Enriched Sugarbeet Pulp Production via Diffusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sugarbeet co-products used as animal feedstuff are low in sugar content, requiring supplementation and posing challenges in crop management and post-harvest operations for livestock farmers, while existing feed options are laborious and limited by geographic and climatic conditions.
Innovation Solution
A process involving Beta vulgaris plants with a dry matter content greater than 18% is cut and processed in a diffusion apparatus to produce a pulp with 15%-60% native sugar content, which can be pressed, dried, and pelletized to create a high-sugar animal feedstuff, reducing the need for external sugar supplementation and simplifying crop management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sugarbeet co-products are used as animal feedstuff, then they are readily digestible and rich in pectin, but they are low in sugar content (1-5% by weight) requiring supplementation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sugar content parameter of the feedstuff by using partially extracted sugar beet pulp instead of fully extracted or conventional beet pulp. The diffusion process is controlled to extract only a portion of the sugar, retaining 15-60% native sugar content in the pulp, thereby transforming it from a low-sugar byproduct into a high-sugar feed ingredient that eliminates the need for external sugar supplementation
2Reliability
If fresh beet is harvested once a week to ensure good preservation, then preservation quality is maintained, but the process is laborious and not efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the sugar extraction and processing operations from the farm level and consolidates them at the sugar factory. This allows farmers to simply deliver whole beets to the factory, where automated diffusion equipment handles the sugar extraction and pulp production, eliminating manual harvesting frequency requirements and laborious on-farm processing while maintaining product quality
Solution Approach 2:
The sugar factory acts as an intermediary between the farmer and the final feed product. Instead of farmers performing complex sugar extraction and pulp processing themselves, the factory serves as an intermediary service that receives whole beets, performs automated diffusion and processing, and delivers finished high-sugar feedstuff, thereby improving farm-level efficiency and productivity
3Adaptability or versatility
If sugar beets are harvested and stored on a clamp under aerobic conditions, then storage is possible, but this is not possible for all climate conditions and regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the climate-dependent storage requirement from the production process by performing sugar extraction and pulp formation at the sugar factory before delivery to the farmer. This separates the climate-sensitive processing step from the farm-level storage and feeding operations, allowing the system to adapt to various climatic conditions without requiring specialized clamp storage infrastructure at the farm level
4Quantity of substance
If Beta vulgaris is grown as a crop, then it provides energy-rich feed, but it imposes the burden of crop management and post-harvest operations on livestock farmers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex crop management and processing functions from the farm level and relocates them to the sugar factory. Farmers simply need to deliver whole sugar beets to the factory, where automated diffusion equipment performs sugar extraction and pulp production. This eliminates the burden of crop management, harvesting frequency monitoring, and post-harvest processing while maintaining the energy-rich feed output
Solution Approach 2:
The sugar factory performs self-service by automatically handling the entire sugar extraction and pulp processing sequence using automated diffusion equipment. This self-service capability at the factory level eliminates the need for farmers to manually manage crop harvesting frequency, preservation techniques, and processing operations, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining high energy content in the final feedstuff
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 process results in a high-sugar animal feedstuff that enhances milk quality by providing a rich source of energy and digestible fiber, reducing the burden on livestock farmers and offering a more efficient and sustainable feed option with improved nutritional content.
Implementation Method 1
conveying the pieces into a diffusion apparatus to produce a fluid and a pulp, said pulp comprising a native sugar content
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for making an animal feedstuff composition from a crop comprising Beta vulgaris plants or parts thereof and the animal feedstuff composition made by said process. Further, the invention encompasses a process for producing an enriched milk preferably containing a higher nutrient content, and a system for managing throughput in a production facility for processing a sugar-containing crop material.