BE1018610A3 - INSTALLATION FOR THE USE OF FATS AND / OR OILS OF VEGETABLE AND / OR ANIMAL ORIGIN. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation for upgrading fats and / or oils of vegetable and / or animal origin. This installation is characterized in that it comprises at least one enclosure (1) for storing the products to be upgraded in the liquid state, a motor (2) and a circuit (3) for circulating the products to be upgraded between the enclosure. (1) storage and the motor (2), said circuit (3) comprising at least, in addition to a main inlet (4) connected to the storage chamber (1), at least one auxiliary fluid inlet (5) for supplying the circuit (3) with at least water and alcohol and / or alcohol derivative, at least one static mixer (26) supplied, by pumping, with fluids from said inlets (4, 5, 6, 7) circuit, this static mixer (26) being arranged in series with at least one tank (8) for collecting the combustible emulsion from the mixer (26), this tank (8), interposed between the outlet of the mixer (26) static and the inlet (16) for supplying fuel to the engine (2) forming a buffer volume capable of compensating for variations in fuel consumption of the engine.

Description

The present invention relates to a plant for the recovery of fats and / or oils of vegetable or animal origin.

Many industries, especially agri-food industries, produce, during their activity, fats and / or oils of animal or vegetable origin qualified as waste that they must dispose of. This is the case, for example, with slaughterhouses or industrial processed meats. For a long time, these wastes or residues of animals have been used for the manufacture of the food of said animals. This practice is now prohibited. Fats or oils, known for their ability to burn, have led manufacturers to use these products as fuel in boilers. Combustion eliminates these byproducts by producing heat. However, clean burning1 does not add expensive products. In addition, the thermal energy produced by valuing all the fats of an agribusiness industrialist frequently exceeds the real needs, hence the problems of sizing or reselling energy. The other industrial processes used are methanation, which recovers the fatty waste into combustible gas but does not eliminate its by-products Because the substrate obtained must be subsequently spread. Finally, bio-digestion is a solution for the disposal of oily waste but does not value this waste. The route of the use of fats or oils as a fuel, particularly as a liquid fuel, which can be substituted for diesel fuel, has not been widely used, in particular because the properties of the lubricants (viscosity, Pour point, etc.) grease or oil is difficult to use directly in a diesel engine. As a matter of fact, many studies have shown that the burning of pure animal fat of short duration causes serious engine fouling which can lead to its damage. '

In order to overcome the bad predispositions of animal fats to replace diesel, it has been proposed a chemical route that uses a process for converting fats into bio-diesel by transesterification of fatty acids. This chemical route, although providing good results, remains very expensive due to the necessary equipment and excludes any possibility of an in situ installation, ie at the waste production site due to its price. Physical pathways give acceptable results. These physical routes consist in the dilution of fats with a fraction of diesel fuel and in the emulsion of the product obtained by a fraction of water.

Another technique is to emulsify fats in the presence of water and alcohol. These techniques make it possible to obtain a fuel without adding complex synthesis products and without complex chemical reaction. To date, the production of such a fuel has been developed in the laboratory using complex solutions using dynamic mixers.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an installation of the aforementioned type whose design allows both elimination and recovery, particularly energy, greases and / or oiled to value.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple design facility for in situ recovery, that is to say on the site of production of fats and / or oils to be valued, this valuation can be made in line and continuously.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a plant for the recovery of fats and / or oils of plant and / or animal origin, said installation comprising at least one storage enclosure in the liquid state of fat and / or oils to be upgraded, an internal combustion engine and a circulation circuit of the fats and / or oils to be recovered between the storage enclosure and the engine, said circuit comprising at least, in addition to a main fluid inlet connected to the storage chamber, at least one auxiliary fluid inlet for supplying at least water and alcohol and / or alcohol derivative of said circuit, at least one mixer fed, by pumping, erri fluids from said circuit inputs, ce mixer, able to form from the components introduced into said circuit a water-in-oil emulsion which can be used as liquid fuel, being placed in series with at least one collection tank of the fuel emulsion, this reservoir, interposed between the output of the static mixer and the fuel supply inlet of the engine forming a buffer volume capable of mitigating the fuel consumption variations of the engine, characterized in that the storage chamber and the circulation circuit of the fats and / or oils to be valorised between the storage enclosure and the engine are equipped with heating means arranged respectively outside the storage enclosure and outside the circuit, in that the mixer, arranged upstream of the collection tank, is a static mixer which has the shape of a pipe oriented vertically with its fluid inlet (s) located at a level higher than its or its fluid outlet outlet (s), this duct being internally provided with recessed or protruding parts of the stationary blade or fin type assuring a mixture of the contents of the duct during its operation. axial placement within said duct and in that the collecting container is formed of a storage tank of the fuel emulsion provided internally at least one movable member stirring the contents of the tank.

