Title of Invention | ANAEROBIC FERMENTER |
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Abstract | The invention rulas to a device (1) for anarobically tenmetiting suhatances (A-B) Comparising a preacidified (2) Inside of which the substances (A-B) are subjected to a preacidification:a fen center (3a-3b) Inside of which the preacidified substance (A-B) ferment and transfer meane (5a,5b,5c,5d,5c,10,11,12,14,21) for transferring the substnce (A-B) out of the preacidified (2) and into the fetmonter (3a3b) The device is characterized in that the Iransfer means (5a,5b,5c,5d,5c,10,11,12 ,14,21) are designed for selectively transforming sufficiently preacidified substance (A-B) The invention also relates to amethod for unaerobically fermenting substaces (A-B) Envolving a praecidification during which the substace (A-B) are preacidification by means of a preacidified (2) a femeolation during which the preacidified substance (A-B) terment inside a termenter (3a-3b) and a trasferming during which substance (A-B) are transfermed out for the precidified (2) and into the fermenter (3a-3b) where by the sufficiently preacidified substance and selectively transferred |
Full Text | The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the anaerobic fermentation of materials. An apparatus and a method according to the preamble 10 of claim 1 and of claim 8 is known from the DE 198 04 007. This document relates to the treatment of an organi- cally burdened fluid whereat the gas is generated in the fermentation stage. In practice it has turned out that the average duration of stay of the burdened fluids in 15 the pre-acidification stage is approximately 15 hours and a total process approximately 30 hours. In this time the process water is sufficiently pre—acidified so that it can be transported into the fermenter without involving the risk that there would occur yet another acidification 20 in the fermenter which would be very disadvantageous for the fermentation process particularly by damaging the methane producing bacteria due to low pH-values. Usually in the pre-acidification a pH-value of 6.0 or below must be reached. The pre-acidification serves to solubilize 25 complex carbon compounds since the fermentation bacteria can utilize simple carbon compounds only. During the fermentation biogas is extracted which represents a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide and which can be Used for generating energy. 30 Further, from practice solid reactors are known in which pre-acidification and fermentation for the extrac- tion of biogas take place jointly. In such reactors solid to pasty materials can be treated, whose time of stay 16 weeks until a sufficient total process has taken place. - 2 - At breweries fluid burdened process waters for exam- ple from cleaning processes for example and as more solid organic materials yeasts and draff, i.e. brewer grain for example arise. At fruit juice extraction plants also 5 press residues like solid peel particles arise besides the process water. At such or similar production sites at which organically burdened fluids as well as organic re- mains arise normally both i.e. two independent reactors are therefore required primarily due to the incompatible 10 pre-acidification periods in order to utilize the materi- als for biogas production. This is however quite costly and complicated. The DE 199 37 876 Al discloses a method for the bio- logical conversion of organic materials to methane gas, 15 Which method is to achieve a power enhancement by shift- ing the stable operating point of the system, For that purpose the residence time of organic components in the reactors is to be uncoupled from the hydraulic residence time by the retention of organic components by means of a 20 semipermeable membrane in order to achieve a better adap- tation of the bacteria growth. The object of the present invention is therefore to create an apparatus and a method with which a more cost effective simpler alternative for the production of bio- 25 gas from fluid and soild materials can be realized. This objective is achieved by an apparatus with the characteristics of claim 1 and a method with the charac- teristics of claim 8. Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the respec- 30 tive sum claims. With the apparatus according to the present inven- tion means for transporting materials into the fermenter are provided with which it is possible by selective pro- 5 - 3 - cess control, to transport all materials in a sufficiently pre-acidified condition. Here, still insufficiently pre- acidified normally more solid sparsely solubilized mate- rials are left in the pre-acidifier for sufficient pre- 5 acidification. Accordingly the method according to the present in- vention relates to such one at which only sufficiently pre-acidified materials are transported. In this way it is possible to put fluid respectively 10 largely solubilized materials as well as solid or pasty less solubilized ones into a pre-acidifier and sibse- quently feed them sufficiently pre-acidified to a common fermenter. For the selective transport a variety of material 15 characteristics can be utilized which distinguish