Abstract:
A process for recovering a substantially free flowing product from thin stillage which contains a substantial amount of water, which thin stillage is obtained from the distillation of beer produced in a fermentation zone to produce ethanol, which process comprises conducting said thin stillage into a drying zone to produce a product having a water content of 15 wt. % or less.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/281,490 filed Oct. 28, 2003. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates a process for recovering a substantially free flowing product from thin stillage which contains a substantial amount of water, which thin stillage is obtained from the distillation of beer produced in a fermentation zone to produce ethanol, which process comprises conducting said thin stillage into a drying zone to produce a product having a water content of 15 wt. % or less.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    In a conventional ethanol production process utilizing corn as the starch containing feedstock, the corn is ground to produce a milled corn. This is typically achieved by the use of a hammer mill or other similar conventional milling equipment. Water and enzymes are added to the milled corn and heated to form a liquefied mash. The liquefied mash is then mixed in a fermentation vessel with water, yeast and selected minerals and nutrients to enhance the fermentation of the mash. The fermented product, commonly referred to as the “beer”, is then distilled to produce an ethanol rich stream (about 95% ethanol and 5% water by weight) and a whole stillage. The whole stillage comprises water, as well as the solids resulting from the fermentation. It is typical to centrifuge the whole stillage to remove a substantial portion of the water to form a wet distillers grain. The wet distillers grain includes most of the protein containing solids that is found in the whole stillage. The removed water containing nutrients and other solids generally known as the thin stillage is sent to an evaporator to remove a substantial portion of the water. The remaining nutrients and solids called the syrup are then combined with the wet distillers grain. The combined syrup and wet distillers grain is sent to a dryer to produce a dry protein containing animal feed called distiller dried grain solubles (DDGS).  
           [0006]    These prior art ethanol processes have several significant problems. One problem is the energy costs to remove the water from the whole stillage to produce a low economic value DDGS. A second problem is the environmentally unacceptable amount of VOC&#39;s, air toxics, and combustion pollutants, such as CO, NO x , and particulate matter, released into the atmosphere during the drying process. To achieve an acceptable VOC, air toxics, and combustion pollutants release amount requires large capital investments in thermal oxidizers and other equipment to capture the VOC, air toxics, and combustion pollutants released during the drying process, as well as expensive annual equipment maintenance. These problems have hampered the commercial success of ethanol production processes that have to date remained economically viable due only to governmental subsidies.  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    Therefore, one object of this invention is to provide an improved ethanol production process that results in value added flavor enhancing, nutritional, nutraceutical, and/or pharmaceutical byproducts.  
           [0008]    Another object of this invention is to provide an improved ethanol production process that minimizes the amount of VOC and other pollutants released to the atmosphere during the treatment of the whole stillage.  
           [0009]    Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved ethanol production process requiring reduced capital equipment investment and reduced maintenance costs.  
           [0010]    Other objects and advantages of this invention shall become apparent from the ensuing descriptions of the invention.  
           [0011]    Accordingly, an improved ethanol producing process is disclosed wherein a starch-containing feedstock is hydrolyzed to produce ethanol and a whole stillage. The whole stillage comprises the remaining solids, nutrients, yeast and water remaining after the ethanol has been removed during the hydrolysis step. The whole stillage is centrifuged, filtered or otherwise separated by other known techniques to produce wet distillers grain and a thin stillage stream. The wet distillers grain, also known as thick stillage, includes most of the protein containing solids and some of the water comprising the whole stillage. The thin stillage will comprise the nutrients, yeast and most of the water in the whole stillage. The wet distillers grain is dried under conditions that do not denature the proteins contained in the thick stillage, and more preferably, under conditions that minimize the volutizing of the VOC contained in the wet distillers grain. The drying conditions depend on a variety of factors. When utilizing a spray dryer, these factors include the ease in which the wet distillers grain can be atomized, the humidity of the air in the drying environment, the temperature of the hot air used to dry the wet distillers grain, the temperature of the wet distillers grain when it enters the spray drier, and the contact time between the hot air and the atomized wet distillers grain. In a preferred embodiment these factors are controlled to produce a protein rich product having a water content of less than about 15% by weight. It has been found that setting the temperature and contact time to achieve a hot air exhaust temperature between about 140° F. and about 170° F. will result in a protein rich product containing less than about 15% water by weight and whose proteins have not been denatured. Under normal humidity conditions and using a conventional spray dryer an exhaust temperature in the above range should result in an inlet hot air temperature of less than about 450° F., and a contact time of less than about three minutes. Utilization of the above drying conditions will also reduce the VOC emission to the atmosphere. In a preferred embodiment the drying conditions are set to maintain the temperature of the wet distillers grain below the temperature required to volatize most of the VOC&#39;s. It is further preferred that any VOC that is volatized pass through a cold trap and then filtered to remove water to produce a VOC product. The VOC product can then be utilized as a supplement to flavor enhance other products.  
