the systems and methods also can involve the removal of certain grain components, e.g., corn kernel components, including protein, oil and/or fiber, prior to fermentation or other conversion systems. In other words, sugar stream production and/or grain component separation occurs on the front end of the system and method.