FR2522479A1 - Processing proteinaceous and sugar contg. plant matter - to recover feed cake and opt. juice for alcoholic fermentation - Google Patents

Abstract

Sugar-contg. or proteinaceous plant material and plant by prods. contg. 60-90% water are processed by first finely grinding, using a rolling mill and a ball mill, until the cells are disrupted. They are then pressed through a filter, using an appts. providing progressive concn. of insoluble components with sepn. of as much water as possible. The resulting press cake (45-60% dry matter) is dried at low temp. to 87-90% solids while water is eliminated from the juice by mechanical recompression of steam. Where a sugar-contg. starting material is used, this is pref. mixed with up to 10% vegetable fibres before grinding. The ground material is then adjusted to pH 1.5-4, heated at 50-85 deg.C for 0.5-2 hr. and neutralised with base. The same equipment can be used to process all types of plant material with reduced energy consumption. The filter cake is useful e.g. as cattle feed with improved digestibility and nutritional value, while the juice from sugar-contg. plants is suitable for use in fermentation-distn. prodn. of alcohol.

Description

Process for the treatment of vegetable protein and carbohydrate materials in a same installation.

The present invention relates to a process making it possible to obtain, from protein or carbohydrate vegetable raw materials, a sufficiently effective and thorough separation of the soluble and insoluble constituents to allow a global operation of installation in total energy, or requiring the contribution possible from a small amount of thermal energy in addition to electrical energy, or even allowing all-electric operation. Installations capable of operating under such conditions can - either achieve only the conservation of food constituents
plants by sufficient elimination of water - or, to achieve the conservation of some of the constituents and
also produce alcohols or chemical products
suitable fermentations.

The following will be called: - Protein plants: green plants, mainly providing
protein in food; -for example, legumes
such as alfalfa and clover, and grasses such as ray grass,
fescue, etc.

- Carbohydrate plants: carbohydrate rich roots and tubers
for example, Jerusalem artichokes, sugar beets or semi-sugar beets
or fodder, sugar sorghum, etc.

- The R ratio: The one obtained by dividing the energy consumption
electric primary by total energy consumption
primary, these consumptions relate to the passage of a dryness
from 20% dry matter to 88% dry matter.

- The overall energy consumption G in therms / tonne: corresponds
è the total primary energy necessary to carry out the process
processing raw raw material into dry product
with granulation, reduced to the ton of dry matter treated
In the case of a distillery, G includes the energy consumption
distillation without concentration of vinasses. We consider
that electricity is not produced at the factory.

insoluble phase or oil cake: It consists of the part of
plants which is insoluble in the water of constitution of the plant
or in dilution water. In the event that a chemical treatment
of the material is required, the insoluble phase is the residual phase
insoluble constituents before chemical treatment. When
phase separation, soluble and insoluble, the insoluble phase
will contain the water-soluble phase part of the
brown crab. The more the separation of the soluble and insoluble phases is
effective, the higher the dryness of the meal.

soluble phase or juice: The soluble phase is the complementary phase
in the insoluble phase, in the phase separation process.

The soluble phase contains a very small part of the material
insoluble in suspension, ie at most IZ of dry matter
compared to the total dry matter contained in the soluble phase.

The higher the quality of filtration, the higher the percentage of
insoluble matter in juices is reduced.

We will briefly recall the existing processes - Classic dehydration, in open circuit with condensation
partial. evaporated water, consists of drying in a stream
hot chopped products. Energy consumption
is very high, the ratio R is of the order of 0.18 and the energy
overall G consumed is 2,350 th / T. Classic dehydration
does not allow separate treatment of plant constituents
treated, drying being carried out on the plant, without extraction
juice beforehand.

- The dehydration process described in French patents n02294647
and 2,302,048, leads to a partial extraction of the materials
soluble, oil cakes obtained from proteinaceous plants
having a dryness of about 25 to 30% of dry matter. This
process provides protein-rich concentrates and
vitamins, but still requires high energy consumption,
especially for drying oil cakes. The ratio R is
of the order of 0.185 and G is of the order of 2.300 th / T.

- In a modern sugar beet distillery, the juice is extracted by diffusion, the pulps obtained having a dryness after overpressing of about 25% at most. Vinasses are generally not concentrated. R and G are of the order of
Without dehydration With dehydration
pulp pulp
R 0.2 0.18
G 940 1350
The two techniques designated above, which use the separation of the soluble and insoluble phases of the plants to be treated, have the sole purpose of this separation of the soluble and insoluble constituents, to the exclusion of the maximum simultaneous dehydration of the insoluble parts of the plants.

 In addition, this type of installation consumes a lot of energy, and in proportions which exclude the possibility of operating in total energy, including drying the insoluble phase, or with the predominant use of electricity.

