Method and apparatus for efficiently dewatering corn stillage and other materials

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Filing Information

  • Patent Number: US5662810
  • Application Number: US8520409
  • Filing date: 08/29/1995
  • Issue date: 09/02/1997
  • Predicted expiration date: 08/29/2015
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  • U.S. Classifications: 210/781  · 210/787  ·
  • International Classifications: B01D 2126 ·
  • International Classifications: 210781;787;806 ·
  • View document at: (opens new window):
    USPTO  ·  PAIR  ·  esp@cenet  ·  Patent Family
    * Related patent documents may or may not exist on these sites
14 Claims, No Drawings


Abstract

A new process and apparatus efficiently dewater aqueous solids residual after fermentation and distillation, such as corn stillage. The feed stream of aqueous solids slurry is fractionated into two or more sub-streams in such a way that one of the sub-streams contains predominately heavy particulate solids and has substantially improved free-draining characteristics. A second sub-stream contains lighter particles, entrained fines of the heavy particles, and a major portion of the liquid from the feed stream. The free-draining sub-stream is dewatered using a device such as a screen centrifuge or a screw press, both of which produce a cake of relatively high solids content. The remaining liquid from the feed stream is concentrated in an evaporator, before being mixed with the dewatered solids which may be dried to produce an animal feed.

References Cited

U.S. Patent Documents

Document NumberAssigneesInventorsIssue/Pub Date
US4081366 Orgonics, Inc. O'Donnell Mar 1978
US4106487 Archer Daniels Midland Company Randall et al. Aug 1978
US4144355 Blue Wing Corporation Rawlings et al. Mar 1979
US4185680 LAWSON VICTOR Lawson Jan 1980
US4311721 National Tax Administration Agency Yoshizawa et al. Jan 1982
US4552775 Alfa-Laval AB Baeling et al. Nov 1985
US4662990 Hanover Research Corporation Bonanno May 1987
US4952504 PAVILON STANLEY J Pavilon Aug 1990
US4994115 CPC International Inc. Giesfeldt et al. Feb 1991
US5076895 Hanover Research Corporation Greenfield et al. Dec 1991

Other Publications

Low, "The Efficient Production of High Quality Distiller's Dark Grains Using Stord Dehydration Process Technology", 1988 Fuel Ethanol Workshop, St. Louis, MO, Jun. 15-17.
McInnis, "DDGS Production in the Fuel Ethanol Industry" 1992 Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Witchita, KS, Jun. 9-11.

Patent Family

Document NumberAssigneeInventorsIssue/Pub Date
US5662810Ralph H. WillgohsSep 1997
US5958233Ralph H. WillgohsSep 1999

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Independent Claims | See all claims (14)

  1. 1. A process for dewatering a feed stream of aqueous solids residual from fermentation and distillation, said process comprising the steps of:(a) classifying by size the feed stream of aqueous solids slurry into at least a first sub-stream and a second sub-stream, whereby solids in said first sub-stream are predominately particles larger than a predetermined size and solids in said second sub-stream are predominately particles smaller than said predetermined size, wherein said predetermined size is between about 15 microns and about 500 microns;(b) thereafter dewatering said first sub-stream in a primary dewatering device; and(c) recovering solids from said second sub-stream with a secondary recovery device.
  2. 9. A process for dewatering a feed stream of aqueous solids residual from fermentation and distillation, said process comprising the steps of:(a) declassifying the feed stream of aqueous solids slurry into at least a first sub-stream and a second sub-stream using a screen bend having a screen opening size in the range of about 30 to about 300 microns;(b) thereafter dewatering said first sub-stream in a primary dewatering device selected from the group consisting of a screen centrifuge and a screw press, to yield a cake having a dry solids content of at least 32%; and(c) recovering solids from said second sub-stream with a secondary recovery device.