           [0012]    If desired the thin stillage stream can be sent to an evaporator to remove most of the water to produce the syrup. The syrup can be added to the wet distillers grain prior to the drying step and be processed under the same conditions as the wet distillers grain as described above.  
           [0013]    In another alternate embodiment the thin stillage stream is passed through a microfiltration unit utilizing a filter size to form a carotenoid containing retentate and a nutrient rich permeate. A filter having a pore size of about 0.1 to 1.0 micron can be used. The carotenoid containing retentate is then dried to produce a carotenoid rich product having less than about 15% water by weight. It has been found that setting the temperature and contact time to achieve a hot air exhaust temperature between about 140° F. and about 170° F. will result in a carotenoid rich product containing less than about 15% water by weight. Under normal humidity conditions and using a conventional spray dryer an exhaust temperature in the above range should result in an inlet hot air temperature of less than about 450° F., and a contact time of less than about three minutes. In a preferred embodiment any volatized VOC is passed through a cold trap and filter to produce a liquefied VOC product.  
           [0014]    In another alternate embodiment the nutrient rich permeate is passed through an ultrafiltration unit utilizing a filter size to form a protein and yeast containing retentate and vitamin and mineral containing permeate. A filter having a pore size of less than about 0.1 microns is preferred. The protein and yeast containing retentate is dried to produce a protein and yeast rich product having less than 15% water by weight. It has been found that setting the temperature and contact time to achieve a hot air exhaust temperature between about 140° F. and about 170° F. will result in a protein and yeast rich product containing less than about 15% water by weight and whose proteins have not been denatured. Under normal humidity conditions and using a conventional spray dryer an exhaust temperature in the above range should result in an inlet hot air temperature of less than about 450° F., and a contact time of less than about three minutes. The vitamin and mineral containing permeate can also be dried under the same conditions as the protein and yeast containing retentate to produce a vitamin and mineral rich product having less than 15% water by weight. It is preferred that any volatized VOC&#39;s be passed to a cold trap and filter to produce a liquid VOC product. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention. However, it is to be understood that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive, nor limiting of the invention. They are but examples of some of the forms in which the invention may be practiced.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating a conventional prior art ethanol production process.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a schematic illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention to treat the wet distillers grain to produce a non-denatured protein rich product.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention to treat the thin stillage through use of microfiltration to produce a carotenoid rich product.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a schematic illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention to treat the permeate stream from the microfiltration through use of ultrafiltration to produce a protein/yeast rich product and/or a vitamin/mineral rich product. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    Without any intent to limit the scope of this invention, reference is made to the figures in describing the preferred embodiments of the invention utilizing corn as the starch containing feedstock. The process described herein can also be used with other starch containing feedstocks such as bagasse, sugar cane, grains, and other starch containing materials.  
         [0021]    In a conventional ethanol production process as illustrated in FIG. 1, a starch-containing feedstock  1 , such as corn, is fed to a grinder  2  to produce a milled corn  3 . The milled corn  3  is then sent to a mixer  4  where water  5 , as well as enzymes  6 , are added to produce a liquid mash  7 . The liquid mash  7  is then sent to a fermentation vessel  8  where the desired yeast and additional enzymes  9 , as well as the minerals and nutrients  10  necessary for efficient fermentation, are added. After the desired amount of fermentation has been completed the resulting product  11  commonly referred to as the “beer” is sent to a distillation unit  12  where an ethanol rich (about 95% ethanol by weight) stream  13  is separated from the remaining fermented solids and water. The remaining fermented solids and water is generally known as the whole stillage  14 . The whole stillage  14  is treated to produce an animal feed commonly known as DDGS. The most common method to treat the whole stillage  14  is to separate the whole stillage  14  by centrifuge  15  to form two separate streams. The first is known as the wet distillers grain  16 . The wet distillers grain  16  includes most of the solids and some of the water found in the whole stillage  14 . The second stream is known as the thin stillage stream  17 . It includes the minerals, nutrients, yeast and the remaining water that was found in the whole stillage  14 . In a typical process the thin stillage stream  17  is sent to evaporator  18  where water  19  is removed and the remaining solids or syrup  20  are combined with the wet distillers grain  16  and sent to a dryer  21 . The dryer  21  is typically operated with the hot air having an inlet temperature at about 1000° F.-1200° F. The hot air will remain in contact with the wet distillers grain  16  and syrup  20  for approximately five minutes before exiting the dryer  20  having an exhaust temperature at about 200° F.-225° F. At these conditions the protein contained in the dried solids  24  are denatured and are only good for use in animal feed known as DDSG. In addition any water vapor  22  and VOC  23  in the wet distillers grain  16  and syrup  20  is volatized and either released to the atmosphere or passed through expensive conventional thermal oxidizers (not shown).  