The use of a static mixer makes it possible to obtain a low-cost emulsion online from the greases and / or oils circulating in said installation.

The use of a static mixer also allows a continuous production of liquid fuel used as a motor fuel integrated in said installation. Likewise, the presence of a collection reservoir forming a buffer volume and situated, downstream of the static mixer, on the circulation circuit of the fats and / or oils to be valorized, between the storage enclosure and the engine, makes it possible to adapt continuously to variations in fuel consumption of the engine. Indeed, it is known that the engine, depending on its load, consumes more or less fuel. Thanks to the presence of the buffer volume collection tank, it is possible, whatever the level of consumption of the motor, to feed optimally the latter.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the installation is equipped with means that control the operation of the fluid supply pump or pumps of the static mixer at the filling level of the collection tank.

Due to the presence of these servo means, the fluid supply pump (s) of the mixer operates (s) only when the collection tank does not reach its maximum filling level. Once again, this arrangement makes it possible to produce fuel almost continuously and to ensure in all circumstances that the engine can be fueled without risk of overflowing the plant.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the single figure which represents, in simplified form, the constituent elements of an installation according to the invention.

As mentioned above, the present invention relates to a plant for the recovery of fats and / or oils of plant and / or animal origin. Although many industrial fields can be targeted, the invention is more particularly slaughterhouses that produce raw greasy co-products, industrial meat products that produce cooked greasy co-products and, more generally, any food industry that produces flotation fat. Of course, even if the invention is described below more particularly in the case of an application to animal fats, the invention can be applied in a similar manner to vegetable oils or to an animal fat mixture - vegetable oil. In the specific case of the raw co-products of slaughter, a melting, that is to say a grinding and baking co-products, is carried out and a triphasic separation is applied to said product in order to dissociate pure fats proteins and water present in the waste. Only pure fats are used in the installation object of the invention.

With regard to cooking fat and flotation fat, an extraction of the fat fraction can be carried out directly by means of a process which allows separation between liquid-liquid or liquid-solid. These fats can therefore be animal fats constituted by the liquid phase resulting from the liquid-solid separation at high temperature of food waste from slaughterhouses. Each time, the preliminary treatments of these fats are intended to eliminate water and solid impurities present in the waste. This prior treatment is necessary especially in the case of waste from slaughterhouses. Once the fat fraction of this waste has been obtained, the fats and / or oils to be recovered are stored in a storage chamber 1 and held in said chamber in the liquid state. For this purpose, the storage chamber 1 is equipped with heating means, such as a resistor, arranged outside the storage enclosure 1. These heating means allow to wait in said chamber 1 a temperature between 45 and 60 ° C.

In addition to the storage enclosure 1, the installation also comprises an internal combustion engine 2 and a circulation circuit 3 for the fats and / or oils to be upgraded between the storage enclosure 1 and the engine 2. This circuit 3 includes less, in addition to a main fluid inlet 4 connected to the storage chamber 1 and allowing the circuit 3 to be fed with fats and / or oils to be upgraded, at least one auxiliary fluid inlet 5 for feeding the circuit at least in water and alcohol and / or alcohol derivative.

The circulation circuit 3 of the fats and / or oils to be upgraded may comprise one or more auxiliary inputs. Indeed, it may comprise either an auxiliary input connected to a power source of the circuit in aqueous fluid containing at least water and an alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative, or two auxiliary inputs connected to each other. a circuit supply source of aqueous fluid, in particular water, another to an alcohol storage tank or an alcohol derivative. This is the case of the example shown, where the circuit comprises two auxiliary inputs represented one at 5 and connected to a source 15A for supplying the circuit with aqueous fluid, in this case water, the other at 6 and connected to an alcohol storage tank 15B and / or an alcohol derivative.

