US 11,839,856 B2
Method and systems for isolation and/or separation of products from production processes
Todd Benson, Sanford, NC (US); Kim Davis, Sanford, NC (US); Jason Bell, Sanford, NC (US); and James Kacmar, Sanford, NC (US)
Assigned to SMARTFLOW TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Sanford, NC (US)
Filed by Smartflow Technologies, Inc., Sanford, NC (US)
Filed on Nov. 5, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/089,893.
Application 17/089,893 is a division of application No. 15/922,360, filed on Mar. 15, 2018, granted, now 10,894,232.
Application 15/922,360 is a division of application No. 14/867,084, filed on Sep. 28, 2015, granted, now 9,937,469.
Application 14/867,084 is a continuation of application No. 13/985,367, granted, now 9,163,265, previously published as PCT/US2012/025874, filed on Feb. 21, 2012.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/445,010, filed on Feb. 21, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2021/0113966 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B01D 61/14 (2006.01); C12P 7/06 (2006.01); C12P 7/10 (2006.01); B01D 63/08 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C10G 31/09 (2006.01); C10L 1/02 (2006.01); C10L 1/18 (2006.01); C12P 7/14 (2006.01); B01D 61/02 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 61/145 (2013.01) [B01D 61/027 (2013.01); B01D 61/147 (2013.01); B01D 63/08 (2013.01); B01D 63/082 (2013.01); C10G 31/09 (2013.01); C10L 1/023 (2013.01); C10L 1/026 (2013.01); C10L 1/1802 (2013.01); C12M 21/12 (2013.01); C12M 47/10 (2013.01); C12P 7/06 (2013.01); C12P 7/10 (2013.01); C12P 7/14 (2013.01); B01D 2311/04 (2013.01); B01D 2311/06 (2013.01); B01D 2311/2626 (2013.01); B01D 2311/2669 (2013.01); B01D 2311/2688 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1014 (2013.01); C10G 2300/302 (2013.01); Y02E 50/10 (2013.01); Y02P 30/20 (2015.11)] 8 Claims
 
1. A method of producing a renewable fuel molecule from corn grain, the method comprising:
(a) providing corn grain and introducing same into a particle reduction system to provide a mixture of corn particles;
(b) introducing the mixture of corn particles to a liquification tank comprising a liquid medium, under heat, to release starch granules from the corn particles, wherein the corn particles are separated from the starch granules by passing the liquid medium through a first cross-flow filtration cassette to obtain a liquid medium comprising starch granules;
(c) introducing enzymes to the liquid medium comprising starch granules for breakdown of the starch granules into simple sugars;
(d) moving the liquid medium comprising the simple sugars into a fermentation vessel along with a fermentation microorganism for conversion of the simple sugars to the renewable fuel molecule;
(e) moving the liquid medium comprising the renewable fuel molecule into a distillation column for extraction of the renewable fuel molecule therefrom, simultaneously yielding a corn stillage; and
(f) concentrating the corn stillage using a second cross-flow filtration cassette to remove water therefrom to yield a concentrated syrup
wherein the cross-flow filtration cassettes comprise an array of sheet members of generally rectangular and generally planar shape with main top and bottom surfaces,
wherein the sheet members include in sequence in said array a first retentate sheet, a first filter sheet, a permeate sheet, a second filter sheet, and a second retentate sheet,
wherein when a medium to be filtered flows across the filter sheets, solids or high-molecular-weight species of diameter larger than the filter sheet's pore size are retained in the retentate flow, and permeate species present in the liquid medium diffuse through the filter sheets and enter the permeate sheet and permeate flow,
wherein each of the sheet members in said array has at least one inlet basin opening at one end thereof, and at least one outlet basin opening at an opposite end thereof, with permeate passage openings at longitudinal side margin portions of the sheet members, and
wherein each of the first and second retentate sheets have a multiplicity of channel openings therein, extending longitudinally between the inlet and outlet basin openings of the sheets in the array, and being bonded to an adjacent filter sheet about peripheral end and side portions thereof, with their basin openings and permeate passage openings in register with one another and the permeate passage openings of each of the retentate sheets being circumscribingly bonded to the adjacent filter sheet, and with a central portion of each of the retentate sheets and adjacent filter sheets being unbonded to permit permeate contacting the retentate sheet to flow through the filter sheet to the permeate sheet.