A method of forming a yellow grease is provided. The method includes delivering a FOG lipid extraction agent into a processing tank. The method further includes preheating a waste grease to a temperature of between 35 C. and 95 C. The method further includes mixing the preheated waste grease with the FOG lipid extraction agent in the processing tank to form the yellow grease.

A rotary tool for a mechanical separator, the tool can optionally comprise: a center shaft having a longitudinal axis; a plurality of longitudinal paddles coupled to the shaft, at least one paddle of the plurality of paddles having an inner edge and aligned radially relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein the at least one paddle has an elongate extent along the longitudinal axis with opposing lateral sides along the elongate extent; and a flange having a triangular shape in a radial cross-section, the flange affixed to the inner edge of the at least one paddle and having an apex radially inward of the at least one paddle. Other examples of the application include the rotary tool having a plurality of tools and the mechanical separator having the capability of being raised or lowered to alter a residence time of slurry within the mechanical separator.

A method and system for flushing an area of a robotic harvest dairy barn is presented. The method is based upon defining areas within the dairy barn that, by virtue of use of robots for cow-initiated milking will be maintained in a hygienically clean and dry condition with frequent flushings of short duration. The four areas of the barn felt to benefit from this frequent flushing including any of: an area immediately surrounding a robot; a holding area for staging cows for milking at the robot; a robot control room; and a milk collection room. In the relevant areas the flooring deck is configured to slope at its upper surface to define a drain area, the drain area including at least one grated drain positioned to collect any liquid deposited on the upper surface of the provided flooring deck. A collecting pipe network conducts liquid collected to a baffled tank.

This disclosure describes methods to separate solids from liquids in a production facility. A process separates components in a defiber process stream by using two or more mechanical devices to separate the solids from the liquids based on density differences. The process produces animal feed products having a protein content ranging from approximately 45% to approximately 64%.

A tangential filtration device, particularly for fluid food products, includes a tangential filter arranged essentially vertically and provided with a plurality of filtering membranes having a longitudinal extension and arranged essentially vertically, an inlet for the product to be filtered, an outlet for the retentate and an outlet for the permeate. The inlet for the product to be filtered is disposed at the lower portion of the tangential filter so that the filtering membranes are longitudinally crossed, from the bottom upwards, by the product to be processed. The device further includes a pump, a cleaning apparatus, and a collection area.

A method of forming a yellow grease is provided. The method includes delivering a FOG lipid extraction agent into a processing tank. The method further includes preheating an FOG to a temperature of between 35? C. and 95? C. The method further includes mixing the preheated waste grease with the FOG lipid extraction agent in the processing tank to form the yellow grease.

The present disclosure relates to the use of mesoporous solids to control relative humidity in enclosed spaces while greatly reducing energy expenditure. The mesoporous solids are particularly suitable for controlling relative humidity in greenhouses.

An air mover for forcing air through the system, a pre-treating stage with a particulate filter for removing larger contaminants from the air and an antimicrobial (e.g., copper and silver) filter for killing or damaging microorganisms, a UV chamber including an ultraviolet lamp that emits radiation and a catalytic (e.g., TiO.sub.2-coated) device and a reflective (e.g., mirror-finish anodized aluminum) lining for amplifying the UV radiation for killing microorganisms, a post-UV stage including a VOC-reducing (e.g., activated-charcoal) filter for removing odors and VOCs from the air, and optionally a supply of a surface disinfectant (e.g., ClO.sub.2). In example embodiments, the UV lamps and VOC filters are selected and configured for controlling microbial pathogens, and in other example embodiments they are selected and configured for removing ethylene from the air.

A feedstock processing system extracts a product from a solid using a CTSE system comprising a plurality of continuous stirred tank extraction stages arranged in fluid communication with each other in series such that effluent from one stage flows to a next stage in the series. One of the stages has an inlet to allow a measured amount of liquid solvent and the solid to be introduced to the continuous stirred tank extraction stage. The stage mixes the solid with the introduced solvent to form a homogeneous slurry to enable the product associated with the solid to be extracted with the solvent. A solid-liquid separator is arranged in fluid communication with the continuous stirred tank extraction stages, and receives an effluent from one of the stages and separates the liquid solvent containing the product from the solid to form a product-containing liquid and a product-depleted solid.

This invention describes the equipment and a method to recover starch from a dilute starch stream produced by manufacturing facilities which process the starch-containing materials, such as potato and corn. The process comprises feeding a dilute aqueous slurry of less than about 5% by weight starch to a classifier to concentrate the slurry by a factor of at least 5 and produce a concentrated slurry, wherein the classifier has at least one overflow exit and at least one underflow exit; drawing off the overflow and underflow from the classifier; feeding the concentrated slurry from the underflow exit of the classifier into a settling tank having at least one underflow exit and at least one overflow exit to produce an underflow layer of starch with a concentration of at least 40% starch proximate to the underflow exit and an aqueous overflow with a concentration of less than about 5% by weight starch proximate to the overflow exit; drawing off the overflow from the tank; and opening a orifice at the underflow exit of the tank to allow the distal most fraction of the underflow to exit the tank.