Granted Patent B2

US 12,357,005 · App. 17/726,953 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Inventors: Charles C. Gallop (Gower, MO); Christopher Riley William Gerken (Helena, MO)

Assignee: ICM, Inc.

A23K10/10A23J1/005A23J1/12A23J1/125A23J1/16A23K10/38A23K40/00A23K50/10A23K50/30A23K50/75A23K50/80B01D5/006B01D17/0205B01D17/0217B01D21/26B01D21/262B01D21/267B03B9/00C12N1/16Y02P60/87

Abstract

Claims (35)

1. A method for separating components in a fractionated thin stillage stream, the method comprising:

separating liquids from solids in the fractionated thin stillage stream having about 4% to about 14% total solids, to provide a heavy phase with suspended solids stream and a light emulsion phase stream;

adding an organism to the heavy phase with suspended solids stream to provide a fermentation mixture;

anaerobically fermenting the fermentation mixture;

converting a carbon source in the fermentation mixture to a biomass;

separating the fermentation mixture through a device to create a separated liquids stream and a separated solids stream; and

using the separated solids stream which includes the biomass, to form part of a feed product.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a media preparation for the organism, comprising nitrogen sources, urea, ammonia, ammonia salts, a sterilizer, or a stream from the fractionated thin stillage stream.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation is anerobic fermentation and comprises about 4 hours to about 10 hours in a continuous mode or in a batch mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organism comprises at least one of Candida utilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis , and Pichia pastoris.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organism comprises a concentration ranging from about 1% to about 30% by volume.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon source comprises soluble proteins, carbohydrates, organic acids, alcohols, aldehydes, and fats.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one of a sedicanter centrifuge, a decanter centrifuge, a disk stack centrifuge, a cyclone, a hydrocyclone, and a settling tank.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

evaporating the solids stream;

drying the evaporated solids stream; and

creating the feed product of a dried single cell protein.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed product comprises having a protein content of approximately 44%.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed product comprises having an acid detergent fiber of approximately 1.8% dry basis and a neutral detergent fiber of approximately 11.7% dry basis.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed product comprises having an amino acid content of methionine of approximately 0.23% dry basis and of lysine of approximately 1.14% dry basis.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a fractionated thin stillage stream having 3% to about 12% by weight of total solids;

separating the fractionated thin stillage stream into a light emulsion phase and a heavy phase with suspended solids;

adding an organism to the heavy phase with suspended solids, wherein the organism comprises at least one of Candida utilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis , and Pichia pastoris;

anaerobically fermenting the organism with the heavy phase with suspended solids;

converting a carbon source in the heavy phase with suspended solids to generate a feed product; and

drying the feed product.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising using a media preparation for the organism, comprising nitrogen sources, urea, ammonia, ammonia salt, a sterilizer, or a stream from the fractionated thin stillage stream.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product comprises a protein content of approximately 46.8% dry basis.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product comprises having an acid detergent fiber of approximately 8.1% dry basis.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product comprises a neutral detergent fiber content of approximately 12.7% dry basis.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product comprises an amino acid content of methionine of approximately 0.21% dry basis.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product has an amino acid content of lysine of approximately 1.29% dry basis.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product comprises a protein content of approximately 46% dry basis, an acid detergent fiber content of approximately 8.1% dry basis, and a neutral detergent fiber content of approximately 12.7% dry basis.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the feed product comprises an amino acid content of methionine of approximately 0.21% dry basis, and of lysine of approximately 1.29% dry basis.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (163)