Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a method recovers oil from a concentrated byproduct, such as evaporated thin stillage formed during a dry milling process used for producing ethanol. The method includes forming a concentrate from the byproduct and recovering oil from the concentrate. The step of forming the concentrate may comprise evaporating the byproduct. Further, the step of separating the oil from the concentrate may comprise using a centrifuge and, in particular, a disk stack centrifuge. Other aspects of the invention include related methods and subsystems for recovering oil from thin stillage.
Abstract: A method is provided for recovering oil from stillage including oil resulting from a process used for producing ethanol. In one embodiment, the method includes heating the stillage to a temperature sufficient to at least partially separate, or unbind, the oil therefrom. The method further includes recovering the oil from the stillage.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 1, 2009
Publication date:
October 8, 2009
Applicant:
GS CLEANTECH CORPORATION
Inventors:
David J. Winsness, John W. Davis, Gregory Paul Barlage, David Fred Cantrell
Abstract: Processes for recovering oil from thin stillage produced during a fractionation-based dry milling process. The thin stillage can be heated or heated in combination with centrifuging to separate and recover oil from the thin stillage. Optionally, the thin stillage may be concentrated prior to recovering the oil.