Sugar Stream Separation From Saccharified Grain for Higher By-Product Yield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dry grind processes for producing biochemicals from grains are costly and inefficient, with low yields and high capital and operational expenses, and do not effectively separate valuable components like oil, protein, and fiber, limiting additional revenue streams.
Innovation Solution
A dry milling system and method that includes grinding, liquefaction, and saccharification steps to produce a sugar stream with high fermentable content and low unfermentable solids, followed by separation to enhance the yield of high-value by-products such as oil, protein, and fiber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional dry grind processes are used to produce biochemicals from grains, then the process is simpler and requires less capital investment, but the yields are low and operational expenses are high with ineffective separation of valuable components
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments the grain processing into distinct stages: grinding to separate endosperm from germ and fiber, liquefaction of starch, and saccharification to produce sugar stream. This segmentation allows each component to be processed optimally, improving overall yield while maintaining operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The process extracts valuable components (oil from germ, protein from gluten, fiber from pericarp) at specific stages and directs them to appropriate processing streams. This extraction improves yields of biochemical products while creating additional revenue streams from by-products
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional dry grind processes are used, then capital investment is reduced, but operational expenses are high and valuable by-products are not effectively separated
Solution Approach 1:
The process extracts oil from the germ stream through centrifugation, recovers protein from the gluten stream through filtration and drying, and separates fiber from the pericarp through screening. This prevents loss of valuable by-products while maintaining capital investment advantages of dry grind processes
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding by-products like distiller's grains, the process recovers valuable components (oil, protein, fiber) and directs them to appropriate processing streams for sale as high-value co-products, eliminating substance loss while keeping the process economically viable
3Manufacturing precision
If wet milling processes are used to produce high-quality sugar stream, then the sugar quality is high, but the process is costly and complex with high capital and operational expenses
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments grain processing to separate endosperm (starch source) from germ and fiber early in the process, then processes only the purified starch through liquefaction and saccharification. This segmentation achieves wet-milling quality sugar stream while simplifying the overall process by eliminating complex germ and fiber processing steps
Solution Approach 2:
The process uses inexpensive dry grinding equipment instead of expensive wet milling equipment, accepting that the equipment is simpler and more disposable in nature, while achieving comparable sugar quality through careful process control of the starch conversion steps
4Manufacturing precision
If wet milling processes are used to produce sugar stream, then high-quality sugar is produced, but capital and operational expenses are high
Solution Approach 1:
The process segments the grain to isolate starch in the endosperm, processes only this purified starch through cost-effective dry grinding, liquefaction, and saccharification steps. This segmentation produces wet-milling quality sugar stream at lower cost by eliminating expensive wet milling equipment and operations
Solution Approach 2:
The process changes key parameters: using dry grinding instead of wet grinding, controlling pH and temperature in liquefaction and saccharification steps, and optimizing enzyme addition rates. These parameter changes enable production of high-quality sugar stream with lower capital and operational expenses
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 system produces a sugar stream similar to conventional wet milling systems but at a fraction of the cost, generating additional revenue from high-value by-products with desirable yields and improved efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
mixing ground grain particles with a liquid to produce a slurry including starch
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the slurry to liquefaction to provide a liquefied starch solution
Implementation Method 3
at least a portion of the liquefied starch solution is subjected to saccharification to convert the starch to simple sugars
Implementation Method 4
the saccharified stream is separated into a first solids portion and a first liquid portion including the simple sugars
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 biochemical production. In particular, after saccharification and prior to a sugar conversion process, a sugar/carbohydrate stream is removed from a saccharified stream. The sugar/carbohydrate stream includes a desired Dextrose Equivalent (DE) where DE describes the degree of conversion of starch to dextrose can be produced, with the such sugar stream being available for biochemical 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 and/or fiber. Sugar stream production occurs on the front end of the system and method.