• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    A horizontal fermenter for a continuous fermentation process comprises a horizontally elongated fermenter tank (101) and an agitator (104) for mixing biomass material in the fermenter tank. The fermenter tank comprises an inlet (102) at a first end of the fermenter tank for receiving biomass material and an outlet (103) at a second end of the fermenter tank for removing the biomass material flowed from the first end to the second end. The agitator comprises a rotatable shaft (105) parallel with the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank. The agitator comprises agitator arms that are shaped to constitute blades angled with respect to the longitudinal direction for moving the biomass material in the longitudinal direction when the agitator is rotating. Thus, the agitator is suitable for not only mixing the biomass material but also for conveying the biomass material.
    公开号:FI20176112A1
    申请号:FI20176112
    申请日:2017-12-13
    公开日:2019-06-14
    发明作者:Ahti Koivunen
    申请人:Fimuskraft Oy；Ahti Koivunen；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    A horizontal fermenter
    20176112 prh 13-12-2017
    Technical field
    The disclosure relates to a horizontal fermenter for a continuous fermentation 5 process of biomass material.
    Background
    A continuously processing fermenter is a device where biomass material flows at a rate determined by a natural fermentation process. The biomass material can contain for example pig, cow, or chicken manure, vegetable waste, kitchen waste, 10 human excrement, energy crop, fish processing waste, pest-plants of watercourses, and/or other suitable biomass of animal or vegetable origin. A continuously processing fermenter is advantageously a horizontal fermenter that comprises a fermenter tank that has an elongated shape in the horizontal direction. The horizontal fermenter comprises an inlet at a first end of the fermenter tank for 15 receiving biomass material and an outlet at a second end of the fermenter tank for removing biomass material that has undergone a fermentation process while flowing from the first end to the second end. Therefore, the fermentation process is akin a continuous first-in-first-out “FIFO” process. In many cases, the biomass material removed via the outlet can be used for example as fertilizer or as raw material of a 20 process for producing fertilizer. Biogases which are produced in the fermentation process are collected with a gas collector as when the biogases are being produced. The biogases can be used for example as fuel or as raw material of a process for producing fuel. The fermentation process can be a thermophilic fermentation process, or a mesophilic fermentation process, or a combination of them. The 25 horizontal fermenter typically comprises an agitator for mixing the biomass material while the biomass material flows from the first end to the second end in the fermenter tank. In a continuous fermentation process of the kind described above, the drymatter content can be relatively high, 20 % - 35 %. This homogenizes the process, facilitates the control of the process, and saves energy.
    A horizontal fermenter of the kind described above is presented for example in US20080138888. The horizontal fermenter described in US20080138888 comprises an agitator including a shaft passing horizontally through the fermenter tank in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank. The shaft is rotatably supported at the ends of the fermenter tank. The agitator comprises a plurality of agitator arms arranged radially on the shaft and suitable for mixing the biomass material when the agitator is rotating. A horizontal fermenter of the kind described above is however not free from challenges. One of the challenges is related to a need to keep the biomass material moving in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank. This challenge is present especially when the fermenter tank is long e.g. 20 m or more.
    Summary
    The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.
    In accordance with the invention, there is provided a new horizontal fermenter for a continuous fermentation process of biomass material. The biomass material can contain biomass of animal origin and/or biomass of vegetable origin. A horizontal fermenter according to the invention comprises:
    - a fermenter tank having a horizontally elongated shape, the fermenter tank comprising an inlet at a first end of the fermenter tank for receiving biomass material and an outlet at a second end of the fermenter tank for removing biomass material flowed from the first end to the second end, and
    - an agitator comprising a shaft parallel with the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank, the shaft being rotatably supported with respect to the fermenter tank and the agitator comprising a plurality of agitator arms arranged radially on the shaft and suitable for mixing the biomass material when the agitator is rotating.
    At least some of the above-mentioned agitator arms are shaped to constitute blades that are angled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank for moving the biomass material in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank when the agitator is rotating. Thus, the agitator arms are capable of acting as propeller blades for conveying the biomass material in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank. Therefore, the agitator is suitable for not only mixing the biomass material but also for aiding the biomass material to move in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank. The mutual relationship between the conveying effect and the mixing effect can be adjusted with appropriate design of the blades. In cases where there is a need to intensify the mixing effect without intensifying the conveying effect, the agitator can be provided also with agitator arms not designed to act as propeller blades, i.e. in this exemplifying case the agitator may comprise arms designed to act as propeller blades as well as arms that are not designed to act as propeller blades.
