Method for extracting and recovery of water from organic materials employing supercritical carbon dioxide utilizing a heat exchanger system

摘要

The removal of excess water from organic materials, specifically distillers grains, employing the use of supercritical carbon dioxide. The method includes the use of a heat exchanger system which is aids in the recovery and separation of the water from the supercritical carbon dioxide in a recovery loop. A supercritical carbon dioxide process loop cycles through an extraction chamber where it solubilizes excess water from organic material. This high water content supercritical carbon dioxide then passes out of the extraction chamber and through a heat exchanger system to cool the materials. The ability for supercritical carbon dioxide to solubilize water is a dependant upon temperature. A reduction in temperature results in the water precipitating out of the supercritical carbon dioxide, (or liquid carbon dioxide,) at which time is easily separated and removed from the system. The carbon dioxide then proceeds through the return side loop, through the heat exchanger system to increase the temperature, and enters the extraction chamber to solubilize water once more.