the sufficiently pre-acidified materials from the still in- sufficiently pre-acidified materials. While for example sufficiently pre-acidified solid or pasty materials are soaked by the pre-acidification 20 solubilization and dissolve in the fluid the insuffi- ciently pre-acidified solid are normally coarse grained and sedimenting, respectively. Thus, a selection can be done by sieving and treating for example whereat the sieve for example has to be designed so that the still 25 insufficiently pre-acidified solids get caught in the sieve and the fluid and soaked materials can pass through the sieve. Furthermore, it has turned out that the still insuf- ficiently pre-acidified solids in the pre-acidifier de- 30 posit themselves on the bottom of the same if no agita- tion or stirring take place in the pre-acidifier. This means that upon switch-off of the agitation or of the stirring normally taking place in the pre-acidifier the insufficiently pre-acidified materials gather in the low- -4- 10 er portion, whereas the sufficiently pre-acidified mate- rials gather in the upper portion whereby a selection of sufficiently pre-acidified materials by a withdrawal of materials in the upper portion of the pre-acidifier is 5 rendered possible by carrying out the forwarding into the fermenter only during the "rest phases". It has furthermore turned out that by a flotation for example by blowing air or gas into the pre-acidifier from the bottom the solid preferably bloat on the sur- 10 face so that also here a separation of still insuffi- ciently pre-acidified materials from the sufficiently pre-acidified materials results so that a selection dur- ing transport by a withdrawal of materials from the lower portion of the pre-acidifier is possible. 15 A preferred embodiment with very coarse feedstock materials such as peels, grains or the like includes a pre-treatment preferably a mechanical pre-comminution of the solids with a chopper or a mill or the like. A pre- treatment particularly a mechanical pre-comminution fa- 20 cilitates the solubilization of the solid materials in the pre-acidifier. Preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the present invention and the method according to the present invention are explained on the basis of the ac- 25 companying figures, in which: Figure 1 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention, Figure 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the ap- paratus according to the invention, 30 Figure 3 shows a schematic sectional view of another embodiment according to the invention, and Figure 4 shows a sectional view of a further embodi- ment of the invention. - 5 - In figure 1 an apparatus for the pre-acidification and anaerobic fermentation of materials is shown in a schematic three-dimensional illustration. The apparatus comprises a pre-acidifier 2, a fermenter with a main load 5 stage 3a and a light load stage 3b and a final sedimenta- tion stage 4. For the performance of the anaerobic fer- mentation main load stage 3a and light load stage 3b are covered by a tarpaulin for example for collecting and storing the arising gases, which is not illustrated in 10 figure 1 for the sake of clarity. This tarpaulin can ad- ditionally cover pre-acidification 2 for example when the flotation occurs by means of gas or gas circulation(not illustrated). Between pre-acidifier 2 and main load stage 3a a di- 15 vider 17, between main load stage 3a and light load stage 3b a double divider 18 as well as between light load stage 3b and final sedimentation stage 4 a divider 19 are put in which can be adjustable or fixed. In the portion of pre-acidifier 2 stirrers 6, 7 can 20 be arranged with which an agitation can be carried out in the portion of pre-acidifier 2. Stirrers 6, 7 can be driven by a control device 14 via signal or power supply lines 15 . Via a signal or power line 16 control device 14 can also be connected to a pump 5c with which a transport 25 from pre-acidifier 2 into main load stage 3a via pipelines 5a and 5b can take place. At this the end of a nozzle and of a pipeline 5b are arranged in the portion of pre-acidifier 2 in the upper portion of pre-acidifier 2 i.e. for example above the middle along the height of 30 pre-acidifier 2. Main, load stage 3a as well as light load stage 3b can comprise partition walls not further illus- trated. Double divider 18 between main load stage 3a and light load stage 3b as well as divider 19 between light load stage 3b and final sedimentation stage 4 may com- 15 - 6 - praise transfer points 20 or overflow spillways with which materials from the respective stage can pass over into the subsequent stage. The basin illustrated in figure 1 can be embedded 5 into the ground which however is not illustrated in fig- ure 1 for reason of clarity. While in figure 1 pre-acidifier 2, fermenter 3a, 3b as well as final sedimentation stage 4 are accommodated in a basin they can also be arranged individually in a 10 basin or tank. In figure 2 there is a schematic sectional view of the apparatus of figure 1, in which tarpaulin 13 is il- lustrated which covers the main load stage and the light load stage. Under tarpaulin 13 the biogas produced 15 gather