    A horizontal fermenter according to an advantageous and non-limiting embodiment of the invention has a modular structure so that the horizontal fermenter comprises fermenter modules attached to each other to be successive in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank.
    Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention are described in accompanied dependent claims.
    Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
    The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless
    20176112 prh 13-12-2017 otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.
    Brief description of the figures
    Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
    figure 1a shows schematic section view of a horizontal fermenter according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, and figure 1 b shows a part of an agitator of the horizontal fermenter illustrated in figure 10 1a.
    Description of the exemplifying embodiments
    The specific examples provided in the description below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the accompanied claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description are not exhaustive unless otherwise 15 explicitly stated.
    Figure 1a shows schematic section view of a horizontal fermenter according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention. The section plane is parallel with the yz-plane of a coordinate system 199. The horizontal fermenter comprises a fermenter tank 101 that has a horizontally elongated shape. In figure 20 1 a, the horizontal direction that is the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank 101 is parallel with the z-axis of the coordinate system 199. The fermenter tank 101 comprises an inlet 102 at a first end of the fermenter tank 101 for receiving biomass material 114 and an outlet 103 at a second end of the fermenter tank 101 for removing biomass material that has undergone a fermentation process while flowing 25 from the first end to the second end. Therefore, the fermentation process is akin a continuous first-in-first-out “FIFO” process. In this exemplifying case, the horizontal fermenter comprises a screw-conveyor 111 for removing the biomass 114 from the fermenter tank 101 via the outlet 103. The biomass material can contain for example pig, cow, or chicken manure, vegetable waste, kitchen waste, human excrement, energy crop, fish processing waste, pest-plants of watercourses, and/or other suitable biomass of animal or vegetable origin. In many cases, the biomass material removed via the outlet 103 can be used for example as fertilizer or as raw material of a process for producing fertilizer. Biogases which are produced in the fermentation process are collected with a gas collector 115 as when the biogases are being produced. The biogases can be used for example as fuel or as raw material of a process for producing fuel. The fermentation process can be a thermophilic fermentation process, or a mesophilic fermentation process, or a combination of them. The dry-matter content of the biomass material supplied to the fermenter tank 101 can be relatively high, 20 % - 35 %.
    In many cases there can be one or more pre-processing units for treating the biomass material prior to supplying the biomass material into the fermenter tank 101. The one or more pre-processing units may comprise for example a water removal unit so as to increase the dry-matter content of the biomass material to the level of 20 % - 35 %. The water removal unit is not shown in figure 1a. Furthermore, the one or more pre-processing units may comprise a hyginesation unit for treating the biomass material in high temperature, e.g. 100°C. The hyginesation unit can be needed for example when the biomass material contains animal waste and/or human excrement. The hyginesation unit is not shown in figure 1a. The one or more pre-processing units may also comprise a shredder unit for cutting solid pieces contained by the biomass material into particles small enough, e.g. into particles of 1 cm3 or smaller. The shredder unit is not shown in figure 1a. Furthermore, the horizontal fermenter may comprise a supply unit comprising for example a screwconveyor for supplying the biomass material into the fermenter tank 101. The supply unit is not shown in figure 1a. The entire system can be controlled with a controller unit and several sensors such as e.g. one or more temperature sensors, one or more pressure sensors, one or more methane concentration sensors. The sensors can be communicatively connected to the controller unit where dedicated software is installed for automatic process control. The controller unit and the sensors are not shown in figure 1a.