The process which is the subject of the present invention allows, with the combined use of - very thorough grinding of the vegetable raw material, - of a physico-chemical treatment of the carbohydrate materials, such as
than that which is the subject of patent application n082 03765,
deposited the same day, - a very efficient separation technique for the soluble phases
and insoluble in a versatile filter press, such as that
subject to patent application no. 82 03766, filed on
same day, - from the known technique of mechanical vapor recompression, to obtain the following specific advantages - versatility of treatment in the same installation, plants
protein and carbohydrate, hence a large number of hours
of operation of this installation, during the same period,
or at different calendar periods - obtaining a dryness of the cakes greater than 45%, or even
50% depending on the product - reduced primary energy consumption in proportions
allowing total energy operation, from
diesel or gas generators, with drying of the oil cakes.

The method according to the invention comprises the following steps, represented schematically in the diagram of FIG. 1, below
After feeding A of the vegetable raw material, and washing B in the case of carbohydrate plants, a reduction in parts of reduced section is carried out in strands of 1 to 2 cm for protein plants, C1, or in strips or chips 1 to 3 mm thick for Jerusalem artichokes or washed beets, C2.

 After crushing, or pre-bursting D by grinding, a bursting E is carried out as completely as possible of the cells constituting the product, making it possible to release the water of constitution and the soluble components which it contains. This bursting can be carried out in particular by the combination of flattener and ball mill of suitable design.

 During this phase of the process and for carbohydrate plants, vegetable fibers are added in the proportions and according to a method described in patent application n082 03765 and a physical treatment is carried out, according to a process which is the subject of this patent application. -chemical F necessary to favor the speed and the yield of subsequent fermentation.

 Then, the exploded protein plants and the exploded carbohydrate plants treated according to F undergo the filtration-pressing operation G in a device ensuring the progressiveness of the concentration of insoluble matters, then extracting the maximum proportion of juice to obtain a dry meal. very high, 45 to 60% dry matter.

The juices separated during the filtration-pressing operation undergo various treatments
for protein juices, thermal coagulation K and
separation coagulum-serum in a continuous decanter L, according to
a known technique; possibly, for carbohydrate juices, decantation
continues L, in order to obtain a juice before fermentation free of
coagulated suspended matter.

Carbohydrate juices can then undergo - a possible fermentation operation M and an operation
possible distillation 0, for the production of alcohol, with
the use of mechanical vapor reward.

 After a possible reverse osmosis N, the protein juices undergo a centering operation P of the vinasses or sera, up to 50 Z of dry matter, or even 75 Z depending on the destinations of the concentrated products.

 On the other hand, the oil cakes coming from pressing, after having been mixed G with a protein coagulum, then 1 with concentrated sera, are optionally subjected to a low temperature drying J in an open circuit with hot air, with partial condensation of the water vapor, or in a closed circuit by heat pump with total condensation of the evaporated water.

 The object of the process is therefore to allow maximum transfer of the water to be extracted, in liquid form into the juices, in order to allow, by mechanical recompression of steam, to ensure its extraction at the lowest energy cost (approximately 20 kWh / t of water).

This supposes the maximum separation of the soluble and insoluble parts contained in the plants to be treated, which is achieved in particular by the grinding of the cells themselves, and by the physicochemical treatment of the carbohydrate plants, before the filtration-pressing operation.

 In addition, the process eliminates the conventional high-temperature dehydration installation, as well as the grinding of dry products, since these are ground in the wet phase and the drying finish requires only a small low drying installation. temperature.

 In contrast, the previous process according to patent n.2.294.647 had the main object of obtaining rich protein concentrates, which is necessarily to the detriment of the efficiency of phase separation and which does not lead to a simplification of the chains d 'equipment.

The process for treating protein or carbohydrate plants, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, allows operation in total energy with the exclusive use of an efficiency thermal engine.
Mechanical energy produced
R = "0.3 to 0.4
Thermal energy consumed and obtaining finished products with 88 Z of dry matter from raw materials with 20 Z of dry matter. The overall energy consumption G for this process is between 500 and 1000.

 From protein raw materials at 20 Z dry matter, the transformation process, without fermentation or distillation, to recover all the dry matter in the form of oil cake at 88 Z dry matter, allows the use of electrical energy with a consumption of 130 to 200 kWh per tonne of dry product, to which is added the caloric consumption of the thermal coagulation phase, and the drying finish.

 From carbohydrate raw materials, with 18-22 Z of dry matter and 14 to 17 Z of fermentable sugars, without concentration of vinasses, the process according to the invention allows, after fermentation and distillation of the juices, to produce ethanol at 92 Z and dehydrated oil cake at 87-90 Z dry matter, with an overall energy consumption G of 450 to 700.

With a concentration of vinasses up to 75% of dry matter, the overall consumption G is 500 to 850.

