Ethanol Facility
We have an excel file that calculates $ return from any sugar beet production estimates, like $40/ton or 42 tons/acre for $1887/acre. Just enter any of the values, and excel shows you the other values.
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SUGAR BEET:
The sugar beets from the
field enter the wash system, to remove the rocks and dirt
that could damage the slicer. Dissolved contaminants are not
an issue in ethanol production, as they are in sugar
production. The
beets are then moved into the slicer where the beets are
sliced into cossettes, similar to the sugar process.
The pulp and liquid then enter the screw press where
70% to 80% of the sugar is removed, according to Bob
Johnston from Vincent Corporation, who tested this process.
The beet pulp is then
moved to a hot water injection tank and scalded with 212
degree Fahrenheit water to sanitize the pulp, break down the
cell walls, set up a concentration gradient, and extract the
sugar into the solution. It
then is returned to the screw press to squeeze the solution
from the pulp. The pulp is moved into the pulp fermentation
tank. The pulp is suspended in 212 degree F water, cooled,
yeast is added, and the solution is held at 85 degrees F for
about two days to convert the sugars from the pulp into
ethanol. The pulp is then pressed again to remove the liquid
and is then removed from the process to be developed into
livestock feed.
CONCENTRATED BEET JUICE:
As the beet runs through
the slicer and the screw press, the liquid fraction is
filtered and run through a 212 degree heater (to kill all
the foreign organisms). It is pumped into a fermentation
tank, yeast is added, and the solution is held at 85 degrees
F for about two days.
The ethanol water solution is then pumped into the
concentrated sugar solution storage tank, then to the
distiller.
DILUTED BEET JUICE:
This solution from the
second and third pulp presses is heated to 212 degrees F,
filtered, and pumped to the fermentation tank. The solution
is fermented.
Then the ethanol water solution is pumped to the
diluted-solution storage tank, where it is pumped to the
distiller at a rate set by the distiller.
BEET PULP:
Sugar beets require a
rotation crop to minimize pests and to manage fertilizer.
The best rotation crop is proven to be grain (the beet grows
the largest ton per acre and produces the highest sugar
percentage following this rotation). This actually fits the
best scenario for turning the beet pulp into feed. The
combination of beet tops (removed before extraction from the
ground), grain, alfalfa hay, and beet pulp combined into a
silage feed has been proven a better feed than anything but
summer pasture. This feed has been proven to increase the
fat content of the milk, which would improve a cow/calf
operation, a dairy, and a beef and or a hog feedlot
operation.
THE DISTILLATION PROCESS:
The products from the
distiller are ethanol, heat, and water. The water solution
from the distiller has the nutrients of the beet and maybe a
couple percent of ethanol, depending on the efficiency of
the distiller.
It is recycled to the plant, where it is used as the water
for the sugar beet extraction.
When appropriate, the water is used to irrigate a
commercial greenhouse.
When the distiller is
working the towers need to be cooled. This cooling process
raises the cooling water temperature to 180 to 190 degrees.
This hot water can (1) Year around it can be used to
maintain the temperature in the fermentation tanks. (2)
During the cold months it can be used to heat the ethanol
facility (including any outside storage tanks) and can heat
a commercial greenhouse. |
Equipment to Consider