so that the tarpaulin bulges as illustrated in figure 2. Furthermore in figure 2 the induction of the materi- als A and B via feed mechanisms 8 and 9 and for B alter- natively via a pre-treatment 25, respectively, is 20 schematically illustrated. While the fluid material A is normally fed through a pipeline the solid material B can be fed via a conveyor belt or via containers or the like. If the solid material B is available in a pasty or bloat- ed form it can also be fed via a pipeline 9. In figure 2 25 a possible pre-treatment 25 of the solid materials B is also specified. In figure 3 another embodiment of apparatus 1 is schematically illustrated. Here a sieve 12 is arranged at the entry of a pipeline 5b which serves for transporting 30 from pre-acidifier 2 into main load stage 3a. While sieve 12 is arranged here in an approximately middle position with respect to the vertical height of pre-acidifier 2, it can also be arranged further up or further down. Sieve - 7 - 12 is required to have a mesh aperture or transfer port opening size such that solids B which are fed into the pre-acidifier cannot pass through as long as they are in- sufficiently pre-acidified. 5 Instead of a pipeline 5b and a sieve 12 as transport means a sieve or a rack in a spillway or just a spillway with a automatically lockable value can also be arranged through which materials from pre-acidifier 2 flow over into main load stage 3a. Such a spillway can be arranged 10 at the upper end of divider 17 for example and can proba- bly be lockable. The described spillways can also be ar- ranged in the middle or lower part of divider 17. Instead of a sieve 12 any other suitable device for separating coarse structured materials from soft or fluid 15 materials as for example an intermediate sedimentation stage can also be provided. From such an intermediate sedimentation stage the solid materials would be trans- ported back into pre-acidifier 2 so that they undergo a further pre-acidification. 20 Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the inven- tion. At this a pipe 5e is provided as transport means, whose entry nozzle end is located in the lower portion of pre-acidifier 2. Furthermore a flotation device 10, 11 is 25 provided with which air or gas which is fed through a acidifier 2. A pump 5d is connected via a signal, a compressed- air, a hydraulic or a power line to a control device 14 which can drive pump 5d or an automatic value (not illus- 30 trated). Furthermore, control device 14 is connected to an optional stirrer 6, 7 and/or to flotation device 10, 11, 21 via one or more signal, compressed-air, hydraulic or power lines and can drive these. 20 - 8 - A first embodiment of a method according to the in- vention shall be explained on the basis of figures 1 and 2. Via pipelines 8 a brewery waste water (process wa- 5 ter) for example is fed into the portion of pre-acidifier 2. The draff, yeasts and filtered out remains furthermore arising at the brewery can be fed into the portion of pre-acidifier 2 unprocessed, completely or partially pre- treated via suitable transport means such as pipelines or 10 conveyor belts or the like as solids B. In this portion a fermentation by acidogeneous bac- teria into mainly organic acids, hydrogen carbon dioxide as well as low alcohols occurs. At this a pH-value of ap- proximately 6 and below or 5.5 and below is achieved. 15 To support the thorough mixing one or more stirrers 6, 7 for example are employed in the portion of pre-acid- ification 2. The materials A and B are put into the portion of pre-acidifier 2 continuously or intermittently. 20 From pre-acidifier 2 a transport of materials into main load stage 3a must occur continuously or in inter- vals, For this, stirrers 6 and 7 or other agitation de- vices for example are switched off by means of control device 14. After a while (some minutes up to several ten 25 minutes) the solids which are normally still insuffi- ciently pre-acidified deposit themselves in the lower portion of pre-acidifier 2. In the upper portion of the reactor the sufficiently pre-acidified fluid materials as well as the soaked and therefore sufficiently pre-acidi- 30 fied solids gather. After the deposition in the portion of pre-acidifier 2 which is caused by a switched-off for example of stirrers 6,7 a pump 5c is switched on via control device 14 which transports materials via - 9 - 25 pipelines 5a and 5b from the upper portion, of pre-acidi- fier 2 into main load stage 3a or control device 14 opens the alternatively installed valve. In main load stage 3a and in light load stage 3b the 5 pre-acidified materials ferment and methanate, respectively, under the formation of biogas and the mate- rials leaving light load stage 3b are final-treated in final sedimentation stage 4. The final-treated materials can be re-transported to the process, for example into 10 the light load stage 3b, by means of pump 22 and pipeline 23 or taken out in a controlled way as surplus sludge by means of value 24. The draff and the filtered-out remains can be me- chanically pre-hackled or purified otherwise so that for 15 example a present grain size of solid material results. This is advantageous to the controlled process control as well as to the accelerated pre-acidification of the solids. On the basis of figure 3 a further embodiment of the 20 method shall be explained. The addition of materials A, B to pre-acidifier 2 as well as the fermentation and final sedimentation is the same as the procedure described with reference to figures 1 and 2. In this method materials are transported continuous- 25 ly or in intervals from pre-acidifier 2 into main load stage 3a with a pipeline 5b and a pump, not illustrated, through a sieve 12. Sieve 12 retains the still insuffi- ciently pre-acidified solids and lets the sufficiently pre-acidified fluid and soaked materials pass through. 