Insect Protein Meal Drying Apparatus for Energy Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing protein meal from insects and worms are energy-intensive and unsuitable for industrial-scale processing, with high energy consumption and unsuitable chemical steps, making them unsustainable and economically inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method involving comminution of insects or worms to form a pulp, followed by separation into a fat fraction, solids-containing fraction, and aqueous fraction, mixing and drying the latter to produce a high-protein meal with low residual water content, using a drying apparatus like a fluidized bed dryer to ensure efficient energy use and continuous processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If insects or worms are comminuted to form a pulp and separated into fractions, then a high-quality protein meal is obtained, but energy consumption increases due to the drying step
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the water content parameter of the homogenous compound through controlled drying to produce a protein meal with optimized moisture content (typically 5-15%), which ensures stable storage and transport while minimizing energy consumption. The drying process parameters (temperature, time, air flow) are optimized to achieve the desired balance between product quality and energy efficiency.
2Quantity of substance
If existing drying methods are used for insect processing, then protein meal is produced, but the methods are unsuitable for industrial-scale continuous processing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements continuous processing where the homogenous compound is continuously fed into the drying apparatus, and the dried protein meal is continuously discharged. This continuous operation enables industrial-scale production while maintaining consistent product quality and optimizing energy efficiency through steady-state processing conditions.
3Quantity of substance
If chemical treatment steps are used to extract fat from insect larvae, then fat is obtained, but intermediate chemical steps make it unsuitable for producing high-quality protein meal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the fat fraction from the comminuted insect material through separation processes, isolating it as a distinct component. This allows the remaining protein-containing fractions to be processed independently without chemical contamination, ensuring high-quality protein meal suitable for animal feed or human nutrition applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention divides the insect biomass into distinct functional components (fat fraction, protein fraction, aqueous fraction) through separation processes. This segmentation allows each component to be processed and utilized independently, with the protein fraction being converted to high-quality protein meal without interference from chemical extraction steps.
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 achieves a high-quality protein meal with extended shelf life, suitable for industrial application, reducing energy consumption and simplifying processing, while maintaining nutritional value and sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
drying the homogenous compound, with a dried protein meal being obtained
Implementation Method 2
using a drying apparatus like a fluidized bed dryer
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for producing a protein meal from insects, in particular from insect larvae and insect pupae, or from worms, comprising the steps of: a) comminuting the insects or worms to form a pulp or purée; b) splitting the pulp or purée into a fat fraction, a solids-containing fraction and an aqueous fraction; c) mixing the aqueous fraction and the solids-containing fraction to form a homogenous compound; d) drying the homogenous compound, with a dried protein meal being obtained. Further disclosed is a drying apparatus for use in such a method, comprising drying devices and a device for comminuting clumps of the homogenous compound.