Patents by Inventor Frank Benkwitz

Frank Benkwitz has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Fermentation process
    Patent number: 10724059
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to method for producing products, particularly alcohols, by microbial fermentation. In particular, the invention relates to methods for increasing the efficiency of the fermentation, by providing a method for treating the used fermentation broth to produce a treated permeate which is then passed back to the bioreactor. The invention provides a method whereby at least one treatment step used to treat the permeated, produces a gaseous product which is then used in one or more stages of the fermentation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Frank Benkwitz, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Alice Marie Havill
  • Method of producing an alcoholic beverage having a fruity flavor
    Patent number: 9758752
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of producing an alcoholic beverage by fermentation having flavor and taste of passion fruit and grapefruit, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: providing a gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide, bubbling the gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide into a grape juice and/or grape juice derived fractions prior to yeast inoculation, and/or during fermentation. The alcoholic beverage obtainable by the method can be chosen from the group constituted by wines, beers and spirits. Most preferably, the alcoholic beverage is a Sauvignon Blanc wine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: PERNOD RICARD
    Inventors: Audrey Joyce Dorsey, William James Marfell, Frank Benkwitz, Michael Johannes Harsch, Andrew Frost
  • A FERMENTATION PROCESS
    Publication number: 20150337343
    Abstract: This invention relates generally to method for producing products, particularly alcohols, by microbial fermentation. In particular, the invention relates to methods for increasing the efficiency of the fermentation, by providing a method for treating the used fermentation broth to produce a treated permeate which is then passed back to the bioreactor. The invention provides a method whereby at least one treatment step used to treat the permeated, produces a gaseous product which is then used in one or more stages of the fermentation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: Lanzatech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Frank Benkwitz, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Alice Marie Havill
  • METHOD OF PRODUCING AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE HAVING A FRUITY FLAVOR
    Publication number: 20140234481
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method of producing an alcoholic beverage by fermentation having flavor and taste of passion fruit and grapefruit, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: providing a gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide, bubbling the gas stream containing hydrogen sulfide into a grape juice and/or grape juice derived fractions prior to yeast inoculation, and/or during fermentation. The alcoholic beverage obtainable by the method can be chosen from the group constituted by wines, beers and spirits. Most preferably, the alcoholic beverage is a Sauvignon Blanc wine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: PERNOD RICARD
    Inventors: Audrey Joyce Dorsey, William James Marfell, Frank Benkwitz, Michael Johannes Harsch, Andrew Frost