Drying apparatus and methods for ethanol production
The apparatus and methods disclosed herein relate to the production of dried co-products from stillage produced by an ethanol production facility. In various aspects, the apparatus and methods disclosed herein relate to an ethanol production facility that produces ethanol and stillage from grain, and a pulse combustion dryer in communication with the ethanol production facility to receive stillage therefrom and adapted to dry the stillage into a dried material
1. A method, comprising:
introducing stillage from an ethanol production facility into a pulse combustion dryer as a dryer feed material thereby obtaining a dried material therefrom.
2. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises whole stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's grains and solubles.
3. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage consists essentially of whole stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's grains and solubles.
4. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises whole stillage and the dried material comprises dried grain fermented extractives.
5. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage consists essentially of whole stillage and the dried material consists essentially of dried grain fermented extractives.
6. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises wet distiller's grains and the dried material comprises dried distiller's grains.
7. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises thin stillage and the dried material comprises dried distiller's solubles.
8. The method, as in claim 1 , wherein the stillage comprises condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material comprises dried distiller's solubles.
9. A method, comprising:
producing stillage using an ethanol production facility;
extracting a stillage fraction from said stillage; and
introducing the stillage fraction into a pulse combustion dryer as a dryer feed materials thereby obtaining a dried material therefrom.
10. The method, as in claim 9 , wherein the stillage fraction comprises wet distiller's grains and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's grains.
11. The method, as in claim 9 , wherein the stillage fraction comprises thin stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's solubles.
12. The method, as in claim 9 , wherein the stillage fraction comprises condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material obtained therefrom comprises dried distiller's solubles.
13. The method, as in claim 9 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of wet distiller's grains and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's grains.
14. The method, as in claim 9 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of thin stillage and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's solubles.
15. The method, as in claim 9 , wherein the stillage fraction consists essentially of condensed distiller's solubles and the dried material obtained therefrom consists essentially of dried distiller's solubles.