US 12,234,494 B2
Method for carrying out the combined operation of a bioethanol production unit and a biogas unit
Fabian Bonk, Leipzig (DE); Michael Schlimbach, Halle/Saale (DE); and Oliver Ludtke, Markkleeberg (DE)
Assigned to VERBIO VEREINIGTE BIOENERGIE AG, Liepzig (DE)
Filed by VERBIO VEREINIGTE BIOENERGIE AG, Liepzig (DE)
Filed on Aug. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/239,573.
Application 18/239,573 is a continuation of application No. 17/308,456, filed on May 5, 2021, granted, now 11,781,158.
Claims priority of application No. 20189166 (EP), filed on Aug. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0399665 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C12P 7/10 (2006.01); C10L 5/44 (2006.01)
CPC C12P 7/10 (2013.01) [C10L 5/445 (2013.01); C10L 2200/0476 (2013.01); C12P 2201/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for carrying out the combined operation of a bioethanol production unit and a biogas unit, wherein:
a) corn meal, starch-containing, from a dry milling step is mashed with thin stillage, at least 0.1 tonne of dry matter in the form of whole stillage and at least 0.1 m3 of outflow from the biogas unit per tonne of corn meal to provide a mash, whereby at least 15 kg of glycerin per tonne of corn meal is recycled to the mashing step via the whole stillage and thin stillage, and
b) the mash from 1a) is fed to a cooking stage with mash temperatures below the gelatinization temperature of the starch in the corn meal, followed by an ethanol-forming fermentation step to provide an ethanol-containing mash, and then feeding the ethanol-containing mash from the ethanol-forming fermentation step to a distillation step,
wherein the whole stillage from 1b) is fed to the mashing step in 1a) and to the biogas unit.