DE202014009749U1 - Energy - Food - Fertilizer - Plant System - Google Patents

Abstract

Energy-food-fertilizer plant system, consisting of a biogas plant, mainly filled with separated manure (fermenter room, Nachgärraum, biogas space, entry device, discharge device, device for discharging the biogas, device for heating), a drying plant (storage tank, drying chambers) and a fish farm (fish farming basin).

Description

Summary

The innovation includes a biogas plant on 80-100% güllebasis whose waste heat is used for fish farming. The input material slurry is separated and later processed into fertilizer in another process. This system produces 2 products that are marketed and uses 100% of the energy (heat and electricity). In addition, there is no waste. The environment and groundwater are relieved of nitrate and CO2 is reduced. Here the principle applies: "Nature knows no waste".

State of the art

CN20131311900 20130723 describes the use of separated pig manure in a biogas plant and subsequently as fertilizer or feed. However, the liquid phase is also introduced in the biogas plant and only pig manure is used.

CN20121100057 20120409 describes two recirculation systems to make use of pig manure with the help of plant sewage treatment plants, a biogas plant, a fertilizer production and fish ponds. The process described there differs significantly, since here initially a catch in ponds or pools is provided, the solid components are used as fish feed and the liquid phase as fertilizer for aquatic plants (plant treatment plant). Only the remnants remaining after that are introduced into a biogas plant. Again, only pig manure is used. In addition, the fish are bred in pond systems, which differs significantly from aquaculture in closed tank systems. There is no question of using heat or cascading energy and similar processes.

CN20131126581 20130412 describes the separation of pig slurry in order to produce from the solid phase fertilizer and fish feed thereafter, while the liquid phase is converted to biogas on the one hand, on the other hand - after purification - is used as cleaning water. Again, only pig manure is used here, and especially the solid phase is not converted to biogas.

basic problem

The term "bioeconomy" combines the vision of developing a "bio-based economy based on the natural material cycle" and on this basis ensuring both global nutrition and the supply of energy carriers and renewable raw materials for a variety of industries and applications. The patents described above are already the methods that have hitherto been designed most in the direction of such a circular economy.

With the "Bioeconomy Policy Strategy" adopted in 2013, the Federal Government has given the goal of a sustainable "bio-based" economy a high priority. This is particularly true because the bioeconomic perspective is not just a collection of new technologies, but a new understanding and holistic view of material and energy cycles. The necessary imagination for the still incalculable possibilities also requires the participation of economic as well as political and sociological approaches as a constitutive part of the bio-economic innovation process.

The plant system described here fulfills all of these requirements and, in addition to considerable environmental relief, enables the involvement of local political as well as economic actors. With manure and solid manure in Germany a biogas potential of about 96 PJ is available. That's equivalent to the average power consumption of about 3 million households, if one were to produce electricity from the entire amount. So far, only about 15% of this potential has been developed (BMU 2008) - because with the conventional approaches, liquid manure from small animal populations can not be used economically in biogas plants. Thereby, liquid manure fermentation has many ecological advantages - also and especially against the use of energy crops. In this respect, the development of still unused liquid manure potential plays a particularly important role. The plant system described here makes it possible to exploit previously unused liquid manure potential by using a new treatment process for raw slurry and subsequent recovery in an optimized fermentation process.

By the separation of the water content ( 3 ) and the concentration of the organic ingredients of the manure, the transportability of the substrate can be significantly increased. By separating the proportion of water, the thermal efficiency of the biogas plant compared to the fermentation of raw manure can be significantly increased. By optimizing the fermentation process, the heat efficiency is to be further improved. Thus, without the cultivation of energy crops, an expansion of energy production can be achieved and the emissions of climate-relevant gases from livestock farming can be significantly reduced.

In order to avoid harmful climatic influences from the transport and the storage of the thickened manure sludge, with Just in Time logistics a low-emission transport and storage technology are used ( 4 ).

After discharging the now fermented manure from the biogas plant again a separation ( 5 ) to minimize the water content before drying. Part of the water from the separated liquid manure is separated in the system plant and purified by a three-stage system, so that the nutrients dissolved in it remain in the solid phase ( 6 ). This makes it possible to produce a part of the water needed for fish farming and thus to achieve a higher degree of self-sufficiency. The more water is introduced to fish farming in this way ( 7 ), the higher the environmental relief of the plant system is.

The aim of the system is to generate the required energy in the form of heat and electricity - at least in large parts - ( 8th ). As a rule, it is difficult for biogas plant operators to fully utilize the available heat. Rather, the plant operators achieve their return from power generation and marketing. In the described plant system, all energies should be fully utilized and marketed ( 9 ). Therefore, the added value from the heat from cascading elements is fully utilized and different temperature levels are used in different modules (drying and fish farming). If the waste heat from the biogas plant is not completely sufficient to provide the desired drying performance, in addition to a part of the biogas, some of the solid matter present in the system can also be used thermally to generate further heat ( 10 ).

