Dry Grind Sugar Stream Separation for Cleaner Biofuel Feed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dry grind processes for biofuel production are inefficient and costly, with low yields of valuable co-products like oil, protein, and fiber, and fail to produce a clean sugar stream comparable to wet milling systems.
Innovation Solution
A dry milling method and system that includes grinding, liquefaction, saccharification, and separation steps to produce a sugar stream with high dextrose equivalent and low unfermentable solids content, allowing for additional revenue from oil, protein, and fiber yields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional dry grind processes are used for biofuel production, then production cost is reduced compared to wet milling, but the sugar stream quality deteriorates with high unfermentable solids content
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments the conversion into distinct stages: grinding grain to meal, converting meal to slurry, liquefaction of starch, and saccharification to produce sugars. This segmentation allows for controlled separation of fermentable sugars from unfermentable solids at the optimal point in the process, achieving both cost efficiency and sugar stream quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary liquefaction and saccharification actions before fermentation to pre-convert starch to fermentable sugars. This preliminary conversion creates a high-quality sugar stream with low unfermentable solids content that is ready for efficient fermentation, while avoiding the need for expensive wet milling infrastructure.
2Device complexity
If conventional dry grind processes are used, then equipment complexity is reduced, but co-product yield deteriorates with low oil, protein, and fiber recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The process extracts valuable co-products (oil, protein, fiber) from the grain meal at specific points during the conversion process. By taking out these components separately before they are lost in conventional dry grind processes, the system achieves high co-product yields while maintaining simple equipment architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes process parameters such as particle size reduction, slurry concentration, temperature, and pH control during liquefaction and saccharification to optimize both co-product recovery and sugar production. These parameter adjustments enable efficient separation and recovery of oil, protein, and fiber without adding complex equipment.
3Manufacturing precision
If wet mill processing is used, then sugar stream quality is improved with low unfermentable solids, but production cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs simpler, less expensive equipment configurations compared to wet milling, accepting that the equipment performs a more limited function. The dry grind system with added liquefaction and saccharification steps achieves sufficient sugar stream quality without the complexity and cost of wet mill infrastructure, using more disposable/simple equipment rather than permanent complex installations.
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 cleaner sugar stream at a fraction of the cost of conventional systems, enabling efficient biofuel production with improved yields and revenue generation from co-products.
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
In the fermentation step 32, 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.