In the examples shown, the circulation circuit 3 furthermore comprises an additional auxiliary input 7 connected to a reserve 15C of surfactant. Of course, this additional auxiliary input 7 is not mandatory. It should be noted that, in the examples shown, the circuit is initially supplied with alcohol then with surfactant and then with water. The alcohol or alcohol derivative is introduced into the circuit 3 before the water. All the components necessary for the production of an emulsion are introduced into the circuit 3 in fluid form.

With the components selected, the fuel obtained from said components may have a composition expressed in volume relative to the total volume of said composition, as follows: - oils or fats: 68 - 90% - water: 5 -15% - alcohol and / or alcohol derivative: 5-15% - surfactants: 0-2%.

In addition to its main inlet and its auxiliary input (s), the circulation circuit 3 for the fats and / or oils to be upgraded between the storage enclosure 1 and the engine 2 comprises at least one static mixer 26. This static mixer 26 is fed with fluids from said pump circuit inputs. Indeed, preferably, the installation comprises, for each fluid to be introduced into the circulation circuit 3 of fats and / or oils to be upgraded, a metering pump for supplying said fluid into the circuit. Thus, as shown in the single figure, the pump 11 allows the supply to the circuit 3 of the fats and / or oils to be upgraded, the pump 12 allows the introduction of water into the circuit, the pump 13 the introduction of alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative in the circuit and the pump 14 the introduction of surfactant in said circuit.

In a manner characteristic of the invention, the installation is equipped with means 27, 28 which control the operation of the pump (s) 11, 12, 13, 14 of fluid supply of the static mixer 26 at the level of filling of the collection tank 8. These pumps generally work in synchronism. This collection tank 8, which is arranged in series with the static mixer 26, is interposed between the output of the static mixer 26 and the fuel supply inlet 16 of the engine 2. It thus enables the formation of a buffer volume upstream of the fuel supply input 16 or motor fuel so that the engine can, regardless of the load requested, be optimally supplied.

In the examples shown, this collection tank 8 is formed of a tank 9 for storing the fuel emulsion fueled by at least one inlet 8A connected to the outlet of the static mixer 26. This tank 9 is internally provided with at least one movable member 10 for agitating the contents of the tank 9. The tank 8 then forms a dynamic mixer. This movable member 10 is here formed of a rotary blade shaft. Level sensors detecting one, 28, the minimum level of filling of the collection tank 8, the other 27, the maximum filling level of the collection tank 8, are also arranged inside this tank 8 The sensors transmit a signal to a control relay of the pumps 11 to 14 for supplying fluids to the circuit 3 when the fuel level of the collection tank 8 is below the maximum level. These level sensors therefore constitute means that control the operation of the fluid supply pump (s) of the static mixer 26 at the level of the filling of the collection tank 8. When the collection tank 8 is equipped with a movable stirring member, it also functions as a dynamic mixer that completes and reinforces the action of the static mixer 26 for the formation of the emulsion.

The advantage of using a static mixer makes it possible to obtain an online production of the emulsion. This static mixer 26 has the shape of a duct provided internally with recessed or projecting parts, of the stationary blade or fin type ensuring a mixture of the contents of the duct during its axial displacement inside said duct. The constituent conduit of the static mixer 26 is oriented vertically with its fluid inlet (s) (s) located (s) at a level higher than its (or) outlet fluid outlet (s) so as to further promote a circulation by gravity of the fluid inside said mixer.

Preferably, in the example shown, the static mixer used is a known mixer of the tubular type manufactured by Verder. The series use of a static mixer and a dynamic mixer allows the formation of a homogeneous fine emulsion. The liquid fuel or biofuel resulting from these mixing steps is then used to continuously feed the internal combustion engine 2.

The installation is preferably an installation, of the type in which at least a portion of the fuel supplying the engine 2, in particular the injection circuit 23 of the engine 2, is discharged via an appropriate pipe 19, so-called discharge pipe. Preferably, the collecting tank 8 comprises a second liquid fuel supply inlet 8B, said inlet 8B being connected to the outlet of the motor discharge pipe 19 activated during the supply of the fuel engine from the circuit 3 of the engine. circulation of fats and / or oils to be valorized.

The engine 2 is preferably a hybrid engine operating alternately from one or the other of two selectively activatable liquid fuel supply sources 3, 18, one of the sources 3, 18 being formed by the circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be upgraded, the other by a reserve 18 of fuel oil or diesel.

