Wet Ethanol Production Process Yields 20% More Ethanol And More Co-products

[JohnWxy]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142135.htm


Using a wet ethanol production method that begins by soaking corn kernels rather than grinding them, results in more gallons of ethanol and more usable co-products, giving ethanol producers a bigger bang for their buck -- by about 20 percent.

"The conventional ethanol production method has fewer steps, but other than distillers dried grains with soluble, it doesn't have any other co-products," said University of Illinois Agricultural Engineer Esha Khullar. "Whereas in both wet and dry fractionation processes, the result is ethanol, distillers dried grains with soluble, as well as germ and fiber. Corn fiber oil for example can be extracted from the fiber and used as heart-healthy additives in buttery spreads that can lower cholesterol."

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In the wet process, the corn kernels are soaked, washing the germ, which Khullar says is a cleaner separation. "There's not a lot of starch sticking to the germ. That's why you get higher oil concentrations."

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The process doesn't require developing any new equipment. "It's just a modification of things that are already being done in the corn processing industry and can be done pretty easily," Khullar said.

[notesdev]

1. Ethanol = single worst idea ever?

Burning food for fuel... and it's an energy-negative transaction. This passing fad ought to stay passed.

[appal_jack]

2. i.e.- moonshine

"Wet Ethanol" indeed.

:toast: :spray: :rofl:

Science Daily could learn a thing or two from some old-time Wilkes County NC corn growers...

-app

[4dsc]

3. DO they have to retool every ethanol already built?

I wonder if this is process that can be utilities with existing ethanol plants.

Besides, food for fuel is immoral to begin with..

[JohnWxy]

4. Quoting from article at link: "The process doesn't require developing any new equipment"

The process doesn't require developing any new equipment. "It's just a modification of things that are already being done in the corn processing industry and can be done pretty easily," Khullar said.


Agreed food FOR fuel is bad. fortunately, all the protein in the corn is saved and sold as feed suppement for cattle. So it's not a question of food for fuel. U.S. still exports lots of corn.


Now, on the other hand oil for blood, that IS immoral, IMHO.




James Hansen: "Obama may have four years to save the Earth." Other climate scientiest were saying we might have ten years to get some larger GHG reductions going - that was a few years back.

No need to be concerned, Remember what that great thinker said: "What, me worry??"__A. Newman.


Glad I won't be around to see the greatest ecological disaster mankind has ever seen (things shoud satrt looking pretty bleak, even that is to the air-heads, in about 20 to 30 years).