Description of Dry Mill Process 

Ethanol Production Process

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What is Ethanol?

 Ethanol is a corn-based alcohol with a

chemical formula of C2H5OH.  Because of its
chemical formula, it burns cleaner than
gasoline but it is a less efficient fuel.  Ethanol
is used as a fuel additive and as an alternative
to gasoline.  E10 is a mix of 10% ethanol and
90% gasoline. It is used as an alternative to
MTBE to prevent engine knocking.  
What is Ethanol?

 Engine knocking is damaging to the engine

because the pistons don’t run smoothly due
to an explosion in the chamber.  The ethanol
prevents this by retarding the combustion.
 This low amount of ethanol doesn’t affect
cars and can be run in any kind of vehicle. 
What is Ethanol?

 Ethanol is also mixed as E85, 85% ethanol

and 15% gasoline.  This formula is used as an
alternative fuel to reduce the amount
gasoline we use.  E85 requires a special
engine as it is corrosive and will destroy a
regular engine.  Many car companies are now
making flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) which can run
on either E85 or regular gasoline.
What is Ethanol?
There are three methods for
creating ethanol: dry milling, wet
milling, and ethanol production
from cellulosic biomass.  Dry
milling is the most common
production method in the United
States.  
What is Ethanol?

Wet milling breaks down the corn and

utilizes each part creating many more
byproducts then dry milling.  Cellulosic
biomass production is still being
researched but it is expected to be the
most energy efficient and cost efficient
method if it reaches mass production.
Social Impacts of Ethanol Production

Issues like noise, odors, traffic,

visual, and economic effects impact
the areas surrounding ethanol
plants. These five main issues are
important factors to consider when
choosing the location of ethanol
plants.
Social Impacts of Ethanol Production

The Clean Fleet Guide is a link to

information about Flex Fuel
Vehicles. We have researched and
discussed many of these issues with
representatives from ethanol
production companies in Indiana,
Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  
Social Impacts of Ethanol Production
 When looking at the social impacts of an
ethanol plant it is important to think of
where it is located.  Location is
everything! If a plant is built within a city
or town, these issues become even more
of a factor.  On the other hand if an
ethanol plant is constructed on the
outskirts of a city or town these are not
much of an issue.
Dry Mill Ethanol Production
Receiving and Storage 

 The majority of corn arrives at the site via rail

car delivered by Wisconsin and Southern
Railroad approximately three times per week.
Nearby corn arrives by truck. Automated
unloading systems can be self-operated by
the truck driver and the rail cars are typically
unloaded during low truck traffic times. 
Receiving and Storage 
 A fifteen thousand bushel per hour grain
system screens the corn for rocks and cobs
before being sent to one of two 225,000-
bushel storage bins. To begin processing, the
corn is transferred to a "day bin" and metered
to the hammermill by a computer-controlled
weigh belt feeder, then ground and
pneumatically conveyed to the slurry tank for
enzymatic processing. 
Cooking, Liquefaction, Saccharification
and Fermentation 
 The addition of water, heat and enzymes
break the ground corn into fine slurry. The
slurry is heated for sterilization and is
pumped to a Liquefaction tank where other
enzymes are added to convert the starches
into glucose sugars. Next the corn slurry is
pumped into one of three fermenters where
yeast is added to begin the forty-eight to fifty
hour batch fermentation process. 
Distillation 

 ICM's process utilizes a vacuum distillation

system to divide the alcohol from the corn
mash. Both streams are routed to the
dehydration equipment. 145 proof alcohol
exiting the distillation stripper then exits the
rectifier at 190 proof and is dried to 200 proof
in an ICM designed molecular sieve. 
Solids Separation and Evaporation 

 Mash streams from the distillation stripper

are pumped to one of several decanter type
centrifuges for dewatering. The water, "thin
stillage" is pumped to a steam driven
evaporator to produce a thick syrup. The
solids stream exiting the centrifuge, "wet
cake" are conveyed to the DDG dryer. 
Distillers Grains Drying 

 Syrup from the evaporator and wet cake from the

centrifuge are conveyed to the DDGS natural gas
fired rotary dryer. This unit removes moisture and
produces the golden dried distillers grains with
solubles (DDGS). Multiple passes produces a ten
percent moisture product (DDGS) and one pass
drying produces a fifty percent moisture product
(DWG). BSE will have the capability to produce
either product on a daily basis. 
Distillers Grains Drying 

 The ten percent DDGS is pneumatically

conveyed to flat storage to cool and readied
for shipment via jumbo rail car or hopper
bottom trucks. Fifty percent moisture DWG is
shipped locally via "moving floor" trucks. 
Ethanol Storage 

 There are two, seven hundred fifty thousand

gallon denatured ethanol storage tanks on
site. The tanks were built to code and utilize
the covered top floating roof design which
incorporates the appropriate relief valves.
Additional smaller tanks were erected for
denaturant storage and temporary storage.
There are truck and railcar load-out facilities. 
Carbon Dioxide 

 The fermenter produces carbon dioxide gas

that can be processed into salable product.
ICM's design will collect the gases and
remove impurities with a packed water
scrubber. Additional transfer fans will need to
be added pending the specifications of the
future CO2 vendor. At this time BSE plans to
look at CO2 recovery as a future venture. 
Principal Products and Their Markets 

 The principal products produced at our

ethanol plant are ethanol and distiller grains. 
END

END