Thus, the reserve 18 of fuel oil or diesel fuel is more particularly used during the starting phase of the engine 2 and after stopping production of the liquid fuel based on fats and / or oil to be upgraded. The engine is therefore powered by its reference fuel, such as fuel oil or diesel, before and after any use of the liquid fuel obtained from the fats and / or oils to be upgraded.

The installation is, in this particular case, equipped with a switching member 17, such as a valve, arranged at or near the inlet 16 for supplying fuel to the engine 2 for the passage of from one fuel supply source to another depending on the desired fuel for the engine supply.

When the installation is of the type in which at least a portion of the fuel supplying the engine 2, in particular the injection circuit 23 of the engine 2, is discharged via an appropriate pipe 19, called the discharge pipe. , the installation is preferably equipped with at least two pipes 19, 20 for discharging the liquid fuel from the engine, said ducts 19, 20 being selectively activatable depending on the activated fuel supply source. Thus, when the fuel supply source is formed by the circulation circuit 3 of the fats and / or oils recovered, it is the discharge pipe 19 which is activated. Conversely, when the fuel reserve 18 is used, it is the discharge pipe 20 which is activated. Again, there is provided a switching member 21, such as a valve, allowing the passage of a discharge pipe to another. Preferably, the valves 17 and 21 operate in synchronism and are controlled from the same control member. It is noted that the switching member 21, between the two delivery lines, is located between the engine injection system 23 and the combustion chamber 22 of the engine 2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention, in which at least a part of the fuel supplying the engine 2, in particular the injection circuit 23 of the engine 2, is discharged via an appropriate pipe 19, of which the outlet is connected to the second inlet 8b for supplying liquid fuel to the collection tank 8 during the activation of the fuel supply source formed by the circulation circuit 3 for the fats and / or oils to be upgraded, the fuel discharged by the engine 2 is directly reintroduced into the reservoir 8 collecting buffer volume. This liquid fuel can then be reintroduced, at any time, into the engine 2 by the fuel supply inlet 16 of the engine 2. A closed loop circuit of at least a portion of the fuel necessary for the operation of the engine is thus established. motor 2 between the collection tank 8 and the engine 2. The collection tank 8 has two functions: one of serving as a buffer volume to adapt the amount of biofuel product to the actual consumption of the engine, the other recovery of biofuel discharged by the engine when it does not operate at full load. The engine 2 can then be used for various applications.

In the example shown in the single figure, this engine 2, represented in the form of a block with dotted lines, is a co-generation engine associated at least on the one hand with a generator 24, on the other hand part of a heat exchanger for the production of electric and thermal energy. Indeed, this engine is connected to an alternator that converts mechanical work into electricity. In addition, heat recovery is possible on the exhaust and on the engine cooling system.

The electrical efficiency (ratio between the electric power produced and the calorific value of the fuel consumed) of the installation is between 25 and 35%. The thermal efficiency (ratio between the useful thermal energy produced and the calorific value of the fuel consumed) can reach 45% if appropriate heat exchangers are used. Of course, it is also possible to remove the heat exchangers shown.

The installation is an electricity generation installation whose engine 2 forms one of the elements of an electric generator. This application is preferred.

The process of emulsification of greases and / or oil in line uses a static mixer associated or not with a dynamic mixer. The mixing system comprising the static mixer alone or the static mixer and dynamic mixer assembly is designed to reduce the average diameter of the water droplets below 100 μm. The alcohol or alcohol derivative added to the circuit is preferably a C1-C10 lower alcohol, preferably a C1-C4 alcohol, such as methanol or ethanol. Similarly, the surfactant, when present, has an HLB number of less than 10, preferably of between 3 and 6.

To avoid any damage to the installation, and in particular any freezing of greases and / or oils in the circuit 3 of the installation, it is provided, on at least part of the circuit 3 for the circulation of greases and / or oils to value, means for heating the contents of the circuit, said heating means being disposed outside the circuit 3. These heating means are generally in the form of electrical resistance or a hot water circulation circuit, water having been heated from the heat released by the engine 2. The purpose of these heating means is to maintain inside the circulation circuit 3 and the various elements constituting this circuit a temperature generally between 35 ° C. and 60 ° C.

