Small-scale ethanol manufacturers benefit from cost effective solution to produce animal feed by-products
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol, has seen an exponential increase in production, with a rapid increase in the quantity of ethanol by-products being produced. Extra revenue can also be derived from further processing the by-products, such as alcoholic beverages, to create animal feed. In order to further process the stillage by-products to create animal feed, a centrifuge has traditionally been used for high volumes. However, this is a very expensive investment that is usually too prohibitive for small operations. One alternative for small-scale producers is using a Russell Liquid Solid Separator™. This allows farms and co-operatives to earn incremental income without committing to a substantial capital outlay for a centrifuge.
This unique wastewater screening equipment is able to remove fine solids from liquids using the centrifugal action of its impeller. It can provide high capacity separation down to 15 microns and with its variable speed drive and angle adjustment, provides complete control over moisture content of solids while maintaining constant solids removal. It is imperative to achieve the right consistency in the animal feed in order for it to be transported and sold, and to avoid storage problems. In addition, the water that is extracted from the stillage needs to be clean enough for re-use in the formation of mash.
One company that used the Liquid Solid Separator™ for this purpose achieved throughputs of 60 US gallons per minute. They not only were able to convert the by-products into animal feed, but also recovered about 90% of their water, which was mostly re-introduced into their ethanol production processes.