EXAMPLE 1 Treatment of alfalfa with 20% dry matter
The mechanical separation G of the soluble and insoluble phases leads to the following distribution - juice 3520 kg including 11 kg soluble dry matter - oil cake 880 kg including 9 kg dry matter (45% DM)
raw material 4400 kg including 20 kg dry matter
The coagulation of the R proteins leads to the following separation on the juices - serum 3080 kg including 290.4 kg dry matter - coagulum 440 kg including 193.6 kg dry matter
juice 3520 kg including 484, - kg dry matter
After concentration P of the serum and completion of the drying H and J of the solid materials, we obtain - oil cake at 88% dry matter (coming from oil cake G and from
serum K)
. serum concentrate) (2693 kg evaporated water in recompres) - 780 kg and (vapor Zion (RMV)
. dried oil cake) (487 kg evaporated water when drying
low temperature (SBT) - coagulum at 88 Z MS = 220 kg 220 kg water evaporated on drying
low temperature (SET)
1000 kg 2693 kg water evaporated in RMV
+ 707 kg of water evaporated in SBT 79 Z of the water is eliminated by RMV.

The consumption of thermal (th) and electrical energy (KW) is shown diagrammatically in Figure 2; we deduce R = 0.388
G = 150 x 2.2 + 520 = 850
1000 in the case where all the products are dried, with the use of conventional thermal energy for finishing the drying.

 Example 1 shows that most of the water (79 99) is evacuated in liquid form, by RMV, which makes it possible to obtain very significant energy savings, of the order of 63 Z (by compared to dehydration for which G = 2300).

For Jerusalem artichoke or beet, 20 Z of dry matter and 15 Z of fermentable sugars, and in the case of distillation without concentration of vinasse 1 with production of ethanol at 92 Z of pure alcohol and oil cake at 88 Z of dry matter, we note the following savings Distillation Economy by
Distillatlon according to procedure according to
classic invention invention
the invention the invention
R 0.18 0.6
G 1350 510 62 X
In the above case, with vinasse concentration at 75% dry matter, the overall consumption is around 600.

 The sizing of the equipment is designed to adapt to the different products to be treated, in particular with regard to the concentration of serums or vinasses. For certain cases of application of the process, according to the relative quantities of products to be treated, provision is made to compensate for the differences in flow requirements in RMV, by a reverse osmosis installation carrying out a preconcentration of the liquids.

 The possible low temperature drying operation is carried out using in particular the heat recovered from the condensation water and the physicochemical treatment.

Claims (9)

1. Process for treating protein and carbohydrate plant materials to recover, on the one hand, all or part of the constituents in the form of dehydrated cake, and on the other hand, carbohydrate juices intended for fermentation and distillation, characterized in what it includes the following steps, carried out at the lowest energy cost and in the same installation for protein and carbohydrate materials a) very thorough grinding of the raw material until it bursts  plant cells, obtained by the association of a flattener  and a ball mill b) filtration-pressure in an apparatus ensuring concentration  of insoluble matter, so as to separate the  maximum amount of water in the juices and obtain a meal which  the dryness is 45 to 60% of dry matter; c) Removal of water from the juices by mechanical recompression of the  vapors and cake drying at low temperature to obtain  finally oil cake at 87-90 Z of dry matter. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the carbohydrate materials are mixed with vegetable fibers before being ground and are subjected before filtration-pressure to a physicochemical treatment intended to promote the speed and the yield of fermentation later. 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the protein juices collected by pressure filtration are subjected to thermal coagulation and then to decantation which makes it possible to separate a coagulum and a serum which is then concentrated to 50-75%. of dry matter, coagulum and concentrated serum being combined with the pressing cake before the drying finish. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the serums or vinasses are preconcentrated by reverse osmosis to compensate for the variations in the dry matter content thereof according to the nature of the raw materials, in order to adapt the operating regimes of the RHV concentration to a constant rate of dry matter. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the drying of the oil cakes is carried out at low temperature, in an open hot air circuit with partial condensation of water vapor, or in a closed circuit by heat pump with total condensation of evaporated water. 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, for the treatment of protein or carbohydrate plants, characterized in that it allows operation in total energy with the exclusive use of a heat engine of yield R = 0, 3 to 0.4 and obtaining finished products with 88 Z of dry matter from raw material with 20 Z of dry matter, with an overall energy consumption of between 500 and 1000. 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that to transform protein raw materials to 20 Z of dry matter without fermentation or distillation, in order to recover all the dry matter in the form of oil cake at 88 Z of dry matter, electrical energy is used. With a consumption of 130 to 200 kWh per tonne of dry product obtained, to which is added the caloric consumption of the thermal coagulation phase and that of the drying finish. 8. Method according to one of claims I and 2, characterized in that the carbohydrate juices collected by filtration-pressing are decanted, subjected to fermentation and distillation, with the use of a mechanical vapor recompression, for the production of ethanol at 92 Z and cake at 87-90 Z of dry matter, the total energy consumption G being from 450 to 700 starting from carbohydrate vegetable matter at 18-22 Z of dry matter and 14 to 17 Z of fermentable sugars. 9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the vinasses being concentrated up to 75 Z of dry matter, the overall consumption G is 500 to 850.