         [0022]    The process of this invention involves improved treatment of the whole stillage  14  to produce products each having greater economic value than DDGS, as well as significantly reduce the costs of treatment of the emissions from the process. In particular the amount of VOC emissions can be reduced while at the same time producing a flavor enhancement supplement product. Turning now to FIG. 2, the whole stillage  14  is again separated into two product streams by centrifuge  15 . Other known separating equipment such as filters could be used. These two streams include the wet distillers grain  16  containing most of the protein compounds found in the whole stillage  14  and the thin stillage stream  17  containing most of the carotenoid, yeast, vitamin, mineral, and remaining protein compounds.  
         [0023]    The wet distillers grain  16  is sent to a drying step  21  that is operated at conditions controlled to produce a protein rich product having a water content of less than about 15% by weight. Non-limiting examples of suitable drying means include spray drying, fluidized bed drying, single and double drum dehydrating, use of ring drier or other suitable means to produce a substantially free flowing solid. It is preferred that the drier can be a spray drier. It has been found that setting the temperatures of the hot air and the wet distiller grain  16 , as well as their contact time to achieve a hot air exhaust temperature of between about 140° F. and about 170° F. will result in the production of a protein rich product  23  having a water content of less than about 15% by weight. Under normal humidity conditions a hot air exhaust temperature in the above range would likely require an inlet hot air temperature of less than about 450° F., and a contact time of less than about three minutes. Within these drying conditions the wet distillers grain temperature should remain below the temperature to volatize most, if not all, of the VOC contained in the wet distillers grain. Thus, a significant portion of the VOC will remain in the protein rich product  23 . This has the result of not only reducing the VOC that are volutized, but maintaining more of the flavor enhancing compounds in the protein rich product  23 . It is also preferred that the protein rich product  23  be cooled upon leaving dryer  21  to prevent any further volutization of the VOC that is contained in the protein rich product  23 . One method of cooling the protein rich product  23  is through the use of a fluidized bed wherein cool or ambient temperature air is used to fluidize the bed. Other known cooling techniques could be employed.  
         [0024]    The water and any VOC vapor  22  removed during drying can be recycled to the mixer  4 . Depending on the dryer operating conditions some VOC may be volatized. Because the volume of the volutized VOC is substantially less than in a conventional whole stillage treatment process, the water and VOC vapor  22  can be sent through a conventional and less expensive cold trap  24  to produce a liquid VOC product  25 . Water  26  in the liquid VOC product  25  can be removed, such as by filter  26  or other known separating equipment, to produce a dry VOC product  28  that can be sold as a flavor enhancing additive.  
         [0025]    Turning now to FIG. 3 in another preferred embodiment the thin stillage  17  is passed through a microfiltration unit  29  having a filter size of about 0.1 to 1.0 micron to form a retentate stream  30  and a permeate stream  31 . In a more preferred embodiment the filter size is set to capture in the retentate stream  30  the carotenoid compounds. Carotenoid compounds, particularly Lutien and Zeaxantin, have been found useful in reducing various serious eye diseases such as age related macular degeneration and cataracts. The retentate stream  30  containing the carotenoid compounds is sent to dryer  32 . In a preferred embodiment dryer  32  will be operated at a temperature to minimize the denaturing of any protein contained in the retentate stream  30 , as well as to prevent volatization of the VOC&#39;s in the retentate stream  30  during the period that the retentate stream  30  is contained in the dryer  32 . This can be achieved if the retentate stream  30  is retained in dryer  32  for a period of less than about three minutes, and the dryer  32  is operated with a hot air exhaust temperature less than about 170° F. to remove the water. Operated in this manner sufficient water can be removed to form a carotenoid rich product  34  having less than 15% water by weight. Depending on the dryer operating conditions and the retention time of the retentate stream  30  in the dryer  32  some VOC may be volatized. Because the volume of the VOC is substantially less than in a conventional whole stillage treatment process, the water and VOC vapor  33  can be sent through a conventional and less expensive cold trap  35  to produce a liquid VOC stream  36 . Stream  36  can be recycled to mixer  4  or preferably the liquid VOC can be separated from the water  38  in stream  36  by a filter  37  to produce VOC product  39  that can be sold as a flavor enhancing additive.  