The basic principle of the drying technology used is, in contrast to all other techniques known in the market, a loosening and turbulence of the high-wet material to be dried to produce an extremely large surface and at the same time subject this large surface to a hot air flow. By this method, a low energy consumption per liter of water evaporation is needed. The energy source for the heat of drying is in this case the exhaust gas and residual heat of the biogas CHP and possibly from the heat of combustion from biogas and / or solid mass ( 11 ). The closed drying machine is operated with a slight negative pressure, so that no uncontrolled emissions occur.

The waste heat from the system is ideal for operating aquaculture systems. The residual heat remaining after drying is used as heating for the connected fish farms ( 12 ). As a result, the oceans can be relieved - and at the same time the rising consumption of healthy proteins, primarily fish, be served.

Immediately before or after drying, the slurry solids with other substances such. B. carbon enriched to produce a higher quality fertilizer ( 13 ). After drying, the solids are then pelleted to commercial fertilizer ( 14 ) to be packaged thereafter and stored for sale.

Benefits & environmental benefits

Agricultural land use is the largest potential source of groundwater pollution. In particular, diffuse nitrogen inputs due to the use of mineral and organic nitrogen fertilizers, which are reflected in the nitrate concentration in groundwater (NLWKN 2007), have to be mentioned. The nitrate levels in the waters increased sharply in the second half of the 20th century due to intensive agricultural fertilization. Mainly regions with intensive animal husbandry and vegetable cultivation in combination with very slightly permeable soils are particularly affected. The CO2 balance of manure from intensive livestock farming is also considerable. Here, the described plant system creates a strong balance for the environment as the introduced liquid manure is not discharged on the fields as agricultural fertilizer but leaves the region as a dried fertilizer and can act where nutrient scarcity prevails in the soil.

The increasing intensive cultivation of maize as a result of numerous new biogas plants has also been causing nitrates to heavily pollute drinking water for years. In Germany in the past also a partly heated "Teller-Tank" discussion was conducted. The Nature Conservation Association of Germany (NABU) and the German Association for Landscape Conservation (DVL) criticize the change in the landscape due to more maize cultivation and the environmental and ecological consequences of grassland change than maize. Growing demand for corn to adequately feed the many new biogas plants has also caused a massive increase in leases and feed prices in some regions. In addition, biodiversity suffers from the one-sided "vermaisung". Again, the system described described creates a useful alternative.

The plant system improves the efficiency and quantity of liquid manure fermentation and its environmental compatibility, reduces dependence on non-renewable energy sources and contributes to the reduction of energy-related CO2 emissions. Through the new and optimized process of pretreatment Separation and subsequent drying enable new biogenic residues and waste to be tapped and, in terms of energy and efficiency, effectively utilized as fertilizer. Great emphasis is placed on the need-based production and provision of electricity and heat and fertilizer and fish from the biomass feedstock.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• CN 20131311900 [0002]
• CN 20121100057 [0003]
• CN 20131126581 [0004]

Claims (14)

Energy-food-fertilizer plant system, consisting of a biogas plant, mainly filled with separated manure (fermenter room, Nachgärraum, biogas space, entry device, discharge device, device for discharging the biogas, device for heating), a drying plant (storage tank, drying chambers) and a fish farm (fish farming basin). System according to claim 1, characterized in that only cattle slurry is used. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the separation of the liquid manure takes place locally, ie within a radius of 30 km around the plant. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a biogas technology is used, which allows breaks in the feed and therefore enables environmentally efficient logistics in the liquid manure procurement. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fermented manure after discharging from the biogas plant is separated again before drying. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that a part of the water is separated from the separated manure and purified, wherein the nutrients remain in the solid phase. System according to claim 6, characterized in that this water is introduced into the fish farming. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least 70% of the required energy (heat and electricity) for the operation of the system are generated by the system itself. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that between 80% and 100% of the residual heat and energy generated are cascading used and / or marketed. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a part of the fermented, optionally again separated slurry mass for the production of heat is thermally utilized. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drying of the slurry livers to fertilizer by means of waste heat from the biogas plant and / or by means of heat from the combustion of a portion of the biogas and / or by means of heat from the combustion of a portion of the solids. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the residual heat remaining after drying is used as heating in fish farming. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slurry residues are enriched before or after drying with other substances in order to obtain a high-quality fertilizer. System according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the slurry residues are pelletized after drying to commercial fertilizer.

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