Still Bottoms Conversion to Soil Conditioning Composition

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high cost and environmental concerns associated with disposing of still bottoms from lignocellulosic feedstock processing, which are rich in organic and inorganic components, pose challenges in waste management and fertilizer use in agriculture.

Innovation Solution

A process that converts still bottoms into a soil conditioning composition by recovering and utilizing the organic and inorganic components, particularly sulfur-containing salts, for land application, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If still bottoms are disposed of through incineration or landfilling, then disposal is achieved, but high capital and operation expenditure is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposal effectivenessVSAvoiddisposal cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful waste stream (still bottoms) into a beneficial soil conditioning composition by recovering and utilizing its organic and inorganic components, particularly sulfur-containing salts, thereby eliminating disposal costs and creating agricultural value

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent recovers valuable organic and inorganic components from still bottoms through processing steps including evaporation, crystallization, and filtration, separating reusable materials from waste to eliminate disposal expenses

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Object-affected harmful factors

If biological waste water treatment is used for still bottoms, then environmental concerns are addressed, but significant capital and operation expenditure is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental impactVSAvoidtreatment cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the environmentally problematic still bottoms stream into a valuable soil conditioner containing nutrients and sulfur-containing salts, simultaneously addressing environmental concerns and eliminating treatment costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The still bottoms composition naturally provides soil conditioning benefits including nutrient supply and sulfur content, eliminating the need for external environmental treatment processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Quantity of substance

If chemical fertilizers are used to replace still bottoms, then nutrient uptake is improved, but greenhouse gas emissions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenutrient uptakeVSAvoidgreenhouse gas emissions

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the chemical composition of still bottoms through controlled evaporation and crystallization processes to concentrate sulfur-containing salts and nutrients, creating a composition that matches or exceeds chemical fertilizer efficacy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Quantity of substance

If ion exclusion is used to recover inorganic sulfate salts, then fertilizer production is achieved, but complex processing is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesulfate salt recoveryVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts inorganic sulfate salts from still bottoms through simple evaporation and crystallization processes, separating the valuable fertilizer components from the waste stream without requiring complex ion exclusion technology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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

This approach provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for managing still bottoms, offering similar nutrient uptake to chemical fertilizers while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and eliminating the need for costly disposal methods like incineration or landfilling.

Implementation Method 1

The still bottoms are evaporated to remove water and concentrate organic and inorganic components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

The concentrated still bottoms are dried to produce a stable soil amendment product

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDrying: Desiccation

Data Source

PatentUS10766826B2Process for producing a fuel from lignocellulosic feedstock

Publication Date: 2020.09.08 IOGEN ENERGY CORP

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and(b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.