30 At this the withdrawal from pre-acidifier 2 can be carried out in a middle position, as illustrated in fig- ure 3, or further up or further down. Furtheron, means for keeping sieve 12 free such as slides can be provided which remove in suitable intervals - 10 - material accumulating on sieve 12. For that purpose a de- vice can also be provided which creates a cross current in sieve 12 in order to remove remove accumulating meterial from sieve 12 in this way. 5 The agitation device, here stirrers 6, 7 may be switched on or switched off during the transport. Using figure 4 a further embodiment of a method shall be explained. Here the feed at the materials A, B and the fermen- 10 tation and final sedimentation, respectively, are the same as described with reference to figures 1 and 2. For the transport of materials from pre-acidifier 2 into main load stage 3a a pump 21 for example with which air or gas is pumped through a pipeline 10 into the lower 15 portion of the pre-acidifier is driven by control device 14. There the air or the gas exits through outlets 11 so that a flotation in pre-acidifier 2 occurs. At this junc- true the insufficiently pre-acidified solids are bloated upwards. Meanwhile with control device 14 a pump 5d is 20 put in operation which transports materials via pipelines se from pre-acidifier 2 into main load stage 3a. Here the entry of the nozzle to pump 5d lies in the lower portion of pre-acidifier 2, because here no insufficiently pre- acidified solids are present during the flotation. The 25 nozzle can however also lie in the middle or upper por- tion when floating is not performed but sedimenting. An optionally provided stirrer 6, 7 is preferably switched off during transporting. With the method described above it is possible for 30 example to set the mean duration of stay of fluid materi- als A in the pre-acidification 2 to approximately 5 to 15, advantageously approximately 10 hours, and to set the mean duration of stay of solids to between 30 and 150, 30 - 11 - preferably approximately 100 hours. Thereby it is possi- ble to transport only sufficiently pre-acidified meteri- als into main load stage 3a and simultaneously however jointly or individually process fluid as well as solid 5 materials A, B. It has turned out that with the above method a uti- lization of the solids for the production, of biogas of up to 80 % and more is possible. The advantages in economical respects and in proce- 10 dural/operational respects by reduction to one reactor line in the handling of inherently diverse organic mate- rials are great. 15 - 12 - PCT/EP2003/012473 VON NORDENSKJÖLD, Reinbart 5 CLAIMS 10 1. Apparatus (1) for the anaerobic fermentation of ma- terials (A, B) with a pre-acidifier (2) in which said materials (A, B) are subject to a pre-acidification, a fermenter (3a, 3b) in which said pre-acidified ma- 15 terials (A, B) ferment, and transport means (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 10, 11, 12, 14, 21) for transporting said materials (A, B) from said pre- acidifier (21 into said fermenter (3a, 3b), characterized in that 20 said transport (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 10, 11, 12, 14,21) are formed to selectively transport suffi- ciently pre-acidified materials (A, B). 2. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, 25 characterized in that said transport means (5a, 5b, 5c, 14) comprise a withdrawal device (5a, 5b, 5c) for the withdrawal from} the upper portion of said pre-acidifier (2), which are preferably formed by a spillway of said pre-acidifier (2) 30 or by a withdrawal nozzle end arranged in the upper por- tion of said pre-acidifier (2). 35 - 13 - 3. Apparatus (1) according to claim 2, characterized is that said transport means (5a, 5b, 5c, 14) comprise a 5 control device (14) for said withdrawal device, with which said withdrawal device (5a, 5b, 5c) and preferably an agitation device such as a stirrer (6, 7) can be driv- en. 10 4. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized is that said transport means (5a, 12) comprise a sieve (12). 5. Apparatus (1) according to claim 1, 15 characterized in that said transport means (5d, 5e, 10, 11, 14, 21) com- prise a floatation device (10, 11, 21) and a withdrawal device (5d, 5e) in the lower portion of said pre-acidifi- er (2). 20 6. Apparatus (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that said transport means (5d, 5e, 10, 11, 14, 21) com- prise a control device (14) for said withdrawal device 25 (5d, 5e) with which said withdrawal device (5d, 5e) and preferably said floatation device (10, 11, 21) can be driven. 