    The horizontal fermenter comprises an agitator 104 for mixing the biomass material 114 while the biomass material flows from the first end to the second end in the
    20176112 prh 13-12-2017 fermenter tank 101. The agitator 104 comprises a shaft 105 that is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank 101 and rotatably supported with respect to the fermenter tank 101. The agitator 105 comprises a plurality of agitator arms arranged radially on the shaft 105 and suitable for mixing the biomass material when 5 the agitator 105 is rotating. Figure 1 b shows a part of the agitator 105. In figure 1 b, three of the agitator arms are denoted with references 106, 107, and 108. As shown in figure 1b, the agitator arms are shaped to constitute blades that are angled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank 101. Therefore, the agitator arms are capable of acting as propeller blades for conveying the biomass material 10 in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank 101 when the agitator 105 is rotating. In a horizontal fermenter according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, all agitator arms are configured to act as propeller blades. In a horizontal fermenter according to another exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the agitator comprises arms configured to act as 15 propeller blades and other arms that that are not configured to act as propeller blades. As the biomass material can be kept in a continuous movement having a suitable speed, the fermentation process can be effective, the need for physical space is smaller, and the residence time of the biomass material can be significantly shorter than e.g. when using a batch-process fermenter. Energy is saved because 20 the movement of the biomass material is continuous, i.e. there is no need to stop the material flow, to store the biomass material as non-moving, and to start again to move the biomass material.
    In the exemplifying horizontal fermenter illustrated in figures 1a and 1b, the agitator comprises support rings which are connected to the ends of the agitator arms and 25 which are concentric with the shaft 105. In figures 1a and 1b, one of the support rings are denoted with a reference 109. The support rings improve the mechanical strength of the agitator.
    In the exemplifying horizontal fermenter illustrated in figures 1a and 1b, the agitator comprises auxiliary arms extending from the above-mentioned agitator arms in the 30 longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank. In figures 1 a and 1 b, one of the auxiliary arms are denoted with a reference 110. The auxiliary arms intensify the mixing effect.
    The exemplifying horizontal fermenter illustrated in figures 1a and 1b has a modular structure so that the horizontal fermenter comprises fermenter modules attached to each other to be successive in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank 101. In figure 1a, the modules are denoted with references 112 and 113. In this 5 exemplifying case, there are two modules. It is also possible that there are three or more modules. The length of each module can be for example about 12 m which is the length of a standardized large shipping container.
    The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or interpretation of the appended claims.
    It is to be noted that lists and groups of examples given in this document are nonexhaustive lists and groups unless otherwise explicitly stated.
    权利要求:
    Claims (5)
    [1] What is claimed is:
    1. A horizontal fermenter comprising:
    - a fermenter tank (101) having a horizontally elongated shape, the fermenter tank comprising an inlet (102) at a first end of the fermenter tank for receiving biomass material and an outlet (103) at a second end of the fermenter tank for removing the biomass material flowed from the first end to the second end, and
    - an agitator (104) comprising a shaft (105) parallel with a longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank, the shaft being rotatably supported with respect to the fermenter tank, wherein the agitator comprises a plurality of agitator arms (106-108) arranged radially on the shaft and suitable for mixing the biomass material when the agitator is rotating, characterized in that at least some of the agitator arms are shaped to constitute blades angled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank for moving the biomass material in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank when the agitator is rotating.
    [2] 2. A horizontal fermenter according to claim 1, wherein the agitator comprises support rings (109) connected to ends of the agitator arms and concentric with the shaft.
    [3] 3. A horizontal fermenter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the agitator comprises auxiliary arms (110) extending from the agitator arms in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank.
    [4] 4. A horizontal fermenter according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the horizontal fermenter comprises a screw-conveyor (111) for removing the biomass from the fermenter tank via the outlet.
    [5] 5. A horizontal fermenter according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the horizontal fermenter comprises fermenter modules (112, 113) attached to each other to be successive in the longitudinal direction of the fermenter tank.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    FI128098B|2019-09-30|
    WO2019115862A1|2019-06-20|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    EP0113719B1|1982-07-16|1992-03-11|Josef Probst|Device for the production of biogas|
    EP1201111B1|2000-10-24|2002-10-23|PlanET Energietechnik GmbH|Feeding device for biogas installation|
    PT1848675E|2005-01-26|2011-11-10|Kompogas Ag|Fermenter comprising an agitator|
    FR3012346A1|2013-10-25|2015-05-01|Innov Ener|TANK FOR A METHANIZATION FACILITY FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOGAS|
    DE102016003256A1|2016-03-16|2017-09-21|Eisenmann Se|Plant and process for the utilization of biomaterial|
    法律状态:
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    FI20176112A|FI128098B|2017-12-13|2017-12-13|A horizontal fermenter|FI20176112A| FI128098B|2017-12-13|2017-12-13|A horizontal fermenter|
    PCT/FI2018/050868| WO2019115862A1|2017-12-13|2018-11-30|A horizontal fermenter|
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