In its basic version, the installation as described above, can simply include a tank 1 for storing oils and / or fats for recovery, a grease and / or oil circulation circuit to an engine with a main inlet and an auxiliary fluid supply inlet, said fluid being in the form of a mixture containing at least water and alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative, a static mixer and a reservoir of fuel storage from the mixer disposed on said circuit and a motor powered from the engine fuel fuel contained in the reservoir 8 forming a buffer volume. The result is an extremely simple installation.

Claims (10)

1. Plant for the recovery of fats and / or oils of plant and / or animal origin, said installation comprising at least one storage enclosure in the liquid state of the fats and / or oils to be upgraded, an engine (2) an internal combustion engine and a circuit (3) for circulating the fats and / or oils to be upgraded between the storage enclosure (1) and the engine (2), said circuit (3) comprising at least, in addition to an inlet (4) of main fluid connected to the storage chamber (1), at least one inlet (5, 6, 7) of auxiliary fluid for supplying at least water and alcohol and / or alcohol derivative of said circuit (3 ), at least one mixer (26) pumped with fluids from said circuit inlet (4, 5, 6, 7), said mixer (26) adapted to form from the components introduced into said circuit (3). ) a water-in-oil emulsion suitable for use as a liquid fuel, being arranged in series with at least one reservoir (8) of e collection of the fuel emulsion, this reservoir (8) interposed between the output of the static mixer (26) and the fuel supply inlet (16) of the engine (2) forming a buffer volume capable of mitigating variations of fuel consumption of the engine, characterized in that the enclosure (1) for storage and the circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be valorised between the storage enclosure (1) and the engine (2) are equipped with heating means arranged respectively outside the storage chamber (1) and outside the circuit (3), in that the mixer (26), arranged upstream of the tank (8), collection, is a static mixer that affects the shape of a vertically oriented conduit with its fluid supply inlet (s) located at a level greater than its fluid outlet (s) (s) , this duct being internally provided with recessed or protruding parts of the like blades or stat blades ionaires providing a mixture of the contents of the duct during its axial displacement inside said duct and in that the collection tank (8) is formed of a tank (9) for storing the fuel emulsion provided internally with at least one movable member (10) for agitating the contents of the tank (9). 2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with means (27, 28) which control the operation of the pump or pumps (11, 12, 13, 14) fluid supply of the mixer (26). ) static at the filling level of the collection tank (8). 3. Installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be upgraded comprises at least two auxiliary inputs connected one (5) to a source ( 15A) for supplying the circuit with aqueous fluid, another (6) for a storage tank (15B) for storing alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative, and possibly an additional auxiliary input (7) connected to a reserve (15C) of surfactant. 4. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the installation comprises, for each fluid to be introduced into the circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be upgraded, a feed metering pump. said fluid in the circuit, said pumps (12, 13, 14) operatively servocontrolled at the filling level of the reservoir (8), operating in synchronism. 5. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the collection tank (8) comprises a second inlet (8B) liquid fuel supply, said inlet (8B) being connected to the outlet of the pipe (19) motor discharge activated when supplying the engine with fuel from the circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be upgraded. 6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the engine (2) is a hybrid engine operating alternately from one or the other of two sources (3, 18) for supplying power. selectively activatable liquid fuel, one (3) of the sources (3, 18) being formed by the circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be upgraded, the other by a reserve (18) of fuel oil or of diesel. 7. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that it is equipped with a switching member (17), such as a valve, arranged at or in the vicinity of the inlet (16) for supplying. engine fuel (2) for the passage of a fuel supply source to another depending on the needs of the engine. 8. Installation according to one of claims 6 or 7, of the type in which at least a portion of the fuel supplying the engine (2), in particular the circuit (23) for injecting the engine (2), is forced back by the intermediate of a pipe (19) suitable, said discharge pipe, characterized in that it is equipped with at least two pipes (19, 20) for discharging the liquid fuel from the engine, said pipes (19, 20). being selectively activatable depending on the activated fuel supply source. 9. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said installation is an electricity generation plant whose motor (2) forms one of the elements of an electric generator. 10. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the engine (2) of the installation is a cogeneration engine associated at least on the one hand to a generator (24), on the other hand to an exchanger (25) of heat for the production of electrical and thermal energy.