Process for producing a bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter derived from bioactive biomass feedstock

Abstract

A process for producing a bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter derived from bioactive biomass feedstock includes processes that can be performed in an effective way with equipment that does not require large expenditures. The biomass feedstock may be dewatered and then stabilized to prevent degradation. The stabilized biomass may then be back blended with a dried back blending biomass having a water concentration of less than 10% and a particle size that produces back blended biomass that can be effectively processed by controlled agitation drying wherein the thickness is maintained at less than 100 mm while an airflow is formed over the back blended biomass and shear mechanical energy is imparted. The entire process may be performed in less than 12 hours to produce a shelf-stable dried biomass.

Claims

1. A process for producing a bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter derived from bioactive biomass feedstock comprised of the following: a) providing said bioactive biomass feedstock comprising: i) an original protein concentration of between 2.5% and 66% by weight of the bioactive biomass feedstock; ii) an original fat concentration of between 2.5% and 66% by weight of the bioactive biomass feedstock; and iii) an original water concentration of between 20% and 95% by weight of the bioactive biomass feedstock; b) stabilizing the bioactive biomass feedstock by adding an antioxidant to said bioactive biomass feedstock to produce a stabilized biomass wherein the fat is stabilized to prevent oxidation and to minimize free fatty acid creation; c) providing a back blending dried biomass having a particle size between 10 and 20,000 microns; d) back blending the stabilized biomass by mixing with the back blending dried biomass at a back blending ratio by weight of said back blending dried biomass to said stabilized biomass to produce a back blended biomass having a water concentration by weight that is 50% or less than said original water concentration by weight and to promote granularization of said back blended biomass; and e) controlled agitation drying of the back blended biomass by imparting shear mechanical energy while producing controlled drying environment conditions including producing an airflow over the back blended biomass, maintaining a humidity level of between 5% and 65%, and maintaining a temperature of between 10° C. and 54.4° C. (50° F. and 130° F.) over at least 50% of the controlled agitation drying time to produce said bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter having a final water concentration of no more than 12% by weight; wherein a total duration time for processing said bioactive biomass feedstock in step a) to said bio-active and shelf stable biomass matter in step e) is controlled to less than 12 hours so that biological activity does not consume the bioactive biomass feedstock via aerobic or anaerobic degradation processes.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the original protein concentration of the bioactive biomass feedstock is at least 10% by weight.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the original fat concentration of the bioactive biomass feedstock is less than 10%.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the original water concentration of the bioactive biomass feedstock is less than 90% by weight.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the bioactive biomass feedstock has a water concentration of no more than 65% by weight.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the stabilized biomass has less than 40% fatty acids by weight of the total fat content.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the antioxidant is added at a dosing concentration of 100 to 20,000 parts per million.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the back blending dried biomass has a water concentration of no more than 10% by weight.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the back blending dried biomass has an average particle size of between 400 and 10,000 microns.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the back blended biomass is spread on a planar surface forming a spread thickness of the back blended biomass of no more than 15 cm.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the controlled drying environment conditions are is controlled within said enclosure.

12. The process of claim 10, wherein the planar surface is a radiant surface comprising a heating element to heat said radiant surface.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the shear mechanical energy is imparted to the back blended biomass using a shear aerator, wherein the back blended biomass is agitated and turned under shear conditions.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the airflow during controlled agitation drying is maintained between 15.24 m/min (50 fpm) and 305 m/min (1000 fpm).

15. The process of claim 1, wherein the temperature during controlled agitation drying is maintained between 15.5 and 43.3° C. (60° F. and 110° F.).

16. The process of claim 1, further comprising sterilizing the bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein the bioactive biomass feedstock is comprised of an animal-based feedstock stream.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the bioactive biomass feedstock consists of an animal-based feedstock stream.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein the bioactive biomass feedstock comprises a plant-based coproduct stream that further comprises carbohydrates and cellulosic matter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary process for producing a bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter derived from bioactive biomass feedstock.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a diagram of an exemplary bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter processing system.

(4) Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the figures. The figures represent an illustration of some of the embodiments of the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

(5) As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

(6) Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein and are illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications, combinations and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, combinations, modifications, improvements are within the scope of the present invention.

(7) As shown in FIG. 1, a bio-inactive dried biomass is produced from a bioactive biomass feedstock in a short amount of out time to prevent biologic activity. The bioactive biomass feedstock is dewatered to a dewatered water concentration that is no more than 65% that of the original free water concentration. A stabilizer is then provided and added to the dewatered biomass. A back blending biomass is then back blended with the stabilized biomass in a ratio of 0.3:1 to 3:1 of back blended biomass to stabilized biomass. The back blending biomass may be the product of this process from a former batch and may be derived from the same biomass feedstock, as indicated by the bold arrow from the final bio-inactive dried biomass to the back blended biomass input. The back blended biomass mixture is then agitated by imparting shear mechanical energy in an environmentally controlled condition, including imparting an airflow over the back blended biomass mixture while maintaining a relative humidity level of between 5% and 65%, and maintaining a temperature of less than 43.4° C. (110° F.) over a substantial portion of the controlled agitation drying, or at least 50% of the controlled agitation drying time, and preferably at least 75% of the controlled agitation drying time, and even more preferably at least 90% of the controlled agitation drying time. This entire process is performed in an out time of no more than 12 hours which arrest bioactivity to produce a dried biomass that is shelf stable for an extended period of time.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter processing system 10, wherein the bio-inactive and shelf stable biomass matter 20 is derived from a bioactive biomass feedstock 30. As shown a back blended biomass 22 is configured on a planar surface 42, such as a radiant floor 44 that is heated, within an enclosure 40, such as a building having an enclosed space that can be environmentally controlled. The radiant floor may have a heating element 46, such as conduits for receiving a flow of heated fluid configured therein or thereon. An air moving device 50, such as a fan may produce a flow of air over the spread back blended biomass 22 to increase the rate of drying. A heating element 56 may be configured to increase the temperature of the enclosure or the environmental temperature or impart radiant energy, such as infrared energy onto the surface of the biomass material. A humidity control device 60 may be configured to reduce the humidity level within the enclosure. A mechanical energy device 70 is configured to impart mechanical mixing energy into the back blended biomass to mix the granulated matter to expose higher moisture content granules to the exposed outside surface of the spread layer and allow trapped water vapor to escape from the biomass into the airflow thereover. The spread thickness 28, may be maintained at an effectively low thickness to enable the back blended biomass to be dried to a desired level within a desired out time.

(9) It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Specific embodiments, features and elements described herein may be modified, and/or combined in any suitable manner. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications, combinations and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.