Corn Fiber and Corn Stover for Fuel Ethanol Production

Billions of gallons of Fuel Ethanol are currently being produced in the US from the Starch derived from Corn Kernels. The Residue corn fiber which is not now valuable.

The improved BEI dilute acid cellulose hydrolysis process and reactor system (DACH-P&RS) technology could enable BEI Corn Fiber Cellulose Hydrolysis (BEI CF-CH) conversion to be integrated into existing Corn Starch to Fuel Ethanol production plants. Such could have a significant impact; since about 10 plants account for about 75% basis alone, the addition of Corn Fiber-Cellulose Hydrolysis and Fermentation thereto could have the potential for about an increased annual 170 million gallons of U.S. Fuel Ethanol Production without additional corn grain feedstock costs.

The components of a theoretical bushel of corn "as is", includes 33.9 lbs of starch, 4.9 lbs of protein, 3.8 lbs of cellulose and 8.7 lbs of water. The theoretical maximum ethanol yield from that starch is 2.93 gallons of ethanol. In addition, cellulosic substrates can be hydrolyzed and fermented to ethanol.

The theoretical maximum ethanol obtainable from such a bushel of starch and fiber corn is 3.35 gal/bu at 100% efficiencies. Overall 90% conversion of the all starch plus cellulose would provide for a practical yield of 3.02 gal/bu of corn, i.e., about +15% increase on an "as is" basis.

Corn Fiber Dilute-Acid Cellulose Hydrolysis

The recent BEI-USDOE-I&IP Demonstration Project's Corn Fiber Dilute-Acid Cellulose Hydrolysis (CF-DACH); including experimental pilot plant processing of feedstocks which were the commercially available: Distillers Dried Grains w/Solubles (DDGS), and Corn Gluten Feed (CGF); which could provide a +15% increase in the overall Fuel Ethanol Production from Corn Starch and Fiber at lower cost.

The BEI Cellulose Hydrolysis Process and Reactor System (BEI-CHP&RS), provides significantly higher conversion efficiencies for Corn Fiber Cellulose Hydrolysis into Pentose and Hexose Sugars; along with significantly reduced industrial and commercial costs for process heat and dilute acid. Also, it would

result in new High-Protein Co-Products to be offered for sale by the CS-FE industry. Those new Corn High-Protein Co-Products would probably be worth at least about 35% higher market value, above current DDGS and CGF.

That resulting new Corn High Protein Co-Product provides increased market economic values and increased cash flow a reduction in the overall total Fuel Ethanol production unit costs; thereby, of about 10 cents per gallon for the resulting increased Corn Starch and Fiber to Fuel Ethanol production; resulting in significant increased net profits.

Corn Stover Cellulose Hydrolysis

The crop residue Corn Stover is a low cost, readily available and attractive potential Cellulosic Feedstock with its large regional supply from the normal CS-FE production industry. Consequently, Corn Stover could become a new, valuable ligno-cellulosic biomass (LCBM) processing feedstock for BEI CHP&RS processing toward increased production and lower cost of Corn to Fuel Ethanol Production.

Brelsford Engineering, Inc. (BEI) has carried out Refined Engineering Prototype Pilot Plant Process Validation of Corn Fiber DACH into fermentable sugars, with the BEI CHP&RS, under USDOE-I&IP funding. The improved BEI DACH-P&RS is currently patented in the U.S. and Canada.

Private purchase and confidential use of the BEI U.S and/or Canada Patent Licenses may be negotiated along with BEI biochemical process engineering consulting services. Initiating related business communication with BEI could be good idea!!

One Midwest USA City has several Fuel Ethanol Production Companies with Corn Grain Dry-Milling Operations has an apparent production capacity of about 450 million gal/yr of Fuel Ethanol, along with about one and one-half (1½) million tons per year of Corn DDGS, which is the by-product from their Corn Grain to Fuel Ethanol Production operations. Their DDGS is sold into the currently flooded U.S. and European Livestock Feedstuff Market for DDGS.

In November 1998, Corn DDGS had a market price of about $65/tn; which was 55% lower than its $145/tn November 1996 market price. The excess DDGS supply feedstuff market prices for June 2006 were $75/tn and October 2006 were $80/tn. In the Midwest USA area, in October 2006; high-protein (48%) Soy Bean Meal was selling for about $171.50 per ton; which is equivalent to 18¢ per lb of protein.

Corn Distiller Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) is excellent as a low-cost feedstock for the unique and valuable continuous BEI DACH-P&RS processing for: (1) corn fiber hydrolysis, (2) hydrolysate sugars fermentation and (3) increased ethanol distillation, into expanded low-cost Fuel Ethanol production and hi-protein low-fiber feedstuff production for swine and poultry.

Processings use the Corn Fiber CS-FE Hemi-Cellulose, and Alpha-Cellulose fractions could result in pentose and hexose hydrolysate sugars could be put into yeast fermentation beer to ethanol for +15% increased Fuel Ethanol Production.

For example, in 2006, within 150 miles of the Midwest city there may be about 320 tons/yr of DDGS produced which could be used to produce an addition of about 15 million gal/yr of Fuel Ethanol, along with about 150 tons of high corn protein, low fiber feedstuff, as a co-product probably worth about $200/tn.

From that BEI DACH- P&RS processing of the available DDGS for cellulose and dextrans hydrolysis and removal, the unhydrolyzed residue of proteins would have doubled its relative protein fraction; and thereby removed its negative, detrimental fiber fraction. That corn hi-protein would be worth about $96 as the resulting 1000 lbs of total unhydrolyzed residue co-product. It could probably have been market valued at about $192/tn as a new high protein, no-fiber feedstuff commercial product.