         [0026]    Turning now to FIG. 4 in another preferred embodiment the permeate  31  is passed through an ultrafiltration unit  40 . The filter size is selected to be less than about 100,000 molecular weight to produce a protein and yeast rich retentate  41  and a vitamin and mineral rich permeate  42 . By less than 100,000 molecular weight we mean that the filter is one that components less than about 100,000 molecular weight will pass. The protein and yeast rich retentate  41  is sent to dryer  43  to remove at least a substantial portion of the water from the retentate  41 . It is preferred that the dryer  43  be operated to minimize the volalization of any VOC&#39;s in the retentate  41 . This can be achieved by utilizing the same operating conditions as described above for dryer  32 . Operated in this manner sufficient water can be removed to form a protein and yeast rich product  45  having less than 15% water by weight. Depending on the dryer operating conditions and the retention time of the protein and yeast retentate  41  in the dryer  43  some VOC may be volatized. Because the volume of the VOC is substantially less than in a conventional whole stillage treatment process, the water and VOC vapor  44  can be sent through a conventional and less expensive cold trap  48  to produce a liquid VOC stream  49 . Stream  49  can be recycled to mixer  4  or preferably the water  51  in stream  41  can be separated by filter  50  to form a VOC product  52  that can be sold as a flavor enhancing additive.  
         [0027]    In another preferred embodiment the vitamin and mineral rich permeate  42  is sent to the dryer  46  to remove at least a substantial portion of the water in permeate  42 . It is preferred that the dryer  46  be operated to minimize the volalization of any VOC&#39;s in the permeate  42 . This can be achieved by operating dryer  46  under the same conditions as dryer  43 . Operated in this manner sufficient water can be removed to form a vitamin and mineral rich byproduct  47  having less than 15% water by weight. Depending on the dryer operating conditions and the retention time of the permeate  42  in the dryer  46  some VOC may be volatized. Because the volume of the VOC is substantially less than in a conventional stillage treatment process, the water and VOC vapor can be sent through a conventional and less expensive cold trap  48  to produce a liquid VOC stream similar to stream  49 . This stream can also be recycled to mixer  4  or passed through a filter, such as filter  50 , to form a VOC product that can be sold as a flavor enhancing additive.  
         [0028]    Thus, as shown in the FIGS.  2 - 4 , the whole stillage  14  can be processed to produce a protein rich product  23 , a carotenoid rich product  34 , a protein and yeast rich product  45 , and a vitamin and mineral rich product  47  with minimum or no VOC&#39;s released to the atmosphere. The VOC&#39;s produced do not have to be treated by expensive thermal oxidizers or similar equipment, but can be sent to a less expensive cold trap and filter to produce yet another value added product, liquid VOC&#39;s. Each of these five product streams has significantly greater commercial value than the currently produced animal feed DDGS.  
         [0029]    It is not necessary that separate cold traps be used for each of the product streams. Depending on the amount of VOC volatized, the different VOC streams volatized can be combined and sent to one or more of the cold traps, thus further reducing capital expense. Depending on the product desired it is also possible to direct various streams to a common dryer. There are of course other alternate embodiments that are obvious from the foregoing descriptions of the invention which are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.  
         [0030]    In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the thin stillage is dried to a substantially free flowing powder by any suitable drying means. Non-limiting examples of suitable drying means include spray drying, fluidized bed drying, single and double drum dehydrating, use of ring drier or other suitable means to produce a substantially free flowing solid. It is preferred that the drier can be a spray drier. It is preferred that the water content of the thin stillage be first reduced by one or more dewatering steps, such as evaporation, prior to being subjected to the drying means. The dewatering step(s) is distinguished from the drying step since the drying step is performed at elevated temperatures and the dewatering is done by lower temperature operations that include gross water separation, such as by pressing, evaporation, etc. After drying, the resulting free flowing powder will contain 15 wt. % or less water, based on the total weight of the final dried product. It is preferred that the water content of the final product be from about 10 wt. % to about 15 wt. %. It is also preferred that the drying be done at an effective temperature and for an effective amount of time. By effective temperature we mean that temperature that is effectively low so that desirable ingredients, such as proteins, are not destroyed but not so low that drying takes an uneconomical amount to time. Such temperatures will be less than about 170° F., typically from about 140° F. to about 170° F. An effective amount of an additive can be introduced into the thin stillage stream prior to drying or it can be introduced into the drying means simultaneously with the thin stillage. The additive can be any ingredient in an amount that is needed to produce a final dried product having the desired properties for its intended end use. Non-limiting end uses can be an ingredient for a pet food or for human consumption. Non-limiting examples of such additives are selected from vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, flavors, phytochemicals, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, binders and fillers, other streams resulting from the treatment of cereal grains, and mixtures thereof.