7. Apparatus (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 6, 30 characterized in that a mechanical pre-treatment-pre-hackling-device 25 for sclubilizing / hackling at least part of said materials (A, B) is provided. - 14 – 40 8. Method for the anaerobic fermentation of materials (A, B) with a pre-acidification at which said materials (A, B) are pre-acidified with a pre-acidifier (2), 5 a fermentation at which said pre-acidified materials (A, B) ferment in a fermenter (3a, 3b), and a transport at which materials (A, B) from said pre- acidifier (2) are transported into said fermenter (3a, 3b), 10 characterized in that said sufficiently pre-acidified materials are selec- tively transported. 9. Method according to claim 8, 15 characterized in that the transport comprises letting said materials de- posit themselves in said pre-acidifier (2) and a subse- quent withdrawal of materials from an upper portion of said pre-acidifier (2). 20 10. Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that said materials are guided through a sieve (12) dur- ing the transport. 25 11. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the transport comprises a floatation and an at least partially simultaneous transport from the lower portion 30 of said pre-acidifier (2). 12. Method according to claims 8 to 11, characterized in that - 15 - said materials (A, B) comprise fluids (A) and solids (B). 13. Method according to one of the claims 8 to 13, 5 characterized in that at least part of said materials (A, B), particularly said solids (B) ace pre-treated preferably mechanically pre-hackled before they are put into said pre-acidifier (2). 10 (57) abastract:The invention rulas to a device (1) for anarobically tenmetiting suhatances (A-B) Comparising a preacidified (2) Inside of which the substances (A-B) are subjected to a preacidification:a fen center (3a-3b) Inside of which the preacidified substance (A-B) ferment and transfer meane (5a,5b,5c,5d,5c,10,11,12,14,21) for transferring the substnce (A-B) out of the preacidified (2) and into the fetmonter (3a3b) The device is characterized in that the Iransfer means (5a,5b,5c,5d,5c,10,11,12 ,14,21) are designed for selectively transforming sufficiently preacidified substance (A-B) The invention also relates to amethod for unaerobically fermenting substaces (A-B) Envolving a praecidification during which the substace (A-B) are preacidification by means of a preacidified (2) a femeolation during which the preacidified substance (A-B) terment inside a termenter (3a-3b) and a trasferming during which substance (A-B) are transfermed out for the precidified (2) and into the fermenter (3a-3b) where by the sufficiently preacidified substance and selectively transferred (57) Zussmemfansang:Die Enfinding betrifft eino Vorrichutug (1) eum enacroben fermontieren von stolled (A-B) init einem vorversttoren (2) in dem tio stofie (A-B) eino Vorversttoemng unterliegen,element.fermenter (3a-3b) in a dem die Verversaueren sttofe (A-B) fermentieron and Uberfuhmiuel (5a,5b,5c,5d,5e,10,11,12,14,21) and Uberfuhren der vorversaueren Vorversaueren (2) in den Fermenter (3a-3b) Die Vorrchang 1st dedurch The invention rulas to a device (1) for anarobically tenmetiting suhatances (A-B) Comparising a preacidified (2) Inside of which the substances (A-B) are subjected to a preacidification:a fen center (3a-3b) Inside of which the preacidified substance (A-B) ferment and transfer meane (5a,5b,5c,5d,5c,10,11,12,14,21) for transferring the substnce (A-B) out of the preacidified (2) and into the fetmonter (3a3b) The device is characterized in that the Iransfer means (5a,5b,5c,5d,5c,10,11,12 ,14,21) are designed for selectively transforming sufficiently preacidified substance (A-B) The invention also relates to amethod for unaerobically fermenting substaces (A-B) Envolving a praecidification during which the substace (A-B) are preacidification by means of a preacidified (2) a femeolation during which the preacidified substance (A-B) terment inside a termenter (3a-3b) and a trasferming during which substance (A-B) are transfermed out for the precidified (2) and into the fermenter (3a-3b) where by the sufficiently preacidified substance and selectively transferred |
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Patent Number | 218677 | ||||||||
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Indian Patent Application Number | 00875/KOLNP/2005 | ||||||||
PG Journal Number | 15/2008 | ||||||||
Publication Date | 11-Apr-2008 | ||||||||
Grant Date | 09-Apr-2008 | ||||||||
Date of Filing | 12-May-2005 | ||||||||
Name of Patentee | VON NORDENSKJOLD REINHART. | ||||||||
Applicant Address | VERFAHRENSTECHNIK KILLISTRASSE 3, 85658 EGMATING-MUNSTER, GERMANY, | ||||||||
Inventors:
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PCT International Classification Number | C02F 3/28 | ||||||||
PCT International Application Number | PCT/EP2003/012473 | ||||||||
PCT International Filing date | 2003-11-07 | ||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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