Methods and systems for reducing one or more impurities and/or moisture from grain oil, and related compositions
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for injecting a gas (e.g., air) into a grain oil recovered from a grain process so as to remove an amount of one or more materials (e.g., moisture, unsaponifiables, insolubles, free fatty acids, and the like) from the grain oil.
1. A method of making a grain oil product comprising:
providing a grain material comprising:
grain oil;
grain solids; and
one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides;
converting at least a portion of the one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides into one or more monosaccharides;
fermenting at least a portion of the one or more monosaccharides to form a fermentation product comprising the grain oil and a biochemical;
distilling the fermentation product to remove at least a portion of the biochemical from the fermentation product and form a whole stillage composition, wherein the whole stillage comprises the grain oil, the grain solids, and water;
separating the whole stillage into cake and thin stillage;
separating the thin stillage into syrup and a first grain oil product, wherein separating the thin stillage into syrup and a first grain oil product comprises:
concentrating the thin stillage to form an intermediate composition;
centrifugally separating at least a first portion of the intermediate composition into an aqueous component and an oil emulsion component; and
de-emulsifying the oil emulsion component to form the first grain oil product
providing at least a portion of the first grain oil product into a vessel; and
injecting a gas into the first grain oil product in the vessel in a manner to form gaseous bubbles in the first grain oil product and allow the gaseous bubbles to rise through at least a portion of the first grain oil product within the vessel and form a second grain oil product.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is air, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or combinations thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting comprises injecting compressed air into the vessel, wherein the vessel is at approximately atmospheric pressure.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compressed gas is injected at a gas flow rate in the range from 0.1 to 5 ft 3 /min/ft 2 .
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein during at least a portion of the injecting the first grain oil product is at a temperature in the range from 120° F. to 200° F.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the de-emulsifying comprises applying a shift in pH to the oil emulsion component.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the second grain oil product into a packed tower; and
injecting a gas into the second grain oil product in a manner to form gaseous bubbles in the second grain oil product and allow the gaseous bubbles to rise through at least a portion of the second grain oil product within the packed tower and form a third grain oil product, wherein the gas and second grain oil product pass through the packed tower in a counter current manner.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grain material comprises corn.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a grain material comprises milling a plurality of corn kernels.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biochemical comprises ethanol.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the converting occurs at a temperature below 180° F.
12. The method of claim 11 , where the converting comprises exposing at least a portion of the one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides to one or more enzymes to convert the one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides into one or more monosaccharides.
13. A method of making a grain oil product comprising:
providing a grain material comprising:
grain oil;
grain solids; and
one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides;
converting at least a portion of the one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides into one or more monosaccharides;
fermenting at least a portion of the one or more monosaccharides to form a fermentation product comprising the grain oil and a biochemical;
distilling the fermentation product to remove at least a portion of the biochemical from the fermentation product and form a whole stillage composition, wherein the whole stillage comprises the grain oil, the grain solids, and water;
separating the whole stillage into cake and thin stillage;
separating the thin stillage into syrup and a first grain oil product;
providing at least a portion of the first grain oil product into a vessel; and
injecting a gas into the first grain oil product in the vessel in a manner to form gaseous bubbles in the first grain oil product and allow the gaseous bubbles to rise through at least a portion of the first grain oil product within the vessel and form a second grain oil product, wherein injecting a gas into the first grain oil product forms a first layer comprising insoluble material and a second layer comprising the second grain oil product.
14. A method of making a grain oil product comprising:
providing a grain material comprising:
grain oil;
grain solids, and
one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides;
converting at least a portion of the one or more oligosaccharides and/or one or more polysaccharides into one or more monosaccharides;
fermenting at least a portion of the one or more monosaccharides to form a fermentation product comprising the grain oil and a biochemical;
distilling the fermentation product to remove at least a portion of the biochemical from the fermentation product and form a whole stillage composition, wherein the whole stillage comprises the grain oil, the grain solids, and water;
separating the whole stillage into cake and thin stillage;
separating the thin stillage into syrup and a first grain oil product;
providing at least a portion of the first grain oil product into a vessel; and
injecting a gas into the first grain oil product in the vessel in a manner to form gaseous bubbles in the first grain oil product and allow the gaseous bubbles to rise through at least a portion of the first grain oil product within the vessel and form a second grain oil product, wherein the gas and first grain oil product pass through the vessel in a counter current manner.